Poetry Friday - December 26th

Welcome to Poetry Friday on this beautiful day. Today I'm sharing a bit of Frost. This one comes from the collection North of Boston.

Good Hours
by Robert Frost

I had for my winter evening walk—
No one at all with whom to talk,
But I had the cottages in a row
Up to their shining eyes in snow.

And I thought I had the folk within:
I had the sound of a violin;
I had a glimpse through curtain laces
Of youthful forms and youthful faces.

I had such company outward bound.
I went till there were no cottages found.
I turned and repented, but coming back
I saw no window but that was black.

Over the snow my creaking feet
Disturbed the slumbering village street
Like profanation, by your leave,
At ten o’clock of a winter eve.

Here's what folks are sharing today.

Books and Reviews

Sally from Paper Tigers shares some thoughts on poetry for parents.

John Mutford of The Book Mine Set reviews his year of reading poetry and ranks his favorites.

Carol of Carol's Corner shares a haiku from Pat Mora's book Yum! Mmmm! Mmmm! Qué Rico!.

Marietta from The Bookworm's Booklist reviews some Mother Goose and Mommy & Me CD's.

Sylvia Vardell from Poetry for Children shares her thoughts on the best poetry of 2008.

Original Poems

Tiel Aisha Ansari from Knocking from Inside gives us a poem entitled A Winter's Discontent.

Elaine of Wild Rose Reader has an original rhyming acrostic poem entitled Chameleon.

David Elzey, writing at Fomagrams, recaps his year of blogging with a found poem of his own posts. This is very cool!

Author Amok (Laura) and her daughter wrote a parody entitled We Wish it Was a 'Winter Wonderland'.

Laura Purdie Salas rounds up all the original poems from her 15 words or less challenge.

Lorie Ann Grover of On Point shares an original haiku entitled Melting.

Over at DeoWriter, Jone also shares a few seasonal haiku.

Julie Larios from The Drift Record shares her poem entitled Months of the Year.

Poetry of Others

Over at Blue Rose Girls, Elaine shares the Naomi Shihab Nye poem Snow.

Barbara from The Write Sisters shares a Christmas classic.

Jill Corcoran gives us The Christmas Cactus by Liz Rosenberg.

Mary Lee over at A Year of Reading shares Oliver Wendell Holme's Contentment.

Over at Into the Wardrobe, Tarie gives us the T.S. Eliot poem The Journey of the Magi.

Lisa Chellman of Under the Covers shares an epigraph written by Samuel Taylor Coleridge entitled What If You Slept?.

Laura Purdie Salas shares the poem The Snake from David Elliott's book On the Farm.

Douglas Florian from the Florian Cafe is in today with two poems on mortality.

Stacey from Two Writing Teachers shares an excerpt from the Maya Angelou poem Amazing Peace.

Over at readertotz, Lorie Ann Grover has posted the nursery rhyme Come to the Window.

Erin of Miss Erin is sharing the poem she found in her Christmas stocking, Mary's Song by Luci Shaw.

Suzanne from Adventures in Daily Living is also sharing Luci Shaw's powerful poem.

Kelly Fineman of Writing and Ruminating shares my love of Frost with the sigh-inducing To Earthward.

Little Willow of Bildungsroman shares the first stanza from The Night-Piece: To Julia by Robert Herrick.

Enjoy this marvelous feast of poetry, and if I haven't said it before now, happy holidays.

Poetry Stretch Results - Terza Rima

The challenge last week was to write a terza rima. Terza rima (an Italian phrase meaning "third rhyme") consists of a series of three-line stanzas (tercets) with the rhyme scheme aba bcb cdc ded and so on. It can go on as long as the poet wishes. Here are the results.

Tiel Aisha Ansari from Knocking From Inside shares a poem entitled Faust in the Industrial Age.

Kim Kasch left this poem in the comments.

SNOW DAY

See the flakes dancing in the air-
White, fluffy, like cotton candy
Look around – they’re everywhere.

Floating slowly they hit the ground
Squishing as they hit their landing
They do it all without making a sound.

Now, run and build a snowman – quick!
Don’t wait for later in the day
Hurry, do it, lickity-split.
Or the snow might melt away.

So, go outside, now, run and play!

Julie Larios from The Drift Record shares a poem called The Doctor Says, "He Has Meningitis”.

lirone from Words that sing shares a poem entitled What Remains.

Jane Yolen left her poem in the comments of Julie's post. It is called Cheney Confesses.

Laura Purdie Salas shares a poem entitled Tarnished Silver.

sister AE from Having Writ gives us Hunting Season.

Libby from Lessons from the Tortoise wrote a terza rima about advent.

I tried to write a poem for my sister's birthday, but given that I didn't finish my grades until 2 am on Friday, I had a lot of trouble focusing on writing. I'll keep at it and post something soon.

Poetry Friday - Winter Hues

William and I are not only reading chapter and picture books at bedtime, but also a fair amount of poetry. We've read a ton of Florian as a complement to the stacks of nonfiction books about animals. Last night we started reading Winter Eyes. Here's one of my favorite poems in this volume.

Winter Hues
by Douglas Florian

Winter has to pick and choose.
The clothes she wears
Are few in hues:
A raw sienna,
A dark burnt umber,
Some yellow ochres
Scant in number,
Steel gray day,
Navy night,
And winter white
And winter white.

The round up this week is being hosted by Author Amok. Do stop by and take in all the great poetry being shared. Happy poetry Friday, all!

KIND Children's Book Award

While doing some research to follow-up on the post I wrote about great children's books about animals, I came across a new-to-me book award and list. It's really lovely, so I thought I would share it. Here's an excerpt from the introduction.

