Blast from the Poetry Past: 1968

Arnold Adoff gathered and published several anthologies of important African American poetry for young people beginning with I am the Darker Brother: An Anthology of Modern Poems by Negro Americans in 1968. He also published his own original poetry with its unique and distinctive voice and use of conventions, garnering the National Council of Teachers of English Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children for his body of work twenty years later, in 1988. His most recent work, Roots and Blues: A Celebration (2010) won another prize—the Lion and Unicorn Award for Excellence in North American Poetry.

Contemporary Connections
Other recent works of poetry that celebrate African American heritage include:

1.    Cheng, Andrea. 2013. Etched in Clay: The Life of Dave, Enslaved Potter and Poet. New York: Lee & Low.
2.    Grady, Cynthia. 2012. I Lay My Stitches Down: Poems of American Slavery. Ill. by Michele Wood. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.
3.    Greenfield, Eloise. 2011. The Great Migration: Journey to the North. Ill. by Jan Spivey Gilchrist. New York: Amistad/HarperCollins.
4.    Lewis, J. Patrick. 2013. When Thunder Comes: Poems for Civil Rights Leaders. San Francisco: Chronicle.
5.    McKissack, Patricia. 2011. Never Forgotten. Ill. by Leo and Diane Dillon. New York: Schwartz & Wade.
6.    Myers, Walter Dean. 2011. We are America; A Tribute from the Heart. Ill. by Christopher Myers. New York: HarperCollins.
7.    Powell, Patricia Hruby. 2013. Josephine. Ill. by Christian Robinson. San Francisco: Chronicle.
8.    Rampersad, Arnold and Blount, Marcellus (Eds). 2013. Poetry for Young People: African American Poetry (reissued, reillustrated). Ill. by Karen Barbour. New York: Sterling.
9.    Smith, Charles R., Jr. 2012. Stars in the Shadows: The Negro League All-Star Game of 1934. Ill. by Frank Morrison. New York: Atheneum.
10.    Smith, Charles R., Jr. 2013. Brick by Brick. New York: Amistad/ HarperCollins.


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

Image credits: zenosbooks.com;goodreads.com

Blast from the Poetry Past: 1966

In 1966, Stephen Dunning, Edward Luders, and Hugh Smith published a milestone anthology of contemporary poetry for young people, Reflections on a Gift of Watermelon Pickle. It was edgy and accessible and teens loved it immediately. It set the stage for more teen-friendly design and selection in poetry for young readers.




Contemporary Connections
For more teen-friendly, accessible, and even edgy poetry for young people, look for these selections.

1.    Aguado, Bill, comp. 2003. Paint Me Like I Am: Teen Poems from WritersCorps. New York: HarperTeen.
2.     Franco, Betsy, ed. 2008. Falling Hard: Teenagers on Love. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick.
3.    Holbrook, Sara & Wolf, Allan. 2008. More Than Friends; Poems from Him and Her. Boyds Mills Press.
4.    Lyne, Sandford. Ed. 2004. Soft Hay Will Catch You: Poems by Young People. New York: Simon & Schuster.
5.    Mecum, Ryan. 2008. Zombie Haiku. How Books.
6.    Mora, Pat. 2010. Dizzy in Your Eyes. Knopf.
7.    Nye, Naomi Shihab. Ed. 2000. Salting the Ocean: 100 Poems by Young Poets. New York: Greenwillow.
8.    Shakur, Tupac. 1999. A Rose Grew From Concrete. New York:  Simon & Schuster.
9.    Tom, Karen, and Kiki. 2001. Angst! Teen Verses from the Edge. New York: Workman Publishing.
10.    WritersCorps. 2008. Tell the World. New York: HarperCollins.


Posting by Sylvia M. Vardell © 2013. All rights reserved.
 
Image credits: vintagescholastics.wordpress.com;mikechasar.blogspot.com

Blast from the Poetry Past: 1959

Louis Untermeyer compiled and published the landmark comprehensive anthology for children, The Golden Treasury of Poetry with Golden Press in 1959. In his seminal work, Poetry's Playground: The Culture of Contemporary American Children's Poetry, Joseph Thomas identified eight key anthologies he suggested are children’s poetry essentials beginning with this one compiled by Untermeyer.


Contemporary Connections
Unfortunately, anthologies seem to be “out of fashion” at the moment and not as many are being published. Of course, one exception (if I may be so bold) is my own collaboration with poet Janet Wong and with 70+ other poets—The Poetry Friday Anthology (one edition for K-5 and one edition for grades 6-8).

I think the Sourcebooks anthologies that include CDs of poet readings are also noteworthy. Look for these selections:

Paschen, Elise and Raccah, Dominique. Eds. 2005. Poetry Speaks to Children. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks.
Paschen, Elise and Raccah, Dominique. Eds. 2010. Poetry Speaks; Who I Am. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks.
Giovanni, Nikki. Comp. 2008. Hip Hop Speaks to Children. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks.
Hoberman, Mary Ann and Wilson, Linda. Eds. 2009. The Tree That Time Built: A Celebration of Nature, Science, and Imagination. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks.
Nesbitt, Kenn. 2009. My Hippo Has the Hiccups with CD: And Other Poems I Totally Made Up. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks.




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

Image credits: theartofchildrenspicturebooks;barnesandnoble;pomelobooks