Bagert, Brod and Tedd Arnold (ill.). Giant Children. New York: Scholastic, 2004.
Creech, Sharon. Love That Dog. NY: Harper Collins: Joanna Cotler Books, 2001.
Grimes, Nikki and Michael Bryant (ill.). Come Sunday. Michigan: Eerdmans Books for
Young Readers, 1996.
Hesse, Karen. Out of the Dust. New York: Scholastic, 1997.
Hines, Anna Grossnickle. Pieces: A Year in Poems and Quilts Nose Knows.
NY: Harper Collins: Greenwillow Books, 2001.
Hines, Anna Grossnickle. Pieces: A Year in Poems and Quilts Do You Know Green?
NY: Harper Collins: Greenwillow Books, 2001.
Hoberman, Mary Ann and Michael Emberley. You Read to Me, I'll Read to You.
Singapore: Little, Brown and Company, 2001.
Hopkins, Lee Bennett and Megan Lloyd (ill). More Surprises.
New York: Harper & Row Weekly Reader Books, 1987.
Janeczko, Paul. Bingo. In The Place My WORDS Are Looking For, ed Paul Janeczko,
88-89. New York: Bradbury Press. 1990.
Martinez, Christina. Tests. In Anthology of Poetry by Young Americans, no 8.
NC: The American Academy of Poetry, 1991.
Merriam, Eve. New Love. In The Place My WORDS Are Looking For,
ed Paul Janeczko, 64. New York: Bradbury Press. 1990.
Metzdorf, Eric. Forgotten. In For the Good of the Earth and Sun, ed. Georgia Heard,146.
Hampshire: Heinemann, 1989.
Prelutsky, Jack and Arnold Lobel (ill.). Tyrannosaurus Was a Beast Iguanodon.
NY: Greenwillow Books, 1988.
Sones, Sonya. what my mother doesn’t know. New York:
Simon & Schuster: Books for Young Readers, 2001.
Zimmer, Paul. How Birds Should Die. In The Place My WORDS Are Looking For,
ed Paul Janeczko, 96. New York: Bradbury Press. 1990.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Thursday, April 19, 2007
The Place My WORDS Are Looking For
selections by Paul Janeczko
Bibliography: The Place My WORDS Are Looking For. 1990. Poems selected by Paul Janeczko. New York: Bradbury Press. 1990. ISBN 0027476715
The Place My WORDS Are Looking For is a collection of poems selected by Paul Janeczko. This book consists of the works of thirty-nine outstanding poets and discussions of their inspirations in writing poetry, thoughts, dreams, imaginations, memories, how it feels to write poetry and the type of poetry they enjoy writing. The poems offer a variety of topics for all ages including animals, nature, objects, shape poems, friends, family, nature, love. Throughout the book, black & white photographs of the poets are included within the pages of their works.
Works that I found interesting include this descriptive poem of birds on page 96 of the book:
How Birds Should Die
by Paul Zimmer
Not like hailstones
ricocheting off concrete
nor vaporized through
jets nor drubbed
against windshields
not in flocks
plunged down into
cold sea by
sudden weather no
please no but
like stricken cherubim
spreading on winds
their tiny engines
suddenly taken out
by small pains
they sigh and
float down on
sunlit updrafts
drifting through treetops
to tumble gently
onto the moss
Reading this poem, I could visualize and relate to this experience with my own experiences of a bird or two hitting my windshield. The words used in this poem are powerful such as “like hailstones ricocheting off concrete”.
The following poem is also very powerful. After reading the poem through three times, it finally hit me… the poem is descriptive and the words give a visual image of the true meaning of love.
New Love
by Eve Merriam
I am telling my hands
not to blossom into roses
I am telling my feet
not to turn into birds
and fly over rooftops
and I am putting a hat on my head
so the flaming meteors
in my hair
will hardly show.
Extension: Read these poems to teen or young adults asking for open discussion of the poems. Encourage group participation as they discuss these poems and experiences of their own that left them feeling sad, lonely, love, strong, powerful, happy etc.
Hand out a blank sheet of paper and have the students write the words of New Love on the paper in the center. Then have them illustrate this poem, it would be interesting to see how they would draw the hands.
