New novels in verse: Liars

It seems like there has been an explosion in the publication of novels in verse this year-- and so many great ones! Just out this week: Sonya Sones's latest-- To Be Perfectly Honest: A Novel Based on an Untrue Story (Simon & Schuster). It's getting lots of buzz...

Don't you love this crazy mash-up here (above)?! And it fits the story perfectly. President George "I cannot tell a lie" Washington plugging a book about a teenage girl with a serious problem with telling the truth. Why bother, when lying serves you so much better? (At first!) Teen readers will love the California setting, movie star characters, hilarious and authentic teen voice, and sexy first-love scenes. Here's one nugget (from near the end of the book, when the bottom has fallen out on her romance):

All Weekend Long

I weep.

Sleep.

Try to eat.

Curse.

Sigh.

Admit defeat.

Toss. Turn.

Simmer.

Burn.

Rant.

Rave. 

Repeat. 

Colette has a great relationship with her little, lisping brother that gives the book heart, and a difficult relationship with her glamorous mother that provides the story's tension. But it's the budding romance with a boy who may or may not be what he pretends to be (just like her!) that pushes the story along toward a satisfying conclusion. Check it out!

More on verse novels coming soon... plus blog tours for poets Carole Boston Weatherford and Janet Wong. Happy Poetry Friday, one and all! 

Back to school!

It's hard to believe kids and teachers (and librarians) are heading back to school already! In honor of that big transition, here's a new poetry postcard featuring a fun "back to school" poem by new poet, Terry Webb Harshman.

This is one of the new "printables" featured at Pomelo Books and available here. Each poem comes from our Poetry Friday Anthology series and each book begins with two weeks of back-to-school poems for every grade level, K-5; 6-8. 

For more school-themed poems, look for the following list in my book, The Poetry Teacher's Book of Lists.

Poetry Books about School for Children: Children often particularly enjoy poetry about school since most of their daily lives are spent there. The ups and downs of classroom life make fine grist for both humorous and serious poetry. Look for these books of poems about school and share them throughout the school year. (Some are out of print, but may be available on library shelves or via your favorite "used book" provider.)

