Second Children’s Poet Laureate Honored

I’m pleased to announce that the Poetry Foundation has selected the second Children’s Poet Laureate: Mary Ann Hoberman. At a lovely dinner last night at the Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park in Chicago, I was honored to be in attendance when she was presented with her medal and made a beautiful acceptance speech. Her husband and four grown children (from Paris, New York, and LA) were there to support her, even joining in on reading a poem at the end of her talk, “The Witch and the Broomstick” from one of her You Read to Me, I’ll Read to You collections.

With 45 poetry books published, a National Book Award, and the NCTE Poetry Award for her body of work, Hoberman spoke about her life as a young writer, a child in a family that moved a lot, enabling her to place her memories geographically—ideal training for a poet, in her opinion. She loved fairy tales in particular and still owns her three favorite collections and planned to be a reporter when she grew up—even dashing about in a snazzy red MG thinking of herself as “Mary Ann Hoberman, Girl Reporter.”

However, as life took another turn, she found herself married and writing and proofreading on the side. She made up songs and verses for her babies (her oldest daughter confirmed this memory!), and while pushing the kids in a stroller, a phrase popped into her head: “all my shoes come in twos,” the nugget of which would become her first book, to be illustrated by her husband, Norman. She read a poem from this collection for the audience and talked about her emergence as a poet, rather than reporter or fiction writer, claiming that “the house of children’s poetry has truly provided a house for me.”

With a nod to other smart, humorous poets that she believes have led us “from didacticism into sunlight” in children’s poetry (Edward Lear, Lewis Carroll, Robert Louis Stevenson, and A. A. Milne, “bookended by Mother Goose and Dr. Seuss”), she proceeded to delight us all with readings of several of her poems, including her “absolute favorite,” “Brother,” which she read a second time so fast it became a tongue twister, a favorite approach among child audiences, she grinned.

We joined in on “Snow,” and she observed that many of her poems are chant or song-like. She followed with “Yellow Butter,” hamming it up with a mouth-full-of-peanut-butter-style reading of the finale. On a somewhat more serious note, she acknowledged that some of her poems are inspired by the work of others, particularly by their rhythms. She cited Rudyard Kipling’s poems that accompany his Just-So Stories as one example and read “Anthropoids,” her tribute to Darwin.

I was blown away when she read a poem in my honor that I had mentioned was one of my all-time favorites by ANY poet, “Mayfly,” which she felt was also one of her personal best. Most of these poems came from The Llama Who Had No Pajama: 100 Favorite Poems (which was generously provided for each guest), but her final poem was an original composition for the occasion—a “Villanelle for Children’s Poets” with the repeated lines, “the craft of children’s poetry is its art” and “nonsense at its heart,” among other gems. It was perfect and moved us all.

Once again, thank you to the Poetry Foundation, and particularly Penny Barr, for making children's poetry such a priority. The Children's Poet Laureate receives a check for $25,000 and a lovely medallion featuring the cartoon Pegasus characterized by James Thurber encircled with the words "Children's Poet Laureate" on one side and a line of an Emily Dickinson poem on the other side, "Permit a child to join." The Children's Poet Laureate will serve as a consultant to the Foundation for a two-year period and will give at least two public readings during his/her tenure. Mary Ann says she has “about 50 ideas” of possible poetry projects, so stay tuned for more updates.

[Note: I wrote about the FIRST Children’s Poet Laureate on Sept. 29, 2006: Prelutsky is Poet Laureate. Jack (and his wife Carolyn) were also in the audience tonight as he passed the poetry torch and became “Poet Laureate Emeritus”-- in his words.]

Poetry Foundation head John Barr called poetry the “last source of magic” in our world today and we definitely felt the magic of poetry this evening!

For more poetry in general, join Poetry Friday, in progress, at Anastasia Suen's Picture Book of the Day.

Picture credits: nationalbook.org;www.poetryfoundation.org;
diypublishing.blogspot.com;www.vintagechildrensbooksmykidloves.com

Blast from the Poetry Past: 2006

The Children’s Poet Laureate was established by the Poetry Foundation in 2006 to raise awareness of the fact that “children have a natural receptivity to poetry and are its most appreciative audience, especially when poems are written specifically for them.”

2006
The first Children’s Poet Laureate was Jack Prelutsky, chosen in 2006. 

2008
Mary Ann Hoberman was selected as the second Children’s Poet Laureate in 2008. 

2011
J. Patrick Lewis was selected as Children’s Poet Laureate in 2011 and also received the National Council of Teachers of English Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children that same year. 

2013
The next Children’s Poet Laureate will be announced in the next few weeks. Stay tuned!




Wishing everyone happy El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children’s Day/Book Day) celebrated every April 30. Buy a book of poetry for someone you love today!


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

Image credits: nwbookfest;poetryfoundation;forum.teachingbooks.net

5Q Poet Interview Series: J. Patrick Lewis 2

Our 5Q Poet Interview series for National Poetry Month continues with this second interview with J. Patrick Lewis about another new book, If You Were a Chocolate Mustache. Graduate student Kara Johnson offers this interview (plus) with Pat.

