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Pet-tastic Literacy Activities: Pawesome Muse at Reading Rockets

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Pet-tastic Literacy Activities: Pawesome Muse at Reading Rockets

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Even before 2020’s pet craze, children’s books have reflected the special bond between kids and creatures. Let’s look at three different ways young readers can integrate literacy skills with their love of animals.

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Well I had a dog and his name was Lou
Betcha five dollars he's a good dog too
Old Lou!

Growing up, that was my family's version of the traditional ballad Old Blue. Lou, short for Hairy Lou, was the first dog we ever had, and he was a good dog too. We all shared in the loving and caring of Lou and he loved us back. And while I remember the fun and satisfaction of racing Lou on my bike, romping in the snow with my brother and Lou, and all of us curling up in front of the woodburning stove together, I realize now that one of Lou's greatest gifts was that he inspired the storyteller in each of us.

Once we got Lou, we got to hear lots of stories about the adventures my parents had with their own dogs when they were young. My brother would tell us all the many - let's just say interesting - things he and Lou would get up to exploring under the house, in woods, and along the road. And for me, Lou was willing to play any part he was cast in when we played hotel, castle, ship, or island on the rocky outcrop near our house. Lou stimulated our conversations and our imaginations.

Pets can inspire in countless ways. When author Laura Shovan shared with me that her two dogs had important cameos in her last two middle grade novels, I had to have her share more about how they inspire her! Laura's debut middle grade novel, The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary, won several awards, including NCTE 2017 Notable Verse. Her novel Takedown was selected by PJ Our Way and Junior Library Guild, and was on the ALA's Amelia Bloomer list of feminist books.

Her most recent book is A Place at the Table, co-written with author/activist Saadia Faruqi.

Laura is a longtime poet-in-the-schools in Maryland. She likes to knit, bake, and doodle robots. And, of course, spend time with her dogs.

Pawesome Muse by Laura Shovan

I remember my first pet. I was in fourth grade. My friend Trudy walked up to our classroom chalkboard one winter morning and wrote out the news we'd all been waiting to hear. Trudy's cat Pearly May had kittens!

I promised my parents that if I adopted a kitten, I'd take good care of it. That's how a gray tabby became my BFF - best furry friend.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, people are adopting animals at such a high rate that shelters and rescues have waiting lists. While we quarantine at home, missing friends and family, pets are a source of comfort and friendship, especially for children.

Even before 2020's pet craze, children's books have reflected the special bond between kids and creatures. Let's look at three different ways young readers can integrate literacy skills with their love of animals.

First up, reading!

Whether it's Charlotte's Web, Because of Winn Dixie, or Fenway and Hattie, the child-animal bond is a beloved theme in middle grade fiction. Both of my dogs - Sam the Schnauzer and Rudy the Beagle - have appeared in my novels.

There are several reasons why an author might "give" their main character a pet.

Kids can talk to pets without fear of judgement. When a child needs to express vulnerability, a dog or cat can be a safe listener.

Some pets sense when a child is angry, sad, or disappointed and provide comfort.

Pets can meet sensory needs, whether it's the calming effect of petting a cat, or the energy that comes from running around with a dog.

When I include a pet in a story, it's not just to give my dogs a cameo. Authors use animals to reflect the main character's personality or state of mind.

My middle grade novel Takedown is about two young wrestlers, Lev and Mickey. Lev has a beagle named Grover. Like my Rudy, Grover is content to sit around, snuffle for food, and take an occasional stroll. He represents Lev's reluctance to shake things up by standing up for Mickey, the first girl to join Lev's wrestling team. The moment in the story when Lev goes on a run, leaving Grover behind, there is a deeper meaning. Lev is ready to stop being content with things as they are and be a change-maker.

Of course, I couldn't leave Sam out! He appears as Elizabeth Shainmark's schnauzer, Robin Hood, in A Place at the Table. In this novel about the friendship between two girls who are both first generation American, Robin Hood is an anxious dog. He jumps at new people and barks at every strange sound. In this way, Elizabeth's pet reflects her feelings of upheaval as her family copes with big changes.

Do you have a favorite book about a kid and their dog? Instead of doing a character study of the protagonist, try writing out the personality traits of the main character's pet. Are the adjectives you listed similar to how you'd describe the main character?

Next up ... writing!

The second way that kids can practice their animal and literacy skills is through writing. Poetry is perfect for a quick-write. Here are two pet-poem options.

Funny Habits

Does your pet have a funny habit? Describe their behavior in a few lines. I've been doing yoga at home this year. Guess who thinks he's my yoga partner?
Yoga Dog
Your mat rolls out
like a big pink tongue.

I wag and strrretch.
Come on! Come on!

It's yoga time.
Let's greet the sun.

Human and dog,
we breathe as one.

Acrostic Poem

Write your pet's name down one side of a page (one letter on each line). Use each letter to come up with an adjective about your BFF.

Want to challenge yourself? Instead of your pet's name, create an acrostic using a word that describes your animal. See if you can tell a little story starring your pet.
Sam's Schnauzer Acrostic
Volunteer!

My third suggestion for combining love of animals with literacy skills is to get involved. Many communities have programs where kids read to canine ambassadors. This spring, The Washington Post reported that groups like People Animals Love have shifted to online sessions, with children reading to therapy dogs via Zoom.