Paul Janeczko had one poem in the collection on page 88-89. He also discussed writing the poem based on experiences. He discusses the concept of many poems being born of contradictions and how he had experiences, but they were combined with his thoughts to write the poem. He considers the poem to be a love poem of his parent’s love for him and taking care of him. His experiences in the poem are not his true experiences in life, with the exception that he worked at the church bingo, but his dad worked two jobs and never washed dishes or read the paper. His mom never played bingo because she was always taking care of the house and Paul. This poem is of love and Paul’s desire for his mother to do something for herself.
Bingo
by Paul Janeczko
Saturday night
Dad washed, I dried
the supper dishes
while Mom armed herself
for Early Bird bingo at seven
in the church basement:
her lucky piece
(a smooth quarter she’d won the first time out},
seat cushion,
and a White Owls box of pink plastic markers.
Dad read the paper
watched TV with me
until Mom returned,
announcing her triumph with a door slam
and a shout
“I was hot!”
Flinging her hat,
twirling out of her jacket,
she pulled dollar bills
from her pockets
before setting them free
to flutter like fat spring snow.
“Ninety-two dollars!” she squealed
as Dad hugged her off the floor.
“Ninety-two dollars!”
In bed I listened to
mumbled voices
planning to spend the money --
on groceries
school clothes
a leaky radiator --
and wished she’d buy
a shiny red dress
long white gloves
and clickety-click high heels.
Extension: Read the poem aloud and ask the children how the poem made them feel. Play bingo with $100 prize and ask the winner to share with the class what they would do with their winnings. Ask the children to find similar poems about love, family, and poems written by Paul Janeczko.
I thoroughly enjoyed the works that are tucked inside the pages of this collection. The poets included in the anthology include such names as Karla Kuskin, Naomi Shihab Nye, Jack Prelutsky, Paul Janeczko, X.J. Kennedy, Myra Cohn Livingston and more. Seeing the authors pictures while reading their works and their testimonies brought me closer to each poet, helped me to understand why the poems they wrote and the emotions tucked inside each poem. I really enjoyed this book and encourage everyone to read it.
Additional Poetry collections by Paul B. Janeczko include:
Strings: A Gathering of Family Poems
Pocket Poems
Poetspeak: In Their Work, About Their Work
Don’t Forget to Fly
Postcard Poems
This Delicious Day: 65 Poems
The Music of What Happens: Poems That Tell Stories
Going Over to Your Place: Poems for Each Other
Original Poetry:
Brickyard Summer
selections by Paul Janeczko
Bibliography: The Place My WORDS Are Looking For. 1990. Poems selected by Paul Janeczko. New York: Bradbury Press. 1990. ISBN 0027476715
The Place My WORDS Are Looking For is a collection of poems selected by Paul Janeczko. This book consists of the works of thirty-nine outstanding poets and discussions of their inspirations in writing poetry, thoughts, dreams, imaginations, memories, how it feels to write poetry and the type of poetry they enjoy writing. The poems offer a variety of topics for all ages including animals, nature, objects, shape poems, friends, family, nature, love. Throughout the book, black & white photographs of the poets are included within the pages of their works.
Works that I found interesting include this descriptive poem of birds on page 96 of the book:
How Birds Should Die
by Paul Zimmer
Not like hailstones
ricocheting off concrete
nor vaporized through
jets nor drubbed
against windshields
not in flocks
plunged down into
cold sea by
sudden weather no
please no but
like stricken cherubim
spreading on winds
their tiny engines
suddenly taken out
by small pains
they sigh and
float down on
sunlit updrafts
drifting through treetops
to tumble gently
onto the moss
Reading this poem, I could visualize and relate to this experience with my own experiences of a bird or two hitting my windshield. The words used in this poem are powerful such as “like hailstones ricocheting off concrete”.
The following poem is also very powerful. After reading the poem through three times, it finally hit me… the poem is descriptive and the words give a visual image of the true meaning of love.
New Love
by Eve Merriam
I am telling my hands
not to blossom into roses
I am telling my feet
not to turn into birds
and fly over rooftops
and I am putting a hat on my head
so the flaming meteors
in my hair
will hardly show.
Extension: Read these poems to teen or young adults asking for open discussion of the poems. Encourage group participation as they discuss these poems and experiences of their own that left them feeling sad, lonely, love, strong, powerful, happy etc.
Hand out a blank sheet of paper and have the students write the words of New Love on the paper in the center. Then have them illustrate this poem, it would be interesting to see how they would draw the hands.
