NCTE Award Poetry
Bibliography
Cullinan, Bernice E., ed. 1996. A Jar of Tiny Stars: Poems by NCTE award-winning poets. Illustrated by Andi MacLeod and Portraits by Marc Nadel. Honesdale, PA: Wordsong Boyd Mills Press, Inc. ISBN 1563970872.
Critical Analysis
A Jar of Tiny Stars: Poems by NCTE Award-Winning Poets is an anthology edited by Bernice E. Cullinan. The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) gives this prestigious award every three years and considers only the poet’s full body of work. The fifty poems included in this collection were chosen by children throughout the country as their most beloved poems. The ten poets spotlighted in this anthology are David McCord, Aileen Fisher, Karla Kuskin, Myra Chon Livingston, Eve Merriam, John Ciardi, Lilian Moore, Adoff, Valerie Worth and Barbra Esbensen. Each chapter begins with the poet's portrait, a short quote by the poet and the back of the anthology offers the reader a short biography of each poet.
The poetic styles range from limericks to free verse, humorous to serious in nature. The portraits are achieved with black and white watercolor washes by Marc Nadel. Many of the poems in the anthology are not illustrated. However, the poems that Andi MacLeod’s sketches compliments and assists to accentuate the wit and feelings communicated in the poems.
Follow-Up Activity
On a large sheet of white chart paper write the poem “Snowman” by David McCord. Read the poem aloud to the students several times. Allow students to turn and talk about the poem and share their connections with their partners.
For the culminating activity, students will need three nylon balloons, salt, felt, scraps of cloth, one large bowl, one medium bowl, one small bowl, and a large pan or plastic container. The teacher will fill the balloons with water. Tie the tops of the balloons and place each balloon in one of the bowls in the freezer for at least fourteen hours or until the balloons are frozen. Then, cut the balloons apart and place the ice balls one on top of the other by connecting each snowball with salt. A large amount of salt will help the snowball adhere to each frozen snowball. Students may put clothing and body parts on the snowman.
Each day, as the students observe their class snowman, they will reread the “Snowman” poem and pair/share what they notice about their classroom snowman that is similar or different from the snowman in the poem. Students will predict how many days it will take before the snowman melts. Students will draw a picture in their science journal each day illustrating the changes that occur with their classroom snowman.
Highlighted Poem
Snowman
By David McCord
My little snowman has a mouth,
So he is always smiling south.
My little snowman has a nose;
I couldn’t seem to give him toes,
I couldn’t seem to make his ears.
He shed a lot of frozen tears
Before I gave him any eyes–
But they are big ones for his size.
Florian Poetry
Bibliography
Florian, Doglas. 2009. Dinothesaurus: Prehistoric Poems and Paintings. Simon & Schuster New York: Atheneum Books for
Young Readers. ISBN 978-1-4169-7978-4.
Young Readers. ISBN 978-1-4169-7978-4.
Critical Analysis
Douglas Florian book Dinothesaurus, provides the reader with amazing dinosaur poems infused with humor and interesting information. The "Glossarysaurus" offers specific information regarding each dinosaur, fossil web sites, an annotated list of dinosaur museums, bibliography for additional reading, and a section that contains a useful pronunciation and meaning guide.
Florian’s double page spreads features illustrations that are done with gonache, collage, colored pencils, stencils, dinosaur dust, and rubber stamps on primed brown paper bags. Each drawing will mesmerize any dinosaur enthusiast. Upon careful inspection, the reader will be captivated by Florian hidden artwork.
I read this book to my kindergarten students and they were fascinated by the clever language and colorful illustrations. Each poem in Florian’s poetry book deepens and broadens my kindergarteners understanding of dinosaurs.
Follow-Up Activity
I utilize this activity with my kindergarten students. For these two activities, each student will need a copy of Florian’s poem “Deinonychus,” clean chicken or turkey bones and Plaster of Paris.
For the first activity, students will listen to the teacher read the poem from a chart several times, during the week. Students will be provided with a copy of the poem “Deinonychus” to place in their poetry notebook. Students may draw a picture of their favorite dinosaur from the book or create their own dinosaur giving it a name, it meaning and pronunciation. For their illustrations, students may use colored pencils, rubber stamps, and watercolors. Students will pair read this poem and share their work with the class.
For the second activity, students will use clean chicken or turkey bones and Plaster of Paris. The teacher will help the students place each bone in wet, packed sand to make an imprint. The students will remove their bone and the teacher will help the students pour Plaster of Paris into the imprint (or mold). When the mixture has hardened, remove it from the sand. Help the students label and display their fossils in the discovery center.
Highlighted Poem
Deinonychus
die-NON-i-kus (terrible claw)
Deinonychus had terrible claws.
Deinonychus had dangerous jaws.
Deinonychus was built to attack.
Deinonychus would hunt in a pack.
Deinonychus would leap on its prey.
Deinonychus could ruin your whole day!
Multicultural Poetry
Bibliography
Mora, Pat. 2010. Dizzy in Your Eyes: Poems About Love. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 978-0-375-94565-6.
Critical Analysis
Dizzy in Your Eyes is a collection of fifty poems relating the coming of age experiences of preteens and teens. The poetry is written in the voice of girls and boys, who make it feel incredibly authentic. What I like most about this collection is the handy and instructive footnotes throughout the book that explains the various styles of poetic form used in each poem. Further, sprinkled throughout the collection is a brilliant use of imagery. Mora writes in free verse, as well as an array of classic poetic forms. Many of the poems have Spanish words that provide the reader with a sense of culture and authenticity. Unfortunately, only one poem in this book was translated in Spanish after the English version.
Each poem in Mora’s collection evokes a familiar childhood experience. My teenage son enjoys reading this book of poems. He describes it as,” A mirror into his soul.” He voiced, “I can relate to the topics in this poetry book because I have lived many of these.” His favorite poem is entitled “Dumped.” He said, “I like this poem because it brings back memories of my junior high and high school years.”
Follow-Up Activity
The poem “Dumped” can be an arena for teens to discuss their thoughts and feelings about being jilted by someone they care about. Through dialogue, students will observe that they share similar experiences with their peers and they are not alone.
Highlighted Poem
Dumped
I can’t believe you dumped me.
For months, I felt happy inside.
What a catastrophe!
Now I feel ugly and just want to hide.
All those months, I felt so happy inside.
Was everything you said untrue?
Now I just want to hide
and try to forget I loved you. Still do.
Was everything you said untrue?
“Let’s just be friends.” I hate the words.
I’m trying to forget I loved you and still do.
I ache at the mean rumors I’ve heard.
“Let’s just be friends.” Haunting words.
Me, a lump you dumped, casually.
How I ache at the rumors I’ve heard.
My heart broke, my private catastrophe.
