McSweeney's Take on Children's Songs

Yes, I know I have a strange sense of humor, but you must read this. Take a look at Sarah Schmelling's post entitled Mom Takes Children's Songs Literally. I dare you not to laugh.

Monday Poetry Stretch - Firsts

Today is the first day of the spring semester. As I prepare, I've started thinking a lot about firsts--first day of school, first kiss, first time on a plane, first time jumping out of one, etc. I've had a lot of firsts in my life, so this seems like a fine time to write about them. What first do you remember fondly? Or with great horror? Let's write about firsts.

Leave me a note about your poem and I'll post the results here later this week.

National Puzzle Month - Great Reads

January is National Puzzle Month. In our house we do a lot of jigsaw puzzles (usually one a week), but we also like logic puzzles and "thinking" games (sudoku, Mastermind, chess, etc.). As big readers we're quite fond of fiction with challenging puzzles to solve. Here are some books and/or series that will encourage readers put on their thinking caps. Also included are links to related puzzling resources.

The Puzzling World of Winston Breen by Eric Berlin - Winston sees puzzles everywhere. Imagine his dismay when he gives his sister a box for her birthday, only to learn that it has a secret compartment containing four wood sticks with puzzle clues. Readers will solve puzzles right along with Winston and his sister Katie as they try to solve the mystery. The sequel to this book, The Potato Chip Puzzles, is also highly entertaining.

• Download puzzles from the Winston Breen books
• Check out the Winston Breen puzzle blog

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart - Eleven year-old Reynie Muldoon is intrigued by an ad in the paper that asks “Are You a Gifted Child looking for Special Opportunities?” Reynie and dozens of other children show up to answer the ad and take a mind-boggling series of tests, but only Reynie and three others are left at the end. Puzzles and mysteries abound in this adventurous tale. Sequels include The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey and The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma.

• Play games for the gifted at the Mysterious Benedict Society site.
• Download and print some logic challenges.
• Get everyone involved and download the Family Reading Guide.
  

Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett - Petra and Calder are preoccupied with Vermeer. When a Vermeer painting is stolen in transit from the National Gallery in Washington D.C. to the Chicago Institute of Art, they become intent on finding the painting and solving the mystery. Clues and mysteries abound.

• Calder carries a set of pentominoes in his pocket at all times, so be sure to print your own set to use while reading this one!
• Play pentominoes online.

The Origami Master by Nathaniel Lachenmeyer, Lissy's Friends by Grace Lin (picture books), and Fold Me a Poem by Kristine O'Connell George (poetry) are all books about origami. Paper folding is a great visual and spatial puzzler for kids and adults. It's also fun!

• You can get great paper at Origami Corner.
• Try making this origami crane.
• Here are directions on folding an origami frog. You can also try this origami math lesson which includes a "fabulous frog" reproducible.
• If you have trouble reading origami directions in print, try following along with the videos on this site.

Do you have a favorite book that offers something to puzzle over? If so, please share. I would love to add your ideas to this list.

Poetry Friday is Here!

Did you know that January is National Puzzle Month? In honor of this month-long celebration I'm sharing a wonderful poem by Russell Hoban. You can find it in A New Treasury of Children's Poetry, selected by Joanna Cole (p. 210).

Jigsaw Puzzle
by Russell Hoban

My beautiful picture of pirates and treasure
is spoiled, and almost I don't want to start
to put it together; I've lost all the pleasure
I used to find in it: there's one missing part.

I know there's one missing -- they lost it, the others,
the last time they played with my puzzle -- and maybe
there's more than one missing: along with the brothers
and sisters who borrow my toys there's the baby.

There's a hole in the ship or the sea that it sails on,
and I said to my father, "Well, what shall I do?
It isn't the same now that some of it's gone."
He said, "Put it together; the world's like that too."

Now that you've read it, see and hear the poem in this amazing little video by Michael Sporn Animation.

I am your intrepid host this week, so leave me a note about your post and I'll round it up old-school style.

Poetry Reviews
Mary Ann Scheuer at Great Kids Books has a review of a Cybils finalist, African Acrostics: A Word in Edgeways.

Over at A Year of Reading, Mary Lee shares some thoughts on another Cybils finalist, The Tree That Time Built: A Celebration of Nature, Science and Imagination.

Diane Mayr of Kurious Kitty's Kurio Kabinet shares some thoughts on Linda McCarriston's book Eva-Mary. She also has a quote by Linda McCarriston at Kurios K's Kwotes.