Paul Janeczko had one poem in the collection on page 88-89. He also discussed writing the poem based on experiences. He discusses the concept of many poems being born of contradictions and how he had experiences, but they were combined with his thoughts to write the poem. He considers the poem to be a love poem of his parent’s love for him and taking care of him. His experiences in the poem are not his true experiences in life, with the exception that he worked at the church bingo, but his dad worked two jobs and never washed dishes or read the paper. His mom never played bingo because she was always taking care of the house and Paul. This poem is of love and Paul’s desire for his mother to do something for herself.
Bingo
by Paul Janeczko
Saturday night
Dad washed, I dried
the supper dishes
while Mom armed herself
for Early Bird bingo at seven
in the church basement:
her lucky piece
(a smooth quarter she’d won the first time out},
seat cushion,
and a White Owls box of pink plastic markers.
Dad read the paper
watched TV with me
until Mom returned,
announcing her triumph with a door slam
and a shout
“I was hot!”
Flinging her hat,
twirling out of her jacket,
she pulled dollar bills
from her pockets
before setting them free
to flutter like fat spring snow.
“Ninety-two dollars!” she squealed
as Dad hugged her off the floor.
“Ninety-two dollars!”
In bed I listened to
mumbled voices
planning to spend the money --
on groceries
school clothes
a leaky radiator --
and wished she’d buy
a shiny red dress
long white gloves
and clickety-click high heels.
Extension: Read the poem aloud and ask the children how the poem made them feel. Play bingo with $100 prize and ask the winner to share with the class what they would do with their winnings. Ask the children to find similar poems about love, family, and poems written by Paul Janeczko.
I thoroughly enjoyed the works that are tucked inside the pages of this collection. The poets included in the anthology include such names as Karla Kuskin, Naomi Shihab Nye, Jack Prelutsky, Paul Janeczko, X.J. Kennedy, Myra Cohn Livingston and more. Seeing the authors pictures while reading their works and their testimonies brought me closer to each poet, helped me to understand why the poems they wrote and the emotions tucked inside each poem. I really enjoyed this book and encourage everyone to read it.
Additional Poetry collections by Paul B. Janeczko include:
Strings: A Gathering of Family Poems
Pocket Poems
Poetspeak: In Their Work, About Their Work
Don’t Forget to Fly
Postcard Poems
This Delicious Day: 65 Poems
The Music of What Happens: Poems That Tell Stories
Going Over to Your Place: Poems for Each Other
Original Poetry:
Brickyard Summer
Thursday, April 12, 2007
What My Mother Doesn't Know
A serious poem about a difficult or sensitive subject in children's or teens' lives.
Bibliography:
Sones, Sonya. 2001. what my mother doesn’t know. New York:
Simon & Schuster: Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0689841140
Introduction:
Sonya Sones was born in Boston and grew up in a Newton a suburban area near Boston. She was interested in drawing and began her career in film making, working in various areas of film making. She enjoyed reading to her two children and decided to join a poetry class instructed by Myra Cohn Livingston. Myra Livingston inspired her to write her first novel. She did this in free-verse and it was titled Stop Pretending, which was based upon her real life experiences as a 13 year old girl and coping with her older sister’s emotional and mental problems. Sonya now resides in California with her husband and two children.
She has written several books of poetry in free verse centered around growing up with the serious and difficult issues of family life along with trials and tribulations of teen life, heartache, love, disappointment, family issues and more from a teen’s point of view. Many readers can relate to the poems and associate them with instances in their own lives.
http://www.sonyasones.com/bio.htm
What my mother doesn’t know is intended for children ages 12 and over. My opinion is that this book is not suitable for younger children. Sophie is a 15 year old girl who is narrating the poems and she is dealing with teen life experience. She’s in love one moment, crushing on another boy the next, hates her mom, hates hating her mom, sees her parents heading for divorce, has school issues, friend issues and more. Sonya’s works focus on critical issues but she adds a touch of humor to many so one can look beyond the gloom and see something positive about life. I applaud her works and feel that writing from personal experiences of embarrassing or sad moment would be very difficult to do, especially when writing about these experiences with a humorous twist.
The following poem is especially moving to those who have experienced family problems, embarrassment and divorce. This descriptive issue reveals to those who have not experienced similar circumstances, what might go on behind closed doors.
