Teachers First with Poetry

I am very pleased to announce that TEACHERS FIRST.com chose my poem, "Buggy Alphabetics," as a teaching poem on their website.

Click on the link to TeachersFirst.com and scroll down the page a bit for a quick hands-on poetry lesson featuring my poem--so wonderfully illustrated on my website by Nikki Schaefer. Of course, you'll want to visit my acrobatic bugs in the

Writings section of my website, so you can enjoy the slideshow as well.

If you want to try an ABCEDARIAN--an alphabetic poem that uses the letters A-Z in proper order as the first letters of every line--start with only a few letters. As you become more comfortable with this poetic challenge, see how far you can go--alphabetically--with your lines. In a new Abcedarian I created below, I give myself a little leeway with an extra word, here and there, after the main letter word on a few lines. I also use two semi-invented words. (Can you find them?) That's why poetry is so much fun--it's puzzles and puns and wordplay all wrapped up in the coolest formats.

Give an ABCEDARIAN a try!

*****

FEATHERED FESTIVITIES

A

Bright

Cardinal--

Dressed

Elegantly--

For the Festivities,

Gathered

Holly berries

In a

Jaunty

Kitbag

Loaded with

Miscellaneous

Nuts and

Offerings,

Perfect

Quota for the

Robins,

Sparrows, and

Turtle doves'

Up-tempo

Vocal

Warblings and

X-citing

Yuletide

Zelebration!

Children's Book Week

Sorry it's halfway through the week already before I had the chance to remind you about CHILDREN'S BOOK WEEK. Click on the link and you'll find a great bookmark you can print. 

Since 1919, Children's Book Week has been celebrated in the United States. Schools, libraries, publishers, bookstores and of course, children enjoy this special week, highlighting books and reading.

Click here if you want to help choose the next Children's Choice Book Awards

or here to see the 2008 winners' list.

What great children's books have I been reading this week?

IMMERSED IN VERSE: an Informative, Slightly Irreverent & Totally Tremendous Guide to Living the Poet's Life by Allan Wolf

The title says it all for this poetry how-to book. Discover your inner poet when you take this book out for a spin.

AND THEN THERE WERE EIGHT: Poems about Space by Laura Purdie Salas

These poems are totally out-of-sight! The author shares some star-worthy poems and gives insight into poetry lingo.

A POKE IN THE I: a Collection of Concrete Poems selected by Paul B. Janeczko

When is a poem also a picture? If you don't know, you'll want to dive into this whirl of words.

HOW TO TALK TO YOUR DOG by Jean Craighead George

The author explains dog walk, talk, and body language. You'll decipher your dog's messages in a flash. Fun and informative.

HERO CAT by Eileen Spinelli

Don't miss this sweet picture book highlighting a mother cat's heroic efforts to save her young kittens from a fire. This book is based on a true story. Both the artwork and writing are wonderful.

OK. Now it's YOUR turn. What incredible children's books have you been reading???

National Library Week, National Poetry Month, Earth Day, and More

This has been a busy week. It's NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK, so I certainly hope you've visited your local library at least once this week. I'm reading Elise Broach's fun mystery story for middle grade readers called, MASTERPIECE. A cockroach named Marvin is the main character. He has an amazing talent which takes him on an adventurous quest. Click on the link and hear the author read from the book.

And it still POETRY MONTH. I've been writing a poem a day. How about you? One of my favorite young adult novels is written in free verse poetry--OUT OF THE DUST by Karen Hesse. Or another free verse novel, this one a middle grade read by Sharon Creech, is LOVE THAT DOG. This story is wonderful also.

Monday, April 20, is EARTH DAY. Here are 3 suggestions for green activities:

• cut two minutes off your morning shower to conserve water
• pick up trash in your neighborhood
• plant a tree or some wildflower seeds

What else can you think of do? 

Last, but not least, I invite you to visit MY LIGHT magazine for the April issue which features my article on St. Catherine of Siena, a 14th century young adult celebrity. 