Jules of Seven Imp has some gorgeous images and thoughts on the The House, written by J. Patrick Lewis and illustrated by Roberto Innocenti.

Over at Picture Book of the Day, Anastasia Suen shares Sleep, Big Bear, Sleep! and some ideas for using the book in the classroom.

Marjorie of Paper Tigers introduces a poetry collection entitled The Naughtiest Children I Know.

Stella of My World-Mi Mundo shares her thoughts on Julie Andrews Collection of Poems, Songs, and Lullabies.

Amanda of A Patchwork of Books reviews The Hidden Bestiary of Marvelous, Mysterious, and (maybe even) Magical Creatures.

Mandy of Enjoy and Embrace Learning shares thoughts on When Lucy Goes Out Walking: A Puppy's First Year.


Original Poetry
Father Goose (Charles Gingha) shares a poem entitled Snow Deer.

Greg K. of Gotta Book shares a poem entitled The End of a Perfect Day in the Snow.

A host of original poems inspired by a photograph can be found in this week's 15 Words or Less challenge.

More original poems in the form of shadorma can be found at this week's poetry stretch results.

Linda of Write Time shares a poem entitled Thirty-Two Cents.

Over at David Harrison's blog you'll find a number of original poems inspired by the word time. (If these inspire you, be brave and leave your own poem!)

Andi of a wrung sponge shares a poem entitled Snow Showers at Dawn.

Inspired by the hoopla over Jon Scieszka on Monday, Carol of Carol's Corner wrote a Thank You poem.

Carol of Carol's Corner shares a found poem inspired by C.S. Lewis and entitled I Thank Him For Winter.

Elaine of Wild Rose Reader shares a number of original winter poems.


Poetry of Others
Heidi Mordhost of my juicy little universe shares two poems and some thoughts on animal spirituality.

Laura Salas shares an Eve Merriam poem entitled Reply to the Question "How Can You Become a Poet?".

Irene Latham of Live. Love. Explore! shares an Updike poem for January.

Shelf Elf has a wonderful dog poem by Anna Swir entitled Happy as a Dog's Tail.

Diane Mayr of Random Noodling shares the poem Good Hours by Robert Frost.

Sara Lewis Holmes of Read*Write*Believe shares Love Song by Carol Muske-Dukes.

The Write Sisters are in today with the Wendell Berry poem How to be a Poet.

Terry of Scrub-a-Dub-Tub shares a story and Silverstein's poem Sick.

Becky of Becky's Book Reviews shares a poem from The Hobbit.

Martha Calderaro shares Alice Walker's poem How Poems Are Made: A Discredited View.

Over at Blue Rose Girls, Elaine shares a poem by Sarah Orne Jewett entitled A Country Boy in Winter.

Because she's knee-deep in Persuasion, Kelly Fineman of Writing and Ruminating shares selections from Childe Harold's Pilgrimage by Byron and The Lay of the Last Minstrel by Scott.

Jone (MsMac) of Check It Out shares a poem by Sylvia Kantaris entitled Awakening to Snow.

Liz Scanlon of Liz in Ink shares the poem Branch Library by Edward Hirsch.

Jennie of Biblio File shares a love poem by Robert Burns.

The Reading Zone shares the Ellen Hopkins poem Manifesto.

Color Online shares the poem Black Enough by Catherine Anderson.


Music and Other Forms
Jama Rattigan of Jama's Alphabet Soup is going gaga over Elvis on his 75th birthday.


Poetry Sites
Stacey of Two Writing Teachers introduces the site Your Daily Poem.

Happy reading on this beautiful poetry Friday.

Poetry Stretch Results - Shadorma

The challenge this week was to write in the form of shadorma, a six-line poem with with a syllable count of 3/5/3/3/7/5. Here are the results.

Owl, Meet Skier
by Laura Purdie Salas

Shadowy,
Solid shape on tree
Lifts, spreads, swoops—
Hoo-hoo-hooooo!
Introduction drifts like snow
Hangs in twilight sky


The next three poems are by K. Thomas Slesarik.

Onion Thief
He took ten
yellow onions from
a garden
late last week.
Then snuck back in on Tuesday
but just took a leek.


The Peculiar Mosquito
It landed
on my arm with a
sweet, simple,
lilting grace.
The mosquito’s curlicue
covered her cute face.