Mom And Dad Used To Be In Love
by Sonya Sones
Way back in the beginning anyhow.
I know because I can see it in their eyes
when I watch the old home videos
of when I was a baby.
They were really in love,
like people in the movies.
But now they have
these hideous battles all the time.
They scream their guts out
at each other about things like
how they should be raising me
or about money or the in-laws
or even just what movie to go see.
Their shrieking whips around inside me
like a tornado.
And no fingers crammed in my ears,
no pillows held over my head,
can block it out.
It makes me want to throw on my coat
and rush over to Rachel’s
or to Grace’s.
But I can’t bring myself
to set foot outside.
What would I do if
I ran into one of the Neighbors?
A neighbor who’s heard
every
single
foul-mouthed word?
From Sonya Sones' what my mother doesn’t know
From The Critics (Barnes & Noble)
Children's Literature
Nearly fifteen years old, Sophie narrates her quest for Mr. Right-and a-half in a novel-length collection of free verse poems. On the way, readers travel through her first and second loves and a secret cyber relationship that she deletes at the first sign of weirdness. The highs and lows of Sophie's life reflect much of the excitement and anguish that mark adolescence¾maintaining and developing new friendships;experiencing first love;despairing of parents in the midst of marital strife and personal transitions;and facing down religious bigotry and collective scape-goating. Sophie negotiates all of these life-events with honesty, openness and humor as she reconstructs her identity and learns to trust her own perspective. 2001, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, $17.00. Ages 12 up. Reviewer:Melissa J. Rickey
Sonya Sones’ additional works include:
Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy (HarperTeen)
One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies (Simon Pulse)
Extension:
In the classroom or the library, have teens discuss these experiences and how her works made them feel. Read the poems aloud and re-read them. Have the students draw pictures to go along with the readings. Choose poems that will not make the class feel uncomfortable and assure each student that everyone has problems and issues that may be the same as their own or they may be different issues. Point out the words or phrases that may help them to see a brighter side to many situations. End with a humorous poem that deals with family or school life such as Booger Love by Brod Bagert or My Dog Ate My Homework by Bruce Lansky.
A serious poem about a difficult or sensitive subject in children's or teens' lives.
Bibliography:
Sones, Sonya. 2001. what my mother doesn’t know. New York:
Simon & Schuster: Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0689841140
Introduction:
Sonya Sones was born in Boston and grew up in a Newton a suburban area near Boston. She was interested in drawing and began her career in film making, working in various areas of film making. She enjoyed reading to her two children and decided to join a poetry class instructed by Myra Cohn Livingston. Myra Livingston inspired her to write her first novel. She did this in free-verse and it was titled Stop Pretending, which was based upon her real life experiences as a 13 year old girl and coping with her older sister’s emotional and mental problems. Sonya now resides in California with her husband and two children.
She has written several books of poetry in free verse centered around growing up with the serious and difficult issues of family life along with trials and tribulations of teen life, heartache, love, disappointment, family issues and more from a teen’s point of view. Many readers can relate to the poems and associate them with instances in their own lives.
http://www.sonyasones.com/bio.htm
What my mother doesn’t know is intended for children ages 12 and over. My opinion is that this book is not suitable for younger children. Sophie is a 15 year old girl who is narrating the poems and she is dealing with teen life experience. She’s in love one moment, crushing on another boy the next, hates her mom, hates hating her mom, sees her parents heading for divorce, has school issues, friend issues and more. Sonya’s works focus on critical issues but she adds a touch of humor to many so one can look beyond the gloom and see something positive about life. I applaud her works and feel that writing from personal experiences of embarrassing or sad moment would be very difficult to do, especially when writing about these experiences with a humorous twist.
The following poem is especially moving to those who have experienced family problems, embarrassment and divorce. This descriptive issue reveals to those who have not experienced similar circumstances, what might go on behind closed doors.
Mom And Dad Used To Be In Love
by Sonya Sones
Way back in the beginning anyhow.
I know because I can see it in their eyes
when I watch the old home videos
of when I was a baby.
They were really in love,
like people in the movies.
But now they have
these hideous battles all the time.
They scream their guts out
at each other about things like
how they should be raising me
or about money or the in-laws
or even just what movie to go see.
Their shrieking whips around inside me
like a tornado.
