2026 Summer Virtual Book Club - Poetry by Sally Donnelly

2024 - Books by David Bowles

sally_donnelly — 2026-04-17 19:35:22 UTC

2023 - Books by Kwame Alexander

sally_donnelly — 2026-04-17 19:35:22 UTC

Sally Donnelly

sally_donnelly — 2026-04-17 19:35:22 UTC

I am the reading teacher at DHMS and have a passion for making my thinking visible in my Reading Notebook. I sometimes give poetry a try, both reading and writing. This summer, I want to try even more! Reach me by email: sally.donnelly11@gmail.com

Read this article and view the video

sally_donnelly — 2026-04-17 19:35:22 UTC

Thank you to Colleen Cruz who shared this during her co-taught May Institute - Teach Latine/x Heritage All Year.

1. COMMIT to reading either the two designated books - 44 Poems on Being With Each Other by Padraig O Tuama & Dictionary for a Better World: Poems, Quotes and Anecdotes from A to Z by Irene Latham & Charles Waters &/or read poetry by a new or favorite poet (like blogger Kim Johnson or Beth Sanderson) and make a notebook page OR a blog post based on your reading. It may or may not include poetry writing.

sally_donnelly — 2026-04-17 19:35:22 UTC

Reading Schedule

sally_donnelly — 2026-04-17 19:35:22 UTC

By July 15th - explore poetry and post for the first time.

By August 1st - explore more poetry and post for the 2nd and last time. JUST 2x (it's summer!)

2022 - Books by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi

sally_donnelly — 2026-04-17 19:35:22 UTC

2. THINK - commit to really thinking about what each book and/or blogger is sharing about poetry.

sally_donnelly — 2026-04-17 19:35:22 UTC

3. Create a Reading Notebook Page which shares your thinking and give poetry writing a try, based on what each book inspires. OR write a blog post sharing your thinking and/or poetry writing.

sally_donnelly — 2026-04-17 19:35:22 UTC

2021 - Book by Clint Smith

sally_donnelly — 2026-04-17 19:35:22 UTC

4. Post a photo of your Reading Notebook page under the matching column by July 15th and August 1st, respectively. the end of each week. JUST 2x

sally_donnelly — 2026-04-17 19:35:22 UTC

2020 - Book by Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds

sally_donnelly — 2026-04-17 19:35:22 UTC

5. Respectfully read and respond to the postings of others in this Summer Virtual Book Club.

sally_donnelly — 2026-04-17 19:35:22 UTC

2025 - Laurie and Dr. Kendi's books

sally_donnelly — 2026-04-17 19:46:11 UTC

Beth Sanderson's Blog

sally_donnelly — 2026-04-20 16:36:19 UTC

Beth writes LOTS of poems!

Kim Johnson's blog

sally_donnelly — 2026-04-20 16:36:54 UTC

During March, she read a different poet each day and made a CENTO poem using lines from her reading.

Poetry Foundation!

sally_donnelly — 2026-04-21 11:38:15 UTC

James Crews - poet

sally_donnelly — 2026-04-24 20:51:21 UTC

Erika

2026-04-29 10:28:45 UTC

Haha, possibly the worst picture of me, but I have a one take rule, even with wet hair blowing in the breeze of the fan while dressed in my prejamas.

I am a grade 5 teacher who LOVES poetry, teaching in Phnom Penh, Cambodia/

I got my book!

kimjohnson66 — 2026-05-04 10:04:29 UTC

Coffee hot, poetry book open, eyes reading! I’m gearing up for the summer, Sally! I can’t wait!

Kim Johnson

kimjohnson66 — 2026-05-05 11:00:30 UTC

I’m Kim Johnson, District Literacy Specialist with Pike County Schools in Georgia, and I can’t wait to read with y’all! Give me large-print books and fun-loving characters and a comfy chair with a cup of coffee in the corner of the cafe by a window. I’ll meet you there!

franmccrackin — 2026-05-05 21:42:59 UTC

I am a retired teacher who writes, among other things. I am happy to be influenced for the good by Sally once again, and to join you writing friends in reading poetry that matters this summer.

Denise Krebs

mrsdkrebs — 2026-05-06 03:50:45 UTC

Hello, friends. I'm a retired teacher--In my career of about 30 years, I taught elementary, junior high, and TESOL. I stay busy volunteering with the Friends of the Library, studying paralegal courses, and visiting my kids and two grandsons.