Marriage Minded Melons
Honeydews
should not elope with
cantaloupes
sans prenup,
in case of course, they divorce.
That’s a travesty.

Poems ©2010 by K. Thomas Slesarik


Shadowrama x 4
by Jane Yolen

This shadow
lifting from a branch,
a shadow
of a branch,
into the shadow-filled sky
reminds me of you.

This full moon,
caught in the tree’s arms,
the dead tree,
roost for owls,
knocking place for woodpeckers,
reminds me of you.

Each small thing,
in nature’s cupboard,
each shadow,
and each shade
of feather, fur, leafmeal, mold
reminds me of you

who is now
tree, moon, owl, sky, wing,
shadow, ash,
memory
as insubstantial as air,
as necessary.

©2010 Jane Yolen All rights reserved


The next two poems are by Kate Coombs of Book Aunt.

My Nephew's Wedding, 1/02/10
Too much noise,
too many people,
too much food...
But the best
too much was the look in her
eyes, the look in his.


Still Life with Yogurt
Blueberries
clump in a white bowl
beneath clouds
of yogurt.
I think about Einstein as
the minutes click by.

How is it
that each minute seems
fraught somehow,
yet pointless?
Now blueberries remind me
of wet wheelbarrows.

The yogurt
can be white chickens,
or this page—
it's white, too.
It can be chickens, and my
pen the wheelbarrow.

Everything
matters, or nothing
does. Yogurt,
my fingers,
the pen, and now you reading:
I say everything.

—Kate Coombs, 2010


Steven Withrow of Crackles of Speech shares an untitled shadorma.


Shadorma
by Heidi Mordhorst of my juicy little universe

sleep sizzles
aromatically
on the spit
of night. carve
juicy slices onto white
sheets of pita bed.

©2010 Heidi Mordhorst, all rights reserved


NOT EVERYTHING IMPROVES WITH AGE
by Diane Mayr of Random Noodling

When I was
younger I lobbied
for peace. Once
when I went
to buy a banner, the flag
store had only one--

Peace on Earth--
over a manger.
Christmas is
just ONE day!
Every year has three hundred
sixty-five total!

Foolish youth!
Now, I'm older. Now
I know that
if we had
peace on earth, for JUST one day,
we'd be in heaven.


Inquisition
by Julie Larios of The Drift Record

A poor Moor
waiting at your gate,
too late now
for fake faith,
I hear a songbird confess,
"si...te adoro."


This untitled poem was written by Susan Taylor Brown.

in silence
words impatiently
wait for me
beg me for
stories only I can write
soon, I promise, soon


JUMBLED INNARDS
by Carol Weis

Interview
twists up my belly
jumbles my
innards and
hurls me into a cyclone
of boisterous dread.

© Carol Weis. All rights reserved.


Jone of Deo Writer shares a poem inspired by a homeless girl and her baby.

Andi of a wrung sponge shares a poem entitled Snow Showers at Dawn.

I can't seem to get the war and those I know serving out of mind. This poem is for them. (I know it needs another stanza, but I'm still working on it!)

Days X-ed out
counting time until
you come home
boots worn, heart
heavy with tales you cannot
tell—I hate this war

but love your
resolve, the courage
with which you
serve again
and again, no sacrifice
too small—what a price

It's not too late if you still want to play. Leave me a note about your poem and I'll add it to the list.

Children's Librarians Are Ambitious Bakers ...

Below is a quote from an article written for SLJ. It's just more proof of why John Green is made of awesome.

Adult librarians are like lazy bakers: their patrons want a jelly doughnut, so they give them a jelly doughnut. Children’s librarians are ambitious bakers: You like the jelly doughnut? I’ll get you a jelly doughnut. But you should try my cruller, too. My cruller is gonna blow your mind, kid.

All hail the amazing children's (and YA) librarians! Read more at The Future of Reading: Don't worry. It might be better than you think.

Winners of 2010 AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize Announced

The winners of the 2010 AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books have been announced. This prize "celebrates outstanding science writing and illustration for children and young adults."

Children's Science Picture Book

Living Sunlight: How Plants Bring the Earth to Life
written by Molly Bang and Penny Chisholm, illustrated by Molly Bang
(Cybils nominee for Nonfiction Picture Book.)