Reading to shelter dogs led young activist Halley Vincent to start a non-profit, Paws Up KC, that raises money for animal welfare organizations. I follow Halley on Instagram because she's a positive model for kids who want to get involved in animal rights.

Whatever books are on your TBR, enjoy snugging up with your BFF and sharing a happy tail. I mean tale!

More about Laura Shovan

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Well I had a dog and his name was Lou Betcha five dollars he's a good dog too Old Lou! Growing up, that was my family's version of the traditional ballad Old Blue. Lou, short for Hairy Lou, was the first dog we ever had, and he was a good dog too.

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Lesson: Global Read Aloud 2017 Poetry Extension, Pet's-Eye View

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Lesson: Global Read Aloud 2017 Poetry Extension, Pet's-Eye View

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I've teamed up with GRA17 author Victoria Coe on a mini poetry lesson! Using my poem "Lost and Found" from Pet Crazy: A Poetry Friday Power Book as a model, kids can try writing from an animal's point of view, just as Victoria does in her hilarious Fenway and Hattie series.

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Happy Poetry Friday! I took the summer off from blogging and I'm glad to be back with you. This week's host for the Poetry Friday link-up is Michelle Heidenrich Barnes at Today's Little Ditty. Michelle's blogging about the International Day of Peace (September 21) and invites us all to share a poem on the them of peace.

It's been a few years since I blogged about Victoria J. Coe's first middle grade novel, the hilarious Fenway and Hattie. ( Read that post here.)

The charm and humor of the Fenway books ( the third title in the series publishes in January) is their point of view. Narrator Fenway is a rambunctious Jack Russell Terrier who doesn't understand that his back yard isn't a dog park and that slippery floors are not inherently evil. What a great read-aloud for kids.

Now Fenway is going global. Fenway and Hattie is this year's Global Read Aloud for early readers. Congratulations to Victoria! (What is Global Read Aloud? Learn more here.)

And how serendipitous for us that the latest Poetry Friday book from Janet Wong and Sylvia Vardell is the newly published Pet Crazy!

Victoria and I decided to go to the dogs - and cats. We put together a poetry writing extension for Fenway and Hattie using my poem from Pet Crazy as a model. Global Read Aloud participants can find more Fenway and Hattie resources at Victoria's Padlet.

Welcome, Victoria!
Fenway and Hattie + Pet Crazy Mini Point of View Lesson A creative writing extension for readers of Fenway and Hattie An invitation from Victoria J. Coe Reading Fenway and Hattie gives students the chance to experience a dog's point of view. Seeing the world from a new point of view is not only fun, but it also shows that our own perspective isn't the only one out there. Two people - or two species - can experience the exact same thing and interpret it very differently. That doesn't mean that one is right and one is wrong. It just means your reality depends on your point of view. Writing from a point of view different from our own is an even more powerful way of realizing there are at least two sides to every story.
Victoria and poet Laura Shovan ( The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary ) have collaborated on a creative writing extension for

In this mini-workshop, students will have their chance to think like a dog, or cat, or parrot as they write a short poem from an animal's point of view. The mentor texts for this extension are Fenway and Hattie , by Victoria J. Coe, and the poem "Lost and Found," by Laura Shovan, from P et Crazy: A Poetry Friday Power Book.

After reading Fenway and Hattie , invite the whole class or small groups to do an analysis. Create a T-chart comparing how animals and humans view one of the following experiences:

Going to the vet

Moving to a new home

Learning to obey

Dinnertime!

Ready to write a poem describing an experience from a pet's point of view? Our model poem is "Lost and Found," by Laura Shovan (from Pet Crazy: A Poetry Friday Power Book ). In this poem, a young cat goes exploring and can't find its way back home.

Lost and Found
By Laura Shovan

I'm a curious cat.
My gray tail twitches.
I chase bird shadows
from lawn to lawn.
But when I sniff
and know I've lost
the scent of home,
I cry a sad song.
Meow! Meow!
Someone find me.
See my collar?
Call that number.
Take me home.

Some suggested "experiences" for young poets to write about include events from Fenway and Hattie:

After students share their writing, Victoria recommends these follow up questions:

What was surprising about thinking like an animal?

What did you learn about the pet's point of view?

How would you describe the same event as a human kid?

Hints and helps from Victoria and Laura:

Kids can brainstorm their poems using a t-chart.

Prompt students to think about their five sense as their chosen animal. What would they hear, smell, and see from the pet's-eye-view?

The goal is to write a poem, but it's fine to draft in prose sentences.

Ordering information:
FENWAY AND HATTIE by Victoria J. Coe is available wherever books are sold, including: Your local independent bookstore , Barnes & Noble , and Amazon .

Victoria J. Coe is the author of Fenway and Hattie, the 2017 Global Read Aloud book for Early Readers, as well as two additional Fenway and Hattie novels. She teaches creative writing to adults in Cambridge, MA. Find her online @victoriajcoe (twitter/IG) and at: www.victoriajcoe.com.

PET CRAZY: A POETRY FRIDAY POWER BOOK , by Sylvia Vardell & Janet Wong, is available at Amazon and Pomelo Books .

