THE SUPERHEROES EMPLOYMENT AGENCY by Marilyn Singer

Bibliography

Singer, Marilyn. 2012. The Superheroes Employment Agency. Ill. Noah Z. Jones. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN 9780547435596

Critical Analysis

Marilyn Singer’s collection of poems about unsung superheroes and their many talents in a creative example of just how fun poetry can be. While each poem can stand alone, it does go together to create a story about an agency for superheroes. Singer, along with the brilliant illustrations of Noah Z. Jones has put the book together with an almost comic or graphic novel feel. Some of the poems have a more traditional layout while others are illustrated as part of a comic book scene. This adds to the feel that these are real superheroes. All of the poems have a similar rhythm and rhyming pattern which creates a feeling of cohesion throughout the book. 

Example

I love that this book could easily be read and enjoyed by students from elementary to high school. I also think that the activity I would choose to pair with this book could work at many different levels, depending on the experience the students have with writing poetry. I would have the students come up with their own crazy superhero and write a poem about they could help in a dire situation. I would use the final poem to launch the activity. This could be done in small groups or as individuals. I would also have them illustrate the poem in a creative way. It could be inn graphic novel form similar to the book or even a diorama for a 3D representation.

Goodbye From Our C.E.O.

Now that you have met our crew,

it’s clear that we’re incredible.

You didn’t know us yesterday - 

today, we’re unforgettable!

We’re not in graphic novels.

We’re not in comic books.

But we stop villains in their tracks.

We catch thugs and crooks.

We help good folks everywhere,

on land, in air, at sea.

(Hire us eleven times - 

the twelfth job’s always free!)

For endurance, smarts, and speed

(and a sense of fashion, too),

S.E.A.’s got what you need - 

we’re always here for you!

CONFETTI: POEMS FOR CHILDREN by Pat Mora

Bibliography

Mora, Pat. 1996. Confetti: Poems for Children. Ill. Enrique O Sanchez. New York: Lee and Low Books. ISBN 9781880000854

Critical Analysis

Pat Mora has put together a collection of her poems that children will be able to easily relate to. While the subjects are imaginative, the language and imagery is very rich and not watered down. Written primarily in English, with a few Spanish words included, Mora’s poetry is a great multicultural example for any classroom. She provides a pronunciation guide/glossary at the end, so even those with no Spanish language background will be able to enjoy and understand the poems. Each poem stands alone, but the themes are all connected through the culture shared between them. While the style, rhythm and rhyming patterns are different for each poem, it doesn’t confuse or interrupt the flow of each individual poem.

Example

I think that Mora’s book would best be shared one poem at a time. While there is a cohesive element of theme culture, there is nothing added by reading each poem back to back compared to reading them individually. I have chosen to spotlight the poem Cloud Dragons. This is a poem that I think many children could relate to. In first grade, we discuss the wind and the changing clouds. I would enjoy using this poem along with that unit and then going outside to watch the clouds change. I would have the students draw and write about what they saw in the clouds. I would pair this poem with the book It Looked Like Spilt Milk by Charles Shaw (ISBN 9780064431590).

Cloud Dragons

What do you see
in the clouds so high?
What do you see in the sky?

Oh, I see dragons
that curl their tails
as they go slithering by.

What do you see
in the clouds so high?
What do you see? Tell me, do.

Oh, I see caballitos
that race the wind
high in the shimmering blue.

MAMMALABILIA by Douglas Florian

Bibliography

Florian, Douglas. 2000. Mammalabilia. Orlando, FL: Harcourt. ISBN 9780152050245

Critical Analysis

Florian has compiled a variety of short, but descriptive poems about a variety of mammals in this book. Most of the poems are 4-6 short lines about a variety of mammals, but each one is full of rich language. In several of the poems, Florian uses the freedom of poetry in the layout and in the spelling of some words to add a different element to those poems. For example, his poem on camels curves as if it was written along the edge of a camel’s humps or his poem about porcupines is written with each line moving vertically as if it were the spines on a porcupine. All of the poems rhyme and have similar rhyming patterns that tie the book together beyond just the subject matter. Florian provides a table of contents so that we can find a particular animal poem in the book. As the author and illustrator, Florian was able to mimic some of the movement in the poems with the illustrations themselves, adding yet another dimension to the book.

Example

There could be a wide variety of uses for this book. It could be used in an animal unit and the students could create their own poems about the animal of their choice. I would use it to show how the form of the poetry can add just as much to the poem as the word choice does. His poem about zebras is an example that I can copy here to show you how the layout of Florian’s poem mimic the animal or the illustration he painted. He uses the words to create the stripes of the zebra and his illustration gives the reader a sense of how zebras can blend together in the wild because of their stripes.

Zebras

How many zebras

Do you see?

               I see two zebras.

I see three.

               I see three, too.

I see four.

               I see four, too.

