# data[].attributes.body
Kate Innman from the public library will be back at our school this week to visit classes and talk about the summer reading program plus other events and clubs available over the summer.

# data[].attributes.body
Come by and contribute to our "POETREE"!

# data[].attributes.body
Read one poem a day with your class and spread of the joy of poetry! Enter your email address on the site below and be on the list to receive your daily poem (or let me know know you'd like to be a part of it and I will forward you the poem each day).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
I'm thrilled to announce the 2013 edition of 30 Poets/30 Days, an April-long celebration of children's poetry that takes place here at GottaBook.

Each day of the month, I'll post a previously unpublished poem by a different poet. I've seen a lot of the poetry already, and I can safely say it's gonna be a great month. Here's an alphabetical list of who's work you'll be seeing here during National Poetry Month 2013:

Jon Agee, Stephen W. Cahill, Thalia Chaltas, Kristin Elizabeth Clark, Jill Corcoran, Dave Crawley, Doug Cushman, Kelly Fineman, Nancy Bo Flood, John Foster, Mary Lee Hahn, Steven Herrick, Emily Jiang, Irene Latham, Renée LaTulippe, Debbie Levy, Guadalupe Garcia McCall, G. Neri, Lesléa Newman, Naomi Shihab Nye, Andrew Fusek Peters, Heidi Bee Roemer, Robert Schechter, Laurel Snyder, Sonya Sones, Maria Testa, Robert Paul Weston, Jenny Whitehead, Tamera Will Wissinger, Joyce Lee Wong

Am I excited? YES! Yes, I am. Now, there are a few easy ways to follow along and not miss out on any of the fun. You can visit here every day, of course. Or you can subscribe to GottaBook via email or your blog reader.

You can also join my poetry list, and get all the poems emailed to you the day they hit my blog. To be on the list, enter your email address into the box and click subscribe:

That list runs year round, by the way, so whenever I post a poem here, whether it's my own or a poem from a visiting guest poet, you'll see it.

There are always a ton of people to thank with an event like this and other details to share, but today I'm simply going to wrap it up with a bit hat tip to the extra-talented Carter Higgins for designing this year's 30/30 logo. And, of course, thanks to all of you for reading! Now...

THE POETRY FRIDAY ROUNDUP!

Please leave a comment with a link to your Poetry Friday post, and I'll be adding things in as the day goes on....

Robyn Hood Black shares a poem by Monique Gagnon German... as well as the very Poetry Friday related story about how she came to the poem the first time.

Over at Great Kid Books, Mary Ann Scheuer features the creativity-loving Dreaming Up by Christy Hale. Looks like a great one to share.

Bullying, March Madness Poetry, and the revision process are all part of Author Amok's post today. Great reading....

The Misfits is on view over at Gathering Books, as Fats uses the poem (and a bonus TED video) to continue their celebration of Oddballs and Misfits.

There's a Douglas Florian spring poem blooming over at Reading to the Core. Spring's arrival brings National Poetry Month, so I'm a big fan.

It's the poem she didn't submit! Over at A Year of Reading, Mary Lee Hahn (one of this year's 30/30 poets, by the way) shares a poem she wrote for March Madness Poetry... but didn't send in.

A Carl Sandburg book called Wind Song (complete with his note that begins "Dear Young Folks"!) is the launching point for beautiful photos and poetry at A Wrung Sponge today.

Utterly fantastic Police Poetry (yes... poetry by police) is on the plate at The Opposite of Indifference. You gotta check these out.

Liz Steinglass offers up more Madness - her round two poem using the word exertion as well as another poem she tried using the same word. Love the glimpse of process!

Wanna see an original poem about wishes? Exellent! Because that's what's up at the ever wonderful Poem Farm, Amy Ludwig VanDerwater's poetry rich home on the web.

Book spine poetry (and rhyming, at that!) is on the shelf at 100 Scope Notes. Well done, Travis. Well done!

Ahh! Alliteration and an awesome apoetry astarter aby a- Laura Purdie Salas! Seriously - her I Am Fog is up as is a video for teachers or writers to use it to kick off their own writing. A+!

Margaret Simon shares some glimpses of her journals (and poetry). Now I have journal envy!

Poetry about real holidays you've never heard of (like World Rat Day) are the subject of both a new book by J. Patrick Lewis and Anna Raff and today's post at Jama's Alphabet Soup. Jama has also proclaimed today to be World Pat Day and wants you to jump in and tell her your favorite J. Patrick Lewis poem or poetry book. Eeps. I have to pick one????

A letter to a student and a Naomi Shihab Nye poem are a great mix over at A Teaching Life. This post is also part of a Slice of Life blogging challenge, as are others this week. Good stuff there, too!

Outside truth, inside truth, and a poetry workshop are all part of Heidi's post today at My Juicy Little Universe. Clearly some great workshop results!

Maria shares a process and a poem - definitely a process to try yourself - over at Teaching in the 21st Century. And I am jealous because she's done workshops with Kate Messner and Ralph Fletcher!

Donna asks A Rhetorical Question over at Mainely Write... as well as a bonus poem and video. Whooooo are the poems about? Go over and see!

No two ways about it - you must go see what Renee LaTulippe did when she had to write a poem using the word subterfuge for March Poetry Madness. Whew!

Steve Peterson shares an original poem called Late Snow. Here in LA... well... I could write "Late Low 50's" but it wouldn't compare to what Steve's done.