Biography
J. Patrick Lewis was born John Patrick Lewis in Gary, Indiana in 1942. Pat, as he prefers to be called, grew up in Gary and attended Saint Joseph’s College, Indiana University, and Ohio State University, where he earned a PhD in economics. He taught economics at Otterbein College in Westerville, Ohio until he decided to become a full-time writer in 1998. His first book titled A Hippopotamusn’t, however, was published in 1990. Lewis has written over fifty children’s poetry books that range widely in form and subject. His books have been comprised of free verse, riddles, concrete poems, and more on a variety of topics including animals, math, and history. He was named the U.S. Children’s Poet Laureate in 2011 and was also awarded the Poetry Award from the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) in 2011. Lewis frequently visits elementary schools and often speaks at workshops and conferences.

J. Patrick Lewis Links
* Official Website: http://www.jpatricklewis.com/
* The New Johnny Appleseed of Children’s Poetry - A Podcast about J. Patrick Lewis by Sylvia Vardell: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/features/audioitem/3004
* A Circus for the Brain: The 2011 Children’s Poet Laureate Speaks: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/children/article/242020
* A Biography: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/j-patrick-lewis

If You Were a Chocolate Mustache
J. Patrick Lewis is slated to have a new book published in the fall of 2012 titled If You Were a Chocolate Mustache. It will be Lewis’s first large collection of poetry containing 156 poems on 160 pages. The book has no central theme or poetry form and will be illustrated in pen and ink drawings by Matthew Cordell. While I do not have access to the entire book yet, I was given a rough blad (book layout and design) of several poems for a sneak peek. Of the poems I had the pleasure of previewing, a favorite of mine was one of the “Three More Book Riddles.” Unfortunately, the book has not yet been released, so there are no reviews to share as of yet. I had the privilege of interviewing J. Patrick Lewis to ask him about this new book.

Interview
1. The title of the book was changed from Never Spit from a Roller Coaster to If You Were a Chocolate Mustache. Can you give me some insight on what prompted the change?

J. Patrick Lewis: The editors objected to "spitting," arguing that people find it distasteful and might be opposed to its appearance as the title of a book.

2. Is your mustache chocolate? No really, I assume the name came from a poem in the book. What was your inspiration?

J. Patrick Lewis: Yes, "chocolate mustache" is from a line in the book. It's my favorite title (chosen by me), so I'm pleased that Never Spit was tossed.

3. Is there a central theme or poetry format in If You Were a Chocolate Mustache, and what is its target age group?

J. Patrick Lewis: No, this is a general collection, much like a Silverstein or Prelutsky book, and equally large—140 poems, I think. The book is aimed at the same target audience, probably 7-12 year-olds?

4. You have six poetry books (according to Dr. Vardell’s blog) set to be published this year. What sets this one apart?

J. Patrick Lewis: Except for Countdown to Summer: A Poem for Every Day of the School Year (Little, Brown, 2009), If You Were a Chocolate Mustache is my first unthemed book—those are usually 32 pages. It's my first "big" book, so I'm particularly excited about it.

5. Has being named the U.S. Children’s Poet Laureate affected your poetry writing? If so, how?

J. Patrick Lewis: The laureateship has brought me a couple of appealing contracts, including my first anthology, the 200-poem The National Geographic Book of Animal Poetry, due out in the fall. Apart from the increased travel, I won't let anything interfere with writing poetry.

Sample Poem
Please enjoy one of my favorite previewed poems from If You Were a Chocolate Mustache:

To prove you are a princess,
though it may sound absurd,
try sleeping on a mountain
of mattresses. I’ve heard
only a real princess
will toss and turn her head
all night if there’s one tiny
vegetable in her bed.

Activity
Of course, this is a riddle-poem about The Princess and the Pea. Although I only saw a rough blad of the book, it appears the answers to the riddles will appear upside down on the facing page. A fun follow-up activity after reading this poem for students could be to have them read classic fairy tales of folk tales in pairs or groups of three. They could then work together to write and illustrate their own riddle-poems about their chosen tale. The groups could read the riddle-poem aloud to the class and have the class guess the fairy tale or folk tale. The finished products could be displayed near the folktale section in the library to create interest for students to check them out.

References
Lewis, J. Patrick. 2012. “J. Patrick Lewis: Children’s Poet and Author.” Accessed March 14. http://www.jpatricklewis.com/
Poetry Foundation. 2012. “Biography: J. Patrick Lewis.” Accessed March 16. http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/j-patrick-lewis#poet
Vardell, Sylvia. 2012. “A Circus for the Brain: The 2011 Children’s Poet Laureate Speaks.” Poetry Foundation. Accessed March 14. http://www.poetryfoundation.org/children/article/242020
Photo retrieved from: Poetry Foundation Biography http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/j-patrick-lewis#poet

Image credit: penguinpr.co.uk;blogidrive.com




Posting by Sylvia M. Vardell © 2012. All rights reserved.

Poetry News Potpourri

It’s time to catch up on a variety of poetry news items that I’ve been saving up.