Middle Grades Science Book
The Frog Scientist
written by Pamela S. Turner, with photographs by Andy Comins
(Cybils finalist for Nonfiction Middle Grade & Young Adult book)

Young Adult Science Book
Invisible Kingdom: From the Tips of Our Fingers to the Tops of Our Trash, Inside the Curious World of Microbes
written by Idah Ben-Barak


Outstanding Science Series

Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science (Stage 1)
Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science (Stage 2)

In addition to these titles, Robert Garnder won a Lifetime Acheivement Award for hands-on science writing.

Ephron on Reading and Other Important Matters

Yesterday my sister handed me a copy of Nora Ephron's book I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman. I read it from cover to cover in just under 24 hours. I laughed aloud more times than I care to admit. There was also guffawing, some snorting, and a few too many nods of recognition. I saw myself in a lot of what she wrote. This particular excerpt, from a chapter entitled Blind as a Bat, is absolute perfection.

Reading is everything. Reading makes me feel like I've accomplished something, learned something, become a better person. Reading makes me smarter. Reading gives me something to talk about later on. Reading is the unbelievably healthy way my attention deficit disorder medicates itself. Reading is escape, and the opposite of escape; it's a way to make contact with reality after a day of making things up, and it's a way of making contact with someone else's imagination after a day that's all too real. Reading is grist. Reading is bliss. (p. 52)

And the chapter On Rapture is all about reading.

When I was a child, nearly every book I read sent me into rapture. Can I be romanticizing my early reading experiences? I don't think so. I can tick off so many books that I read and re-read when I was growing up--foremost among them the Oz books, which obsessed me--but so many others that were favorites in the most compelling way.

I LOVED this book. If you are a woman over 40 (or will be), or if you are raising an adolescent, or you just love to read, PICK UP THIS BOOK. With chapter titles like I Feel Bad About My Neck and I Hate My Purse, how could it not be funny and insightful? I promise you won't be disappointed.

Hooray for Scieszka Day!

When the lovely ladies at A Year of Reading cooked up the idea of celebrating Jon Scieszka, I knew I had to participate. As I sat down to write this tribute I decided to go back and see how many posts I've written in which Scieszka is mentioned. That number would be 11. Here are a few of the highlights.

• My very first Poetry Friday entry (January 26, 2007) featured a poem from Science Verse.
• In a post on Reading Aloud (February 4, 2007) I described how I begin the first day of my math class each semester by reading Math Curse.
• In a post on The Poetry of Science (February 9, 2007) I highlighted Science Verse.

While I have written about Scieszka in other contexts, for me it all comes back to these two books. In many ways they form a real foundation for the introductory work I do with preservice teachers. I constantly need to remind my students that we live in a math world. Enter Math Curse. It begins:

On Monday in math class, Mrs. Fibonacci says,
"You know, you can think of almost everything as a math problem."
On Tuesday I start having problems.

Through the eyes of a child we see that getting dressed, eating breakfast, catching the school bus, eating in the cafeteria, English, P.E., geography and just about everything else is related to math. How are these "problems" solved? With math, of course!

And what of Science Verse? First, it makes reading about science FUN! Second, it uses poetry to do it. Many of the pieces in this book parody poems by Joyce Kilmer, Lewis Carroll, Ann Taylor, Robert Frost and others, as well as nursery rhymes and childhood songs. Could there be a better way to learn about the food chain, water cycle, and more?!

My teaching is much richer thanks to these works. So, a hat tip to you today Mr. Scieszka. Thanks for all you've done to create such wonderful books for kids and to tirelessly promote the importance of reading.

Monday Poetry Stretch - Shadorma

This week I thought we'd try another new (to me at least) poetic form. The shadorma is a poem composed of six lines with a syllable count of 3/5/3/3/7/5. That's it! Easy-peasy, right?

Leave me a note about your poem and I'll post the results here later this week.

Nonfiction Monday - Davies and Layton

I think Nicola Davies is a genius. She has the knack for writing about science in a clever, highly engaging manner. Pair her text with the quirky and humorous illustrations of Neal Layton and you have a match made in heaven. Don't know who Nicola Davies and Neal Layton are? Then get thee to the library immediately and check out the series of oblong volumes filled with some of the most interesting science around.

Poop: A Natural History of the Unmentionable (2004) - In this very smart book, Davies explains what poop is, why it's brown, where it goes, how different animals use poop, and much more. Lest you think me crazy, this one was a 2004 BCCB blue ribbon winner.