Some Pinksy and ear candy, poetically retold fairy tales, and a poetry quote come courtesy of Random Noodling and the Kurious Kitty. Plus you get poet Ben Jonson on YouTube. No, not him in live video footage, silly....

Daffodils, daffodils everywhere - that's what you'll find at Carol's Corner today. Sunshine yellow soul juice!!!! Indeed.

Irony and poetry and schoolwork all mix together today at Radio, Rhythm & Rhyme. You make me laugh, Matt. I think he should get an A+ for his efforts today. And you?
Poems of Goodbyes, you say? Yes, indeed. Linda at TeacherDance shares one of her own that's part of a bigger project. Check more out on her blog!

David Harrison has an original poem up today - The Victim. It's part of his Word of the Month poetry shebang at his blog, something you can checkout... monthly!

You gotta check out Portrait of a Trembling Poet, wherein Buffy Silverman (one of the March Poetry Madness's final 16 poets) details her process of how she crafted her poem using the word "gnawing."

Houston Trail - Langley BC is both the inspiration for and title of an original poem that Violet Nesdoly shares today. There are photos, too!

Jone shares the ways she's participating in National Poetry Month (including a project you can sign up for). How are you celebrating? Let her know!

Great Things Have Happened by Alden Nowlan is what Karen's sharing at her cleverly titled blog. Betcha you'll click the link in her post....

The Sea Gypsy appears... or really, is posted... over at Bildungsroman. If you're a fan of Richard Hovey or if you're not, go on over and be swept away in the wonder of the sea.

Poetry is everything! That's the theme over at the Poetry Friday Anthology blog. Do you have the books? You must get the books. Just sayin'.

Paintings and poetry mix at the Bald Ego blog... as do father and son. Charles and Chip Ghigna share a picture book in progress... and I hope we see it in stores, soon.

Yes, yes, Nonets, I say! Joy plays with the form over at Poetry for Kids Joy. I've never written a Nonet... but her poems inspires me to try.

Betsy at Teaching Young Writers shares her poem, I Want.... What a list! Makes one want to write a poem on the same theme, don't you think?

Steampunk! Haiku! You Steampunk Me comes from Lorie Ann Grover... complete with a photo you just gotta see (cuz, like, someone out there is a way cool parent).

Barbara Etlin shares her poem To My Neighbour's Cat over at the Owl's Quill. Is it an outdoor cat, one wonders? Read it and see!

Over at Keri Recommends, Keri recommends a poetry book for your enjoyment (a recommendation, by the way, with which I completely concur). Check it out and feel free to share your faves there or here.

Ruth shares Eleanor Farjeon's Morning Has Broken (which some of you might find yourself singing) over at There is no such thing as a God-forsaken town. She also shares some thoughts on teaching and her day with eighth-graders... making me once again say "hats off to teachers!"

Cathy at Merely Day By Day is sharing an original poem - One Wish - today, and it asks a question that I will be mulling over for some time now. I guess it's rhetorical, but it's in my head now, and it'll probably be in yours, too.

Oooh, there's an updated edition of a 1980 book of verses that I always liked - that's what I've learned from All About the Books with Janet Squires. Yup, you gotta go see what it is. Any guesses?

Blake, Basho and a natural connection - that's what Becky's serving up at Tapestry of Words. And whoa - I wish I had the view behind my house that Becky has behind hers!

I'm caught up with links... but keep 'em coming, y'all, in the comments below. Poetry Friday is like the New York City subway: there's always room for one more.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Announcing the 2013 Edition of 30 Poets/30 Days! (And hosting Poetry Friday, too!)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
I'm thrilled to announce the 2013 edition of 30 Poets/30 Days, an April-long celebration of children's poetry that takes place here at GottaBook. Each day of the month, I'll post a previously unpublished poem by a different poet. I've seen a lot of the poetry already, and I can safely say it's gonna be a great month.

# data[].attributes.headline
Kindergarten Orientation week (Sept. 10th-14th)

# data[].attributes.subject
Kindergarten Orientation week (Sept. 10th-14th)

# data[].attributes.body
Parents and their child are invited into the library (schedule will be issued within the first week of school) for Kindie Orientation and gradual entry. Enjoy coffee and treats during our informational session

# data[].attributes.body
Check out our collection of fall/autumn books on display starting this week!

# data[].attributes.body
A schedule of opening hours coming soon!

# data[].attributes.body
Students will be encouraged to put in a book request when they visit the library this month. Slips will be in the library and will also be placed in teacher mail boxes.

# data[].attributes.body
Kate Innman from the public library will be visiting our school to meet with students interested in participating in this book club.

# data[].attributes.headline
Remembrance Day writing and poster contest (due Nov. 5th)

# data[].attributes.subject
Remembrance Day writing and poster contest (due Nov. 5th)

# data[].attributes.body
Remind students about this annual contest. Here is a link for more details

# data[].attributes.body
This is a great website loaded wth ideas of how to raise awareness and understanding of dyslexia.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Previous DAW Resources | British Dyslexia Association

# data[].attributes.body
During your class' library time, we will have a scavenger hunt in the library to recognize and locate all the resources and materials that the library has available.

# data[].attributes.body
Check your mail box for a coloured poster and class set of this amazing list of books. Challenge your students to cross off all the books they have read and set a goal for how many they want to read by June 10th ( if not all of them!). There will be a draw for all who participated.