Story is a powerful tool for teaching humane concepts like compassion, responsibility, and respect. Good books provide context, create empathy, and give children characters to identify with, care about, and learn from. Stories can even inspire moral action and good citizenship.

Each year, Humane Society Youth recognizes an exceptional children's book with a humane focus on animals or the environment with the KIND Children's Book Award.

The 2008 winner was Before You Were Mine (2007), written by Maribeth Boelts and illustrated by David Walker.

Honor books for 2008 were:

• The Tale of Pale Male: A True Story, written and illustrated by Jeanette Winter
• Max Talks to Me, written by Claire Buchwald and illustrated by Karen Ritz
• Dogku, written by Andrew Clements and illustrated by Tim Bowers
• Luck, written by Jean Craighead George and illustrated by Wendell Minor
• White Owl, Barn Owl, written by Nicola Davies and illustrated by Michael Foreman
• Fred Stays with Me!, written by Nancy Coffelt and illustrated by Tricia Tusa
• Champ, written by Marcia Thornton Jones

For more information on these titles you should read the entire annotated list for 2008. You can also view the list of winners and honor books from previous years (1995-2007) for some outstanding choices.

In the meantime, perhaps we can try to predict some of the titles that will appear on the 2009 list. My suggestions include poetry, nonfiction and a picture book.

• Two Bobbies: A True Story of Hurricane Katrina, Friendship, and Survival, written Kirby Larson and Mary Nethery and illustrated by Jean Cassels
• Stella Unleashed: Notes From the Doghouse, written by Linda Ashman and illustrated by Paul Meisel
• The Dog Who Belonged to No One, written by Amy Hest and illustrated by Amy Bates
  

Will you play along with me? What was your favorite book published in 2008 with a "humane focus on animals or the environment"?

Have You Met Señor Calavera?

I should be grading, but right now I'm doing a bit of procrastinating, thanks to Yuyi Morales.

If you have some time, go meet Señor Calavera yourself!

Great Children's Books About Animals

Have you ever read something written that so totally described you that you wondered if the author had read your secret diary? I have. Here it is.

One of my mother's favorite stories about my childhood is the time she heard me sobbing in my bedroom, and came in to see what was wrong.

"Christie, what is it?" she asked from the doorway. "Why are you crying like that?"

I looked at her, my face a swollen mess. "I'm crying because Charlotte died, and she saved Wilbur's life!"

"Who are Charlotte and Wilbur?" she said, sounding somewhat alarmed.

I swallowed a sob. "Charlotte's a spider, and Wilbur's a pig."

That's when she realized I was clutching a book in my hands . . .

Is there anyone in this world that hasn't cried while reading Charlotte's Web? I have to wonder how classroom teachers get through read aloud with it, because I still cry.

In her article From "Black Beauty" to "The Underneath": 132 years of great children's books about animals, Christie Keith talks about the beauty and importance of children's books, particularly those with animals as the characters or focus of the story. Not only does she talk about the value of these books, but Keith has created two annotated lists: classic children's books and books that haven't necessarily earned that status yet.

The Classics are books published until the mid-60s and the Not-quite Classics come after that. The mid-60s were a clear watershed moment in American culture. Themes in children's books changed along with the music, films, and books written for adults, becoming more sophisticated, more about urban settings, more psychological and less overtly sentimental.

. . .

I included suggested reading levels with each description, based on the sometimes conflicting information given by publishers, librarians, and children's book reviewers. These are meant to be suggestions only. I read most of these books when I was quite a bit younger than the given age ranges, and some of them I still enjoy as an adult. Let the reading level of the individual child be your guide.

Here are the lists, without annotations. They are listed in order of publication date.

Classics

• Black Beauty (1877) By Anna Sewell
• Beautiful Joe (1893) By Margaret Marshall Saunders (writing as Marshall Saunders)
• The Tale of Peter Rabbit (1902) By Beatrix Potter
• The Wind in the Willows (1908) By Kenneth Grahame
• The Secret Garden (1909) By Frances Hodgson Burnett
• The Velveteen Rabbit (1922) By Margery Williams
• National Velvet (1935) By Enid Bagnold
• Lassie Come-Home (1940) By Eric Knight
• The Black Stallion (1941) By Walt Farley
• My Friend Flicka (1941) By Mary O'Hara
• Gobbolino, the Witch's Cat (1942) By Ursula Moray Williams
• Big Red (1945) By Jim Kjelgaard
• Misty of Chincoteague (1947), King of the Wind: The Story of the Godolphin Arabian (1949), Mustang: Wild Spirit of the West (1966) By Marguerite Henry
• Charlotte's Web (1952) By E.B. White
• Goodbye, My Lady (1954) By James H. Street
  
• Old Yeller (1956) By Fred Gipson
• My Side of the Mountain (1959) By Jean Craighead George
• Where the Red Fern Grows (1961) By Wilson Rawls
• Rascal (1963) By Sterling North
  

Newer Books (Not Classic YET)