And no fingers crammed in my ears,
no pillows held over my head,
can block it out.
It makes me want to throw on my coat
and rush over to Rachel’s
or to Grace’s.
But I can’t bring myself
to set foot outside.
What would I do if
I ran into one of the Neighbors?
A neighbor who’s heard
every
single
foul-mouthed word?
From Sonya Sones' what my mother doesn’t know
From The Critics (Barnes & Noble)
Children's Literature
Nearly fifteen years old, Sophie narrates her quest for Mr. Right-and a-half in a novel-length collection of free verse poems. On the way, readers travel through her first and second loves and a secret cyber relationship that she deletes at the first sign of weirdness. The highs and lows of Sophie's life reflect much of the excitement and anguish that mark adolescence¾maintaining and developing new friendships;experiencing first love;despairing of parents in the midst of marital strife and personal transitions;and facing down religious bigotry and collective scape-goating. Sophie negotiates all of these life-events with honesty, openness and humor as she reconstructs her identity and learns to trust her own perspective. 2001, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, $17.00. Ages 12 up. Reviewer:Melissa J. Rickey
Sonya Sones’ additional works include:
Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy (HarperTeen)
One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies (Simon Pulse)
Extension:
In the classroom or the library, have teens discuss these experiences and how her works made them feel. Read the poems aloud and re-read them. Have the students draw pictures to go along with the readings. Choose poems that will not make the class feel uncomfortable and assure each student that everyone has problems and issues that may be the same as their own or they may be different issues. Point out the words or phrases that may help them to see a brighter side to many situations. End with a humorous poem that deals with family or school life such as Booger Love by Brod Bagert or My Dog Ate My Homework by Bruce Lansky.
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Giant Children
Bibliography:
Bagert, Brod and Tedd Arnold (ill.). 2004. Giant Children. New York: Scholastic,
ISBN 0439623529
Introduction:
Brod Bagert was born on November 22, 1947 and raised in the City of New Orleans. He began writing poetry in third grade by writing a poem for his mother. He writes poetry as entertainment to be recited in character to an audience. I encourage you to visit his website as it is informative, fun, and enthusiastic. Brod’s homepage offers the following advice on poetry:
"Poetry is like music, everything begins with sound.
To understand poems, RECITE POEMS OUT LOUD.
To become a poetry lover, RECITE POEMS OUT LOUD.
To learn to write poetry, RECITE POEMS OUT LOUD.
To develop voice as a writer, RECITE POEMS OUT LOUD.
To develop personal eloquence, RECITE POEMS OUT LOUD.
To woo the person you love, RECITE THE POEMS OUT LOUD.
To rear strong children, RECITE POEMS OUT LOUD.
To solve the problems of the world, RECITE POEMS OUT LOUD."
http://www.brodbagert.com/html/about.html
Giant Children is a book of poetry intended for children ages 4 - 8 but readers of all ages will enjoy the twisted sense of humor that is tucked inside the pages. This book depicts school age children and their siblings, classmates, school life and the many things that they encounter in life.
The colored pencil and watercolor washes illustrations are imaginative, bright and colorful. The children have bulging eyes resembling ping pong balls with a black dot in the center. Squiggly lines can be seen throughout each picture. The illustrations are expressive and lifelike to children and their behaviors. The tooth that has been taped to the letter to the tooth fairy is an added touch of humor.
Brod Bagert is one of my top five poets. I love humor, entertainment and fun. His poems are imaginative and remind me of similar experiences of my own with my children as well as children I have worked with in the school system. I plan to purchase many of his poetry books to add to my collection. His works can definitely be used to capture the interests of the teens and young adults. The poems in Giant Children are written in a variety of styles and ideas.
Samples of Brod Bagert’s work include:
Stinky Boys
by Brod Bagert
I hold my baby brother,
All powdered, sweet, and pink.
But when he makes a funny face,
His diaper starts to stink.
And that’s when I remember
The baby brother rule:
Someday he’s going to grow up
Like those stinky boys at school.
Jaws
by Brod Bagert
When the turtle bit my brother,
He made an awful sound.
He ran around the house,
He fell screaming to the ground.
So I whispered to the turtle,
“I’d like to be your friend.
Especially if you promise me
You’ll bite my brother again.”
My daughter selected the following poem to try out for UIL, this poem along with her tone of voice and dramatic act, placed on her the UIL Oral Reading team.