# data[].attributes.headline
Halloween Books are out starting this week (Oct. 15th)

# data[].attributes.subject
Halloween Books are out starting this week (Oct. 15th)

# data[].attributes.body
Please remind students that some of our Halloween books (marked with red tape) are only 2 day 'rentals'. This will allow for these specialty books to circulate as much as possible during the Halloween season.

# data[].attributes.body
Our 20 min Drop Everything and Read session is scheduled for 1:15pm

# data[].attributes.body
At 1:30pm on Friday the 1st we have a Drop Everything and Read Aloud scheduled school-wide. Pause what you may be doing and read out loud to your students!

# data[].attributes.body
Be sure to stop by and see the final tally of predictions!

# data[].attributes.headline
Cyber Safety and Anti Bullying Displays begin (Feb 6th)

# data[].attributes.subject
Cyber Safety and Anti Bullying Displays begin (Feb 6th)

# data[].attributes.body
Our school-wide Cyber Safety and Anti-bullying display will launch Wednesday, Feb. 6th and will remain up in the library all month. We will collaborate, build, create, and add to this display throughout the month during your class' library time. Contributions from all grade levels will gee highlighted on this wall!

# data[].attributes.body
Books and materials will be set up in the corner of the library closest to the windows. Click HERE for some of the books that are part of our collection this year.

# data[].attributes.body
Pink Shirt day always falls on the last Wednesday in February so this year it is on the 27th.

# data[].attributes.body
It's Dr. Seuss' birthday and we are celebrating all month long. Find our wide collection of Dr. Seuss books presented on tables, shelves, and book displays around the library.

# data[].attributes.body
Share a favourite book you read over the month of February and March. You may get the title up on the wall!

# data[].attributes.headline
Season books on display now! (March 11th)

# data[].attributes.subject
Season books on display now! (March 11th)

# data[].attributes.body
We've pulled books about the seasons changing ( not just spins but all of them). During your class' library time, we will choose to study one season and how the seasonal changes effect our environment.

# data[].attributes.body
For unlimited amounts of information, statistics, resource links and options for purchasing pink apparel, go straight to this link and check it out!

# data[].attributes.body
This is an amazing, interactive website loaded with lesson ideas for teachers, games and activities, parent resources, links to books plus an author biography.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Welcome to Seussville! Find your favorite characters and books at the home of Dr. Seuss.

# data[].attributes.body
We have a wide variety of themed books and resources perfect for lessons/units that support Remembrance Day themes. Just fill out a RESOURCE REQUEST FORM if you are looking for materials for a specific topic.

# data[].attributes.headline
Bookworm Decorating (starting Sept 17th)

# data[].attributes.subject
Bookworm Decorating (starting Sept 17th)

# data[].attributes.body
We will need to colour more worms to stock up our collection of Bookworms. These are used as "Bookmarks" for the shelves to help students remember where to the book once they are finished looking at it.

# data[].attributes.body
This government website is loaded with learning resources perfect for Veterans week. Let me know if you are looking for anything further!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
VAC Assistance Service

The VAC Assistance Service can provide you with psychological support. It is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The service is for Veterans, former RCMP members, their families, and caregivers and is provided at no cost. You do not need to be a client of VAC to receive services.

# data[].attributes.body
School-wide run at 1pm. There will be video clips of Terry's journey displayed in the Library all week. Bring your class in to check out books and resources

# data[].attributes.headline
NEW WINTER BOOKS ARE ARRIVING THIS MONTH

# data[].attributes.subject
NEW WINTER BOOKS ARE ARRIVING THIS MONTH

# data[].attributes.body
Bring your class by to check out some of our newest picture books, graphic novels, and ebooks.

# data[].attributes.body
Why Orange Shirts?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Phyllis Webstad Orange Shirt Day Presentation

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Orange Shirt Day: communities coming together in a spirit of reconciliation and hope because every child matters

# data[].attributes.body
I will draw three entires from our 100 Best Books contest that we started back in October! Who got through the majority of the list! Which ones were your favourites? Which one would your students r recommend to a friend?

# data[].attributes.body
Tables will be filled with summer themed books great for a summer read!

# data[].attributes.headline
READING LINK CHALLENGE (begins Oct. 26th). 

# data[].attributes.subject
READING LINK CHALLENGE (begins Oct. 26th). 

# data[].attributes.body
Have students meet in the library at lunch!

# data[].attributes.body
Students interested in participating in this club will be called to the library at lunch to talk about details This club begin in the new year.

# data[].attributes.body
Another 20 min Drop Everything and Read session is scheduled for 1:15pm. Check out the display of Beverly Cleary books out on the tables and shelves. Today is her birthday.

# data[].attributes.body
Planning a unit and looking for various resources and materials? Let me know ahead of time by filling out a Request slip ( below) and drop it off with me. Both slips below are also grab-able at the library.

# data[].attributes.body
Here is a slip for specific book and author requests. Fill one out based on the interests of your students and drop it off with me. I will do my best to source out what I can.

# data[].attributes.headline
Great books to read around Thanksgiving time

# data[].attributes.subject
Great books to read around Thanksgiving time

# data[].attributes.body
All of these books are in stock and ready for checkout in the library this month. Click HERE for summaries of these Gratitude focused books (for the US holiday, I know, but they can connect to ours in October too).