1. Abeel, Samantha.1993. Reach for the Moon. Duluth, MN: Pfeifer-Hamilton.
2. Bagert, Brod. 1999. Rainbows, Head Lice, and Pea-Green Tile: Poems in the Voice of the Classroom Teacher. Gainesville, FL: Maupin House.
3. Bagert, Brod. 2008. School Fever. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers.
4. Carpenter, Stephen. 1997. No More Homework! No More Tests!: Kids' Favorite Funny School Poems. Minnetonka, MN: Meadowbrook Press.
5. Dakos, Kalli. 1990. If You're Not Here, Please Raise Your Hand: Poems about School.  New York: Four Winds Press. 
6. Dakos, Kalli. 1993. Don't Read This Book Whatever You Do!: More Poems about School. New York: Trumpet Club.
7. Dakos, Kalli. 1995. Mrs. Cole on an Onion Roll and Other School Poems. New York: Simon & Schuster.
8. Dakos, Kalli. 1996. The Goof Who Invented Homework and Other School Poems. New York: Dial.
9. Dakos, Kalli. 1999. The Bug in Teacher’s Coffee. New York: HarperCollins.
10. Dakos, Kalli. 2003. Put Your Eyes Up Here: And Other School Poems. New York: Simon & Schuster. 
11. Dakos, Kalli. 2011. A Funeral in the Bathroom and Other School Bathroom Poems. Albert Whitman.
12. Franco, Betsy. 2009. Messing Around the Monkey Bars and Other School Poems for Two Voices. Ill. by Jessie Hartland. Somerville, MA: Candlewick. 
13. Frost, Helen. 2004. Spinning Through the Universe. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux.
14. Harrison, David L. 1993. Somebody Catch My Homework. Honesdale, PA: Wordsong/Boyds Mills Press.
15. Harrison, David L. 2003. The Mouse was out at Recess. Honesdale, PA: Wordsong/Boyds Mills Press.
16. Holbrook, Sara. 1996. The Dog Ate My Homework. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press.
17. Hopkins, Lee Bennett. Ed. 1996. School Supplies: A Book of Poems. New York: Simon & Schuster.
18. Horton, Joan. 2004. I Brought my Rat for Show-and-Tell and Other Funny School Poems. New York: Grosset & Dunlap.
19. Katz, Alan. 2008. Smelly Locker; Silly Dilly School Songs. New York: Simon & Schuster.
20. Kennedy, Dorothy M. Ed. 1993. I Thought I'd Take My Rat To School: Poems for September to June. New York: Little, Brown.
21. Krensky, Stephen. 2004. There Once was a Very Odd School and Other Lunch-Box Limericks. New York: Dutton.
22. Lansky, Bruce. Ed. 1997. No More Homework! No More Tests! Kids Favorite Funny School Poems. Minnetonka, MN: Meadowbrook Press.
23. Lewis, J. Patrick. 2009. Countdown to Summer: A Poem for Every Day of the School Year. Ill. by Ethan Long. New York: Little, Brown.
24. Nesbitt, Kenn. 2004. When the Teacher Isn't Looking. Minnetonka, MN: Meadowbrook Press.
25. Nesbitt, Kenn. 2007.  Revenge of the Lunch Ladies. Minnetonka, MN: Meadowbrook Press.
26. Opie, Iona and Peter Opie. Eds. 1992. I Saw Esau: The Schoolchild's Pocket Book. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick.
27. Prelutsky, Jack. Ed. 2003. I Like It Here at School. New York: Scholastic.
28. Prelutsky, Jack. 2006. What a Day it was at School!: Poems. New York: Greenwillow.
29. Prelutsky, Jack. Ed. 2010. There’s No Place Like School. New York: HarperCollins.
30. Salas, Laura Purdie. 2008. Do Buses Eat Kids? Poems About School. Minneapolis, MN: Capstone.
31. Salas, Laura Purdie. 2009. Stampede! Poems to Celebrate the Wild Side of School! New York: Clarion.
32. Shields, Carol Diggory. 1995. Lunch Money and Other Poems About School. New York: Dutton.
33. Shields, Carol Diggory. 2003. Almost Late to School: And More School Poems. New York: Dutton.
34. Sierra, Judy. 2000. There’s a Zoo in Room 22. San Diego: Harcourt.
35. Sierra, Judy. 2005. Schoolyard Rhymes: Kids' Own Rhymes for Rope Skipping, Hand Clapping, Ball Bouncing, and Just Plain Fun. New York: Knopf.
36. Singer, Marilyn. 1996. All We Needed to Say: Poems about School from Tanya and Sophie. New York: Atheneum.
37. Stockland, Patricia M. 2004. Recess, Rhyme, and Reason: A collection of Poems about School. Minneapolis: Compass Point Books.
38. Thurston, Cheryl Miller. 1987. Hide Your Ex-lax under the Wheaties: Poems about Schools, Teachers, Kids, and Education. Fort Collins, CO: Cottonwood Press.
39. Weatherford, Carole Boston. 2006. Dear Mr. Rosenwald. New York: Scholastic.

For more info, check out the blog for this "list" book here.

Now head on over to NoWaterRiver where the fabulous Renee La Tulippe is hosting Poetry Friday this week!

Yes, there is a Poetry, Texas

I've been away for a bit, finishing the revised edition of Children's Literature in Action: A Librarian's Guide, wrapping up summer classes, and enjoying a bit of a break. Earlier this summer I took a trip to a town just an hour away (from Dallas where I live) and had so much fun-- it's called POETRY, Texas. Yes, there is really a town called "Poetry" and I took pictures of all the places that carry the town name. I thought I might share them here, just for fun, as I wrap up my summer and head toward the new school year. Enjoy!

I definitely would love to live at the Poetry Ranch!

Poetry taxidermy? Does that mean preserving the old classic poems?

Stop for poetry!

Great to be welcomed and comforted by poetry.

I bet the singing is great here! 

That is the mayor of Poetry on the far right in the cap (not the cowboy hat). 

Yours truly at the corner of State and Poetry!

Posting by Sylvia M. Vardell © 2013. All rights reserved.