Extreme Animals: The Toughest Creatures on Earth (2006) - This one begins, "We humans are such a bunch of wimps!-we can't live without food, or water, and just a few minutes without air is enough to finish us off. Luckily, not all life is so fragile." What follows is a look at the ways in which animals survive in some of the most inhospitable places on Earth. The animals in this volume are found everywhere--in the depths of the ocean, scorching deserts, active volcanoes, and more challenging environments.

What’s Eating You?: Parasites–The Inside Story (2007) - Every living thing has a habitat where it finds food and shelter and reproduces, but some organisms make their homes on other living things, including humans. By the way, did you know that there are more than 430 types of parasites that can live on humans? This creepily entertaining book let’s us in on the secret lives of parasites. Prepare yourself to be grossed out and fascinated with every disgusting detail.

Just the Right Size: Why Big Animals Are Big and Little Animals Are Little (2009) - Just what is the BTLT rule? It's the rule that explains why some animals are large and others are small. It also explains why geckos can crawl on the ceiling, rhinoceros beetles can carry 850x their weight, and water striders can walk on water when humans can't perform any of these feats. Davies takes a complex mathematical idea ("If you double the length of something, its surface area and cross section go up four times, while its volume and weight go up EIGHT times!") and applies it to the world of living things, providing numerous concrete examples. Once you read this one you'll never worry about giant spiders again. (Take that Aragog!)

This post was written for Nonfiction Monday. The round up is being hosted by Anastasia Suen at Picture Book of the Day. Do take some time to check out all the great posts highlighting nonfiction this week.

Cybils Finalists Announced!

Hurray! The finalists for the Cybils have been announced! Check out the books that made the cut in these categories.

• Easy Readers & Short Chapter Books
• Fantasy & Science Fiction (Middle Grade)
• Fantasy & Science Fiction (Young Adult)
• Fiction Picture Books
• Graphic Novels
• Middle Grade Fiction
• Non-Fiction Middle Grade/YA
• Non-Fiction Picture Books
• Poetry
• Young Adult Fiction

Thanks to all who worked so hard to bring these terrific titles to the attention of readers. I can't wait to see what the round 2 judges have to say about them. Winners will be announced on February 14th.

Books With Lasting Connections

The January 2010 issue of Book Links features Lasting Connections of 2009, a "list of the 30 picture books, novels, and nonfiction books that most effectively connect to the K–8 curriculum." Some of these titles have been reviewed here. They include:

• If America Were a Village: A Book About the People of the United States, written by David J. Smith and illustrated by Shelagh Armstrong - Read my review.

• Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11, written and illustrated by Brian Floca - Read my review.

• Pharaoh's Boat, written and illustrated by David Weitzman - Read my review.

• Yellowstone Moran: Painting the American West, written and illustrated by Lita Judge - Read my review.

There are a number really terrific books on the list, including some mighty good poetry titles, so head on over and check out the Lasting Connections of 2009 list.

Poetry Friday - Love Poem With Toast

Today marks a new beginning--2010. Last year I marked the first poetry Friday with Tennyson, my traditional New Year's Eve read. This year I thought I'd mark the beginning of 2010 with something a little different.

Love Poem With Toast
by Miller Williams

Some of what we do, we do
to make things happen,
the alarm to wake us up, the coffee to perc,
the car to start.

The rest of what we do, we do
trying to keep something from doing something,
the skin from aging, the hoe from rusting,
the truth from getting out.

Read the poem in its entirety.

The round up is being hosted by Mary Lee at A Year of Reading. Do stop by and take in all the poetry being shared. Before you go, be sure to check out this week's poetry stretch results. Happy poetry Friday to you and a very happy new year.

Poetry Stretch Results - Endings and Beginnings

The challenge this week was to write a poem about a beginning, and ending, or both. Here are the results.

Left Behind: 2009
by Jane Yolen

Thirty-six pounds,
a lust for chocolate,
regrets,
a heavy pocketbook,
five pairs of size 16 pants,
several boxes of books
I will never read again
or use for research,
the word awesome,
anger at friends,
boots that are pointed
and not water-tight,
an ice cream maker
with missing parts,
a jealous nature,
fifteen glass vases from the florist
that held funeral flowers
from almost four years ago,
the man who stuck his tongue
down my throat on our only date.