FIRST, from Children’s Bookshelf at Publishers’ Weekly: Mary Ann Hoberman, who was appointed Children’s Poet Laureate by the Poetry Foundation last fall, is taking poetry to the masses via the Internet. The Children’s Poet Laureate Presents is a video-podcast series in which Hoberman reads from both her own books and from classic works of children’s poetry. The series can be viewed at the Poetry Foundation’s Web site. In the first three podcasts, Hoberman reads from William Jay Smith’s Laughing Time, The Collected Nonsense of Edward Lear and Hoberman’s own I Like Old Clothes.

Also at the Poetry Foundation: the Poetry Out Loud Project. The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation have partnered with State Arts Agencies of the United States to support the expansion of Poetry Out Loud, which encourages the nation's youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and performance. This exciting program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about their literary heritage. About:

SECOND: Carol Ann Duffy has been named British poet laureate, the first woman to receive that honor. Her children's collections include Meeting Midnight (1999) and The Oldest Girl in the World (2000). Fun fact: we share the exact same birthday, she and I (day, month AND year!).

THIRD: Thanks to Jenny Schwartzberg at the Newberry Library for information about a special online poetry exhibit. The BBC online has 6 pictures of illustrations from the exhibit at the British Library on 400 years of children's poetry.

FOURTH: The International Youth Library in Munich, Germany is holding a poetry forum on June 25-26 in celebration of its 60th anniversary. During the two-day international forum, writers, illustrators, publishers, literary critics, and specialists will discuss the importance and the enduring quality of children’s poems and the challenge of illustrating them. The aim of the conference will be to present different variants of current children’s poetry, to become acquainted with several approaches and perspectives, and to analyze the interaction between text and illustration. In addition to the talks, a kaleidoscope of poems and images will be presented to the audience. Presenters include German poet Jutta Richter, British poet Andrew Fusek Peters, Dutch poet Ted van Lieshout, Austrian poet Gerda Anger-Schmidt, and French poet Lionel Le Neouanic. I’ll thrilled to say that I’ll be attending and presenting about poetry in the U.S.!

FIFTH: Help spread the word about Reading Is Fundamental's (RIF) 2009 Read with Kids Challenge, aimed at bringing attention to the importance of adults reading with children. Check it out. This year they have raised their goal to 5 million minutes read with kids, over 3 months.
Honorary team captains include children's book authors Mo Willems, Sandra Boynton, Al Roker, and others. Follow the Read with Kids Challenge on Twitter @rifwebhttp://twitter.com/rifweb Use hash tag #readwithkids

SIXTH: Check out the Teachers' Domain at WGBH, a digital library of free media resources which features an online Adolescent Literacy Collection targeting struggling readers in grades 5-8, as well as a poetry collection based on the PBS series Poetry Everywhere.

SEVENTH: If you’re attending the ALA conference in Chicago in July, DO NOT MISS the annual ALSC Poetry Blast #6 on July 13, 5:30-7:30 p.m. The line-up of poets sounds fantastic: Carmen T. Bernier-Grand, Rebecca Kai Dotlich, David Harrison, Bobbi Katz, Laura Purdie Salas, Jon Scieszka, Joyce Sidman, Marilyn Singer, Hope Anita Smith, Susan Marie Swanson, Joyce Carol Thomas. Check out the web page and become a “friend” on Facebook!

Posting (not poem) by Sylvia M. Vardell © 2009. All rights reserved.

Image credit: twitter.com

Poetry Buzz

I’ve been running across some poetry news nuggets here and there that I thought I would gather and share here. Just FYI; just for fun.

Poetry is an app
Did you see the latest from Poets.org? It’s about a new poetry “app” for the iPhone and iPod Touch and it sounds extremely cool. (And I don't even have a fancy phone!) Here’s the lowdown:

“Poets.org is proud to announce the launch of the Poem Flow app for the iPhone and iPod Touch, developed in creative collaboration with TextTelevision... A veritable box of light with words and thought in fluid motion, Poem Flow is an entirely new way to experience poetry on a handheld screen. In Portrait view, each poem is presented in its traditional format; turned to Landscape, the poem literally flows over the screen.

Each day, a new poem becomes available to app subscribers, while those from previous days remain on the device, building the equivalent of an ever-expanding anthology of the best-loved poems in the English language. Historical trivia and contextual information, compiled by Poets.org, are provided for each daily poem.”

Poem Flow is a free download and includes 20 great poems and a full week of poem-of-the-day. Readers can subscribe to 3 months of poems (100) for $0.99, or a full year (365) for $2.99. A portion of the proceeds support the Academy of American Poets programs, including Poets.org.”

“Can Children’s Poetry Matter?”
Poet J. Patrick Lewis has published an intriguing article, “Can Children’s Poetry Matter?” in Hunger Mountain, the VCFA Journal of the Arts. It’s so provocative and beautifully written. Here’s just one nugget:

Poetry is the tunnel at the end of the light; prose, bent out of shape; the idiom of djinns; the sound of silence…amplified. Poetry predates books, predates the alphabet, and once we graduated from humming, it was the first vehicle to bring music to our ears. What are nursery rhymes if not the irresistible echoes of the siren songs of ancient whimsy?