A Letter to the Tooth Fairy
by Brod Bagert
Dear Tooth Fairy,
I look under my pillow and what do I see?
My tooth on the bed looking back at me!
When a kid loses a tooth, the Tooth Fairy pays,
But my tooth has been waiting for three whole days.
Now listen, Tooth Fairy, this is not very funny.
Come get this tooth and leave me some money.
Sincerely,
Me
Professional Reviews:
From Publishers Weekly
This deliciously over-the-top poetry collection explores the nerve-wracking world of school-age children. The narrator of the opening titular poem is the classroom hamster: "Pages turn at giant speed/ As giant children learn to read." Bagert's (Chicken Socks: And Other Contagious Poems) uncomplicated style of verse addresses such diverse topics as sibling feuds and wild imaginations, monster trucks and the Tooth Fairy, as it humorously handles the more anxious side of growing up, including the mixed blessing of landing the lead in the school play. Arnold's signature style seems particularly well suited to the stage-frightened fellow waiting in the wings ("So here I am on stage,/ And the play's about to start./ My life was so much simpler/ Before I got this part"). The squiggling lines seem to indicate the actor's nerves gone haywire. Bagert delivers the requisite gross-out with "Booger Love" (complete with warning label that the poem "not, under any circumstances, be recited to a grown-up!"). The characters' pop-eyes sitting atop oversize heads help express the ever-changing emotions of childhood. Arnold selects just the right moment in each poem to dramatize and his exaggerated portraits help readers focus on the hyperbole of the poetry. A funny peek at the pleasures and (growing) pains of childhood. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3-Colored-pencil art with watercolor washes provides simple yet hilarious interpretation of Bagert's mixed bag of poems. Bookended by selections narrated by a class hamster (thus the title verse), the poet explores home and school life, from a teacher in a hula skirt and baby brother's diapers to imagination and dreams. Of the 23 offerings, few miss the mark as entertainment or food for thought. Be aware that "Booger Love" explores every possible nasty application. Kids will automatically memorize these offerings and soon believe a line from "The Buffalo in the Library," "-poetry is the food I need/To feed my hungry head."-Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Brod Bagert’s additional works of many include:
Rainbows, Head Lice, and Pea-Green Tile: Poems in the Voice of the Classroom Teacher
(Maupin House Publishing)
Chicken Socks: And Other Contagious Poems (Boyd Mills Press)
Let Me Be... the Boss: Poems for Kids to Perform (Boyd Mills Press)
Extension:
In the classroom or the library, have children discuss similar experiences they have had at school or home.
Divide the class into groups of 3 or 4 children to encourage open discussion of their similar experiences with family, friends, or school life. Encourage laughter, fun and fellowship. After the open discussion, children can each write a poem reflecting their experience. Show the illustrations, pointing out the children’s characteristics such as the baby brother’s drooping diaper and the sister’s puckered mouth in “Stinky Boys”. Encourage funny illustrations to go along with their poem. Display these on a bulletin board.
Bibliography:
Bagert, Brod and Tedd Arnold (ill.). 2004. Giant Children. New York: Scholastic,
ISBN 0439623529
Introduction:
Brod Bagert was born on November 22, 1947 and raised in the City of New Orleans. He began writing poetry in third grade by writing a poem for his mother. He writes poetry as entertainment to be recited in character to an audience. I encourage you to visit his website as it is informative, fun, and enthusiastic. Brod’s homepage offers the following advice on poetry:
"Poetry is like music, everything begins with sound.
To understand poems, RECITE POEMS OUT LOUD.
To become a poetry lover, RECITE POEMS OUT LOUD.
To learn to write poetry, RECITE POEMS OUT LOUD.
To develop voice as a writer, RECITE POEMS OUT LOUD.
To develop personal eloquence, RECITE POEMS OUT LOUD.
To woo the person you love, RECITE THE POEMS OUT LOUD.
To rear strong children, RECITE POEMS OUT LOUD.
To solve the problems of the world, RECITE POEMS OUT LOUD."
http://www.brodbagert.com/html/about.html
Giant Children is a book of poetry intended for children ages 4 - 8 but readers of all ages will enjoy the twisted sense of humor that is tucked inside the pages. This book depicts school age children and their siblings, classmates, school life and the many things that they encounter in life.