WORDS WITH WINGS by Nikki Grimes

Bibliography

Grimes, Nikki. 2013. Words with Wings. Honesdale, Pennsylvania: WordSong. ISBN 9781590789858

Critical Analysis

Grimes’ novel in verse is a testament to the power of dreams and words. It is also a demonstration of how teachers and parents can make or break their children. This is a novel that should be read by children and adults. Words with Wings tells the story of a young girl, Gabby, a daydreamer extraordinaire. It tells of her parents’ separation and how Gabby’s daydreams affect her relationship with her mom, teacher and peers. It also shows us how her daydreams help her cope with the difficult situations she finds herself in. The poems in this book are very short, reminiscent of Gabby’s attention span. There is a balance between poems that tell Gabby’s story and poems that give us a peek into Gabby’s mind as she daydreams and how one word can send her mind soaring into a memory or story in her mind. Being a novel written in verse, rhyme is not used much, but there is a distinct rhythm and flow that makes this a quick and easy read. Grimes also uses very descriptive language to paint a scene rather than just give it away. For example, when Gabby’s dad leaves, he doesn't cry – “Something we was in his eye. . .” This book can be easily related to by both children and adults. While not all children have the exact same experiences as Gabby, they can relate to and learn from her ability to cope with difficult situations. Adults and children can relate to this story and different poems in it that describe the relationship and actions toward someone who thinks differently than you.

Example

While the book really does need to be read as a whole, the title poem “Words with Wings” has a great significance to the story and could easily be studied on its own. This is the turning point in the story where we begin to better understand Gabby and what triggers her daydreams. In relationship to the novel as a whole, I would pull this poem out and look at what Gabby means by “other words have wings.” I would give each student a word and just see where those words take them. It would make a great writing lesson to teach them the stream of consciousness writing and how one word can connect to another that remind them of a story or a memory. It would be great to emulate Mr. Spicer and allow the students to daydream and then let their words paint the pictures they dreamed.

Words with Wings

Some words
sit still on the page
holding a story steady.
Those words
never get me into trouble.
But other words have wings
that wake my daydreams.
They fly in,
silent as sunrise,
tickle my imagination,
and carry my thoughts away.
I can’t help
but buckle up
for the ride!

THE GOOF WHO INVENTED HOMEWORK by Kalli Dakos

Bibliography

Dakos, Kalli. 1996. The Goof Who Invented Homework. Ill. Denise Brunkus. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers. ISBN 9780803719279

Critical Analysis

Dakos’ book of poems The Goof Who Invented Homework is filled with poems that use a variety of styles. Many of her poems rhyme and they all have their own rhythm, which appeals to school age students that would relate to the subject matter of this collection. Some of them read like a play and have a cast of characters. In these poems, the voice of each character can be heard through the language she uses. Most of her poems in this collection contain very short lines and makes them look similar on the page. This is occasionally broken up by a poem that will have staggered lines, or poems that contain just one word on each line. While many of the poems in this book are silly, there are a few poems that create a different mood that students relate to – such as a friend who has died as in “Back Away! Back Away!” or the guilt over not taking care of the class pet as in “Murder in the Fourth Grade.” This is a collection of poems that students and teachers can relate to because it highlights the funny, serious and frustrating aspects of what happens during a school year.

Example

One poem that stuck out to me was “Sunbeams for a Student.” In this poem, the day outside is described as being really dreary while inside there is sunshine. This is a poem I would introduce to students right after a really hard test where many of them did well. This is a poem that they could immediately connect to, but the teacher could also show them that teachers feel the same way when the students do well. The poem uses a lot of imagery that could lead to a discussion on why feelings like sadness or dread are compared to rainy overcast days and happiness is compared to bright sunny days. I think this would be a great poem to read especially around STAAR time when students can really begin to feel the pressure.

Sunbeams for a Student

The sky is dark as midnight,

Rain is streaming down out there.

But here inside my classroom,

Sunbeams shimmer everywhere.

A winter storm is brewing

As the rain turns into sleet,

But I can smell the roses,

And I feel the summer’s heat.

Leaves cling for life on branches

As winds howl from the west,

But the sun shines all around me,

For I passed my spelling test!

CLIMB INTO MY LAP by Lee Bennett Hopkins

Bibliography

Hopkins, Lee Bennett. 1998. Climb into My Lap: First Poems to Read Together. Ill. Kathryn Brown. New York: Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9780689807152

Critical Analysis

In this collection, Hopkins has assembled a variety of poems that will appeal to younger readers, especially those from pre-school age to grade 2. There are poems that may be familiar to adult readers such as “Jabberwocky” by Lewis Carroll and those well known to all ages such as the traditional poem “This Little Piggy.” Most of the poems in this collection have a strong rhythm and rhyming structure that will appeal to the younger audience and be easily read aloud by adults as this book seems intended. The book is organized into eight categories that a younger audience will be able to relate to. For example, the book starts with poems in a section titled “Me!” In this section there are poems about topics such as brushing teeth and playing with a toy telephone. Another section titled “Some People” includes poems about people with whom a child could relate such as a grandma or a new baby brother. This is a great collection to get children interested in poetry from a young age and could easily be used in a home or classroom setting.

Example

In a classroom setting, I would use many poems in this book to make connections, both to self and to other texts. It so important for children to be able to connect their learning and see how those connections can extend their understanding. For example, I would use the poem “A Place of My Own” by Fran Haraway to make both self and text connections. It could be used first to talk about how we sometimes want to just be alone and not bothered by anyone. It could also be used to connect to the story “The Three Billy Goats Gruff.” I would extend that text-to-text connection by having a discussion about the troll’s character traits in the story and how that would compare to how the character is feeling in the poem. I think it would be a great way to show how even the antagonist of a story has feelings and reasons behind those feelings.

A Place of My Own

Sometimes I’d really like to be a troll.

I’d sit under my bridge and watch the whole

River bank, the water, and the sky.

Rocks and ducks and rushes would be my

Private kingdom, never shared with others

Like billy goats, grown-ups, or little brothers!

This next series of posts will meet the requirements of LS 5663 Poetry for Children and Young Adults.