Laura Shovan's middle grade novel-in-verse, The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary, is a NCTE 2017 Notable Verse Novel and won CYBILS and Nerdy Book Club awards for poetry. She is a longtime poet-in-the-schools and the author and editor of three books of poetry for adults. Laura is a contributor to Pet Crazy: A Poetry Friday Power Book , by Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong. Visit her at: www.laurashovan.com .

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Pet's-Eye View: Writing with GRA's Fenway and Hattie + Pet Crazy

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Happy Poetry Friday! I took the summer off from blogging and I'm glad to be back with you. This week's host for the Poetry Friday link-up is Michelle Heidenrich Barnes at Today's Little Ditty. Michelle's blogging about the International Day of Peace (September 21) and invites us all to share a poem on the them...

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Lesson: Using the News to Inspire Poetry

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Lesson: Using the News to Inspire Poetry

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When School Library Journal asked me to come up with a National Poetry Month activity, I shared #10FoundWords. This is a version of found poetry. Take 10 words from a new story and build a poem around that list of words.

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Well. Here we are, educators and librarians. The teens we work with are consuming the same polarizing news media, current events stories, and government spin that we adults struggle to cope with every day.
How can we help teens interact with the news in a way that gives them some control over the language and information we're being bombarded with? One answer is poetry.
Over the past few months, I've resisted the urge to disengage from the language being used by government and media. Instead, I'm looking at that language as a poet - creating found poems to reflect what's happening in our country and world.

A few days before our 45 th president's inauguration, I found I could not watch his press conference. My feelings about and reactions toward Trump were still too raw. I had to find a way to interact with his words that felt safe, but allowed me to digest their meaning.

I turned to poetry, printing out the text of the press conference and highlighting key phrases. The result was a found poem in Trump's own words.

The idea worked well enough that I borrowed it for the daily write-in I host each February. My goal was to help people stay aware of how language is being used in the current political climate, a skill that is crucial for teens as well as adults.
Whether you're working with a teen writing club that meets once a month, a weekly poetry class, or a high school social justice committee, this exercise is adaptable for your group. It would make a great National Poetry Month project.
The prompt combines found poetry, current events, and a writing exercise from poet Grace Cavalieri entitled "10 Little Words."
Each day of the project, one member of the group chooses a news article. From that source, he or she pulls out 10 words. The task is to write a poem (or flash prose piece) using all, or most, of the day's ten words.
What I like about this prompt is that it provides both structure and options. The ten words function like a vase, containing the poets' raw emotional response to the news and giving it shape. But there's also freedom to play with the words and make personal connections.

The best part of this current events/found poetry project is how it encourages engagement with the day's news on a deeper level. Instead of reading and shaking our heads at injustice, writing a poem in response to the news encourages critical thinking and creativity. During difficult times or experiences, making art can help teens (anyone, really) gain an important sense of perspective.

Some tips on doing this project with teens:

It's good to have a variety of topics. We all need occasional breaks from politics. Encourage each member of the group to take charge of the source and word bank for one day. The adult poets I worked with selected a variety of articles: political stories, science news, and social justice in the arts.

Reiterate that this exercise is about writing in community. In my February project, we post a prompt, write our response poems, and share them on a group page all on the same day. Everyone is generating new writing and ideas, so feedback is positive and supportive. The best surprises come from all the different interpretations of the day's 10 words.

Some questions that might come up are:
Do I have to use all ten words? Can I use five?
I recommend poet's choice.
Do I have to use the word as it's listed?
Any delineation of the word is fine. Feel free to play. For one of the prompts, I turned "cash" into "cashew" because that suited my poem

Here are two sample prompts - with response poems - from the

2017 February Poetry Project.
Poet and librarian Diane Mayr chose our source and words on February 12. 10 Words of the Day: burning, fans, prop, platform, brushes, staunchly, magic, fringe, tombstone, epitomize Source: "J.K. Rowling's Twitter feud with Trump supporters is so bad she's now fighting some of her fans," by Travis M. Andrews, The Washington Post, February 3, 2017. J.K. ROWLING RALLIES FREEDOM VIA TWITTER By Michelle Kogan
J.K. Rowling's magical brushes

turned tainted Twitter fans into foes.

Tweets of burning books abound,

but Rowling's focused on
flushing out autocrats via free speech.

With her final books published,

her political platform propped into place.

Petitions of Trump's U.K. visit piled high,

inviting Rowling's staunch reaction -

come "be offensive and bigoted" here,

your "freedom to speak protects my

freedom to call" you "a bigot."

Christian criticism, bah.

Read the tombstone of Albus Dumbdore's kin

a bit deeper, dear reader . . .

"Where your treasure is,

there your heart be also." Mathew 6:19.

"Freedom of speech" represents

the epitome of Rowling's heart,

freedom for all, for the fringes of society,

the unspoken, the
have-nots!