And I loved Sue Corbin’s response, too: “Children are poetry. Their language is poetry. Their wonder of the world is poetry. If children’s poetry doesn’t matter, then children don’t matter. And sadly that’s the reality in some peoples’ worlds. Test scores matter. AYP matters.”

New Poetry Resource Book
Richie Partington has a new book out, I Second that Emotion: Sharing Children’s and Young Adult Poetry: a 21stCentury Resource Guide for Teachers and Librarians published by LC Source. It sounds terrific—and we know Richie’s reviews are always right on. Here’s the blurb on his new book:

"I Second That Emotion is an entertaining guide for teachers and librarians who want to really bring poetry to young people. The author provides a series of steps for becoming an expert on children's and young adult poetry, and a great variety of ideas on sharing poetry with young people all year long. Included are extensive appendices, including listings of books of poetry currently used in summer reading programs; an exploration of how poetry is incorporated into various states' standards; poetry resources for preschoolers; and information on over 500 American and British authors of poetry books for children and young adults."

I ran into some difficulties using the Web site, so found the 800 number more helpful. Call toll-free: 1-800-873-3043.

Guest Poet: Hope Anita Smith
The fantastic librarian Roxanne Feldman recently posted the following on one of my favorite listservs (and gave permission to share it here): "We had the great pleasure of having Hope Anita Smith (The Way a Door Closes, Keeping the Night Watch, and Mother Poems) conduct poetry workshops for our 7th and 8th grade students. The six workshops (with three different contents) were simply fabulous and inspiring. For anyone who wishes to have a generous, inspiring, and effective poetry workshop leader, definitely contact her." Roxane posted an open thank-you letter to her on her Fairrosa Cyber Library site too.

FYI: Hope has been part of my Poetry Round Up held annually at the Texas Library Association conference and was a terrific presenter, so I add my whole-hearted endorsement. I would also like to make a plug for inviting poets in general to do school visits—many enjoy them, indeed count on them, but so often schools gravitate only to fiction authors, with an occasional poet speaker during April (National Poetry Month). But poets write year round and make inspiring speakers any time! Most have web sites (see the links here on my blog) and would love to hear from you! (BTW, the line up of poets for my 2010 Poetry Round Up includes: Laura Purdie Salas, Leslie Bulion, Pat Mora, Jen Bryant, Robert Weinstock, and Douglas Florian. If you’re planning to come to San Antonio for TLA, please join us: Thursday, April 15, 2010, 10:15am. We always have a great time!

Children’s Poet Laureate
Another interesting post written by Neal Whitman at Short Poem (on Feb. 1), shared by Paula Morrow on CHILD_LIT (and posted here with permission) about the post of Children’s Poet Laureate. What a sweet compliment to Charles Ghigna (Father Goose)—who will also be presenting at the annual Fay Kaigler Children’s Literature Festival at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg April 7-9. I’ll be there, too, plugging the latest and greatest poetry for kids. It’s time again for the next Children’s Poet Laureate to be chosen, so stay tuned for that news—which should be out in October.

Knit Your Own Poem
I ran across this craziness: a “Knit Your Own Poem” link courtesy of Great Britain’s Poetry Society! You can input the words of a poem which will magically appear in individually knitted letters—way cool! Those clever Brits!

Posting (not poem) by Sylvia M. Vardell © 2010. All rights reserved.
Image credit: ala.org;poetryfoundation.org;poetrysociety,hungermountain

Poetry Awards Catch-up 2020

Three major poetry awards announced the winners in the last month, so it's time to catch up and corral that info. I was lucky enough to serve on the Round I panel of judges for the Cybils 2020, so let's start with that one.

Cybils Poetry Award 2020
"The Cybils Awards aims to recognize the children’s and young adult authors and illustrators whose books combine the highest literary merit and popular appeal...The Cybils awards are given each year by bloggers for the year’s best children’s and young adult titles. Nominations open to the public on October 1st."

The 2020 winner in the poetry category is:
Ink Knows No Borders: Poems of the Immigrant and Refugee Experience collected by Patrice Vecchione and Alyssa Raymond published by Seven Stories Press

Here's my blurb for the award winner:

Ink Knows No Borders: Poems of the Immigrant and Refugee Experience edited by Patrice Vecchione and Alyssa Raymond is a poetry anthology for older readers that celebrates the lives and experiences of immigrants, refugees, exiles, and their families, who have made this land a home for generations. With poets like Elizabeth Acevedo, Tarfia Faizullah, Hala Alyan, Gala Mukomolova, Bao Phi, and Ocean Vuong, from countries such as Iran, Russia, Mexico, Vietnam, Sudan, Haiti, Syria and beyond, Ink Knows No Borders creates a sense of the immigrant and refugee experience that… honors its complexity and variety.” It gives voice to the experiences of young adults first and second-generation immigrants and refugees as well as providing a historical perspective in poems by Ellen Bass, Eavan Boland, Jeff Coomer, Li-Young Lee, and others. Although each poem channels an individual experience, the collection also offers universal themes on the power of family love, the shock of war, and the isolation of relocation. The poems take us from trauma to hope and as Poet Laureate Juan Felipe Herrera reminds us, “let me tell you what a poem brings . . . it is a way to attain a life without boundaries.”