© 2009 by Jane Yolen, all rights reserved


A Song for New Year's Eve
by Kate Coombs of Book Aunt

1. Endings

Tail of a horse, flapping
like a slow flag. Last page
of a book, its surge of words
vanished. His back as he walks
away, smaller and smaller.
Song's final note, hovering
like a dragonfly, then suddenly
gone. Sunset kiss at the end
of a movie. December 31st,
dry as a spent Christmas tree,
fallen needles brushed away
by the broom of the wind.

2. Beginnings

Horse's face, large eyes asking
a question. First sentence
of a book, tugging you into
the story with both hands.
Familiar striding shape
of a friend coming closer,
smile growing. First note
of a song, rising like a sun.
Establishing shot: a town
one morning, a house, a porch,
an opening door. January 1st,
fresh and white as new snow.

--Kate Coombs (Book Aunt), 2009


Birth (Beginnings)
by K. Thomas Slesarik

Aww diaper, bib, and baby bottle,
a newborn girl to hold and coddle.
Trouble comes when they start to toddle;
at first a little, then a lot’ll.

© 2009 by K. Thomas Slesarik


Re-tirement (Endings)
by K. Thomas Slesarik

Grandpa is re-tired.
It’s really kind of sad.
I’ve been tired once
but twice is really bad.
He must be exhausted
to be tired and re-tired.
It happened once to grandma
and soon after she expired.

© 2009 by K. Thomas Slesarik


SOMEDAY
by Diane Mayr of Random Noodling

Someday, my friend, you will find yourself smack
dab in the middle of a bow. You'll be encircled by
the light. Embraced by it. Move, and you'll still be
centermost. You are the proverbial right person
in the right place at the right time--rain before you,
sun behind you. The angle is right. The reflection
is right. The rainbow both begins and ends with you.

YOU.


Linda of Write Time shares a poem entitled A New Year Begins.


**on the beginning of winter...**

FIRST SNOW AT THE NEW HOUSE
by Steven Withrow of Crackles of Speech

Shoveling snow at the curb, I
trade heaven for earth weight—
the high convergence
of stratocumulus
that ribs the sky like a scroll
is lost to digging and lifting;
it is only later, at my desk,
under an easeful lamp,
that I climb to reach winter’s roof.

Three steps up a ladder now, I
chip spikes of ice from frosted
gutters, drop each white knife
into a mogul of snowdrift
that melts in the drip
from my boots; it is only
later, awake in the dark,
I feel how cold this ground
grows without its fresh cover
of cloud.


**and on the beginning of a life...**

THE FINE TILT
by Steven Withrow of Crackles of Speech
(for Lesley, weeks before; with a nod to Mark Strand)

Even at night, in voiceless sleep,
a trust, like tug of earth to moon,
converses between us in bonds of gravitation,
held weightless in the weight of kept promises,
pulled into greater orbit by that third body,
yet eclipsed by your own, but even now arranging
the fine tilt and flat spin of its arrival flight path,
the coming of its love, the coming of light.

©2009 by Steven Withrow


A STORY FOR THE NEW YEAR
by Julie Larios of The Drift Record

She spent last year's ending
in a muddle, meaning to begin again,
but began mid-way unraveling,
began traveling to foreign places
but found the language – well - foreign,
the pacing off, the setting wrong, soon longed
for home's familiar adjectives and prepositions,
its overstuffed with nothing-new old chair.

Now home, the New Year almost knocking,
she hears the kettle whistle, hears
the front door’s been-there done-that sigh
hears the toast pop up, sits down each night
for supper, gets up later every morning
and begins again - or tries - to figure out the ending.


VIRGIN EMBRACE
by Carol Weis

A new year
beckons
with arms
spread
amply
inviting me
into
its virgin
embrace.

© Carol Weis


Andi of a wrung sponge shares a poem entitled A New Year.

My mother has been visiting for the last few weeks. This poem was inspired by her.

The ring she wears has
no beginning
no end
unlike the marriage it signified
rock solid for more than
fifty years
until he was taken from her

Now she marks the new year
a new beginning
on this road alone
caught in memories of the past
and an end that came
too soon

It's not too late if you still want to play. Leave me a note about your poem and I'll add it to the list.

Times Best of the Decade - Books

The critics at Time Magazine have weighed in on the best movies, TV, books and theater of the decade. Lev Grossman (THE MAGICIANS, THE CODEX) has selected the 10 best books of the decade. There is one young adult book on the list (can you guess which HP it is?), and at least one that I think would make a fine crossover book (see number 2).