Writing Poetry about THE World's LARGEST Ball of Twine

Okay, have you been doing it?

Writing a new poem every day during POETRY month this April???

I'm so proud of myself. So far (5 whole days) I've managed to do it.

My poems are posted among the hundreds of poems (click on Comments)

at "Poetic Asides with Robert Lee Brewer" from WRITER'S DIGEST.

I'm amazed how much fun it has been--this poetry challenge. 

Mr. Brewer presents a new poetry topic each day.

So far, these are the prompts: origin poem; outsider poem; The problem with ____; animal poem; landmark poem.

Those prompts have helped me create poems on the etymology of "word;" pear tree blossoms;problems; a robin; and THE WORLD'S LARGEST BALL OF TWINE, in Kansas anyway. 

Now it's your turn to try writing poetry.

Remember, poems don't have to rhyme. 

Free verse poems are very close to regular talking--only you can break up the words and phrases the way you want to. 

And you can use zinger words--words that pack a punch. Words that sound special or mean something special or make people almost smell something or see something special.

And poems don't have to be serious either. Read some of Robert Lansky's silly poems at GIGGLE POETRY.  Be sure and check out his POETRY CLASS where he shows you how to write all different types of poetry. I've highlighted some of them in the paragraph above. 

Henry, my yellow and white kitty,(see photo at the top) suggested a poetry prompt you can try for today: CATS.

And he wanted to let you know that he, and Herman & Holly are featured today at Mayra Calvani's blog: "PETS and AUTHORS."

No Fooling--April Is All About POETRY

Happy April Fool's Day!

Has anyone played a joke on you? I can remember on one bright and springy April 1st when I was about 6 my dad called from the front room. "Hurry! Come and look. It's snowing." 

My brothers and I came running. All we could see out the big front window was sunshine and almost green grass. No snow.

"April Fool's!" Dad said with a grin.

Snow would be an unexpected event for April--although not unheard of. Mother Nature does have a way of playing tricks on us sometimes. One Easter in Oklahoma, we had several inches of snow. No fun looking for Easter Eggs in snow mounds.

April is a fun and busy month. In April we celebrate POETRY and NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK and EARTH DAY.

If you'd like to learn how to write a poem, go to Kenn Nesbit's Poetry for Kids website. He has lots of fun stuff for you--funny poems, poetry games, podcasts, poetry links, and more.

Mr. Nesbit has a new poetry book out this month--My Hippo Has the Hiccups. What a great title! I'm sure the poems are just as silly. In fact, you can read one, "Don't Ever Bite Your Sister," when you click on the title above.

Can you write a poem every day this month? Why not give it a try.

Start right now...

Children's Book Winners for the NAACP Image Awards

Congratulations to Nikki Grimes and Brian Collier for their picture book biography on our new President,

Barack Obama: Son of Promise Child of Hope. It has earned honors for OUTSTANDING LITERARY WORK--CHILDREN

I had the wonderful opportunity to see the galley of this book last June while attending a writers' workshop in Arkansas. Ms. Grimes visited one day and shared not only the book with us but also insights into how she writes poetry. It was a fantastic presentation.

 

To read more about Ms. Grimes poetry tips, visit my blog archives.

Nikki Giovanni's poetry book, Hip Hop Speaks to Children, was awarded by NAACP for OUTSTANDING LITERARY WORK--POETRY. It also earned a spot on BOOKLIST's TOP 10 ART BOOKS FOR YOUTH. Poetry Speaks to Children is another Sourcebooks publication that Ms. Giovanni contributed to as well. 

Acrostic Poetry for Cold Dogs and Hot Dogs

Holly, my dog, says it's cold outside, so she'd rather stay inside.

A fun inside activity is writing ACROSTIC poems. They're a breeze--and not an icy, cold breeze either.