Lee Bennett Hopkins Award
"The Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award was named for the internationally renowned educator, poet, anthologist and passionate advocate of poetry for young people. Established in 1993, the award is presented annually to an American poet or anthologist for the most outstanding new book of poetry for children published in the previous calendar year. Selected by a panel of authors, librarians, teachers and scholars, the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award was the first award of its kind in the United States. The Pennsylvania Center for the Book and the Penn State University Libraries share joint administration of the annual award. Beginning 2007-present, this award has been administered by Education Librarian at Penn State and Director of the Pennsylvania Center for the Book, Karla M. Schmit—and has been funded by the Pennsylvania School Librarians' Association (2007-2012), the Pennsylvania Center for the Book, sponsored by Penn State University Libraries, and Lee Bennett Hopkins."

2020 Award Winner

How to Read a Book written by Kwame Alexander, illustrated by Melissa Sweet, and published by HarperCollins Children’s Books.

Here's the SLJ review from my Legacy colleague, Lucia Acosta:

"Award-winning poet Alexander compares reading a book to peeling the gentle skin of a clementine, digging in to its juiciness, enjoying it "piece by piece, part by part," until you can "watch a novel world unfurl right before your eyes." And who better to illustrate this delicious poem than Caldecott Honoree Sweet. The artwork is done in watercolor, gouache, mixed media, handmade and vintage papers, found objects including old book covers, and a paint can lid. Not a splash of color, a piece of paper, or a line is out of place. Starting with the initial collage that incorporates the building blocks of reading (the letters A to Z) and the lines from a poem by Nikki Giovanni that careful readers will have to pay attention to see, the tone is set. "So get/real cozy/between/the covers/And let your/fingers wonder/as they wander…" for there is much to relish in this poem and its exuberant images. "Squeeze/every morsel/of each plump line/until the last/drop of magic/drips from the infinite sky." The book includes a note from both the poet and the artist. VERDICT A beautiful book not to be rushed through, but to be enjoyed morsel by tasty morsel."—Lucia Acosta, Children's Literature Specialist, Princeton, NJ

HONOR BOOKS
You Are Home: An Ode to the National Parks, written and illustrated by Evan Turk, published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster

"In simple, soaring language and breathtaking art, acclaimed author-illustrator Evan Turk has created a stirring ode to nature and nation. From the rugged coast of Maine to the fiery volcanoes of Hawaii, You Are Home reminds us that every animal, plant, and person helps make this land a brilliant, beautiful sanctuary of life."

Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga, published by Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Children’s Books. 

"Convincing and authentic, infused with thoughtfulness, humor, determination, and hope.... A realistic portrait of the strength it takes to move to a new country, as well as of the complicated dynamics between first- and second-generation immigrants." (Horn Book, starred review)

Claudia Lewis Award
"The Claudia Lewis Award, given for the first time in 1998, honors the best poetry book of the year. The award commemorates the late Claudia Lewis, distinguished children’s book expert and longtime member of the Bank Street College faculty and Children’s Book Committee. She conveyed her love and understanding of poetry with humor and grace."

2020 Award Winner
Voices: The Final Hours of Joan of Arc by David Elliott published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books.

"Told through medieval poetic forms and in the voices of the people and objects in Joan of Arc’s life, (including her family and even the trees, clothes, cows, and candles of her childhood), Voices offers an unforgettable perspective on an extraordinary young woman. Along the way it explores timely issues such as gender, misogyny, and the peril of speaking truth to power. Before Joan of Arc became a saint, she was a girl inspired. It is that girl we come to know in Voices."

Poetry Aloud Here 2... out now!

I wrote Poetry Aloud Here: Sharing Poetry with Children in the Library nearly 10 years ago. (Wow, that thought gives me pause. How did a whole decade pass by so quickly?) This was the culmination of years and years of work in poetry for young people, including developing and teaching a new graduate course in poetry for young people. I was thrilled that ALA wanted to publish it and so gratified at its success. Then they asked me to do a second edition—which I was happy to do. It means there is still interest in sharing poetry with children—and I can testify that there are now heaps of new poets and poetry resources available-- which is wonderful. So now I’m happy to report that the second edition was released this week with a lovely notice from ALA: http://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2014/02/sharing-poetry-children

How is the second edition different from the first?

It’s 70 pages longer (but with the same six-chapter structure) and full of new citations of books, poets, awards, and more. Well, several years have lapsed since the first book was published and so many new poets and fantastic books have emerged. It was fun to update all that information. It opens with a fabulous new poem, “How to Read a Poem Aloud,” by the lovely April Halprin Wayland and features new poet profiles and poems  (by Margarita Engle, David L. Harrison, and Joyce Sidman) alongside the previous wonderful poets, profiles, and poems. Many new “practitioner perspectives” are also woven throughout, with teachers and librarians sharing how poetry has worked in their settings. 