Here's a list of the ten, with links to the Time summaries.

• Never Let Me Go (2005), by Kazuo Ishiguro
• Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell (2004), by Susanna Clarke
• The Corrections (2001), by Jonathan Franzen
• The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (2007), by Junot Diaz
• The Known World (2003), by Edward P. Jones
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2003), by J.K. Rowling
• Atonement (2002), by Ian McEwan
• Lush Life (2008), by Richard Price
• Then We Came to the End (2007), by Joshua Ferris
• American Gods (2001), by Neil Gaiman

I've read eight of the ten. How about you? Is there an adult read that you think should be on this list? Or better yet, how about a worthy YA title that adults would love?

Nonfiction Monday - Let It Snow

We had a foot of snow one week before Christmas. The bulk of it was still here on Christmas Eve, but it all began to melt away in the rain on Christmas day. Now that it's gone, I'm still thinking of snow. Here are two terrific nonfiction reads about it.

Snowflake Bentley (1998), written by Jacqueline Briggs Martin and illustrated by Mary Azarian - This Caldecott Medal winner tells the true story of Wilson Bentley, a farmer who spent the better part of his life studying and photographing snowflakes. It begins this way.

In the days
when farmers worked with ox and sled
and cut the dark with lantern light,
there lived a boy who loved the snow
more than anything else in the world.

Willie's story is told from his childhood through his death. Accompanying the biography are a series of sidebars that contain additional facts about Bentley. The last page of the book contains a photo of Bentley at his camera (the same one at the top of the Wilson Snowflake Bentley home page), a quote about his love for photography, and three of his renowned snowflake images.

This is the story of a remarkable man who pushed the limits of science and technology to create groundbreaking images of snowflakes. If the book inspires an interest in further study, you can view a number of his amazing photographs at The Bentley Snow Crystal Collection.

The Story of Snow: The Science of Winter's Wonder (2009), written by Mark Cassino with Jon Nelse, Ph.D. and illustrated by Nora Aoyagi - A visually appealing and highly informational book, readers learn that snow begins with a speck and then follow along as that speck becomes a snow crystal. Photos of snow crystals are included with a comparison of the enlarged images to a snow crystal of actual size. The shapes of snow crystals are examined (stars, plates, columns), as is their relationship to the number six.

There is much to learn and wonder about here. The book ends with a guide for catching snow crystals. Teachers will find the teacher's guide for this book particularly helpful.

This post was written for Nonfiction Monday. Hosting this week is Diane Chen at Practically Paradise. Do take some time to check out all the great posts highlighting nonfiction this week.

Monday Poetry Stretch - Endings and Beginnings

With the new year approaching, I'm thinking of what will be left behind in 2009, as well as the fresh start offered by 2010. It seems particularly appropriate then to focus on endings and/or beginnings for our stretch.

Leave me a note about your poem and I'll post the results here later this week.

Poetry Friday - Christmas Bells

On Christmas morning in 1863, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow composed an anti-slavery poem that was later adapted into the carol entitled “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.” (You'll notice that the two verses that pertain specifically to the war have been left out of the carol.) While many folks know and love this carol, I like the poem better. Its message of hope and goodwill in the face of war and despair still rings true today.

Christmas Bells
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along
The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Till, ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime,
A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound
The carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
And made forlorn
The households born
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And in despair I bowed my head;
"There is no peace on earth," I said:
"For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead; nor doth he sleep!
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men!"

For more information about Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, visit the Maine Historical Society's web site which examines Longfellow's life and work, his homes and his family. It also includes a searchable database of his poems, lesson plans for teachers, a filmography, and more.

The round up is being hosted by Kate Coombs at Book Aunt. Do stop by and take in the poetry being shared today. Happy poetry Friday all! And for those of you celebrating the holiday, best wishes for a happy Christmas.

A Little Book-Related Art Work

My son was over the moon when an ARC of Nathaniel Fludd, Beastologist Book 2: The Basilisk's Lair arrived addressed to him last week. He quickly re-read the first book (Nathaniel Fludd, Beastologist Book 1: Flight of the Phoenix) before moving on to book 2. I knew he was hooked when he got to the end of the first chapter, gave a fist pump and yelled "Oh yeah!"

When he finished the ARC he wrote a thank you note and drew a few pictures inspired by the books.

I love raising a reader. There's just something about sharing the excitement of a new book that always makes me happy.