• J.T. (1969) By Jane Wagner
• The Tenth Good Thing About Barney (1971) By Judith Viorst
• Julie of the Wolves (1972) By Jean Craighead George
• The Harper Hall Trilogy: Dragonsong, Dragonsinger, and Dragondrums (1979) by Anne McCaffery
• Babe the Gallant Pig (1983) By Dick King-Smith
• Dogsong (1985) By Gary Paulsen
• Rosalie (1987) By Joan Hewett
• I'll Always Love You (1988) By Hans Wilhelm
• Two Travelers (1990) By Christopher Manson
• Shiloh (1991) By Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
• Dogteam (1993) By Gary Paulsen and Ruth Wright Paulsen
• Protecting Marie (1995) By Kevin Henkes
• The Wolf's Chicken Stew (1996) By Keiko Kasza
• Olive, the Other Reindeer (1997) By Vivian Walsh
• Fire, Bed, and Bone (1998) By Henrietta Branford
• The Grannyman (1999) By Judy Schachner
• Because of Winn-Dixie (2000) By Kate DiCamillo
• A Day in the Life of Murphy (2003) By Alice Provensen
• Breakfast for Jack (2004) By Pat Schories
• Martha (2005) By Gennady Spirin
• Nora's Ark (2005) By Natalie Kinsey-Warnock
• The Underneath (2007) By Kathi Appelt

This is not only a very smart article, but the annotations provide some real perspective on the choices. Do take some time to read it. Once you've finished, please come back and comment on the lists. Did you find any surprises? Do you have a real favorite that's missing? Let's chat, shall we?

Changing Views on Reading

Reading vs. digital literacy. The debate continues as Christine Rosen presents an interesting perspective regarding the future of reading. Here is an excerpt.

We have already taken the first steps on our journey to a new form of literacy—“digital literacy.” The fact that we must now distinguish among different types of literacy hints at how far we have moved away from traditional notions of reading. The screen mediates everything from our most private communications to our enjoyment of writing, drama, and games. It is the busiest port of entry for popular culture and requires navigation skills different from those that helped us master print literacy.

Enthusiasts and self-appointed experts assure us that this new digital literacy represents an advance for mankind; the book is evolving, progressing, improving, they argue, and every improvement demands an uneasy period of adjustment. Sophisticated forms of collaborative “information foraging” will replace solitary deep reading; the connected screen will replace the disconnected book. Perhaps, eons from now, our love affair with the printed word will be remembered as but a brief episode in our cultural maturation, and the book as a once-beloved technology we’ve outgrown.

My favorite quote, and the one I'm thinking quite a bit about, actually comes from historian David Bell.

As he tried to train himself to screen-read—and mastering such reading does require new skills—Bell made an important observation, one often overlooked in the debate over digital texts: the computer screen was not intended to replace the book. Screen reading allows you to read in a “strategic, targeted manner,” searching for particular pieces of information, he notes. And although this style of reading is admittedly empowering, Bell cautions, “You are the master, not some dead author. And that is precisely where the greatest dangers lie, because when reading, you should not be the master”; you should be the student. “Surrendering to the organizing logic of a book is, after all, the way one learns,” he observes.

Read the entire article, entitled People of the Screen. Once you do, please come back so we can discuss.

Monday Poetry Stretch - Terza Rima

I've been sonnet writing lately, so I have iambic pentameter on the brain. I need, however, to try a different form, so this week I've chosen terza rima. The Handbook of Poetic Forms defines it in this fashion.

Terza rima is a tumbling, interlocking rhyme scheme that was invented by the thirteenth-century Italian poet Dante for the creation of his long poem, The Divine Comedy.

Terza rima (an Italian phrase meaning "third rhyme") consists of a series of three-line stanzas (tercets) with the rhyme scheme aba bcb cdc ded and so on. It can go on as long as the poet wishes. At the end of the poem an extra line is often added to complete the structure: yzy z.

You can read more on this form at Poets.org. Generally, terza rima is written in iambic pentameter, though you will find exceptions. One notable one is this terza rima by William Carlos Williams. You'll notice a lot of near rhyme and then ... not so much.

The Yachts

contend in a sea which the land partly encloses
shielding them from the too-heavy blows
of an ungoverned ocean which when it chooses

tortures the biggest hulls, the best man knows
to pit against its beatings, and sinks them pitilessly.
Mothlike in mists, scintillant in the minute

brilliance of cloudless days, with broad bellying sails
they glide to the wind tossing green water
from their sharp prows while over them the crew crawls

Read the poem in its entirety.

Here is a clearer example of the form.

Ode to the West Wind
Percy Bysshe Shelley

O wild West Wind, thou breath of Autumn's being
Thou from whose unseen presence the leaves dead
Are driven like ghosts from an enchanter fleeing,

Yellow, and black, and pale, and hectic red,
Pestilence-stricken multitudes! O thou
Who chariotest to their dark wintry bed

The wingèd seeds, where they lie cold and low,
Each like a corpse within its grave, until
Thine azure sister of the Spring shall blow

Read the poem in its entirety.

Will you join me in writing a terza rima? Leave me a comment about your poem and I'll post the results later this week.

The Wonder of Children's Books

FINALLY! Someone gets it right when talking about children's literature and YA books. Here are a few excerpts.

"A self-styled literary snob, I began buying titles in the children's and young-adult section of the bookstore. I became an addict, and what's worse, I started to act like one. "

"I realized that what drew me was not just the superb storytelling but the speed with which I could get through the texts. It was a rhythmic experience I was encountering every time I opened a book."

"In other words, the texts I was reading told their stories in an economical and exact style, without the unnecessary burden of digression or overexplication."

"The literature I was reading was every bit as complicated and thought-provoking as the texts I included on my syllabi."

"It would be a mistake to say that these texts are simplistic. They contain all the complexities we look for in any well-written narrative. "

Go now and read the entire article, Wonder Rediscovered in Children's Books, by Andrew Martino.

Poetry Friday - Sorley’s Weather

Yesterday was a wet, dreary day. However, I curled up in the corner chair near the fire last night and read poetry while deciding what to post today. Here's my choice.