In the section “Meet the Poets,” I feature 66 “Names to Know” with nuggets about each of them and their work (up from 50 poets featured previously). Award information now also includes the Children’s Poet Laureate and Lion and Unicorn Award along with updated information about all the previous poetry awards. Plus there are many new lists of poetry books, like 10 collections of haiku, 10 novels in verse for the intermediate grades, and new pairings of fiction and poetry and of nonfiction and poetry.

There’s a whole new section on poetry e-books and poetry apps and several new activities to try (like a “Treasure Hunt for Poem Parts”). The list of poet birthdays to celebrate is twice as long as is the list of poems about libraries (I LOVE finding poems about books, reading, and libraries), and so is the the appendix of “Noteworthy Poets” (including “Notable Poets from Many Cultures”). Finally, the Bibliography of Children’s Poetry Books includes more than 200 new poetry books that are cited throughout the narrative. 

FYI: Here’s the table of contents of chapter headings:

Chapter One: Why Make Poetry a Priority?

Chapter Two: Which Poets Are Popular?

Chapter Three: What Poetry Do Children Enjoy?

Chapter Four: How Do You Promote Poetry?

Chapter Five: How Do You Present Poetry to Children?

Chapter Six: What Happens after You Share the Poem?

I hope you’ll give my new book a look.
Get it here!
I welcome responses and feedback. Thanks bunches!

Meanwhile, head on over to No Water River where the multi-talented Renee LaTulippe is hosting the Poetry Friday party!

Best Poetry of 2008

For my final entry this year, I'd like to offer my short list of favorite poetry books published for young audiences in 2008. This year, I tried to track ALL the poetry produced for young people and tallied about 75 titles! Impressive, I think, considering 50 titles per year has been closer to the norm, IMO. And there is an interesting variety, with picture book collections dominating, and new trends in poetry morphed with biography growing strong. I'm also seeing more experimentation with poetic form/topic and book layout which is fun for those of us who like to provide diverse models for aspiring writers and artists.

We also have new poet distinctions to celebrate this year with the announcement of the second Children's Poet Laureate (Mary Ann Hoberman) and the 15th recipient of the NCTE Excellence in Poetry Award (Lee Bennett Hopkins). So, all in all, I call it a good year for poetry and hope you will join me in building on this momentum by pushing poetry even further in 2009. Seek out these wonderful titles and more, buy multiple copies, and donate them to your local public and/or school library. Then read your favorites aloud to the kids you know (or don't know!).

Although I didn't get my hands on every single one of the books published this year, I did my best, and chose these two dozen to highlight, in particular. I also thought it would be fun to showcase a variety of categories, including poetry written by kids, novels in verse, and even nonfiction works about poets and poetry. My list is personal and idiosyncratic, I grant you, but I offer it for your consideration. And note: I did a bit of research and found that you could purchase hard cover copies of this whole list for only $382-- and have a wonderful mini-library of 2008 poetry for young people that runs the gamut from the hilarious (Frankenstein monster parodies) to the transcendent (Billie Holiday's literally lyrical life). What a bargain! Here's my list with the briefest of annotations. Best wishes to all for a health, happy, poetry-filled 2009!
Sylvia

MY FAVORITE POETRY BOOKS OF 2008

Alarcón, Francisco X. 2008. Animals Poems of the Iguazú / Animalario del Iguazú. San Francisco, CA: Children’s Book Press.
*Animal spirits, Spanish/English, vivid, energetic art

Ashman, Linda. 2008. Stella, Unleashed. New York: Sterling.
*Fun and frolicking, frisky rescue dog, dog point of view

Beck, Carolyn. Buttercup’s Lovely Day. Custer, WA: Orca Books.
*Dawn to dusk day in the life of a contented cow, with lyrical illustrations

Giovanni, Nikki. Ed. 2008. Hip Hop Speaks to Children. Sourcebooks.
*Amazing range, African American voices, fabulous audio CD

Greenberg, Jan. 2008. Side by Side: New Poems Inspired by Art from Around the World. New York: Abrams.
*Poetry inspired by art from all around the world, multilingual

Holbrook, Sara and Wolf, Allan. 2008. More Than Friends; Poems from Him and Her. Honesdale, PA: Wordsong/Boyds Mills Press.
*Teen boy and girl perspectives, fun sidebars on poetic form and experimentation

Hopkins, Lee Bennett. 2008. America at War. New York: McElderry.
*Poets on war, historical perspective, mural-like art, poignant and powerful

Lawson, Jonarno. 2008. Black Stars in a White Night Sky. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills/Wordsong.
*From silly to serious, playful to absurd, poignant to wry

Lewis, J. Patrick. 2008. The World’s Greatest: Poems. San Francisco: Chronicle.
*Fun facts and factoids become focus of clever poems in varied formats

Nye, Naomi Shihab. 2008. Honeybee. New York: Greenwillow.
*Poem gems, vignettes and observations are political, personal, and powerful