# data[].attributes.body
Find some great ideas on this website that focus on poetry, creative writing skills, word plays, and theme of love around the Valentine's Day 'holiday'. The amazingwebsite   Readingrockets.org NEVER fails!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
February 14th is Valentine's Day, a day to show family and friends how much you love and appreciate them. Here at Reading Rockets, we also see Valentine's Day as a perfect opportunity to practice creative writing skills - and take a fresh look at poetry, figurative language, and word play.

What you'll find here:

Heartfelt poetry with author Laura Elliott

Meet Laura Elliott, author of A String of Hearts and many more books for children and teens. In this video, Laura shares the history of Valentine's Day, shows you how to make four different kinds of Valentine's Day cards (each dedicated to one of her beloved pets!), and talks about the different kinds of writing you can experiment with while creating beautiful homemade cards.

Valentine's Day word walls

Create a word wall for your Valentine's Day writing prompts. Ask your students to brainstorm all the valentine-related nouns and adjectives they can think of - love, friendship, family, friends, hearts, happiness, kindness, Cupid, bow and arrow, roses, flowers, chocolate, hugs, kisses, letters, pink, red.... Need inspiration? Check out this Valentine's Day adjective word study with an example of a magnetic word wall (you'll find lots of other ideas on this web page, too).

Simple writing prompts for Valentine's Day

Poetry: sijo, cinquain, haiku, and rhymes

Valentine's Day is a great time to practice poetry writing skills and experiment with a new form. There are lots of different kinds of poetry forms, including rhyming poems, limericks, free verse, cinquain, haiku, and sijo.

Sijo

Sijo (pronounced see-zhoo), is an ancient Korean verse form similar to haiku but with a different structure - and a distinctive witty twist at the end. Linda Sue Park's book Tap Dancing on the Roof is a lively introduction to sijo. The structure for sijo is simple: three lines, 14-16 syllables in each line. What makes it complex and joyful: careful word choice, visual imagery, play on words, metaphor, and humor. Here's an example from Park's book:

More about sijo:

Cinquain

Cinquain (pronounced sin-cane) is a non-rhyming five-line poem that focuses on imagery and the natural world. The form has old roots - all the way back to medieval France! The structure for a cinquain looks like this:

1. Line 1: One word title, a noun that identifies your topic

2. Line 2: Two adjectives that describe your topic

3. Line 3: Three "ing" verbs that describe action

4. Line 4: A phrase that describes something about your topic

5. Line 5: A noun that is a synonym or another way to name your topic

More about cinquain poems

Haiku

Haiku is a traditional form of Japanese poetry. Each poem has just 3 lines: the first and last lines have 5 syllables and the middle line has 7 syllables. Haiku usually does not rhyme. Here's an example written by a child:

More about haiku:

Funny, rhyming poems

Jack Prelutsky, the first U.S. Children's Poet Laureate, is the master of humorous poetry for children. Prelutsky recommends "Word Warm-Ups" before you begin writing. Here are three exercises to try:

1. Word Play: Pick a word, any word, and think of all the words that rhyme with that word. Try first with one-syllable words, and then with words of two or more syllables.

2. Object Observations: Pick an object - a pencil, a brick wall, a clock, a tomato - anything. Then write down everything you notice about that object.

3. Synonym Silliness: Think of an adjective, such as happy, soft, tall, or sleepy. Then write down all the words you can think of that have the same meaning as that adjective. This list will help a lot when you're trying to describe things.

Learn more about writing poems in this interactive resource from Scholastic: Poetry Writing with Jack Prelutsky.

Idioms, simile, metaphor, and alliteration

When you describe something by comparing it with something else, you are using figurative language. Figurative language goes beyond the literal meaning of words to create a fresh way of looking at an idea or a subject. Poetry is rooted in figurative language. Four common examples are simile, metaphor, alliteration, and idioms.

Playing with idioms

Explore the meanings of English idioms that focus on a Valentine's Day theme word. You can use one of these expressions as part of the message on your homemade card. Here's a sample list with the word "heart" to get kids thinking:

"To have a heart of gold" means to care about other people.

"To have a big heart" means to be giving and caring.

"To wear your heart on your sleeve" means you let everyone know how you feel about someone.

"From the bottom of your heart" means that you are doing or saying something with genuine emotion and feeling.

"To have a change of heart" is to change your mind.

"To have your heart set on something" means you really want something.

"To be soft hearted" is to be sympathetic.

Students can brainstorm what each idiom sounds like it means, then pair up to research the meaning, write a sentence using the idiom, and create a drawing. Turn it into a game by having the rest of the students guess what each idiom really means!

More about idioms:

Simile and metaphor

A simile is a figure of speech that compares two unlike things, usually with the words "like" or "as." Example: Love is like an ocean rolling over me.

A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two relatively unlike things using a form of the verb "be." A metaphor can be more subtle than a simile. Example: Love is a tree with many branches.

The Writing Fix provides a teacher's guide to practicing use of simile and metaphor using the mentor text My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss; you can also find this pre-writing worksheet(21KB PDF)*. Here's an example of student writing using figurative language:

Alliteration

Alliteration uses the sound in the first syllables of a series of words and/or phrases. Alliteration is used to create rhythm, establish a mood, and call attention to important words as well as similarities and contrasts. Example: Love lightly leaps.

