Review: Science Poetry

Title: Insectlopedia

Written and Illustrated By: Douglas Florian

ISBN: 0-15-201306-7

Citation: Florian, Douglas. Insecolopedia. San Diego, CA: Harcourt, Inc, 1998.

Awards: ALA Notable Children's Book, Child Magazine Best Book of the Year, Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year

Review: In Insectlopedia Douglas Florian combines humor and wit to teach about the world of insects. Intricate paintings accompany poems on twenty-one different insects. Adults and children alike will enjoy the informative, yet charming verse that begs to be read aloud. Ranging in poetic styles from shape poems, as in The Inchworm presented in the shape of an inchworm crawling across the page, to couplets to free verse, Florian includes a variety that keeps readers engaged. Through alliteration, rhythm, and the unique placement of words on the page, Florian uses the perfect combination of poetic elements to create an entertaining yet informative look into the natural world.

Potential Use: Insectlopedia would act as the perfect supplement to any elementary or middle school study on insects. Providing factual information in an entertaining manner, Florian's poems stir up interest in insects of all shapes and sizes. Use the poems individually or as a collection to enhance any science curriculum. See the examples below for a taste of Insectlopedia.

The Monarch Butterfly

He is a monarch.

He is a king.

He flies great migrations.

Past nations he wings.

He is a monarch.

He is a prince.

When blackbirds attack him,

From poison they wince.

He is a monarch.

He is a duke.

Swallows that swallow him

Frequently puke.

The Praying Mantis

Upon a twig

I sit and pray

For something big

To wend my way:

A caterpillar,

Moth,

Or Bee –

I swallow them

Religiously.

Review: 2011 Poetry Book

Title: Roots and Blues: A Celebration

Author: Arnold Adoff

Illustrator: R. Gregory Christie

ISBN: 978-0-547-23554-7

Citation: Adoff, Arnold. Roots and Blues: A Celebration. New York: Clarion Books, 2011.

Awards: A Junior Library Guild Selection

Review: In Roots and Blues: A Celebration, Arnold Adoff explores the evolution of blues music in African American culture as well as its impact on singers and listeners. Beginning with the songs of those being transported from Africa across the ocean during the slave trade and ending with blues music in modern times, Adoff uses lyrical poetry to engulf readers with the pure emotion of this genre of music. Adding visual beauty to Adoff's words are R. Gregory Christie's enchanting acrylic paintings. The rhythm and flow of the poems in Roots and Blues allows for a smooth reading while evoking sensory images through the use of rich vocabulary. Perhaps the most interesting element of this book is the unique layout in which special attention was paid to spacing, line breaks, and the placement of the poems on the page. Readers will enjoy this historically rich exploration of how blues music came to be.

Potential Use: Due to its complex vocabulary and, at times, abstract nature Roots and Blues: A Celebration would be best suited for use with high school aged students and beyond. Though one usually associates use of poetry with Language Arts curriculum, Roots and Blues would make for an excellent teaching tool in any music or music history class. This book represents the history of blues music in a historically accurate, yet emotionally riveting manner. Roots and Blues could provide an engaging alternative to reading a traditional textbook about the same topic. To explore the use of blues music in African American culture during various points in history, educators can select poems that represent each time frame being studied (see the following selections).

Pre-Slavery in Africa (taken from p. 7)

Each word a hammer hit. Each word the solid tip

of finger hitting squarely on to the center of the ivory

yellow piano key. Each hammer to each steel wire hit

makes tone makes sound and resonates: rings like rocks

hitting calm water. Circles of sounds reach out

like circles of words: flow stories out from the shore.

I look into the water and see my usual face bending out

and under the ripples: bending as blue notes extend

from finger tip to steel wire hit to air to ear to memory.

Slave Trade (taken from p. 10)

Chained

in rags in blood in dark death of daylight.

To survive the passage across the ocean from

life to living hell to life in hell means

silent

singing

of old

songs.