Sorley’s Weather
by Robert Graves

When outside the icy rain
   Comes leaping helter-skelter,
Shall I tie my restive brain
   Snugly under shelter?

Shall I make a gentle song
   Here in my firelit study,
When outside the winds blow strong
   And the lanes are muddy?

With old wine and drowsy meats
   Am I to fill my belly?
Shall I glutton here with Keats?
   Shall I drink with Shelley?

Tobacco’s pleasant, firelight’s good:
   Poetry makes both better.
Clay is wet and so is mud,
   Winter rains are wetter.

Yet rest there, Shelley, on the sill,
   For though the winds come frorely,
I’m away to the rain-blown hill
   And the ghost of Sorley.

This poem comes from the book Fairies and Fusiliers, published in 1918. You can read more poems from the book here.

The round up this week is being hosted by the amazing Elaine over at Wild Rose Reader. Do stop by and take in all the great poetry being shared. Before you go, don't forget to check out this week's poetry stretch results. Happy poetry Friday, all!

Poetry Stretch Results - Clerihew

The challenge this week was to write a clerihew. A clerihew is a four-line verse written in an a/a/b/b rhyme scheme that is biographical and humorous. Here are the results.

Terry, one of my amazing colleagues, left this poem in the comments.

When Old Man Winter comes out to play
Children put their bikes away
And, gloved and coated, they ride instead
The slippery roads on a saucer sled.

Julie Larios from The Drift Record went WILD and wrote six, count 'em, six poems!

Elaine from Wild Rose Reader wrote clerihews for the first time and came up with these three gems.

Jane Yolen stopped by and left this poem in the comments.

Emily Dickinson stayed at home
And each day wrote a little poem.
A little poem each day turns out
To be a lot to write about.

I chose to write about seasonal characters this week. Here are two of my efforts.

Frosty was a man of snow
who liked it ten degrees below.
He feared for days that were too warm,
for melting ruined his boyish form.

The shiny nose on Rudolph's face,
gives the 'deer a special place.
Leading the sleigh through fog and snow,
he's grateful that his bum don't glow!

It's not too late if you still want to join us in a little cheeky fun. Leave me a note about your poem and I'll add it to the list.

The Ultimate in Reading Comfort?

While this doesn't meet my definition of comfortable (though I have been known to recline in front of the fireplace), my son has made great use of the boxes that are piling up at our house from all the recent online shopping.

Here he is listening to some audiobooks on the iPod, lounging in his "box-chair" invention.
Oh to be nearly eight!

Books and Swag - Holiday Gift Pairings for Kids

I had lots of young folks to buy gifts for this year. Here are some of the things I've purchased and/or considered for the little people on my list. Each one of these ideas pairs a book with a related item.

For the Dinosaur Lover -

• When Dinosaurs Came With Everything, written by Elise Broach and illustrated by David Small
• Dinosaur plate or mug from Emma Bridgewater Pottery

For the Kid Who Wants to Workout with Mom and/or Dad -

• My Daddy is a Pretzel: Yoga for Parents and Kids, written by Baron Baptiste and illustrated by Sophie Fatus
• Kid's Extra Thick Yoga Mat

For the Fishing Fanatic in the Family -

• Hook, Line And Seeker: A Beginners Guide To Fishing, Boating, And Watching Water Wildlife, written and illustrated by Jim Arnosky
• Youth fishing rod and reel

For the budding Author/Illustrator -

• Making Books That Fly, Fold, Wrap, Hide, Pop Up, Twist & Turn: Books for Kids to Make, written by Gwen Diehn
• Melissa & Doug Deluxe Alphabet Stamp Set
• Crayola Erasable Colored Pencils
• Alex Sponge Painting Party
  

For the Insect Lover -

• Insectigations: 40 Hands-on Activities to Explore the Insect World, written by Cindy Blobaum
• Kid's Backyard Bugs Kit

For the Puzzle Solver -

• Chasing Vermeer, written by Blue Balliett and illustrated by Brett Helquist
• Impuzzable Wooden Puzzle (12 pentomino pieces)

That's all for now. If you're still at a loss in the shopping department, MotherReader is the queen of this kind of stuff and has many more ideas for pairing books and gift.

Rounding Up the Cybils NFPB Reviews

I am still making my way through the Cybils nominees in the category of nonfiction picture books. So far I have written reviews for nearly 35% of the books. Here are the titles reviewed to date.

• 10 Things I Can Do to Help My World: Fun and Easy Eco-Tips, written and illustrated by Melanie Walsh
• Animals Christopher Columbus Saw, written by Sandra Markle and illustrated by Jamel Akib
  
• Animals Robert Scott Saw, written by Sandra Markle and illustrated by Phil
  
• Astronaut Handbook, written and illustrated by Meghan McCarthy
• Ballots for Belva: The True Story of a Woman's Race for the Presidency, written by SudiptaBardhan-Quallen and illustrated by Courtney Martin
• Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman, written by Marc Tyler Nobleman and illustrated by Ross MacDonald
• Duel!: Burr and Hamilton's Deadly War of Words, written by Dennis Brindell Fradin and illustrated by Larry Day
• Eggs, written by Marilyn Singer and illustrated by Emma Stevenson
• Fabulous Fishes, written and illustrated by Susan Stockdale
• Flip, Float, Fly: Seeds on the Move, written by JoAnn Early Macken and illustrated by Pam Paparone
• It's Moving Day!, written by Pamela Hickman and illustrated by Geraldo Valéro
• Johnny Appleseed: The Legend and the Truth, written by Jane Yolen and illustrated by Jim Burke
• Lincoln and Douglass: An American Friendship, written by Nikki Gionvanni and illustrated by Bryan Collier
• Little Green Frogs, written and illustrated by Frances Barry
• Looking Closely: Inside the Garden, written and illustrated by Frank Serafini
• Molly the Pony: A True Story, written by Pam Kaster
• Nic Bishop Frogs, written and illustrated by Nic Bishop
• Two Bobbies: A True Story of Hurricane Katrina, Friendship, and Survival, written Kirby Larson and Mary Nethery and illustrated by Jean Cassels
• Underwear: What We Wear Under There, written by Ruth Freeman Swain and illustrated by John O'Brien
• Wangari's Trees of Peace: A True Story from Africa, written and illustrated by Jeanette Winter

My colleagues on the review panel are also hard at work. You can find their take on the nominees at the sites below.