How to make a pocket heart Valentine

Children's books for Valentine's Day

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
February 14th is Valentine's Day, a day to show family and friends how much you love and appreciate them. Here at Reading Rockets, we also see Valentine's Day as a perfect opportunity to practice creative writing skills - and take a fresh look at poetry, figurative language, and word play.

# data[].attributes.body
Groundhog Day related books will be on display beginning the 2nd week in January. This will allow students enough time to make their predictions, create their groundhogs, and add them to the predictions wall display in the library. On Feb 2nd, we will see if the groundhog sees his shadow!

# data[].attributes.body
This Book Fair will have a large focus of FRENCH books.

# data[].attributes.body
We have some amazing books for every grade level in the library that focuses on that ever so chilly season- WINTER! Check out this master list by clicking
HERE. If we don't have it in the roster, let me know and I can reach out to our public library!

# data[].attributes.body
This Book Fair will have a large focus of FRENCH books.

# data[].attributes.body
10 Children's Poets You Should Know!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Eighteen years ago today, Shel Silverstein, also known as Uncle Shelby, also known as the writer who introduced a generation (or two) of current adults to poetry, died at the age of 67. Of course Silverstein did much more than simply write poems for children-he was also a songwriter, screenwriter, cartoonist, and general creative jack-of-all trades. As our friend Otto Penzler once put it,

[H]is whimsically hip fables, beloved by readers of all ages, have made him a stalwart of bestseller lists. A Light in the Attic, most remarkably, showed the kind of staying power on the New York Times chart-two years, to be precise- thought that most of the biggest names (John Grisham, Stephen King and Michael Crichton) have never equaled with their blockbusters. His unmistakable illustrative style is another crucial element to his appeal. Just as no writer sounds like Shel, no other artist's vision is as delightfully, sophisticatingly cockeyed.

To celebrate Silverstein's life and his most enduring contribution to all of ours, I've put together a brief (and obviously incomplete) survey of great children's poets, starting, of course, with the man himself.
Shel Silverstein
Here's something you may not know about Shel Silverstein: he hung out at the Playboy Mansion. Like, a lot. In the late '50s and '60s, Silverstein was a regular contributor to Playboy as a cartoonist, and his work continued to appear until his death (and one piece was published posthumously). According to this (faintly horrifying, but informative) remembrance:

As part of Hef's inner circle and one of its court jesters, Silverstein might spend weeks or months at a time at the infamous party pad, where he tended to lurk in the background and let others come to him. Silverstein had no patience for bores . . . but he fed creatively off the many interesting people and encounters he had in the Playboy world-and he wrote many of his children's works while inside it. As playwright David Mamet told The New York Times after Silverstein's death: "He was Hugh Hefner's sidekick, he was the great cartoonist, he lived with Hef at the Playboy Mansion, in a riot of delight."

Happily, he was the court jester for more than just the Playboy Mansion. His books of poetry-in particular 1974's Where the Sidewalk Ends-are widely recognized as classics of children's literature. But of course, like all the best works of art for children, adults can find much within for themselves. Here's one of my favorites, including Silverstein's original illustration:

Naomi Shihab Nye
Like Silverstein, Naomi Shihab Nye does a little bit of everything-she writes poems for both adults and children, picture books, short stories and YA novels, as well as songs. In Contemporary Women Poets, poet Paul Christensen noted that she "is building a reputation . . . as the voice of childhood in America, the voice of the girl at the age of daring exploration." A fitting description for a poet who is the daughter of an American mother and a father who was a Palestinian refugee, who consistently represents both strands of her heritage and the ways they intertwine.

In 2012, Nye was named laureate of the 2013 NSK Neustadt Prize for Children's Literature. In her nominating statement, juror Ibtisam Barakat wrote that "Naomi's incandescent humanity and voice can change the world, or someone's world, by taking a position not one word less beautiful than an exquisite poem...Naomi's poetry masterfully blends music, images, colors, languages, and insights into poems that ache like a shore pacing in ebb and flow, expecting the arrival of meaning."

Here's a poem from A Maze Me: Poems for Girls, entitled "Mystery":

When I was two
I said to my mother
I don't like you, but I like you.

She laughed a long time.

I will spend the rest of my life
trying to figure this out.
Edward Lear
I suppose now is the time that I should give up telling you how each one of these children's poets was actually excellent in a variety of fields-it seems to be one of the things they have universally in common. Like Silverstein, Lear often illustrated his own poems. But Lear was also an accomplished wildlife illustrator, whom David Attenborough called "probably the best ornithological illustrator that ever was," and a composer who was known for the works of Tennyson he set to music.

But more importantly for the purposes of this list, Lear is more or less the reason you and all of your friends know about limericks. In 1846, Lear put literary nonsense on the map with A Book of Nonsense-with three follow-up volumes-and is one of the most famous purveyors of absurd poetry and luscious neologisms. And as Poetry puts it, "the limerick protagonists provided for the didactically surfeited Victorian child examples of bizarre, misbehaving adults, with no blatant moralizing attached." Two charmers from A Book of Nonsense are below, but find many more here:

There was an Old Man with a beard,
Who said, 'It is just as I feared!
Two Owls and a Hen,
Four Larks and a Wren,
Have all built their nests in my beard!'