Behind the eyes
the fingers strum
homeland strings and memory of my history
remains as strong as steel.

Always: this melody of words is journey home.

Review: Verse Novel

Title: Witness

Author: Karen Hesse

ISBN: 0-439-45230-9

Citation: Hesse, Karen. Witness. New York: Scholastic, Inc., 2001.

Awards: Winner of the 2002 ABC Children's Booksellers Choices Award for Young Adult Readers, the 2002 Christopher Award for Young Adults, and the 2002 White Ravens Award

Review: Karen Hesse recounts historical events through the eyes of eleven characters living in a small town in Vermont in the 1924 in this novel written in verse. The story presents different perspectives on the major themes of prohibition, the Ku Klux Klan, racism, and other major issues of the time period. Using brilliantly developed characters to help the audience re-live the events of 1924 Karen Hesse brings this time period to life. The characters represent all angles of the issues presented in the novel, from a persecuted African American girl to a racist pastor involved in the Klan to a young Jewish girl seemingly oblivious to the hatred surrounding her to a female alcohol smuggler and many more. The voices of the characters come alive through the varying poetic rhythms found throughout the novel; each character has his or her own unique poetic style that conveys the differing personalities, ages, cultural backgrounds, and outlooks on life. The presentation of historical events through the eyes of the people who lived them allows readers to become emotionally involved in the story and leave with a sense of connection that is often difficult to achieve in learning about historical events. Readers will appreciate the factual information described through a fictional story, which provides an alternative to simply reading a textbook. Readers are taken through historical events in an innovative, eye-opening manner that is sure to stay with them long after they have finished the novel.

Potential Use: Witness can be effectively used as a snapshot of the culture of America in the 1920s. Historical issues including the rise of the Ku Klux Klan, prohibition, women's suffrage, the first woman governor, and the trial of Leopold and Loeb are presented from a variety of viewpoints, which provide a well-rounded look at the time period. To show the differing points of view on these important social and political issues, teachers can share excerpts from the novel in which multiple characters speak on the same issue. For example, the case of Leopold and Loeb is described from the following three perspectives:

Leanora Sutter

there was a rich boy in Chicago, a rich boy.

he was kidnapped.

the kidnappers wanted $10,000

from the boy's daddy

to bring the boy back alive.

only he was already dead.

even before the ransom note came,

the boy was already dead,

naked in a ditch, miles away from his house.

that boy was fourteen.

and now he's dead.

and he was rich.

and he was white.

Percelle Johnson

the chicago police did it.

they solved the case of that murder

of fourteen-year-old bobby franks.

it was the spectacles that

led detectives to the slayers.

nathan leopold, jr.,

son of a millionaire manufacturer,

and richard loeb,

his companion,

were taken into custody

for kidnapping and killing their neighbor.

the reports say both leopold and loeb are smart,

students at the university in Chicago.

they made full confessions to the charges,

said they'd been planning the job

since november.

if leopold had not dropped his spectacles,

if the spectacles had not been so uncommon,

they would have gotten away with it.

they would have gotten away

with murder.

Merlin Van Tornhout

it took two of them

my age

to kill one skinny jew boy.

two of them.

planning every detail.

they rented an automobile, killed the kid,

dumped the body, buried the boots and belt buckle

in different places.

they planned for weeks to kidnap,

to kill.

to see how it felt.

to prove they could.

it didn't matter about jail,

or being haunted by a ghost,

didn't even matter about going to hell.

if i wanted to, i could kill someone all by myself.

wouldn't need anyone's help,

and i'd make damn sure i got some money for my trouble.

but they were rich jew kids.

what do you expect?

After sharing these different perspectives of the same historical event, educators can lead a discussion on how the differing viewpoints were representative of the varying groups of people of that day and age.

Review: Poetic Form

Title: Dogku

Author: Andrew Clements

Illustrator: Tim Bowers

ISBN: 978-0-689-85823-9

Citation: Clements, Andrew. Dogku. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2007.