• Jone's posts at Check It Out
• Becky's posts at In the Pages
• Debbie's posts at Readerbuzz

You can find links to even more NFPB reviews at this post.

We're getting down to the wire now, with a list of finalists due at the end of the month. Criteria used to evaluate the nominees include:

• Writing (and if pertinent, illustration)
• Kid appeal
• Is it a book an older child, or even an adult, will rush to finish, before reading it a second time?
• Is the book innovative? Does it surprise you with something new?
• Does the book speak to you as a reader?

I can't wait to see where this goes. More to come . . .

Grant Opportunity for Classroom Teachers

This one is for all my friends and readers who teach. Please note that you must be trained in PLT (attended a workshop) to enter.

Project Learning Tree (PLT) will award a $500 cash grant to four randomly selected schools throughout the country. All you need to do is register before the December 30th deadline and you’ll be eligible to win a Learn Outside GreenWorks! Grant for your school. Winners can create a butterfly garden, host a PLT Learn Outside activity day, or even create an outdoor classroom. Enter today!

Entry Deadline is December 30, 2008. Winners will be notified by January 15, 2009.

To enter, sign up now at:
http://www.forestfoundation.org/gw_grant.html

Shakespeare as the Avon Lady?!

If you are a lover of history (like me) and enjoy sarcasm and inventive wit, you need to start reading one of my favorite blogs, The History Bluff. The tag line of this blog is "Making a mess of history." It is one of my regular morning reads and always offers a quick giggle. Today was no exception. Since it has literary connections, I thought you might enjoy it. Here's how it begins:

William Shakespeare is one of the leading dramatists of all time; the first true master of the modern English language - but he was a pioneer in more ways than one. Researchers at The History Bluff have discovered that Shakespeare may well have been the first person to sell cosmetics and perfumes door to door.

Hungry for your own morning giggle? Then get thee to the post entitled William Shakespeare: The Avon Lady.

Monday Poetry Stretch - Clerihew

I'm late again, but actually have a good reason this time. I'm in a foul, foul mood, which is really disappointing for this time of year. To lift my spirits I need some clever or funny poetry, so this week I'm challenging you to write a clerihew. A clerihew is a four-line verse written in an a/a/b/b rhyme scheme that is biographical and humorous.

Here's one of the poems I wrote for the last challenge.

Sir Isaac Newton, mathematician
scientist of recognition,
saw an apple fall from a tree
then shouted, "Yes, that's gravity!"

You can read all the results at this post. This time around I'm going to attempt to skewer some well-loved holiday types, like Rudolph or Frosty. We'll see how that goes.

Will you stretch with me? Leave me a comment about your poem and I'll post the results here later this week. Happy writing!

Why I Love Opening a Book

I have had a terrible day. No, make that a terrible few days. I have oodles of work, papers to grade, and lots of end-of-semester chores to complete. However, I can't concentrate.

Instead of work, I am burying myself in a book that has been in my TBR pile for more than a year. I knew it was the perfect choice when I got to this passage.

Stories were different, though: they came alive in the telling. Without a human voice to read them aloud, or a pair of wide eyes following them by flashlight beneath a blanket, they had no real existence in our world. They were like seeds in the beak of a bird, waiting to fall to earth, or the notes of a song laid out on a sheet, yearning for an instrument to bring their music into being. They lay dormant, hoping for the chance to emerge. Once someone started to read them, they could begin to change. They could take root in the imagination, and transform the reader. Stories wanted to be read, David's mother would whisper. They needed it. It was the reason they forced themselves from their world into ours. They wanted us to give them life.

Isn't that beautiful? Are you nodding in agreement with the sentiment? This is why I love opening a book. Each one I read surprises, comforts, and often teaches me in some way. After only three pages, this one is off to a grand start.

The above excerpt is from The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly. You can read the first chapter online.

The Latest in Book Censorship

Here is the latest in censorship from a school district in New York.

Pages from the middle of the book have been torn out by the school district after having been deemed "inappropriate" by school officials due to sexual content and strong language. Removed is a scene where the rebellious Lisa (played by Angela Jolie in the movie) encourages Susanna (played by Winona Ryder) to circumvent hospital rules against sexual intercourse by engaging in oral sex instead.

"The material was of a sexual nature that we deemed inappropriate for teachers to present to their students," said English Department Chariperson Leslie Altschul, "since the book has other redeeming features, we took the liberty of bowdlerizing."

Read more at Book Interrupted. I am shaking my head in stunned silence.

Gifts for Readers and Writers

My holiday shopping is finally done. Today I'm sharing some of my favorite purchases along with suggestions for the readers and writers on your list.

Readers always love books, but sometimes gifts that enhance the reading experience or allow them to show their love for literature can be fun. Here are a few ideas.