There was a Young Lady of Clare,
Who was sadly pursued by a bear;
When she found she was tired,
She abruptly expired,
That unfortunate Lady of Clare.
Francisco X. Alarcón
Alarcón decided to begin writing poems for children in the 1990s, when he "became aware that there were almost no books of bilingual poems children written by any Latino poet in the United States," and decided to write his own collection, entitled Laughing Tomatoes and Other Spring Poems. Alarcón's poems for children are minimalist and airy, and often presented in bilingual editions-having been raised in both the US and Mexico, he wrote in English, Spanish and Nahuatl, and he described himself as a "binational, bicultural, and a bilingual writer." He also taught poetry to children, and said that "children from the third grade to the sixth grade are truly excellent natural poets," which seems irrefutably true. Here's his "Ode to My Shoes" from the collection Bellybutton of the Moon:
Jacqueline Woodson
The highly-lauded Woodson is a contemporary master of children's literature, probably most famous for her young adult novels, but skilled in writing for children, adolescents, and adults. Her two most recent works of literature for children are narratives in verse, including Brown Girl Dreaming, a memoir-in-verse that won the National Book Award for young people's literature in 2014. She's currently finishing up a two-year term as the Poetry Foundation's young people's poet laureate -in an interview at the time of her appointment, she said:

I think one thing I want to do as young people's poet laureate is make sure all people know that poetry is a party everyone is invited to. I think many people believe and want others to believe that poetry is for the precious, entitled, educated few. And that's just not true. Our children's first words are poems-poems we and our listeners are delighted to hear and eager to understand. Rap is poetry. Spoken word is poetry. Poetry lives in our everyday. I've read some of the most poetic tweets, listened to poetic voice messages and snippets of dialogue between teenagers.

To which I have to say: four more years. Here's a poem from Brown Girl Dreaming, entitled "Reading":

I am not my sister.
Words from the books curl around each other
make little sense
until
I read them again
and again, the story
settling into memory. Too slow
the teacher says.
Read faster.
Too babyish, the teacher says.
Read older.
But I don't want to read faster or older or
any way else that might
make the story disappear too quickly
from where it's settling
inside my brain,
slowly becoming
a part of me.
A story I will remember
long after I've read it for the second,
third, tenth,
hundredth time.
Robert Louis Stevenson
Perhaps you have heard of Robert Louis Stevenson, the author of classics like Treasure Island and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde>? Well, he also wrote a much-beloved 1885 collection of poems for children entitled A Child's Garden of Verses, that has gone through countless editions and hands. Some argue that the darkness in some of the poems is reflective of Stevenson's sickly childhood. Here's a classic from the collection, entitled "My Shadow":
Nikki Giovanni
The highly prolific Giovanni came to prominence in the '60s as part of the Black Arts Movement and remains one of our most important American poets. (She's also written picture books and essay collections.) All of her work directly addresses the African American experience, making her voice a particularly vital one in children's literature. She published her first book of poetry for children, Spin a Soft Black Song, in 1971, and 2008's Hip Hop Speaks to Children: A Celebration of Poetry with a Beat, which included a CD of poetry performances, was a New York Times bestseller. From her poem "Ego-tripping" (read the rest here):

I was born in the congo
I walked to the fertile crescent and built
the sphinx
I designed a pyramid so tough that a star
that only glows every one hundred years falls
into the center giving divine perfect light
I am bad

I sat on the throne
drinking nectar with allah
I got hot and sent an ice age to europe
to cool my thirst
My oldest daughter is nefertiti
the tears from my birth pains
created the nile
I am a beautiful woman

I gazed on the forest and burned
out the sahara desert
with a packet of goat's meat
and a change of clothes
I crossed it in two hours
I am a gazelle so swift
so swift you can't catch me
Paul Fleischman
Fleischman is yet another highly prolific writer who has published is almost every category you can name-novels, picture books, YA, short stories, nonfiction, plays-but he is best known for his collection Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices, which won the 1989 Newbery Medal. The book is a classic because it-rather unusually-invites cooperation in its own consumption, having been written expressly to be read aloud by two people, in part to reflect the "booming/boisterous/joyful noise" of insects, on which these poems focus. For instance:
Judith Viorst
You probably know Viorst as the author of Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, and of course she is, but she is also the author of a pair of delightful books of "poems for children and their parents": If I Were in Charge of the World and Other Worries and Sad Underwear and Other Complications. I mean really, the titles alone-not to mention the wisdoms for kids of all ages:

If I were in charge of the world
You wouldn't have lonely.
You wouldn't have clean.
You wouldn't have bedtimes.
Or "Don't punch your sister."
You wouldn't even have sisters.

If I were in charge of the world
A chocolate sundae with whipped cream and nuts would be a vegetable
All 007 movies would be G,
And a person who sometimes forgot to brush,
And sometimes forgot to flush,
Would still be allowed to be
In charge of the world.
Roald Dahl
Well, of course. The weirdo king of kiddie lit also wrote and published poems, including his famous Revolting Rhymes, a collection of six fairy-tale retellings in verse form. Only they're not straightforward retellings, of course. Much like Anne Sexton (and much unlike her), he has his own ideas about how these tales should be told. For instance, this section, from "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs":

For ten whole years the silly Queen
Repeated this absurd routine
Then suddenly, one awful day
She heard the Magic Mirror say
"From now on Queen, you're number two
Snow-White is prettier than you."
The Queen went absolutely wild
She yelled, "I'm going to scrag that child."
"I'll cook her flaming goose, I'll skin her
I'll have her rotten guts for dinner."
She called the Huntsman to her study
She shouted at him, "Listen, buddy,
You drag that filthy girl outside
And see you take her for a ride
Thereafter slit her ribs apart
And bring me back her bleeding heart."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
10 Wonderful Children's Poets You Should Know

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Eighteen years ago today, Shel Silverstein, also known as Uncle Shelby, also known as the writer who introduced a generation (or two) of current adults to poetry, died at the age of 67. Of course S...