BOOK BURNING
By Patricia Jakovich VanAmburg

Atop the platform of
Staunch self-righteousness
Books are burning-
Breath from hot zealots
Fans their flame-
When books are fringe
Magic brushes portals
Unlocking possibility-
Drop a tombstone amid
Whatever remains-
Chisel these words:
Suppression Epitomizes Idiocy

A young boy

Stands on the train

Platform, his forehead

Burning, his suitcase

Propped against his leg

The crowds brush by

Him as he stares

Staunchly at

The brick wall

The ceiling fans give

Barely a breeze -

The screech of steel

On steel is deafening

But around him

The air is silent

As a tombstone

He can feel

The magic

On the fringe

Is that what the scar

Epitomizes?
On February 9, poet and educator Mary Lee Hahn found our source and ten words. Instead of creating a bank of selected words, Mary Lee gave us an eleven-word sentence to use as a writing prompt. 10+1 Words of the Day: "They can shut me up, but they can't change the truth." Source: "Warren cut off during Sessions debate after criticism," by Ted Barrett, CNN, February 8, 2017
They can't change truth,
shut up change.
Truth can't shut up.

They can't change me.
Truth can,
but they can't.

Me? The truth?
Can't shut up.
They can change.

The door slams shut behind me

with a loud, echoey bang

but I can't wait

to put everything behind me

except the sound

of my own breath bubbling up

to the surface

as I stroke, stroke, breathe

my way across the pool

because my truth is found here

in thoughts clear

as chlorinated water.

Additional resources:
The New Verse News: E-zine with daily current events poems Split This Rock: Social justice and poetry non-profit
Meet Laura Shovan

Laura Shovan's middle grade verse novel, The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary, is about students protesting the closure of their school. It was a NCTE 2017 Notable Verse Novel and won Cybils and Nerdy Book Club awards for poetry. Laura is a Poetry Friday blogger and longtime poet-in-the-schools for the Maryland State Arts Council. She is also the author and editor of three books of poetry for adults. Visit her at: www.laurashovan.com.

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For National Poetry Month: A Social Justice Poetry Project for Teens, a guest post by Laura Shovan

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Well. Here we are, educators and librarians. The teens we work with are consuming the same polarizing news media, current events stories, and government spin that we adults struggle to cope with every day. How can we help teens interact with the news in a way that gives them some control over the language and information we're being bombarded with?

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In this guest post for Today's Little Ditty, I share my process for writing persona poems. You'll find a classroom-ready structure for drafting original persona poems, along with an example from my novel-in-verse, The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary.

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Laura Shovan is back, as promised.

In last week's spotlight interview, Laura revealed the DMC challenge for May is to write a persona poem. While she gave some hints about how to write such a poem, we thought it might be helpful to examine the process in more detail. So today Laura wears not only her verse novelist hat, but also her TLD contributor hat, to share her insights and experience as a poet in the schools.

Laura Shovan's previous posts on Today's Little Ditty include:

Today we'll discover how Laura shares the process of writing persona poems with elementary students and whether she applied the same process in writing her novel-in-verse:

Thank you for inviting me back to Today's Little Ditty, Michelle. Our DMC Challenge combines elements of ekphrastic poetry-we're using a visual image of a person as a writing prompt-and one of my favorite forms, the persona poem. You can find a definition of the form HERE. While a portrait poem describes a person, a persona poem is spoken in the voice of that person.

My love of persona poems began in college, when I studied Dramatic Writing. Instead of writing plays, I found myself focusing on monologues. Monologues combine voice (diction, word choice), point of view (the thread of the speaker's thought process through the piece), and a moment of change or realization. After college, I continued to write these monologues in the form of persona poems.

I enjoy working with students on persona poems for several reasons. The form is great for teaching first person point of view. For some children and teens, it's a stretch to imagine what another person might be thinking about or feeling. Writing a poem is a safe way to wonder about someone else's personality and experiences, and therefore build compassion.

Writing a persona poem does require a lot of imagination, so I like to give students structure as they draft.

The backbone of this writing prompt is simple. I pass around postcards or photographs clipped from newspapers and magazines. Sometimes we have fine art portraits provided by the school's art teacher. Students choose one portrait or card to focus on. Having a concrete visual in front of them provides tangible details to record in the poem.

I put one image on the screen or board for the group to discuss. The sarcophagus called Mummy Case of Lady Teshat is a favorite.

In looking at the image, I split our discussion into two parts. First, we list the facts - the things we can actually see. There is no guessing allowed. We might point out that the sarcophagus is highly decorated, that there is jewelry on her hair, that the coffin is made of wood. Do we know what's inside? No - we put that kind of imagining aside until we have all our facts written down.

3. Imagine what's not seen.

Once we've exhausted the details of the image, we explore what we think. Now we let our imaginations run wild. Who is the person in the painting or photograph? Where is he going and why? How is he feeling? What might happen next?

When it's time to write, the students who need organization make a t-chart. On one side, they'll write "I see" and list all of the things they observe in the image they chose. The other side of the chart is space for "I imagine."

And that brings me to another type of learning that happens with persona poems. Because we are talking about what we see (the facts) and then imagining what is unseen (what happens next, or the person's feelings), this exercise models the process of writing poetry . Poets take concrete observations and present them in a way that creates emotional impact or some kind of revelation. That's exactly what we do in a persona poem.

Malaika N. was a fifth grader at Swansfield Elementary who used Lady Teshat as her inspiration. Take a look at Malaika's response to the sarcophagus.

The early lines of the poem reflect the "facts" of the image. When the poet allows her imagination to roam, the result is powerful.