The next time you step out in the rain, sport one of these Literary Luminaries umbrellas. Perhaps you have a friend who loves to read comic strips just as much as Shakespeare. Then the choice is a Gazette Comic Umbrella. (And really, sporting an umbrella with Kalamazoo on it will inspire such interesting conversations!)

For the friend or family member with a large collection of titles, you can't go wrong with bookends. I'm quite enamored of these James Thurber Dog Bookends. My favorites, however, are the Reading Gargoyles that adorn my shelves.

These days lots of folks take their own bags to the store for groceries, or the library to carry their books. You can carry a tote bag with Driven to Read (Mo's pigeon), Click, Clack Read (farmer Brown's crew), Share Books (Kevin Henkes characters), or several other options.

On those days when you need a good insult for co-worker or friend (or heaven-forbid, a family member), try a package of Shakespearean Insult Gum. Each set includes seven boxes that look like miniature Shakespeare volumes. Inside each box are two fruit flavored gum balls and an eloquent Shakespearean insult printed on the inside.

Bookplates are always a good idea, but they can be expensive. Here is a relatively inexpensive source of customized bookplates with some very cool vintage images.

For the reader who must mark important lines, but hates to write in his/her books (that's me), these Book Leaves are folded bookmarks with inspiring quotes about collecting meaningful words on the front. There are also lines to write your thoughts.

You don't need to be a published author to be a writer. My mother continues to write actual letters, and lots of folks I know write thank you notes. Others still like to scribble away in notebooks. Here are some ideas for them.

I have a love for notebooks and notecards made out of recycled paper. Give your eco-loving writer friends a journal or stationery made out of elephant poo. Believe it or not, elephant poo is largely made of fibrous material (undigested plant matter) that can be processed to make lovely, STINK-FREE paper.

I'm also quite fond of this set of 10 Quaderno notebooks in a rainbow of colors.

If you have a friend writing a novel or working on revisions, I suggest the T-shirt that reads "Careful, or you'll end up in my novel." (Being nice to your writer friends is always a good idea!)

Let your writer show his/her love for children's literature with a packet of notecards featuring Curious George, Olivia, Max and the Wild Things, and more.

While scribbling away in your notebook, tickle your fancy with these sweet smelling pencils called Smencils. If you like to write in color, try these Colored Smencils.

Is your writer friend suffering from writer's block? Try The Observation Deck: A Toolkit for Writers. Inside the portable box is a 160 page book of proven techniques and 50 cards with verbs to stimulate action. The book offers inspiration and practical advice from writers and shares their secrets to approaching work with renewed creativity.

Do you have a Jane Austen lover on your list? Here are some ideas from the ridiculous to sublime.

Do you know someone trying to get her inner Jane on? Get her this Jane Austen finger puppet for a bit of fun.

For even more inspiration, superhero style, go for the Jane Austen Action Figure.

Lesley at Small Meadow Press makes "beautiful and useful papers for everyday life." Her gorgeous Jane Austen stationery consists of three missives each of three different designs, with nine decorated envelopes in matching colors. The quotes are from Jane's letters to her sister Cassandra in the early 1800's.

Laini Taylor, author and artist extraordinaire makes Laini's Ladies, beautiful adornments with inspirational quotes. Perfectly Happy and Silly Things both contain quotes by Austen.

While rereading your favorite Austen novels, keep your place with a Jane Austen bookmark.

Finally, for readers and writers who love to cook, I recommend the book Writers in the Kitchen by Tricia Gardella. It contains 200 hundred recipes, including appetizers, entrees, and desserts, from more than 150 writers.

That's all for now. If you have favorite gifts for the readers and writers in your life, please share your ideas. Happy shopping!

Poetry Friday - Convention

My son and I have been talking of snow for weeks now. Since his Oma and Opa have had snow on a few occasions already this year (gotta love lake effect snow), he wants to know when it's coming here. I'd like to know myself, though a light dusting is all I really require. I certainly don't miss the kind of snow described in this poem.

Convention
by Agnes Lee

The snow is lying very deep.
My house is sheltered from the blast.
I hear each muffled step outside,
I hear each voice go past.

But I’ll not venture in the drift
Out of this bright security,
Till enough footsteps come and go
To make a path for me.

Before I send you to the round up today, I must first encourage you to visit this week's poetry stretch results, where you'll find climbing rhymes by the likes of Jane Yolen, Julie Larios, doug florian, many of your favorite bloggers (TadMack, Laura Purdie Salas) and others. You won't want to miss the wonderful, original poems being shared.

Now that you've read some climbing rhymes, take a gander at the poetry being shared this week. Karen at Mommy's Favorite Children's Books is our intrepid hostess. Happy poetry Friday, all!

Charleston Dancing Elves - Family Style

I blame Franki and Mary Lee for this. Say hello to my family. Hubby's elf doesn't appear too often, but my boy is an excellent dancer.

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Beetle the Bard Read Along

Yes, spoilers abound in the Guardian piece Live Blog: Reading Beedle the Bard, but it's an oh so entertaining, chapter-by-chapter analysis. Here's an excerpt.

11:24am: On to the fourth tale, Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump. The best title so far.

Brief précis: foolish king, wants to be the only one with magic, forms a brigade of witch-hunters. He's been a bit silly though, because he needs an instructor and they're all too scared to come out of hiding, so he ends up with "a cunning charlatan with no magical power".

I'm not sure this is going to end happily.

Go on and read it. You know you want the skinny on the tales!

Poetry Stretch Results - Climbing Rhyme

The challenge this week was to write a climbing rhyme, or poem in which the position of the rhyming word changes from line to line. Here are the results.

Jane Yolen stopped by to share this poem.