# data[].attributes.headline
This month we are honouring COMICS and GRAPHIC NOVELS!

# data[].attributes.subject
This month we are honouring COMICS and GRAPHIC NOVELS!

# data[].attributes.body
Books, (plus some NEW Arrivals!), magazines, superhero word searches, Create Your Own Comic sheets and other activities will be set up all over the library beginning May 6th!

# data[].attributes.body
A great guide to using graphic novels. Check this one out!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Students absolutely love graphic novels, which makes it all the more important to incorporate them into your current curriculum. With graphic novels, you'll not only engage your reluctant readers and help build important reading skills, but you'll provide advanced readers with a wonderful opportunity to think critically about a new form of storytelling-one that combines the most important elements of traditional novels, picture books, poetry, and even film in new and captivating ways!

When building graphic novels into your current curriculum, there are a few things you should keep in mind. This guide to teaching graphic novels is a wonderful resource if you're just getting started and will help you choose the best titles to introduce in your classroom. Whether you're hoping to improve your students' reading development, build vocabulary, or use graphic novels across subjects, here are four tips to make adding graphic novels to your teaching toolbox even more effective.

When introducing graphic novels to your students for the first time, encourage readers to focus on the format and how all the visual elements come together to help tell the story. They should consider the size and shape of the panels and how they fit together; how dialogue is used and shared; sound effects and how they're layered through the story; and of course, the overall visual style of the graphic novel. Is the art realistic? How does the illustrator use color to show emotion?

Just like their literary cousins, graphic novels often feature the same important themes other traditional works of literature employ. Graphic novels are also a great lead-in or follow-up to teaching classics and contemporary novels, especially for students who have trouble engaging with more traditional forms of literature. For example, I Survived and The Baby-Sitters Club series are available in graphic novel format as a compliment to their longform editions. Other titles like by Raina Telgemeier captivate young readers by exploring themes of belonging and fitting in-themes made popular by contemporary classics like Wonder and Fast Break.

The old writing adage, "Show, don't tell," is definitely on display in graphic novels-that's why series like Dog Man and The Bad Guys are such great books to read before students dive into creative writing projects. Whether you ask students to craft new endings for their favorite graphic novels or develop new characters or dialogue for existing stories they love, graphic novels are a great way to fuel your students' creative writing instincts.

For younger readers, graphic novels are perfect for helping students transition from picture books to chapter books. They teach important reading skills and give students a wonderful opportunity to reflect on common literary themes and empathize with characters. Graphic novels also shouldn't be limited to English and language arts. Science, social studies, and art instruction are areas where graphic novels can help introduce students to new subject matter and provide an introduction to important lessons from history, STEM, and more!

Adored by students of all ages, graphic novels are a tool every teacher should use to help develop the next generation of readers. They not only motivate students to read, they support learning in your classroom and help your students develop the skills they need to read and comprehend even more challenging works of literature.

Shop the best graphic novels for your classroom library below! You can shop all graphic novels and much more at The Teacher Store.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to Use Graphic Novels In Your Curriculum | Scholastic

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
By adding graphic novels to your teaching toolbox, youÃ¢ ll help your students develop important reading and critical-thinking skills.

# data[].attributes.body
Graphic novels are perfect for our reluctant readers. They're a great way to help struggling readers strengthen vocabulary, build reading confidence and develop a deeper appreciation of storytelling.

# data[].attributes.body
This week we will be discussing, brainstorming, and collaborating reason why we love to read. Students can contribute to the bulletin board throughout the week.

# data[].attributes.headline
Create Your Own Superhero contest begins (May 13th)

# data[].attributes.subject
Create Your Own Superhero contest begins (May 13th)

# data[].attributes.body
Students are invited to participate in a school wide comic contest. Last year's contest was a big success! I will speak to each class about the details of this contest at the beginning of the month. Winners will have their SuperHero enlarged and hung up on the wall.

# data[].attributes.body
In the library we will highlight various poems throughout the month. Students will select their favourite poem and jot it down on a slip of paper. They can carry it with them to share with friends, family, and classmates.

# data[].attributes.body
ReadWriteThink has a great collection of classroom and at-home resources introducing forms of poetry and an online 'word mover' interactive tool. This is a great resource to share with parents