Awards: Named one of the Bank Street Best Books of the Year in 2007, listed as a KIND Children's Book Award Honor Book, and winner of the Kentucky Bluegrass Award

Review: Andrew Clements takes a departure from his well-known novels in writing Dogku. This tale of a stray dog trying to find a home with a loving family is written through a series of haiku poems. The reader follows the plot as the dog begins on a doorstep, "There on the back steps,/the eyes of a hungry dog./Will she shut the door?", the family decides what should be done, "Family meeting./There are words and words and words./Did someone say "pound"?", and finally decide to keep him, "A new doggy bed!/Food, a bowl, a squeaky toy!/Mooch has found his home." Cleverly written and accompanied by the vivid oil paintings of Tim Bowers, children will fall in love with Mooch and may not even realize they are reading poetry. Andrew Clements goes as far as writing the author's note, synopsis, and even including a haiku from the illustrator in this unique picture book. Readers of all ages will reevaluate their views of haiku after reading Dogku and may even find themselves experimenting with some haiku of their own.

Potential Use: Dogku provides educators and parents with the opportunity to introduce the often-feared haiku poetic form through an accessible, enjoyable story. This book could be used to introduce the 17 syllable haiku format to young students, perhaps as early as first or second grade. Educators could read the story aloud all the way through first, then go back and help students count the syllables on each page to reinforce the 5/7/5 haiku format. Students will likely be intrigued that even the synopsis, author note, and illustrator note are written in haiku; be sure to share these with the students as well.

Synopsis (in front cover)

A tale in haiku

of one adorable dog.

Let's find him a home.

Author Note (in back cover)

An idea knocks.

I open, think, write, and smile.

And then it's your turn.

Illustrator Note (in back cover)

I love to draw dogs.

I had fun reading Dogku—

And hope you do too!

Following these activities, encourage students to write some haikus of their own. After they practice, have the entire class write and illustrate a haiku based on a theme (e.g. Catku, Treeku, Familyku). Use these themed haikus to create a class book.

Review: Florian Poetry

Title: Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars

Written and Illustrated by: Douglas Florian

Citation: Florian, Douglas. Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars. Orlando, FL: Harcourt, Inc., 2007.

ISBN: 978-0-15-205372-7

Awards: Nominated for the 2008 Texas Bluebonnet Award, Nominated for the 2009 Beehive Children's Poetry Book Award, Nominated for the 2009 Rhode Island Children's Book Award, Nominated for the 2009 Young Hoosier Book Award, Nominated for the 2010 Garden State Children's Book Award

Review: Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars is a collection of themed poetry written and illustrated by Douglas Florian. Creatively written with attention to scientific detail as well to the lyrical nature of poetry, Florian creates a high quality collection that would be an important addition to any science teacher's collection. With beautifully inspired illustrations done with gouache, collage, and rubber stamps on primed brown paper bags, readers will enjoy examining the paintings just as much as reading the poems. Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars covers all aspects of the solar system, with poems describing each of the planets as well as other elements such as the universe, black holes, constellations, and the sun. An excellent educational tool, Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars will please adult and children alike.

Potential Use: Any unit on the solar system will be greatly enhanced by Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars. Learning about the planets can often be confusing for young students; the poems in this book offer a brief, accurate description of each planet that would help enhance students' understanding of the specific characteristics of each. Short and easy to memorize, students could learn each poem to have an understanding of the unique qualities of the different planets. For example, the poem Venus not only describes the physical characteristics of the planet, but also how it received its name:

Venus

Scalding-hot surface,

Nine hundred degrees.

Nothing can live there,

No creatures,

No trees.

Poisonous clouds

Of acid above.

Why was it named for the goddess of love?

Review: Multicultural Poetry

Title: Love to Mamá: A Tribute to Mothers

Edited By: Pat Mora

Illustrator: Paula S. Barragán M.

