Once again I find myself apologizing for being gone awhile. I think I hit the blog “wall” and ran out of steam for a bit, but I’m back with a slew (as we say in Texas) of poetry news!
One of my favorite teaching resources, Book Links magazine, has merged with it’s parent, Booklist, to become a regular supplement beginning this month. It’s still full of all kinds of wonderful items with a focus on social studies in this issue, including articles about war, heroes, persecution and intolerance. (Our October issue of Bookbird has a similar focus, interestingly enough!)
My “Everyday Poetry” column looks at works of fiction published this year that feature characters reading and writing poetry, including:
- Bella and Bean by Rebecca Kai Dotlich
- Stanza by Jill Esbaum
- Gooney Bird is So Absurd by Lois Lowry
- Also Known as Harper by Ann Haywood Leal
- Metamorphosis by Betsy Franco
In addition, the author of each of these books was kind enough to share a few great comments with me which are included in the piece. (Thank you, all!) The full text is available at BooklistOnline (but I can't seem to get the link to post here-- sorry!).
And look whose book is featured on the COVER of this issue of Book Links… drum roll… Laura Purdie Salas and Stampede! Go, Laura! I reviewed Stampede earlier this year and just loved it and she was kind enough to provide the unpublished poem that is featured in this October issue of Book Links. Her poem is “Fiesta,” inspired by fond memories of her Spanish teacher Señora Everson and captures the fun of a foreign language class taught by a teacher with pizzazz, full of the interlingual (25 cents please) use of Spanish. You’ll have to get the magazine to get your hands on that poem, but it comes with permission to reproduce it! Thank you again, Laura, for sharing this gem.
Join the rest of the Poetry Friday crew with Kelly Herold at Crossover this week.
Posting (not poem) by Sylvia M. Vardell © 2009. All rights reserved.
Image credit:booklistonline
10 comments:
It's great to see Laura's book on the cover of Book Links. She's a talented poet and a generous teacher.
I had to let my subscription expire, but do you know if individual volumes can be ordered?
Sylvia, It was a treat to see not only Everyday Poetry, but you on Weighing In on the last page, too. And Laura's "Fiesta" looks beautiful.
Jeannine Atkins
Hi, Linda. Good question. I found the answer from editor Laura Tillotson herself:
They do sell single copies of Book Links for $9 each. There's info
on how to do it under "Obtaining Back Issues" on the Booklist Web site:
http://www.booklistonline.com/default.aspx?page=show_product&pid=3821839
Jeannine, thanks so much for your kind compliment! How fun to meet a fellow BOOK LINKS reader!
Here's a site that has video book reviews for kids by kids. Try MEET ME AT THE CORNER, Virtual Field Trips for Kids. (www.meetmeatthecorner.org)
Click on to the BIG APPLE BOOK CLUB for short video reviews by kids from around the US.
Thanks for sharing the list of titles from your column.
Thanks, Sylvia, both for this blog post and for inviting me to submit a poem in the first place. It's an honor to be in your Everyday Poetry column! It was really intimidating, too, knowing the wonderful poets whose work you've featured in the past...
(And thanks, Linda and Jeannine!)
You're welcome, KaaVonia. Every one of those books is terrific.
And you're welcome, Laura-- I love the message of your poem (in an era where foreign language classes in schools are dwindling), as well as your always playful and clever use of language. Thanks again!
Sylvia,
I was looking for some Halloween books to give to a young friend a few days at a children's book shop owned by a good friend of mine named Pat. Pat subscribes to BOOK LINKS. She told me she she had a must-read issue (July 2009) of BOOK LINKS for me. She opened to your "Everyday Poetry" column. What a great issue!
Now I'll have to ask her if I can borrow the October issue.
Yay! Glad to hear your friend found it helpful. And thanks for the sweet compliment!
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