Michelle asked me how I used this process to develop the characters in THE LAST FIFTH GRADE OF EMERSON ELEMENTARY. While I didn't write in response to an image, I did rely on the "Facts" versus "I imagine" structure.

When I came up with the character of Brianna Holmes, I only knew one thing about her: Her family was homeless. A neighbor of mine works with our local school system, providing support to homeless families. [Stay tuned for a forthcoming interview with her neighbor at Laura's blog.] Because Emerson Elementary is modeled on schools in my area, it was important to include a homeless character.

The "fact" I knew was that motels are a form of temporary housing for homeless families. What I imagined was that a homeless fifth grade girl would want to visit at each of her classmates' houses, because doing so would help her plan what her own home might be like. With this combination of fact and imagination, I wrote the list poem, "Where They Live."

From there, I continued to imagine how being homeless might affect Brianna's point of view. I took the stanza in "Where They Live" where Brianna observes her classmates' closet full of clothes, and imagined that Brianna had a passion for fashion. But because I knew (Fact) her family was struggling, I imagined that Brianna would have to get creative. That is how this character became adept at sewing, embellishing, and making over her clothes. The quality of resourcefulness came to define Brianna's personality, more so than her homelessness. In fact, the first time we meet Brianna in the book, we learn about her creativity with clothes, not that she is homeless.

I'm looking forward to reading everyone's DMC persona poems. I hope you have fun inhabiting someone else's voice while you're writing.

Thank you, Laura, for challenging us to stretch ourselves!

Laura Shovan is former editor for Little Patuxent Review and editor of two poetry anthologies. Her chapbook, Mountain, Log, Salt and Stone, won the inaugural Harriss Poetry Prize. Laura works with children as a poet-in-the-schools. The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary, her debut novel-in-verse for children, was released last month by Wendy Lamb Books/Random House.

Visit her at Laura Shovan.com.

If you'd like to try your hand at writing a persona poem...

Send it to TodaysLittleDitty (at) gmail (dot) com or use the contact form in the sidebar to the right. Some poems may be published on the blog as daily ditties, but all of them will appear in a wrap-up celebration on Friday, May 27, 2016.

You're welcome to send me the photograph, painting, or other image that inspired your poem as long as I can properly attribute the artist/photographer. Feel free to use your own photographs, works of art in the public domain, or works that fall under a "creative commons" license, but make sure to send me the link for proper copyright attribution.

One lucky participant will win a personalized copy of Laura Shovan's fantastic new verse novel for middle grade readers, THE LAST FIFTH GRADE OF EMERSON ELEMENTARY.

Thank you to Violet Nesdoly for hosting this week's Poetry Friday roundup.

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Laura Shovan is back, as promised. In last week's spotlight interview, Laura revealed the DMC challenge for May is to write a persona poem. While she gave some hints about how to write such a poem, we thought it might be helpful to examine the process in more detail.

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Poetic odes are a great way of teaching young poets the importance of tone. This article for The Woven Tale Press includes sample student poems.

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des are all about tone. Show enough enthusiasm for even a simple object like a shoe, and a poet can convince the reader of the object's value, that it's worthy of attention. That is what Chilean poet Pablo Neruda did with his Odes to Common Things, a book which still influences poets today.

Recently, I was was working with third grade poets at Northfield Elementary, a diverse school located in Ellicott City, Maryland, a suburb of Baltimore, and one of our workshops was writing odes.

We began the lesson by addressing the elevated language in Keats' "Ode on Grecian Urn." I asked my students what might happen if we used the same language for everyday objects. For example, in Odes to Simple Things Pablo Neruda includes odes to a tomato, his socks, and laziness. We then turned to Gary Soto's modern "Ode to Pablo's Tennis Shoes." The students noticed that the character of Pablo isn't described directly in Soto's poem. We get our information about him through his beaten-up, grass-stained shoes.

Because I like to give younger writers something concrete to write about, we all took off a shoe in order to try actually writing an ode. We created a simile for what it looks like (fast animals are great for sneakers). We thought about places where we have been, or dream of going, in our shoes.

Here are shoe odes from third grade poets Ilana M., Nicole C., Dylan L., Linnea J., and Ben K. Thanks to the poets and their families for giving me permission to share these odes:

Ode to the Shoes

My shoes look as bright as
a shooting star in the midnight sky.
And they smell as minty as my
breath used to be.

When I wear them, they feel
as velvety as a dove's feathers.
When I walk, the
sound reminds me of my friend knocking
on my door on a summer day.

I go to school in my
shoes, where we learn our knowledge.
They bring fun and joy
to my day, which I can't
live without.

-Ilana M.

"The sound reminds me of a friend knocking on my door on a summer day" - I love the way this line suggests that Ilana's shoes are taking her to a place filled with fun and friendship.

My Shoe

Oh shoe, you are like nature on a bright
sunny day. You smell like a garbage truck on a
hot summer day and feel like a puffy cloud. You
were with me when I did a front
handspring for the first time. That was a good
moment. If you didn't travel from Vietnam,
I would have to wear other shoes that are
7 out of 10. In the halls, you sound like a
stealth ninja and deadly silent.

-Nicole C.

