Genre 3 Poetry

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Florian, Douglas. 2003. Autumnblings. Greenwillow Books. ISBN 0-06-009278-5

PLOT
The author asks,"What do you like about Autumn?" and gives examples that children would use to respond such as apple picking, a chill in the air or trick or treat? The follow-up question, "What do you not like about Autumn?" again followed by short answers in poetic form create a unique free verse. The author uses the Fall season to explore language and introduce poetry to those of a younger age in a humorous color.

CRITIQUE
Interesting enough when one opens the jacket cover inside flap, Autumnblings has an orange, pumpkinish-like color. I had checked out Winter Eyes also and the inside flap cover ends are in a cool, icy blue. I wondered what the other two seasonal books would look like inside? The author/illustrator has a unique style of displaying the table of contents page 8-48 in a horizontal script instead of vertically . Also, an upside down question mark follows the questions given in the book. This format is useful when teaching critical thinking among younger children. The humor illustrated in color and represented through word such as,"Hi-bear-nation", "Symmetree" with a poem that follows and the artwork painted in pale pinks not in synch with the other colors of Autumn thus throwing off the "symmetry" of color given throughout the book. The poem,

"Autumn is the only season,
The leaves all leave.
Call it tree-son."

An example of the smart usage of words as found in his other books with the words spilling down, rumbling around, slippery sentences climbing high and low from the ground giving motion to the words and action for the reader.

STARRED REVIEW
Booklist
K-Gr. 2. In his third collection of seasonal poetry, Florian presents a winsome series of poems about fall, with the punning theme of the title carried throughout. Using rhyme, meter, and those puns to good effect, as well as changes in fonts and type, he adds to the sense of movement and joy in the poetry. School, holidays, playtime, and observation all figure here: A "Tree-tice" (treatise) on arithmetics combines leaves and counting; "Geese Piece" answers the question it poses by its placement in the vee formation of Canada goose migration. The watercolor-and-colored-pencil art is best at its simplest: a single red-purple apple on golden ground; a flame-colored leaf and bough reminiscent of Japanese brush painting. Pull this out with Steven Schnur's Autumn: An Alphabet Acrostic (1999) and Cynthia Rylant's In November (2000). GraceAnne DeCandido. Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved.

School Library Journal
Grade 2-5-Florian again displays his significant skill at wordplay in this companion to Winter Eyes (1999) and Summersaults (2002, both Greenwillow). Using simple rhyme schemes; invented words such as "autumnatically," "owlphabet," "fallicopters" (maple seeds); and descriptive spellings ("hi-bear-nation," "industree"), he demonstrates that reading and writing can be lots of fun. His poems call to mind all manner of things autumnal-falling leaves, cool days, ripe apples, frost-and of the feelings that go with them ("-autumn leaves/Leave me in awe"). The childlike style of the various-sized watercolor and colored-pencil paintings (in fall colors, of course) mirrors the creative style of the age group most inclined to read the poetry. A natural for use in classrooms and library programs, and accessible to newly independent readers, these poems will delight youngsters. Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

CONNECTIONS
Public :Using the suggestion from Booklist, use the books forementioned by Schnur and Rylant to read and compare during storytime. Create a "tree" with leaves ready to fall including "Things we see during Autumn". Children pick a leave and read the back silently to themself acting to the group the idea for all to guess. Bringing in other books relating to Autumn for reading.

School Library: Math Counting lesson and a seasonal lesson comparing poems from the differing books. Place on a bulletin board a "T" graph with headings: "What I Like About:" and "What I don't Like About:" Students read and compare the different seasons adding their writing to the chart. Students can figure and match the phrase to the correct season.
Physical Education lesson to write poetry before exercising using poetry across the curriculum. With Florian's othet book title such as "Summersaults" and "Handsprings" let students come up with exercise poetry for example, "Cart-wheels" letting the words be written in a visual circular pattern looking like "wheels"

http://www.harperschildrens.com/ (accessed June 2009)
http://books.preschoolrock.com/index.php/preschool-holiday-books/autumnblings (accessed July 7, 2009)


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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Grimes, Nikki. 2001. A POCKETFUL OF POEMS. Ill.Steptoe, Javaka. New York ,N.Y: Clarion Books. ISBN-10:0395938686.

PLOT
The main character, a girl named Tiana carries words in her pocket. She will create a poem after taking a word out, playing with everyday objects to finalize in a free verse poem.

CRITIQUE
Recommended for ages 4-8, I find I'm captivated with the illustrations as they seem to carry as much treasure in their creation as the pocket itself holding the words. An excellent example of everyday items that children can use to create simple poems and Haiku, lyrical free verse utilizing vocabulary and creative art techniques. The collage of materials including hand -sculpted alphabet letters and faucet handles encourage young thinkers.

REVIEWS
Children's Literature: Independent Information and Reviews. Reviewer, Laura Hummel. "Free verse poem is coupled on each double page foldout with Haiku. Grimes has coupled these paired poems with the contemporary art form of a harlem-born city girl. The poems invite young authors to write poetry of their own and set them into artistic collages. Children will enjoy the three-dimensional aspect of the artwork and teachers can use as a springboard for writing".