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Compiling Poetry Collections and a Working Definition of Poetry
This unit introduces students to a variety of poetic forms and elements, as they compile their own collections of poetry.
Poetry: Sound and Sense
Students' groans about studying poetry may disappear with this lesson in which students read poetry from various writers and use these poems to examine the sounds and sense of language.
Poetry from Prose
Working in small groups, students compose found and parallel poems based on a descriptive passage they have chosen from a piece of literature they are reading.
Dynamite Diamante Poetry
Introduce gerunds and review nouns, adjectives, and verbs through engaging read-alouds; then apply these concepts through collaborative word-sorting and poetry-writing activities.
Letter Poems Deliver: Experimenting with Line Breaks in Poetry Writing
Students explore letter poems and experiment with writing letters as poems, using the placement of line breaks to enhance rhythm, sound, meaning, and appearance.
Theme Poems: Writing Extraordinary Poems About Ordinary Objects
Students select a familiar object online, build a bank of words related to the object, and write theme poems that are printed and displayed in class.
Lonely as a Cloud: Using Poetry to Understand Similes
Students identify similes in poetry and gain experience in using similes as a poetic device in their own work.
Seasonal Haiku: Writing Poems to Celebrate Any Season
After listening to haiku poetry, students use seasonal descriptive words to write their own haiku, following the traditional format. They then publish their poems by mounting them on illustrated backgrounds.
Color Poems—Using the Five Senses to Guide Prewriting
Students use their five senses as a prewriting tool to guide their poetry writing as they compose free-form poems using imagery to describe a color.
Crossing Boundaries Through Bilingual, Spoken-Word Poetry
Students explore the idea of "crossing boundaries" through bilingual, spoken-word poetry, culminating in a poetry slam at school or in the community.
Theme Poems: Using the Five Senses
Students write theme poems in a flash using the picture book Flicker Flash by Joan Bransfield Graham and the online, interactive Theme Poems tool.
Poetry Portfolios: Using Poetry to Teach Reading
Teach your students about sentence structure, rhyming words, sight words, vocabulary, and print concepts using a weekly poem.
Composing Cinquain Poems with Basic Parts of Speech
Reinforce student understanding of parts of speech through the analysis of sample cinquain poems followed by the creation of original cinquains.
What is Poetry? Contrasting Poetry and Prose
Students often find poetry frustrating and meaningless. By helping students think critically about the differences between poetry and prose, this introduction sets the stage for different strategies for comprehending poetic texts.
Using Classic Poetry to Challenge and Enrich Students' Writing
This lesson sets poetry in motion when students experiment with poetic styles to improve their writing skills and enhance their understanding of poetry.
Is a Sentence a Poem?
Students use their own poetry to analyze syntax, imagery, and meaning in a one-sentence poem by a canonical author to decide what makes it a poem.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
April is National Poetry Month! - ReadWriteThink

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Compiling Poetry Collections and a Working Definition of Poetry This unit introduces students to a variety of poetic forms and elements, as they compile their own collections of poetry. Poetry: Sound and Sense Students' groans about studying poetry may disappear with this lesson in which students read poetry from various writers and use these poems to examine the sounds and sense of language.

# data[].attributes.headline
What Does Christmas Mean To You? Display (starting Dec. 3rd)

# data[].attributes.subject
What Does Christmas Mean To You? Display (starting Dec. 3rd)

# data[].attributes.body
Primary and Intermediate students will work towards building this collaborative Christmas display. On each green piece of paper, students will write what Christmas means to them. Lets make it better than last years!

# data[].attributes.body
Please remind students this week that books must be turned in so we can begin inventory. Class lists of checked out book will be in your mail box. This includes students AND teachers :)

# data[].attributes.headline
INVENTORY (June 17th until end of school)

# data[].attributes.subject
INVENTORY (June 17th until end of school)

# data[].attributes.body
All students are welcome in the library until the end of the school year. Please remind students to use bookworms when taking from the shelf.

# data[].attributes.body
Celebrate earth day by reading some of the books we have on display by the windows in the library beginning this week. The website below has some great suggests also!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Check out these books that can help your children celebrate and learn about Earth Day.

# data[].attributes.body
The student-loved collection of Mo Willems will be front and centre in the library these next 3 weeks). During your class' library time we will focus on a mini unit about some powerful statements within some of Willems' stories.

# data[].attributes.body
This is a fun app to create Comic books with your students! It's free and has been loaded on all iPad carts.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Reading Rockets is a national multimedia project that offers a wealth of research-based reading strategies, lessons, and activities designed to help young children learn how to read and read better. Our reading resources assist parents, teachers, and other educators in helping struggling readers build fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension skills.

# data[].attributes.body
Here are some resources to share with parents. This includes downloadable activities that families can do at home! The theme this year is "What's on my Plate?"

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Family Literacy Week Activity Sheets 2018

# data[].attributes.body
This website resource is a must-see.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Similar to comic books, graphic novels weave rich, lively visuals with a limited amount of text to drive the narrative. They can be especially appealing to young readers who are reluctant to pick up a more traditional book. Graphic novels are a great way to help struggling readers strengthen vocabulary, build reading confidence and stamina, and develop a deeper appreciation of storytelling.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
ETFO | National Aboriginal Day - June 21

# data[].attributes.body
This is my favourite resource to use when designing my Christmas around the World unit plan.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
This is a collection of historical Christmas celebrations for many different countries. The celebration or activity is the earliest history for each country and may not represent the current Christmas celebrations of today. Visit over 30 different countries and see how they celebrated Christmas! If you wish to add a country's historical Christmas tradition to this section or have any comments, please contact us.
Back To The North Pole

Should you have any comments or ideas for our web site,
please forward them to the webmaster

Copyright © 1996 The-North-Pole.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Christmas traditions Around The World. christmas traditions. traditional christmas

# data[].attributes.body
During your class' library slot this week, First Nations community member Jaimie Williams will be leading classes in a lesson on pony beading and weaving .

# data[].attributes.headline
Partner sign up sheet for Calendar themes! 

# data[].attributes.subject
Partner sign up sheet for Calendar themes! 