Nearing Winter

The bare boned trees
Bereft of bees, birds,
Welcomes freeze with limbs
Raised, sings hymns as
Light dims, throwing shade.

Julie Larios from The Drift Record wrote two poems! The first strictly follows the structure of climbing rhymes and is called Heard Over the P.A. System at the Mall. The second poem uses the 4/3/2 rhyme position in separate 3-line stanzas. It is entitled Christmas.

Sam left this poem in the comments.

Song of the Discount Scarf Weaver

When warping the weft
I'm often left with
A cleft among thread.
Wind in said gap
Your head may freeze
But remember please the
sales policies. No refunds.

lirone from Words that sing shares a poem entitled Man in my mind.

douglas florian from Florian Cafe (check out the new banner on his blog!) stopped by to share this poem.

Winter Night

The squirrels all climb
In hurried time all
While I'm warm, snug
As a bug and
Mom hugs me twice-
That feels nice, as
House mice kiss-Bliss!

TadMack from Finding Wonderland left this poem in the comments.

Tough, terse, family life:
You endure strife, scenes,
Weekends rife with rages...
Spiked pressure gauges screech!
Turning pages, breathing, steam
Releases. You dream "somedays"
Where clean calm reigns,
Sans family strain, tensions
Drain.

Laura Purdie Salas is fretting along with many others about the state of publishing in these tough economic times. Her poem is entitled Resignations, Restructuring, Layoffs, and Buyouts.

cloudscome from a wrung sponge shares a poem entitled End of the Day.

Here are the poems I wrote this week. I'm sharing two variations on the squirrel theme. Let me know which you like better.

Delicate flakes of lace
twirl through space to
swiftly erase fall’s last
canvas. Dancing fast across
fields vast and stark,
heralding the dark days
that mark the long
song of winter.

Untitled - Version 1
Dashing up and down
the leafless crown and
scarred brown bark, spry
bushy tails cry for
winter’s nigh again. Sigh.

Untitled - Version 2
Dashing up and down
the leafless crown of
squirrel town—pitter patter,
run skitter scatter, they
loudly chatter 'bout acorns.

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.

Talk Amongst Yourselves - Why Boys Don't Read

This article was posted to the School Library Journal blog on Monday.

Wanted, Male Models: There's a good reason why boys don't read

Here's an excerpt.

Who reads? Well, mostly women. Moms frequently read to their young sons at bedtime. Elementary school teachers and media specialists, who are primarily women, read to their classes. And in movies and on TV, it’s women or girls who are typically rushing off to their book clubs. Men don’t read—instead, they do. For instance, men don’t read books about hunting, they hunt. They don’t devour novels about race-car driving; they go to drag races—and often take along their sons. For many boys, reading becomes a chore that prevents them from pursuing manly things, like playing sports, fishing, rock climbing, and, later, chasing girls. Testosterone keeps guys running and gunning, and if they don’t see members of their own tribe reading—trust me—they won’t deem it important.

. . .

Now, this is purely my opinion, but children copy their elders. They want to be what they see. A boy doesn’t want to be a woman. He wants to do what a man does. And if he doesn’t see a man reading, he won’t read.

I have tons of school work to do this week, but folks seem to be writing things I just can't ignore. Why do we give boys so little credit? Why the gross generalizations? While reading role models (teachers, parents, relatives, friends, etc.) are important, they can't possibly be the most important factor in what makes a reader and keeps one reading. Or can they? What do you think makes a reader? Are role models really the most important factor at play here?

As you're pondering this question, watch this video about reading.

P.S. - A little personal history, not that my experience should be the basis for the argument I am formulating, but my father was a reader AND a doer. My mother never read until recently (and she's nearly 80).

Monday Poetry Stretch - Climbing Rhyme

During the summer we wrote climbing rhymes. I thought this form was very interesting, and think we should try it again.

In a poem written in climbing rhyme, the position of the rhyming word changes. It first appears in the 4th word of line 1, 3rd word of line 2, and 2nd word of line 3. The pattern continues as a new rhyme appears in the 4th word of line 3, the 3rd word of line 4, and the 2nd word of line 5. This continues on and on, giving a stair-step feel to the poem.

Here's the poem I wrote for the last challenge.

Skipping, Skipping, Skipping

Round, flat, perfect stones,
Mother Nature hones smooth.
Sedimentary bones that skip
the surface, flip then
finally dip from sight.

I can think of many topics at this time of year that may work nicely in this scheme. What will you write about? Leave me a comment about your poem and I'll post the results here later this week. Happy writing!

Cybils Book Review - Flip, Float, Fly: Seeds on the Move

In spring of 2007, I wrote a thematic book list on seeds and growing things. When I update the list, Flip, Float, Fly!: Seeds on the Move, written by JoAnn Early Macken and illustrated by Pam Paparone, will most certainly be added.

It begins:

Take a breath and blow
on a fuzzy dandelion. Whee!
One puff sends seeds soaring.
Like small, soft feathers,
they parachute up in the sky.

I love the alliteration and the poetry of this first page. It provides a great hint at what's to come. This opening page faces the copyright information, and is covered with a double-page spread of a young girl gently blowing on a seeded dandelion.

The text continues:

Maple seeds whirl and twirl in a breeze.
   FLIP, flutter, float!
      The wind lifts them up and off of the tree.
         Away they fly like shiny green helicopters,
            spinning and spinning.

I can't do justice to the font and form of the text here. It is simply lovely. Each illustration that accompanies the text covers a full double-page spread. Readers learn about specific plants and how their seeds are spread, from tumbleweeds (why did it never occur to me that this was how they disperse their seeds?) to coconuts. In some instances, a "microscope view" (round circle containing a close-up image) shows the fruit, flower and leaves of the plant described. The illustrations are soft, quiet and beautiful. Even the picture of a bat "passing" seeds (after it has feasted on a fig) is charming.