Slice by Erika Victor

sally_donnelly — 2026-05-20 01:08:08 UTC

She lists 10 poems she read with her 5th graders. I want to read the poem on her list!

Poetry Lover

2026-06-04 00:41:36 UTC

Hi Fellow Poetry Lovers! I look forward to sharing this summer poetry exploration with you. I have been a follower of Pádraig for several years and even got to meet him in Portland (OR) last fall in conversation with Patricia Smith. I am retired now after a long and happy teaching career, not even substituting, so I have time to be outside walking in woods and beside waves. I love to read, swim, and cook—especially baking. Let the conversation begin!

Margaret Simon

2026-06-09 22:40:20 UTC

Hi Poetry Friends,

I am a retired teacher of gifted students. This year I worked as a teaching artist in schools. I loved this new gig! This Spring my first baby board book was published by UL Press. It all started with a poem. “What’s That Sound? The Birds of the Bayou. The photo is me with Pia, The Peace sculpture in Bainbridge Island, Washington. We stopped there on our recent family vacation to the Pacific Northwest. I look forward to talking about poetry with you this summer. Thanks, Sally!

2026-06-23 13:00:11 UTC

Hello all! My name is Angie and I worked at DHMS with Sally, assisting her and the students in reading classes! Now, I assist at Kenmore MS also in English, Reading and ELD classes. I am honored to join the summer book club again (thank you for the invite) and look forward to reading the chosen poetry books.

Dictionary For A Better World

2026-06-23 13:09:16 UTC

There is so much that I loved about this book. Many of the quotes, words and anecdotes really resonated with me personally. I enjoyed the graphics, artwork and layout of each unique page. As visual leaner myself, I found each page creatively engaging. I thought it was clever of the authors to add the "try it" section at the bottom with suggestions on implementing the action or intent. In a world filled with turmoil and uncertainty, this book brought a little calm and peace to my heart.

BONUS: I purchased this book from Amazon and surprisingly it is a signed copy!

2026-06-26 12:40:57 UTC

Of the 44 poems in this book that I devoured like blackberry cobbler with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, 21 of them have a direct association to some form of art, whether watercolor painting, photography, song, carving, map illustration, ink stampings, mosaics, tapestry, quilting, jewelry design, or building tiny replicas. An art teacher intent on using poetry to inspire art would find O'Tuama's book just the ticket for bridging poetry with other art forms. The structure he uses (dark pages as introduction, the poem itself, and the lighter pages behind each poem as his own response) makes each poem in this creatively curated collection one that each reader can read, understand, and own. Poets that curate collections about poems that mean a lot to them are the kinds of poets that build others up and share the spotlight of the art. What a gift and a treasure!

Sally

sally_donnelly — 2026-07-05 21:09:44 UTC

I enjoyed reading all 44 Poems. I decided to record my Top Five here on my reading notebook page.

Sally

sally_donnelly — 2026-07-05 21:14:13 UTC

I enjoyed reading all 44 Poems. I decided to choose my Top Five and reflect on them here on my reading notebook page.

Sally

sally_donnelly — 2026-07-05 21:17:16 UTC

I also was inspired by The Rungs on page 92 to write this Slice, just as school year 2025-26 was ending.

Sally

sally_donnelly — 2026-07-10 20:37:26 UTC

While reading the Dictionary For a Better World, I learned about the poetry form, PANTOUM, and I wrote one HERE!

44 Poems

2026-07-14 04:10:18 UTC

Hello, Sally and Kim, and all, I haven't forgotten about the book club, but I haven't been here yet. I enjoyed reading all the poems in O'Tuama's collection. I got so much more when I read the editor's remarks after each poem. I would inevitably have to go back and read the poem again. He added such insight and made me love the poems more. One example is "Eurydice, Turning" by Rita Dove. I loved the poem and was right there with her in the phone conversation, but then reading about grief in the pages that follow was so poignant and rich. Another favorite poem for me was "Facts About the Moon" by Dorianne Laux. That parent's love she describes is heartbreaking.