Start with an easy acrostic using your first name. Write the letters vertically, one underneath the other. Here's how Holly's name would look:

H

O

L

L

Y

Now, use each letter as the first letter for that line. Since we're using Holly's name, we'll make the poem about her.

Happy all the time

Often takes naps

Likes to explore

Loves to eat treats

Yip-yaps at birds and squirrels

If you want a challenge, make the lines work together--like a mini-story.

Happy dogs, like Holly,

Often give other pets and people

Lots of slobbery

Licks--which are really doggie kisses--and they aren't

Yucky at all!

And if you want a super-duper challenge, expand your ACROSTIC to more than one word. Try telling your poetic story using these words:

D

O

G

G

I

E

D

A

Y

C

A

M

P

Have fun and stay warm!

For more adventures with pets, visit Mayra Calvani's new blog:

http://petsandauthors.blogspot.com

A Presidential Book

Last night I stayed up to watch Barack Obama as he claimed his victory in the U. S. presidential race. I wanted to be a part of this important time in history. I was not disappointed. His speech was inspiring-- hope-filled. A unifying speech for all of our people.

I had the great opportunity this June, while attending a writing workshop in Arkansas at Harding University, to meet Nikki Grimes and to see the galley version of a picture book biography that she had just completed. It was BARACK OBAMA: Son of Promise, Child of Hope. 

Ms. Grimes explained how she had been approached to write the book in a bit of a hurry--to be completed and ready for publication by September. She, of course, had many other works-in-progress demanding her time as well. Could she squeeze in one more book? A book that must be completed in three weeks time? 

Three weeks to research, write, edit, revise, and complete--in order to have the book submitted to the illustrator in time. 

Even though her other projects tugged her in the opposite direction, Ms. Grimes felt called to walk down President-elect Obama's road. She would do the research. She would piece together word snapshots of his life, like a tenderly stitched quilt. She would help share his story with young readers, eager to learn of this remarkable man. I'm very glad she did.

Click on the link if you'd like to read Ms. Grimes' tips for writing poetry.

HIGHLIGHTS Poem

It's here! My poem, "Reaching for the Stars," is on page 5 of the November issue of HIGHLIGHTS magazine. See--that's me to the right, dancing for joy!

Melanie Hall created an enchanting illustration to help bring my words to life. Too cool! 

But don't just take my word for it. Visit your local library or bookstore and see for yourself. And, of course, enjoy all the other great reading fun in the magazine as well. 

Exciting News!

I just found out THE GIRLS, a middle grade anthology with my short story, "The Emily Explosion," is to be released on August 15! Blooming Tree Press is publishing the story collection. I'm so glad the book will be available as the new school year starts. What a great addition to a school or classroom library--or for your very own.

Here's a quick look at what "The Emily Explosion" is about:

I’m nobody! Who are you?
Are you nobody, too?
Then there’s a pair of us – don’t tell
They’d banish us, you know.

Dee-Dee Tunley, a seventh grade literature loser, enjoys doodling much more than analyzing Emily Dickinson’s weird poems. However, when Dee-Dee is forced to do extra credit work on the above poem, she finds a connection with Emily and discovers they may both be somebodies rather than nobodies.

Have you ever felt like a nobody? What helped you realize you were really a somebody? I'd love to hear your story.

I adore Emily Dickinson's poems. Who is your favorite poet???