Citation: Mora, Pat. Love to Mamá: A Tribute to Mothers. New York: Lee & Low Books Inc., 2001.

ISBN: 1-58430-019-1

Awards: ALA Notable Children's Book, Children's Books of the Year for Outstanding Merit by Bank Street College Children's Book Committee, "Starred Review" by School Library Journal

Review: Love to Mamá: A Tribute to Mothers celebrates the bond between mothers, grandmothers, and children. A collection of poetry from a variety of well- and lesser-known Latino poets, this book represents a variety of perspectives and writing styles. Each poem is filled with beautiful figurative language that begs to be read aloud. The heavy Spanish-language influence throughout the book provides a flowing rhythm that is pleasing to the ear of native English and Spanish speakers alike. The large, colorful illustrations covering each page add life to the vibrant words; readers will enjoy examining the uniquely created pictures as much as reading the poems. In Love to Mamá: A Tribute to Mothers, Pat Mora has created an excellent compilation of poems that show just how important maternal figures are in the Latino culture.

Potential Use: Love to Mamá: A Tribute to Mothers would be an excellent tool in teaching elementary-aged students beginning Spanish. Many elementary schools are incorporating Spanish language lessons into the general curriculum; this book would complement this instruction perfectly. Many of the poems allow students to discover the meaning of Spanish words through the use of context clues, just as they decode unfamiliar English vocabulary in the same manner. The poem My Tongue is Like a Map by Rane Arroyo lends itself well to this type of lesson. Give students a printed copy of the poem or have it posted in the room where it can be seen. Ask students to listen carefully to the English and Spanish words in the poem, then share it aloud:

My Tongue is Like a Map

Mami said yes, Abuelita sang sí.

They said, Two languages make you a rich man,

But words never paid for my penny candy.

Agua, water. Arroz, rice. Niño, me!

Arroz con leche, sang Abuelita

As my mami said, A is for Apple.

My ears were like a radio, so many stations.

Sometimes I would dream in English and Spanish.

I was a millionaire each time I said yes and sí.

After reading the poem several times, highlight all the Spanish words on the printed copy of the poem. Allow students to volunteer guesses about what each word means using the context clues in the poem as a base for their guesses. Once all words have been identified, re-read the poem. As an extension, discuss what it would be like to live in a bilingual home. Allow any bilingual students to share their experiences.

Review: NCTE Award Poetry

Title: Scien-Trickery: Riddles in Science

Author: J. Patrick Lewis

Illustrator: Frank Remkiewicz

Citation: Lewis, J. Patrick. Scien-Trickery: Riddles in Science. Orlando, FL: Harcourt, Inc., 2004.

ISBN: 0-15-216681-5

Review: Scien-Trickery: Riddles in Science is a collection of scientific riddles written by NCTE Award-winning poet J. Patrick Lewis. With topics ranging from germs to laser beams to humidity, this collection covers a broad spectrum of scientific concepts. Each poem contains clues to the topic either in the words or in the watercolor and colored pencil illustrations created by Frank Remkiewicz, followed by the answer to the riddle written upside down beneath the poem. Though accurate in detail and chock full of scientific vocabulary, Scien-Trickery lacks a unifying theme as well as creative use of figurative language. With patterns that often seems forced and little sense imagery, the poems in this collection lack emotional impact.

Potential Use: Educators could pick and choose poems from Scien-Trickery: Riddles in Science to introduce topics of study in the science curriculum. Many of these poems lend them self to warm-up introductory activities. For example, if the topic of study for the day was gravity, an educator might introduce the subject with the following poem:

Gee!

It keeps you from flying

Off into space.

It's what makes you fall

Flat on your face.

And if it could talk

Like you and I do,

I think it would say,

"I'm pulling for you."

Answer: Gravity

As a follow-up activity, students could also try to create their own riddles based upon the day's science topic. Using the poems in Scien-Trickery for inspiration, students could write their own riddles and exchange them with classmates to solve.