Rex, Adam. 2008. Frankenstein Takes the Cake. New York: Harcourt.
*Hysterically funny riffs on monsters in poems, parodies, and amazing art

Soto, Gary. 2008. Partly Cloudy; Poems of Love and Longing. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
*Half and half, he said, she said, young love poems, with crossover character connections


+ FAVORITE POETRY BY KIDS

Franco, Betsy. 2008. Comp. Falling Hard: 100 Love Poems by Teenagers. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick.
*More teen love from teen perspectives, VERY varied and compelling

Michael, Pamela, Ed. 2008. River of Words. Minneapolis, MN: Milkweed.
*Eco-themed poems by kids, international writing contest, inspiring and challenging


+ FAVORITE VERSE NOVELS

Engle, Margarita. 2008. The Surrender Tree. New York: Holt.
*Cuban history, true story, heroic woman, multiple viewpoints

Frost, Helen. 2008. Diamond Willow. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux.
*Alaskan setting, girl growing up, mystical ancestors, great dogs, new form

Herrick, Steven. 2008. Naked Bunyip Dancing. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills/Wordsong.
*Classroom characters, inspiring teacher, hilarious talent show

Nelson, Marilyn. 2008. The Freedom Business. Asheville, NC: Front Street.
*True story, primary source, slave narrative, evocative art

Smith, Hope Anita. 2008. Keeping the Night Watch. New York: Henry Holt.
*Absent father returns, son rebels, family dynamics shift

Weatherford, Carole Boston. 2008. Becoming Billie Holiday. Honesdale, PA: Wordsong/Boyds Mills Press.
*Poems channel music and music history, biography through poetry, spunky girl

Zimmer, Tracie Vaughn. 2008. 42 Miles. New York: Clarion.
*Divorce and division, dual identities, girl growing up, quirky art


+ FAVORITE NONFICTION ABOUT POETRY

Bryant, Jen. 2008. A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams. New York: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers.
*Biographical picture book, doctor + poet, poetic illustrations

Lawson, JonArno. 2008. Inside Out: Children's Poets Discuss Their Work. London: Walker.
*Poems plus creation commentary from two dozen international poets

Prelutsky, Jack. 2008. Pizza, Pigs, and Poetry; How to Write a Poem. New York: Greenwillow.
*How to, helpful tips, behind the scenes glimpses, hilarious and outrageous

Find more Poetry Friday fun at the Miss Rumphius Effect.
Picture credit: profile.myspace.com

Dallas Book Festival

I am so pleased to be invited to speak at the Dallas Book Festival and give a little glimpse into the history of children's literature (in 45 minutes!). I decided to use the lens of poetry (of course) to talk about how children's literature has evolved-- a chance to look back, to revisit some old favorites, and to share poetry with a new audience. Here are just a few nuggets from my slide show. Enjoy!
 

Did you know one of the earliest books published in the U.S. for children included the poem that most people know as the song, "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star"?

 Probably the best known American poem is this holiday classic:

 A.A. Milne gave us Winnie the Pooh and many witty poems for children. This is also the first children's book I owned as a child-- given to me by my dad.

Langston Hughes published one book intended for young people (in his lifetime) and this is one of my favorite books of poetry of all time and by any poet. 

This British couple brought scholarly study to the world of children's oral folklore, collecting thousands of children's rhymes and games from the playground. 

The best-selling book of poetry for young people OF ALL TIME is this one:

This study helped us see that children really love funny, rhyming poetry. (But not JUST funny, rhyming poetry.) 

The first award for children's poetry was established by the National Council of Teachers of English in 1977. 

Only 5 children's books have been awarded the Newbery medal since it was established in 1922 and this was the first one. 

According to Ann Terry's study, this was children's all-time favorite poem at that time: 

Jack Prelutsky had authored several books of poetry before compiling this MAJOR anthology and followed with many additional wonderful works of his own. 

The SECOND book of poetry for young people to win the Newbery medal:

The third book of poetry for young people to win the Newbery medal, a novel in verse:

An award is established for the Poet Laureate who writes for young people!

The fourth book of poetry for young people to win the Newbery medal:

The fifth book of poetry for young people to win the Newbery medal, a novel in verse: 

And indulge me as I promoted the Poetry Friday series too... 

5Q Poet Interview Series: J. Patrick Lewis and Jane Yolen (2)

Our 5Q Poet Interview series for National Poetry Month continues with this second interview with both J. Patrick Lewis and Jane Yolen about their second collaboration this year, Last Laughs: Animal Epitaphs. Graduate student Tammy Reed offers this interview (plus) with the pair.

Last Laughs: Animal Epitaphs
Illustrated by: Jeffrey Stewart Timmins
ISBN: 978-1-58089-260-5
Release Date: July 1, 2012
Target Age: 7-10

Jane Yolen
Jane Yolen was born February 11, 1939 in New York City. She received her BA from Smith College in 1960. After college, she became an editor in New York City and practiced her craft during her lunch breaks. She sold her first children's book, Pirates in Petticoats, at the age of 22. Since then, she has written over 300 books won numerous awards and has received six honorary doctorate degrees.