Ode to My Shoes

Oh, shoes, I couldn't live without
you. The bottom looks like a relief
map. It smells like a newly caught
fish wrapped in seaweed. It feels like a
scaly lizard on the outside and
a rubber mat on the inside. When I
run, I'm like a stealth dragon going
100 miles per hour. If I didn't have
my shoes, I would never be able to
jump 2 ½ foot hurdles and I'd get hurt
a million times a day without my
shoes.

-Dylan L.

Dylan, that is a vivid smell simile. I can picture it in my mind.

Ode to My Shoes

Shoes, you are as purple as freshly grown lilacs.
You look as good as new, though you are over a year old.
Your colors is still bright,
And your bottoms are still smoothly patterned.
And you smell like those lilacs too.
You are as quiet as breaking down.
You stop my feet from making noises,
Like squeaking, squelching, bumping, and stomping.
You are smooth and warm inside,
Just like new, unwrinkled cloth that is cushy.
You still have all of your wondrous feelings.
In some places you are as smooth as silk,
And in others,
You are as rough and bumpy as a very old blanket.
In you, I have run and won many races,
And you helped me a lot the whole way.
I've gone to fun places,
Like amusement parks and water parks and playgrounds,
And we had fun together the whole time.
I could not live without you because you take me everywhere.
My feet would be sore without you,
And I couldn't run.
You keep my feet comfortable inside you.
I don't know what my life would be like without you.
You make me happy.

-Linnea J.

Great use of onomatopoeia words in Linnea's poem: "squeaking, squelching, bumping, and stomping."

Ode to Ben's Shoes

My should look like a red devil
And they let me run as fast as a cheetah. My shoe
Feels like a fun trampoline so they
Make me jump high. My shoe sounds
Like the "click" of a teacher
Writing on the chalkboard. Whenever I go
To recess, my shoes are covered in gravel
As if I just climbed a mountain with
No snow. I can't live without my shoes
Because my shoes are my feet's
Best friends.

-Ben K.

Ben's class especially loved the line, "My shoes are covered in gravel as if I just climbed a mountain with no snow." Can't you picture it?

More odes to shoes.

Laura Shovan is poetry editor for Little Patuxent Review. Her chapbook, Mountain, Log, Salt and Stone, won the Harriss Poetry Prize. Laura is a Maryland State Arts Council Artist-in-Residence. Her novel-in-verse for children, The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary, debuts in spring, 2016 (Wendy Lamb Books/Random House). Her blog is here.

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Odes - A Lesson | Laura Shovan | The Woven Tale Press

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des are all about tone. Show enough enthusiasm for even a simple object like a shoe, and a poet can convince the reader of the object's value, that it's worthy of attention. That is what Chilean poet Pablo Neruda did with his Odes to Common Things, a book which still influences poets today.

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"Mystery Food" is a fun, quick pre-writing activity that gets students thinking about using precise adjectives.

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It's Poetry Friday! Welcome back to Northfield Elementary, where the third grade poets are using their five senses to write about food.

When I'm working with young writers on food poems, I want to guide them away from catch-all words: delicious, yummy, tasty, good, disgusting. Pizza and ice cream are both delicious, but they don't taste anything alike (unless you visit this LA restaurant.)

Here's a quick cooperative writing game/exercise you can use to help students focus on specific, descriptive language.

Mystery Food
Goal: Get the class to guess your mystery food in three words.

1. Make a set of small cards with the name of a food on each one. I use half an index card. The foods I use are: ice cream, bubble gum, tacos, hamburger, pizza, apple, chocolate, orange, celery, spinach.

2. Give groups of four-six students one card each. Don't read the card aloud (we don't want our classmates to hear), but pass it around the group.

3. The group has 5 minutes to come up with the three adjectives that are so descriptive, the class will be able to figure out the food in one guess.

4. Each group take turns reading their three words. The rest of the class tries to guess the food.

My students have a great time with this one. The classroom teacher and I do walk around, reminding them that they can use color, shape, texture, flavor, and other descriptors.

Our mentor text for the food poems workshop is "Good Hotdogs" by Sandra Cisneros.
Thanks to the Northfield 3rd grade team and families for giving me permission to share the students' poems. Today, we were focusing on using imagery of the five senses. Poet: Ayesha A.
Popsicle

Going outside
In the warm sunshine.
You run behind me.
Something's in your hand.
You yell, "Wait!"
I turn around, something plops in
My hand.
I rip open the foil
And see all the types
Of colors. I take a bite
And out leaks the juicy
Cherry flavor. When I'm done there's
A stick left behind.
I then say thanks and then
I leave. Yum.
Poet: Will Y.
Sushi

Waiting 'til Friday
Hearing a ding
Going to the door, meeting
The sushi man
Pizza, sushi, and video games
End of the week, tired
California roll, sweet crab, soft avocado
I think it is tasty
Poet: Celia V.
Pepperoni Pizza

As I taste the spicy pepperoni
Smell the cheese at the tip
Of my tongue, see the cheesy
Pizza, hear the likes of
My mouth, ready to eat it
Up, I touch the hotness of
My pizza.
Poet: Tanishka H.
S'mores

