Summer school is over and the new fall semester begins today. Before I move forward, I'd like to share two digital poetry trailers created this summer by my students, Jennifer Curnow and Julia Vandiver (and shared with their permission). As it happens, they both choose works by Helen Frost, Keesha's House and Diamond Willow, respectively. I think they've done a good job capturing the tone of each book, in particular. What do you think? Here's Jennifer's trailer for Keesha's House.
And here's Julia's trailer for Diamond Willow below.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Friday, August 20, 2010
Poetry, toddlers, and pet peeves
I love it when poetry for children pops up in the news or popular culture. I recently encountered a video on YouTube of a sweet three-year-old boy reciting poetry from memory (thanks to a tip from poet Donna Marie Merritt). First, I watched the clip of him reciting “Litany” by Billy Collins which is very impressive. He manages to capture the staccato rhythm of the poem perfectly. Then I followed a link to another clip of him reciting one of HIS favorite poems, “The Eagle” by Alfred Lord Tennyson. He clearly LOVES this poem and his “performance” of it is so engaging. Check it out below (at the bottom of this posting).
My favorite CHILD_LIT listserv led me to an art
icle on SLATE last month that would support the contention that sharing classics with kids is a meaningful way to connect young people with poetry. It’s entitled “Wild Child” by Robert Pinksy and I loved the tagline: “The best poems for kids aren't the soft and saccharine ones.” He goes on to talk about the “bodily” form of poetry that “helps make one a more amusing or engaging reader vocally: The rhythms effectively coach us to read aloud well.” He then briefly discusses four poets who embody the “dual ideals of musicality and truthfulness”: Lewis Carroll, Edward Lear (1812-88), Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-94), and Walter de la Mare (1873-1956). I couldn’t agree more and love the emphasis on the oral quality of poetry—particularly for young people.
My only quibble is the lack of current poets cited in a discussion of the musicality and truthfulness of poetry for kids today—much great poetry has been produced since 1956. What about David McCord’s “Pickety Fence"? Shel Silverstein’s “Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout”? Mary Ann Hoberman’s “Brother”? It’s one of my Poetry Pet Peeves—the notion that the best poetry for kids is by “dead” poets resulting in the neglect of contemporary poetry for kids. In fact, I’m currently working on an article about the last 20 years of poetry for young people and I was really struck by the emergence of several big name poets during that period (since 1990)-- Douglas Florian, Joyce Sidman, Naomi Nye, Alice Schertle, Calef Brown, Betsy Franco, J. Patrick Lewis, Pat Mora, Carole Boston Weatherford, etc. In fact, it's hard to imagine the field of children's poetry withOUT their works-- despite how much I love David McCord, Karla Kuskin, Aileen Fisher, and other greats of the past. More to come on that topic…
Meanwhile, I’m honored to be mentioned on Laura Evans’ blog, Teach Poetry K-12, this week as she hosts Poetry Friday and features the benefits of poetry and nursery rhymes for very young children just learning language. Join her here.
Now here is that amazing three year old sharing his favorite poem (while wearing Superman pajamas!):
My favorite CHILD_LIT listserv led me to an art
icle on SLATE last month that would support the contention that sharing classics with kids is a meaningful way to connect young people with poetry. It’s entitled “Wild Child” by Robert Pinksy and I loved the tagline: “The best poems for kids aren't the soft and saccharine ones.” He goes on to talk about the “bodily” form of poetry that “helps make one a more amusing or engaging reader vocally: The rhythms effectively coach us to read aloud well.” He then briefly discusses four poets who embody the “dual ideals of musicality and truthfulness”: Lewis Carroll, Edward Lear (1812-88), Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-94), and Walter de la Mare (1873-1956). I couldn’t agree more and love the emphasis on the oral quality of poetry—particularly for young people.My only quibble is the lack of current poets cited in a discussion of the musicality and truthfulness of poetry for kids today—much great poetry has been produced since 1956. What about David McCord’s “Pickety Fence"? Shel Silverstein’s “Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout”? Mary Ann Hoberman’s “Brother”? It’s one of my Poetry Pet Peeves—the notion that the best poetry for kids is by “dead” poets resulting in the neglect of contemporary poetry for kids. In fact, I’m currently working on an article about the last 20 years of poetry for young people and I was really struck by the emergence of several big name poets during that period (since 1990)-- Douglas Florian, Joyce Sidman, Naomi Nye, Alice Schertle, Calef Brown, Betsy Franco, J. Patrick Lewis, Pat Mora, Carole Boston Weatherford, etc. In fact, it's hard to imagine the field of children's poetry withOUT their works-- despite how much I love David McCord, Karla Kuskin, Aileen Fisher, and other greats of the past. More to come on that topic…
Meanwhile, I’m honored to be mentioned on Laura Evans’ blog, Teach Poetry K-12, this week as she hosts Poetry Friday and features the benefits of poetry and nursery rhymes for very young children just learning language. Join her here.
Now here is that amazing three year old sharing his favorite poem (while wearing Superman pajamas!):