Jane Yolen website: http://www.janeyolen.com/

Videos featuring Jane Yolen
Interview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKqBS8eJAec
Reciting her own work: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRoCh-bSVnM&feature=related

J. Patrick Lewis
J. Patrick Lewis was born May 5, 1942 in Gary, Indiana. He earned a BA from Saint Josephs College, a MA at Indiana University and a PhD at Ohio State University. The author of more than 75 children's books, with more than 50 of those being dedicated to poetry, has earned Lewis the title of Children’s Poet Laureate by the Poetry Foundation.

J. Patrick Lewis website: http://www.jpatricklewis.com/

Videos Featuring J. Patrick Lewis
Introduction of J. Patrick Lewis: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyfhw7GwVJo
Reciting his own work: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuELHyZHYAE

Last Laughs: Animal Epitaphs by J. Partick Lewis and Jane Yolen
J. Patrick Lewis and Jane Yolen team up in an animal version of Patrick’s Once Upon a Tomb: Gravely Humorous Verses (2006). The title of this joint effort, Last Laughs: Animal Epitaphs, lets the reader know right away that wit and humor lie between the covers as creatures share their last moments before their, often untimely, demise.

Each poem, ranging in length from 1 to 18 sentences, is an epitaph told in a darkly humorous style. Grouped by animal type (poultry, bovine, fish), each posthumous poem is full of talented wordplay that will appeal to children and adults alike.

Author Interview
1. What can you tell me about the upcoming release of LAST LAUGHS: ANIMAL EPITAPHS?

JY: See above (referring to the manuscript). Am bizarrely interested in its reception. My guess is it will be one of the most love/hate books I have ever published.
JPL: It's actually a sequel to my own book of adult epitaphs, Once Upon a Tomb:Gravely Humorous Verses.



2. Where do you get your ideas?


JY: Everywhere--in things overheard, books read, news clips, songs, dreams. In things I have been thinking hard about as well as things that simply one day pop into my head.
JPL: By sitting for long hours in a chair. It's all perspiration, not inspiration.



3. What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?


JY: I tend to forget the criticism and compliments except for the letters from young readers and their parents. But I print up the reviews and use them in my website, of course. The good reviews, of course!
JPL: Criticism: That I use language that is sometimes "too rich," (i.e., too old for the intended audience).
Compliment: That I write about so many different subjects and am not pigeonholed into narrow range of topics



4. As a future school librarian, what do you feel I can do to promote a love of poetry in the elementary age group?


JY: First, love poetry yourself. Don't just promote it without the love. . . and SHOWING that love. Be a guerilla poetry pusher. Read a poem a day out loud at unusual times. For example, before lunch, read them a food poem, etc.
JPL: Make poetry books as widely available and visible as possible (establish a Poet's Corner in the library?)

5. This book was a collaborative effort among yourself and Mr. Lewis. Can you share with me briefly the ups and downs working with another author on such an extensive project?



JY: Actually, working with Pat is a pure joy. We are both quick to respond to one another, total professionals, listen to critique and then make the poem better. We energized one another.
JPL: In a word, personality.

Poem Preview

Ciao, Cow
This grave is peaceful,
the tombstone shaded,
but I’m not here---
I’ve been cream-ated.

Activities to Accompany Last Laughs: Animal Epitaphs
Have students write their own epitaph poem (or a pet or an object) after reviewing the book. Students can illustrate their poems on poster board size tombstones for display. Spend time discussing what an epitaph is and include some examples from famous epitaphs. Examples may be found by clicking on http://dying.about.com/b/2006/11/03/more-than-just-rest-in-peace-write-your-own-epitaph.htm.

Students could write epitaphs to analyze characters from works of literature covered in class where death is an occurrence. This would be a great activity when studying the works of Shakespeare, the founding fathers and presidents.

A field trip to the local cemetery could be conducted for a cross curricular activity. Core subjects could use the opportunity for various activities.

English Language Arts- Expository writing, rhyme and meter, noteworthy epitaphs, research.
Science- Topography and map making, tombstone materials, trees and shrub identification, animal tracks identification.

Math- Age at time of death, oldest/youngest, shapes of stones, average age by decades.
Social Studies- Search for evidence of wars, catastrophes, epidemics during certain time periods. Identify and research local heroes, veterans and founding community families.

Resources
Biography information for Jan Yolen retrieved from: http://www.janeyolen.com/
Biography Information for J. Patrick Lewis retrieved from: http://www.jpatricklewis.com/
Book cover retrieved from: http://www.bookdepository.com/Last-Laughs-Patrick-Lewis/9781580892605
Lewis, J. Patrick and Janet Wong. 2012. Last laughs: Animal Epitaphs. Ill. by Jeffery Stewert Timmins. St. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge Publishing. ISBN: 9781580892605


Image credit: penguinpr.co.uk;blogidrive.com




Posting by Sylvia M. Vardell © 2012. All rights reserved.