Poetry Highlights from Nikki Grimes

On Friday, June 13, at Harding University I had the great privilege to listen to readings and teachings of poet and author, Nikki Grimes.
Ms. Grimes stated that as our world grows more complicated nothing can prepare a child for it like poetry.
She said poetry can be a message or a massage, depending on the words used in the poem. She takes a natural, organic approach to poetry and has been a lifelong student of it. Ms. Grimes said, “I’m a poet down to my soul.” She explained that a poem tells a story or paints a picture with as few words as possible. She directed us to tune into our senses and draw on the environment—to play with the words.
She told us to begin with a simple description of a subject and then play around with a couple of the phrases we had written. We were to use word tools, like a dictionary and thesaurus. And she cautioned us about using rhyme—it should only be included when used well and with intention. But she does like internal rhyme and uses it often.
She shared with us the galley of her picture book biography of Barack Obama, which is to be released in September of this year. Her poetic voice shaped the story of the senator’s life from childhood to his current Presidential election campaign.
Ms. Grimes read excerpts from her latest novel in verse, THE DARK SONS. The story parallels the lives of two boys, one modern (Sam) and one ancient (biblical Ishmael) She also read selections from two of her narrative poetry picture books, WHEN GORILLA GOES WALKING, and MEET DANITRA BROWN. Ms. Grimes explained that every poem in a narrative poetry book must be a complete poem in itself, but it must also add to the development of the story. And a novel in verse is more complicated than narrative poetry because it must have a more detailed plot, setting and time period.
Ms. Grimes wove the words of her poems with the skill of a master. She truly was an inspiration--a revelation, a celebration, pure jubilation! (And I hope she will forgive me for using these rhyming words to describe it all.)

More Great News!

I received a letter from HIGHLIGHTS for CHILDREN magazine today announcing the publication of my poem, "Reaching for the Stars," in the November 2008 issue of their magazine.
How exciting!
I started writing this poem while at the Highlight's Foundation Chautaugua Workshop in July 2005. My writer mentor for the week was David L. Harrison, a poet laureate from Missouri. It was during one of his presentations that the poem took shape.
So I offer a salute today to Mr. Harrison. I'm including some links below to a few online sites with information about him. Of course, he has a large number of books available either through bookstores or libraries. He writes not only poetry and stories for children but also nonfiction books as well.

A MATTER OF METER
By David L. Harrison
http://www.teachingk-8.com/archives/articles/a_matter_of_meter_by_david_l_harrison.html

The article explains some of the rhythmic patterns used in poetry with examples by children. The author also offers suggestions for presenting the topic to students.

RANDOM HOUSE MEET THE AUTHOR
http://www.randomhouse.com/author/results.pperl?authorid=12056

Brief highlights of Mr. Harrison’s writing career and education

THE READER: THE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS READING ASSOCIATION
“Fluency Fun: Kids Love the Sound of Words”
http://www.arareading.org/The%20Reader%20-%20fluency.pdf

An interview with Mr. Harrison and examples of his poems

Children's Poetry Day

Although today is the first day of SPRING, it has been rather rainy around these parts--as you can tell from Holly's attire.






Today is also CHILDREN'S POETRY DAY. So I've found a spring poem and activity to accompany it. Since we've seen more rain than sunshine this spring, the poem I' ve selected is A RAIN SONG by Evaleen Stein (1863-1923), a poet from Indiana. To learn more about Ms. Stein, click on this link sponsored by Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana: http://www.bsu.edu/ourlandourlit/Literature/Authors/authors_rd3/steine.html


A RAIN SONG
by Evaleen Stein

Tinkle, tinkle,
Lightly fall
On the peach buds, pink and small;
Tip the tiny grass, and twinkle
On the clover, green and tall.

Tinkle, tinkle,--
Faster now,
Little rain-drops, smite and sprinkle
Cherry-bloom and apple-bough!
Pelt the elms, and show them how
You can dash!
And splash! splash! splash!
While the thunder rolls and mutters,
And the lightnings flash and flash!
Then eddy into curls
Of a million misty swirls,
And thread the air with silver, and embroider it with pearls!


To read the entire poem, click on this link at DLTK’S CRAFTS FOR KIDS: http://www.dltk-holidays.com/spring/poem/mstein-rainsong.htm

And for a fun craft, try this bunny all dressed for the rainy spring weather--also from DLTK: http://www.dltk-kids.com/animals/bunny/mbunny-spring.htm

For more rainy day poems, I suggest Candice Leby's book, SPLASH!: POEMS OF OUR WATERY WORLD. She has a great poem using the same theme as Ms. Stein's above but with a very different feel called RAIN, DANCE!