Out in the dark
We sit in the pitch black.
Mom and Dad
Shout surprise! Out come
Hershey bars, marshmallows
Honeylicious graham crackers.
Mom and Dad light up the fire.
I see marshmallows
On a stick soft, crispy,
And looks yummy! First goes
The cracker, then goes toasty
Marshmallows and sweet
Hershey piece and another
Honeylicious graham
Cracker on top. We take
A s'more. We smell sweet crisps
Of marshmallow burns.
We take a bite. "Yum," we say. Chewy
Squishy marshmallows in our mouths.
S'mores we all love.
Poet: Ava R.
Warm Drinks in the Winter

I hear the coffee machine dispenses warm liquid.
I feel the warm cup against my cold fingers.
I smell the hot chocolatey air.
I see the marshmallows melt into the hot chocolate.
I hear the sound of the whipped cream
Squirt out of the can into the hot chocolate.
It tastes as if I got it from heaven.
The warm liquid swishes in my mouth.
Swish, swash, gulp!

Still hungry? I'll post more Northfield food poems next week.

Check out the previous posts in this School Poetry Workshop series:

School Poetry Workshop: Haiku Hike, May 12, 2017

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School Poetry Workshop: Food and the 5 Senses

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It's Poetry Friday! Welcome back to Northfield Elementary, where the third grade poets are using their five senses to write about food. When I'm working with young writers on food poems, I want to guide them away from catch-all words: delicious, yummy, tasty, good, disgusting. Pizza and ice cream are both delicious, but they don't...

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Sharing poetry in the classroom can be as simple as reading a poem aloud and modeling a quick response. See how it works in this short video, where I share a poem from Tony Medina's picture book, "I and I Bob Marley."

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Nerdy Book Club. 21,315 likes · 57 talking about this. If you love books, especially those written for children and young adults, then you are an honorary member of The Nerdy Book Club. Like us, you...

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Video: Onomatopoeia Poetry Lesson Walk-through

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Video: Onomatopoeia Poetry Lesson Walk-through

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It's National Poetry Month! Have no fear. In this video, I'll walk you through a lesson together using Eve Merriam's onomatopoeia poem, "Weather."

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Nerdy Book Club. 21,315 likes · 57 talking about this. If you love books, especially those written for children and young adults, then you are an honorary member of The Nerdy Book Club. Like us, you...

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Trying portrait poems with students? Here is my brainstorming worksheet. This post includes student portrait poems.

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Today is the poetry open house at Northfield Elementary, where I've been in residence for the past month. I haven't seen the third grade poets since our revision day. It's always exciting to read their poems again and see how they have developed.

Let's look more closely at persona poems.

When we're creating a character, whether it's in a poem or in prose, how do we move away from our own thoughts and experiences and begin to imagine the internal life of another person?

I've shared that I use images of people - postcards and magazine cut-outs - to give young poets a concrete starting place. Layering imagination onto a picture of a stranger can be a challenging task.

Over the years, and with the help of classroom teachers, this is the brainstorming sheet I've developed. It helps students dig into the personas they are creating for their poems. Feel free to use this worksheet. As always, if you share it, please acknowledge or link back to me.

Feelings: How does your person feel in this moment or about his or her situation?

Thoughts: What is he or she thinking?

What happens next?: Imagine that the picture is a TV or movie screen, with the action on pause. If you hit the "Play" button, what's the next thing that would happen?

Maybe: Any other possibilities or ideas you have about this person's life or situation.

You can read a full description of how to run this workshop at Today's Little Ditty. I often use Shonto Begay's poem "Down Highway 163" as a mentor text.
Persona Poem Workshop post at Today's Little Ditty. Persona Poem mentor text, "Down Highway 163" by Shonto Begay. Thanks to the Northfield 3rd grade team and families for giving me permission to share students' persona poems. This writing prompt is a great way to teach voice. Sophia's poem is all about capturing tone. Each item in the image adds to the feeling of loneliness. Poet: Sophia B.
The girl looks

sad and lonely. She is alone.

She stands out against

the black wall and

brown curtains.

She's eating apples

in a blue dress.

A lonely five year old

girl sitting at the table

*
Isabella's poem creates an entire family! The speaker's happiness and love for her husband and daughter shines through this poem. Poet: Isabella C.
With my husband and daughter.

We are getting ready to play ball.

My daughter's having fun with Dad.

They make me smile.

I love you, is what I think

she is trying to say.

She is one. She loves to play.

I named her Kali. I love her

and my name is Mara.

My husband's name is Juston.

My family is one of a kind,

but I love that.

We have a dog named Lucky.

We named him that

because they were getting ready to put him down.

Then Juston and me bought him.
Who hasn't imagined what a baby might be thinking? I love the tactile images in Shalisa's sweet poem. And the clasped hands at the end - wow! Poet: Shalisa I.
Even though I can't speak full sentences

I have them in my head

and this is what I can speak,

Anyways, I am about to go outside.

It is windy, but it's divine.

The breeze ruffles through my hair.

My mommy puts me gently on the grass.

It tickles my toes.

I suddenly feel like

I am rising from below

and I am on my mother's toes.

which means "Yay! This is fun!"

I am swinging and rocking.

My mom is smiling at me

and I smile back.

Her loves makes me happy

and so does her smile too.

We put our hands together.

My hands are the key

and her hands are the lock.

