Themed Reviews: National Poetry Month

Since 1996 National Poetry Month is celebrated every April. Introduced by the Academy of American Poets, many different events take place all month long, celebrating and highlighting poetry. One such event, Poem In Your Pocket Day, falls on April 14, 2011. Another, the Poems on the Range Project, is a collection of videos and photos of places associated with iconic poems.

There are many ways to celebrate and teach poetry this April. Browse through the these titles and those from previous years for some selections to share. Books from the past year show the diverse subject matter of quality poetry available to young people--historical, passionate, inspirational, humorous--something for everyone.

And for more information on National Poetry Month visit:
http://www.poets.org/page.php/prmID/41
http://www.loc.gov/poetry

For more reviews visit:
http://www.childrenslit.com/childrenslit/th_poetry.html
 

Guyku: A Year of Haiku for Boys

Bob Raczka

Illustrated by Peter Reynolds

Because poetry is not considered a "guy" thing, Raczka has written twenty-four poems in haiku form celebrating the seasons, with direct appeal to boys. He begins with a section for spring, with subjects ranging from wind and kite to grasshopper and fishing. In the summer, mosquitoes and toasted marshmallows are included. For the fall, there are falling maple tree "helicopters" and leaves: "From underneath the leaf pile, my invisible brother is giggling." Then, "Winter must be here. Every time I open my mouth, a cloud comes out." Finally, "Last week's snowman looks under the weather. Must be a spring allergy." Reynolds offers lively drawings of boys in all sorts of activities as visual interpretations, with watercolor yellows, browns, and greens plus digital additions. The text is hand printed. Notes from both author and illustrator on why they did this book add background interest. 2010, Houghton Mifflin Books for Children/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, $14.99. Ages 5 to 8. Reviewers: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 9780547240039