Readers will not only learn about the ingenious ways that seeds disperse themselves, but also how they use wind, water, and animals to help them move and survive. The description of burdock seeds and the illustrations reminded me of the hours spent as a child pulling them off my socks and brushing them out of my dog's coat after long walks in the fields near home.

The last spread in the text depicts a beautiful bouquet of flowers and reads:

People plant seeds
in gardens and flowerpots.
They tend the seedlings and watch them grow.

Sprouts! Shoots! Leaves and roots!
Flowers bloom and new seeds form,
beginning the cycle again.

The next double-page spread serves as an illustrated glossary, depicting and defining seedpod, fruit, seed, shoot, sprout, seedling, nut, flower, leaves, stem and roots. The final page of the text includes a few notes about seeds.

This is an imaginative and informative pairing of science and poetry, accompanied by thoroughly striking illustrations. I highly recommend it.

Book: Flip, Float, Fly!: Seeds on the Move
Author: JoAnn Early Macken
Illustrator: Pam Paparone
Publisher: Holiday House
Date Published: 2008
Pages: 32 pages
Grade: K-5
ISBN: 978-0823420438
Source of Book: Local public library

This post was written for Nonfiction Monday. Head on over to Anastasia Suen’s blog and check out all the great posts highlighting nonfiction this week.

Talk Amongst Yourselves - Why Do YOU Read?

I was dumbstruck by these two paragraphs from Caitlin Flanagan's article in The Atlantic Online entitled What Girls Want. I should explain that these paragraphs are a preface to an extremely positive review of the book Twilight. Please note that the highlighted sections are my emphasis.

I hate Y.A. novels; they bore me. That’s a disappointing fact of my reading life, because never have I had such an intense relationship with books as when I was a young girl. I raged inside them and lived a double emotional life (half real girl, half inhabitant of a distant world). To Sir, With Love and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Forever and Rebecca, Mr. and Mrs. Bo Jo Jones and Mrs. Mike, Gone With the Wind and Rich Man, Poor Man, and even Valley of the Dolls (an astonishing number of whose 8 million readers turned out to be teenagers) and Peyton Place, as well as any movie-star biography I could get my hands on (Judy Garland, Greta Garbo—in those days, you had to have been long dead or seriously faded to be worthy of such a biography) and a slew of far less famous books written exclusively for the teen-girl market and published in paperback, never to be heard of again—all of these books consumed me in a way that no other works of art or mass culture ever have. I chose books neither because of, nor in spite of, their artistic merit, only for their ability to pull me through the looking glass.

. . .

The salient fact of an adolescent girl’s existence is her need for a secret emotional life—one that she slips into during her sulks and silences, during her endless hours alone in her room, or even just when she’s gazing out the classroom window while all of Modern European History, or the niceties of the passé composé, sluice past her. This means that she is a creature designed for reading in a way no boy or man, or even grown woman, could ever be so exactly designed, because she is a creature whose most elemental psychological needs—to be undisturbed while she works out the big questions of her life, to be hidden from view while still in plain sight, to enter profoundly into the emotional lives of others—are met precisely by the act of reading.

WOW. I'm not sure how to respond.

These are not the reasons I immersed myself in books as a young adult. I read because I had an insatiable desire to learn, about anything and everything. I never saw books as a form of escapism, though I'm sure there are those who do. How about you? Why did you read as a young adult, and why do you read now? And if you have any thoughts about the excerpt above, please share!

For You Book Lovers - 50% Off Titles!

Are you looking for books for the holidays? Do you want to get them for half price? Look no further than Boyds Mills Press. From now until the end of the year you can buy any book in stock and receive a whopping 50% off. Shipping is $10, whether you buy one book, one hundred, or more.

The great thing about this deal is that 20% of each book order will go to the Highlights for their 2009 scholarship fund. This means that when you buy a book you will be helping deserving writers go to Chautauqua or attend one of their other workshops.

Here's where you'll find the Fall 08 and Complete Backlist catalogs. The order form can be found here as well. Once you've made your choices you can fax or email the order form, or simply call (877) 512-8366.

Do you want to know which books I've purchased? You know you do! Here are the terrific titles I'll be giving as gifts, most of them to my teacher friends.

Nonfiction
The Big Storm, by Bruce Hiscock
Farmer George Plants a Nation, written by Peggy Thomas and illustrated by Larry Johnson
Lots and Lots of Zebra Stripes, by Stephen Swinburne
Marvels in the Muck: Life in the Salt Marshes, by Doug Weschler
Our Three Bears, written by Ron Hirschi with photographs by Thomas Mangelsen
Sharks, written by Sandra Markle with photographs by Doug Perrine

Poetry
Becoming Billie Holiday, written by Carol Boston Weatherford and illustrated by Floyd Cooper
Birds on a Wire, written by J. Patrick Lewis and Paul Janeczko and illustrated by Gary Lippincott
The Monarch's Progress, by Avis Harley
The Seldom-Ever-Shady Glades, by Sue Van Wassenhove

Picture Books
I Feel a Foot, written by Maranke Rinck and illustrated by Martijn van der Linden
Sparrows, written by Hans Post and Kees Heij and illustrated by Irene Goede

That's 12 books for the price of 6! A very good deal indeed. While these are all relatively new books, the complete backlist is also available at this discount. If there is a book you've been wanting, now's the time to get it. If you are looking for a gift for a teacher's classroom library, this is a great place to go.