This is my favorite thing to do

with me and my mommy.

*
Listen to the sounds and rhythms in Mark's exciting poem. "Sparkle in the dark" - wonderful wordplay! Poet: Mark G.
On you go, the crowd

won't wait. If

there was no show,

the costumes will

sparkle in the dark.

The music will sound like
I like the way that Mounira captures a specific moment in her character's life and walks us through it slowly, so we can experience all of this person's emotions. Poet: Mounira H.
Feeling nervous as I walk

to a stall. I don't wanna

try to swim, it's scary.
Get t o a stall and put my

bathing suit on. I know

I have gear I can float

in, but I'm scared.
Mom t akes a picture. I try

to look happy for her.

I feel weird with everything

on me. I wish it wasn't

my first time swimming.

Finally, I get outtall and put my foot
of the s
in t he water. I feels nice

in the water. My swimming

teacher comes over and

says, "Ready to swim?

five minutes later
Look for the final set of Northfield persona poems tomorrow, Poetry Friday. I hope you'll stop by and visit with these wonderful third grade poets.
*
Check out the previous posts in this School Poetry Workshop series:
School Poetry Workshop: Haiku Hike, May 12, 2017
School Poetry Workshop: Food and the Five Senses, May 19, 2017
School Poetry Workshop: A Second Helping of Food Poems, May 25, 2017
School Poetry Workshop: Persona Poems, May 30, 2017

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School Poetry Workshop: Creating a Character

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Today is the poetry open house at Northfield Elementary, where I've been in residence for the past month. I haven't seen the third grade poets since our revision day. It's always exciting to read their poems again and see how they have developed. Let's look more closely at persona poems. When we're creating a character,...

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Model Poem: "Words in My Pillow," by Naomi Shihab Nye

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Hello, Readers! After my new middle grade novel launched in mid-April, I took a month off from blogging.

In that month, I've visited schools and bookstores in Albuquerque, New Mexico, New York City, and Baltimore. Now I'm back in my own neighborhood, teaching at Northfield Elementary. I've been poet in residence with the Northfield third grade for ten years.

The first time I meet the poets, we work on a structured form, such as a list poem. This year, our first model poem was Naomi Shihab Nye's "Words in My Pillow." It's from the list poem anthology, FALLING DOWN THE PAGE.

In the model poem, the speaker describes tucking words into her pillow before she goes to sleep. The third graders and I brainstormed our own list of juicy words, and figured out how we might change the topic of the poem, but keep some of its structure.

For instance, "Words in My Dog" might include specific nouns (TREATS, WATER, TONGUE), descriptive adjectives and verbs (BARK, FLUFFY, FAST, LICK), but it might also have "states of being" - things we can't really see (LOVE, COMFORT, KINDNESS).

I am excited to share the third graders' poems. Please be aware that these are first drafts. We will work on line breaks together on Revision Day.

Thanks to the educators and families at Northfield for allowing me to post the children's original work.
Words in my Piano
By Michelle Z.

I hide words in my piano.
Words that sound good.

The words are talking together
whenever I'm thinking them.

The words never leave but
sometimes I do.

***

Here is Christina's poem. Christina opted to do her first draft as a cross-out. Here is what it looks like on the page, and typed up.

Words in My Heart
By Christina F.

I hide words inside my heart.
Words that feel good -

Blood is in there.
A story is in there.

The words are playing together
when I am saying or thinking them.

***

There's a lot of action in Marcel's poem.

Words in My Shoes!
By Marcel C-G

My shoes are
bored when I'm in class.

The pair wants to run like
lightning.

Whoosh! Colorful! Rubber wants to run!
Phew! Come on! Juicy wind is so windy!
Whee! Ahhhh, I'm too bored!

But if you run
they feel too
tired.
They also feel
sleepy.
At recess, they're so excited
they're going to die for it!

When I am in the cafeteria
they're starving, but I can't give
them food.

Rubber goes to sleep.

I'm sorry shoes!!!

***

Andy came up with some very inventive imagery for the opening of this list poem.

Words in My Dog
By Andy T.

There are words inside my dog.
Words that slide down her tongue
and come out of her mouth.

You can't see them but they
are there. Like the feelings deep
down in my dog.

***

I loved the way that Riley worked a recipe into this list poem.

Words in My Cake Mix
By Riley H.

I store words in my cake mix,
words that taste delicious.

No one can touch them,
but I find them waiting for my return,
like the measurements in my brain.

2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 milk
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

Smarts are in there.
Patience is in there.

The words are forming a bond
before we sample or munch them.

Then, we taste:
ALL GONE!

***

Last, Eve captures many of the reasons children enjoy playing sports together.

Words in My Soccer Ball
By Eve B.

I hide words inside my soccer ball.
Words that help me win the game:

The words are passing to each other
when I am saying or thinking them.

***

I'll post more Northfield list poems tomorrow. If you have a question about this lesson or feedback for the Northfield poets, please leave it in the comments.

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Hello, Readers! After my new middle grade novel launched in mid-April, I took a month off from blogging. In that month, I've visited schools and bookstores in Albuquerque, New Mexico, New York City, and Baltimore. Now I'm back in my own neighborhood, teaching at Northfield Elementary.