The colored pencil and watercolor washes illustrations are imaginative, bright and colorful. The children have bulging eyes resembling ping pong balls with a black dot in the center. Squiggly lines can be seen throughout each picture. The illustrations are expressive and lifelike to children and their behaviors. The tooth that has been taped to the letter to the tooth fairy is an added touch of humor.
Brod Bagert is one of my top five poets. I love humor, entertainment and fun. His poems are imaginative and remind me of similar experiences of my own with my children as well as children I have worked with in the school system. I plan to purchase many of his poetry books to add to my collection. His works can definitely be used to capture the interests of the teens and young adults. The poems in Giant Children are written in a variety of styles and ideas.
Samples of Brod Bagert’s work include:
Stinky Boys
by Brod Bagert
I hold my baby brother,
All powdered, sweet, and pink.
But when he makes a funny face,
His diaper starts to stink.
And that’s when I remember
The baby brother rule:
Someday he’s going to grow up
Like those stinky boys at school.
Jaws
by Brod Bagert
When the turtle bit my brother,
He made an awful sound.
He ran around the house,
He fell screaming to the ground.
So I whispered to the turtle,
“I’d like to be your friend.
Especially if you promise me
You’ll bite my brother again.”
My daughter selected the following poem to try out for UIL, this poem along with her tone of voice and dramatic act, placed on her the UIL Oral Reading team.
A Letter to the Tooth Fairy
by Brod Bagert
Dear Tooth Fairy,
I look under my pillow and what do I see?
My tooth on the bed looking back at me!
When a kid loses a tooth, the Tooth Fairy pays,
But my tooth has been waiting for three whole days.
Now listen, Tooth Fairy, this is not very funny.
Come get this tooth and leave me some money.
Sincerely,
Me
Professional Reviews:
From Publishers Weekly
This deliciously over-the-top poetry collection explores the nerve-wracking world of school-age children. The narrator of the opening titular poem is the classroom hamster: "Pages turn at giant speed/ As giant children learn to read." Bagert's (Chicken Socks: And Other Contagious Poems) uncomplicated style of verse addresses such diverse topics as sibling feuds and wild imaginations, monster trucks and the Tooth Fairy, as it humorously handles the more anxious side of growing up, including the mixed blessing of landing the lead in the school play. Arnold's signature style seems particularly well suited to the stage-frightened fellow waiting in the wings ("So here I am on stage,/ And the play's about to start./ My life was so much simpler/ Before I got this part"). The squiggling lines seem to indicate the actor's nerves gone haywire. Bagert delivers the requisite gross-out with "Booger Love" (complete with warning label that the poem "not, under any circumstances, be recited to a grown-up!"). The characters' pop-eyes sitting atop oversize heads help express the ever-changing emotions of childhood. Arnold selects just the right moment in each poem to dramatize and his exaggerated portraits help readers focus on the hyperbole of the poetry. A funny peek at the pleasures and (growing) pains of childhood. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3-Colored-pencil art with watercolor washes provides simple yet hilarious interpretation of Bagert's mixed bag of poems. Bookended by selections narrated by a class hamster (thus the title verse), the poet explores home and school life, from a teacher in a hula skirt and baby brother's diapers to imagination and dreams. Of the 23 offerings, few miss the mark as entertainment or food for thought. Be aware that "Booger Love" explores every possible nasty application. Kids will automatically memorize these offerings and soon believe a line from "The Buffalo in the Library," "-poetry is the food I need/To feed my hungry head."-Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Brod Bagert’s additional works of many include:
Rainbows, Head Lice, and Pea-Green Tile: Poems in the Voice of the Classroom Teacher
(Maupin House Publishing)
Chicken Socks: And Other Contagious Poems (Boyd Mills Press)
Let Me Be... the Boss: Poems for Kids to Perform (Boyd Mills Press)
Extension:
In the classroom or the library, have children discuss similar experiences they have had at school or home.
Divide the class into groups of 3 or 4 children to encourage open discussion of their similar experiences with family, friends, or school life. Encourage laughter, fun and fellowship. After the open discussion, children can each write a poem reflecting their experience. Show the illustrations, pointing out the children’s characteristics such as the baby brother’s drooping diaper and the sister’s puckered mouth in “Stinky Boys”. Encourage funny illustrations to go along with their poem. Display these on a bulletin board.
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