Happy Spring!

A Morning with Constance Levy, Poet Extraordinaire

I had the great fortune to attend a workshop today given by Constance Levy, St. Louis' own children's poet guru. She spoke to OASIS reading tutors for the Rockwood School District on ways to interact with children using poetry.
"Poems don't have to rhyme," she said. "But they do need to flow and to have rhythm." She explained that children should be encouraged to "write in a natural way." She cautioned that teachers and tutors shouldn't "squeeze the juice out of creativity" by restricting children's poetry to a set subject or style.

"William Stafford (another Midwest poet) said a poem was 'talk with a little luck in it'," Ms. Levy said. She suggested reading several poems to children and asking them which one they liked best and why. Discuss with the children "who is talking in this poem, and who are they speaking to?"
Ms. Levy encouraged the OASIS tutors to help children take chances in poetry by using wild and crazy words--to have fun. And for elementary students, she talked about helping them learn "to break lines." At school children are taught to write sentences and fill up each line, only breaking for paragraphs. But when writing poetry, the children must be re-taught to listen for phrasing and how to construct a poem.

Ms. Levy had all of us brainstorm for a few minutes on FOG, jotting down words and phrases which came to our minds. We were encouraged to be inventive, to think in colors and metaphors. To be open to the senses. Later after briefly discussing haikus, we were encouraged to try one--but not necessarily strictly limited to the 5, 7, 5 syllables in each of the three lines if that didn't quite work for our poem.
Here is my morning haiku created with help from the earlier brainstorming session

FOG
A shrouded ghost mist
swallows me up as I walk
into its mystery.

Give yourself a treat and visit your local library where you'll find copies of Constance Levy's poetry books: A TREE PLACE,
WHEN WHALES EXHALE
A CRACK IN THE CLOUDS
SPLASH!
I'M GOING TO PET A WORM TODAY
THE STORY OF RED RUBBER BALL

To find out more about Ms. Levy, you may visit this biography link at Pennsylvania State University, compiled by Pam Goldberg. http://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/palitmap/bios/Levy__Constance.html

Website Additions & a CONTEST

Greetings All!
Please pass the word around that I've added the following new treats to my website.
In the WRITINGS section, you'll find:

BUGGY ALPHABETICS with illustrations by NIKKI SCHAEFER (www. nikkischaefer.com) This poem is an ABECEDARIAN--an alphabetical poem which uses the letters from A-Z for the first letter in every line. (http://www.cynthiareeg.com/writings/alphabetics.html)

A DAY in TASMANIA with photos--taken from my travel journal over the holidays. (http://www.cynthiareeg.com/writings/tasmania.html)

In the TIPS FOR WRITERS section, you'll find:
INTERVIEW with NIKKI SCHAEFER--the very talented author/illustrator soon to be joining the GAP team (http://www.cynthiareeg.com/tips/nikki_schaefer.html)

More RESOURCES -- helpful websites for writers (http://www.cynthiareeg.com/tips/resource_2.html)

In the FOR TEACHERS & PARENTS section, you'll find:
BOOK SUGGESTIONS for DIVERSITY--a quick list to help celebrate the uniqueness in each child. (http://www.cynthiareeg.com/teachers/diversity.html)

GIFTS from GOD Study Guide (http://www.cynthiareeg.com/teachers/gifts_god_study.html)

In the FOR KIDS section, you'll find:
BE A NEWS REPORTER--an easy break-down of the 5 W's and a link to a Weekly Reader page to start the young news hound on his/her story. (http://www.cynthiareeg.com/kids/reporter.html)

SOLVE A MYSTERY--be the first to unravel the clues and answer the questions, and you'll win a prize. (http://www.cynthiareeg.com/kids/mystery_questions.html)
Enjoy!