From Erika

2026-07-15 11:15:02 UTC

I tried to buy Padraig OTuama's book while in the US, but none of the bookstores I went to had it in stock. I have read (and LOVE) Dictionary for a Better World many times. I meant to bring my copy home from school, but I forgot, but I have access to the e-version via Epic. I started Georgia Heard's Field Guide to the Heart, but I left it at home (away for three weeks right now). Tonight I wrote a cinquain about my view from my window- a beautiful sunset. At first I wrote in free verse, then I decided to try a different structure- I like the cinquain better. I am going to push myself to try more different forms (I loved your pantoum, Sally!).

O’Tuama’s book may be my favorite anthology for now…

2026-07-15 13:03:27 UTC

I decided, for this journal experience, to pull one image from each poem. I really like it when poems have details that just hit you. So here I found those details memorable to me. This is just the first half; I’m working on the second! It is lovely to be revisiting the poems that really grabbed me, this way, and it’s making me focus on those I just glossed over, and finding more personal meaning in them.

… the rest of the poems, memorable details

2026-07-17 02:58:08 UTC

Here’s a better photo of page one

2026-07-17 03:01:52 UTC

Blog Post: Wide Sky, Deep Sea

2026-07-17 18:49:24 UTC

Poetry #2- Erika

2026-07-22 10:24:22 UTC

Inspired by all your talk about how great the 44 Poems on Being is, I searched and found the title page, so bit by bit I am trying to find the poems I can. I was happy to find (so far) one of the poems on Padraig's podcast, so I got to hear him read it and discuss it and read it again. Also, he shared another one on On Being, so again I got to listen to him (my Siri voice is an Irish man; I do love the accent!). Inspired by Sally, I made a list from DfaBW of poem forms I wanted to try, and so far this week I have tried five different forms: byte, decima, naani, tanka, and tricubes. I wrote about the same topic (a snail I was watching outside) in my byet and decima, so it was fun to try that out. My other three centered on my summer. Two weeks from today will be my first day officially back to school- eek!

Sally

sally_donnelly — 2026-07-24 05:57:14 UTC

Poetry found me while visiting a museum in Finland. A large wall had magnetic word tiles on it. With this direction.

Sally

sally_donnelly — 2026-07-24 06:02:27 UTC

I was touring a museum exhibit on the works of Finnish architect, Alvar Aalto. (I recommend you look him up to appreciate his contribution to modern architecture in the world!). Thinking of this space and all I was learning, I “wrote” this poem with the magnetic English words. (Note: half the tiles were in Finnish! So others around me wrote their poem in their native language!)

Sally

sally_donnelly — 2026-07-24 06:05:24 UTC

Then my husband, the architect and fan of Aalto, revised and wrote his poem, too!

kimjohnson66 — 2026-07-30 11:54:09 UTC

Sally, thank you so much for this summer invitation for reading poetry. These book choices were both excellent suggestions, so inspiring and empowering. As I considered all the art opportunities in the poems themselves, I kept reflecting on my "through line" of all poetry: accessibility for all. How can I do my small part to get it out there into the hands of those who may never seek a book of poetry? How can I do my part to bring poetry to the forefront? I think it's in the everyday presence of poetry, and in the ways we can create those encounters. My thoughts go to plant placards. I have one I ordered with a line from Robert Frost that was used in my mother's 1964 wedding album (see the picture), but I'm thinking of writing lines of poetry onto the kinds of smaller, inexpensive plant placards that I can put in plants along the town square and in the flower beds of the parks in the small towns in my community. This book inspires me to think about those golden lines I could use for such a project that would catch the eye of someone who might stop long enough to read it and let their mind churn with its message. Thank you again for inspiring us in creative and meaningful ways this summer! Blessings to all!

Two poems, using forms from Dictionary for a Better World

franmccrackin — 2026-07-31 18:24:04 UTC

… and a Pantoum,

franmccrackin — 2026-07-31 18:27:37 UTC

…though I’ll be darned if I can get wordpress to respected my line gaps between verses

https://pencilonmybackporch.home.blog/2026/07/21/photograph-of-my-grandmother/

Thank you, Sally

2026-08-01 15:32:22 UTC

… and friends! I read more, wrote more, and thought more about poetry this summer, thanks to you

Sally

sally_donnelly — 2026-08-18 12:29:54 UTC

I tried describing a trip to the playground with Aden and Luca using an acrostic poem like the one on page 28