School Library Journal: "A playful and thoroughly successful pairing of words and pictures".

CONNECTION
Public Library: Create a poster,"I have a pocketful of words," the first sentence from the book. Post on wall. Have children draw and add items to write a poem about and drop in the "pocket" poster on the wall. During story time, pull out children's drawings and see if older children can create a simple poem.

School Library: Create "Pocket" booklet with objects that slip in and out. Glue poems that either students found or created using their objects in the pocket. Make a large paper quilt attaching with yarn pockets. Create a class theme and have students bring in old jean pockets to use for lunch tickets, recess and other daily routine activities. Create a literacy game using the pockets and find books that use "pocket" For example, Dr. Seuss, "There's a Wocket in my Pocket"

http://www.childrenslit.com/childrenslit/th_poetry2001.html (accessed July 3, 2009)






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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Sones, Sonya. 2001. WHAT MY MOTHER DOESN'T KNOW.Ill. Reyes, Jennifer. New York, NY: Simon Pulse. ISBN-10:0-689-84114-0(hc).

PLOT
An adolescent named Sophie introduces her life through poetic entries giving the reader inside details to her life and longing for "Mr. Right". As if peeking through a locker slat listening in to the daily dealings of drama associated with love, hormones, friends and the process of growing up. Sophie entertains topics that every American adolescent girl in school has discussed, thought or lived through.

CRITIQUE
I find verse poetry pulls me in as if I were reading from a journal. Yet, it's more complete, in synch and an organized read. From page 87, Cyber Soul Mate, "It's almost ten o'clock. I can hardly wait to see his face." With a teens anticipation I can relate because I met my husband online ,a Cyber start of a relationship. To "see his voice" is perceptually astute in that what we read we reflect our own voice into the character, what we read and what we expect in contrast to what actually is sounds differently to each reader and is created in our minds much like adolescent tragedy and the drama preception. Reality however often presents the voice differently if by listening to the reader from an audio book version. Much like a teens perception on life, young expectations "waiting" to happen, is presented differently. The title, "What My Mother Doesn't Know" can easily be perceived as "what my young naive daughter is learning and thinks I don't know". The author brings to life and humorously portrays the "giddiness" and fun of being in love and the deep hurt of being left out. From pages 231 through 259 at the bottom right hand corner, thumb through it quickly and watch the couple have a kiss! This verse novel makes me cover my mouth and giggle like I have something to hide from my mother!

STARRED REVIEWS

• ALA 2002 Top Ten Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers


• ALA2002 Best Book for Young Adults


• Booklist Editor's Choice

Kirkus Reviews
Six years after What My Mother Doesn’t Know sizzled onto the scene, Sones returns to continue the story of teen sweethearts Sophie Stein and Robin Murphy. Her signature free-verse poems give class-loser Robin voice this time, allowing him to describe his feelings as Sophie’s public acceptance of him makes her a social pariah; as he explores the physical and emotional roller-coaster of first love; as he re-makes himself from outcast to one-of-the-cool-crowd when he audits a Harvard art class – and finds himself attracted to one of that cool crowd. The excruciatingly painful dynamics of the high school in-crowd receive a thorough treatment, as does Robin’s ambivalence with them: He recognizes Sophie’s pain at her rejection by formerly close friends, but at the same time, he understands that this very rejection makes her need him all the more. Robin emerges as an appealingly flawed character whose desires – for love, for acceptance, for sex – will be instantly recognized by readers…

Entertainment Weekly.com
I picked up Sones' 2001 title, What My Mother Doesn't Know, a few years ago and loved it — but I wondered if my own teenage daughter would take to the book, written in spare but emotional free verse. But she, too, was besotted by it (and it became one of those well-thumbed books she kept by her bed). Now both of us are thrilled to find this sequel, in which 14-year-old Boston teen Sophie finds a friend in Robin, the boy everyone in school loves to hate. What happens to them, told from both their points of view, is painful, awkward, faltering, moving — and is about as realistic a depiction of teen relationships as I've ever read. I never thought I'd enjoy novels written in free verse, but I stand corrected; Sones' books are just terrific. (The reviewer gave this book an "A"). - Tina Jordan

Connections
Using Sonya Sones website, young adults can make comparisons between her other books, selecting poems that might be used to create a Reader's Theatre or a one minute narrative presentation in class. Two students could memorize the same piece and present it side-by-side as if in echo.

This verse novel could be used to present in a Talent Show for the classroom. The narrator, other students, could play the "older mother" dressed up making comments while the other students could in the background recite Sones' poetry beginning with page 32, "Once I start, I can't stop."

This beginning can also be an opening for teen addiction and used as a platform in a public library for resources solving addictive behaviors.

http://www.sonyasones.com/wmgdkreviews.htm (accessed July 7,2009)