J. Patrick Lewis Poetry Toolbox

Welcome

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Welcome to this site dedicated to celebrating the works of J. Patrick Lewis, Children's Poet Laureate and recipient of the National Council of Teachers Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children.

Here you will find readers guides and digital trailers created by teachers and librarians enrolled in graduate courses in children's literature at Texas Woman's University. You'll find tools for nearly ALL of Pat's books of poetry for children, including these titles (listed in alphabetical order):

A Burst of Firsts
A Hippopotamusn't and Other Animal Verses
A World of Wonders: Geographic Travels in Verse and Rhyme
Arithme-Tickle: An Even Number of Odd Riddle-Rhymes
Big is Big (and Little, Little)
Birds on a Wire
Blackbeard, the Pirate King
Boshblobberbosh; Runcible Poems for Edward Lear
Castles: Old Stone Poems
Countdown to Summer: A Poem for Every Day of the School Year
Doodle Dandies: Poems That Take Shape
Earth Verses and Water Rhymes
Good Mornin’, Ms America: The USA in Verse
Good Mousekeeping: And Other Animal Home Poems
Heroes and She-Roes: Poems of Amazing and Everyday Heroes
Isabella Abnormella and the Very, Very Finicky Queen of Trouble
July is a Mad Mosquito
Long Was the Winter Road They Traveled
Monumental Verses
Please Bury Me In The Library
Riddle-icious
Riddle-Lightful
Ridicholas Nicholas: More Animal Poems
Scientrickery: Riddles in Science
Self Portrait with Seven Fingers: A Life of Marc Chagall in Verse
Skywriting: Poems in Flight
Spot the Plot! A Riddle Book of Book Riddles
Swan Song: Poems of Extinction
The Boat of Many Rooms: The Story of Noah in Verse
The Bookworm's Feast: A Potluck of Poems
The Brothers' War: Civil War Voices in Verse
The Fat-Cats At Sea
The House of Boo
The La-di-da Hare
The Little Buggers: Insect and Spider Poems
The Snowflake Sisters
The Underwear Salesman: And Other Jobs for Better or Verse
Tulip at the Bat
Under the Kissletoe; Christmastime Poems
Vherses: A Celebration of Outstanding Women
+ Poems for Teaching in the Content Areas

Below, you'll find a dozen digital trailers, followed by another 30 readers guides full of fun and meaningful learning activities and connections. Enjoy! We hope you find all these useful and will be inspired to share Pat's poetry in your own creative ways.

P.S. In addition, J. Patrick (Pat) Lewis has published 10 other works of poetry for young people (to date) also worthy of consideration (but we don't have guides/trailers for everything-- yet!). Here's that list:

Freedom Like Sunlight: Praisesongs for Black Americans
Galileo’s Universe
Michelangelo’s World
Black Cat Bone
The House
Wing Nuts: Screwy Haiku (with Paul B. Janeczko)
The Fantastic 5&10 Cent Store
The World’s Greatest: Poems
Black Swan/White Crow
Once Upon a Tomb: Gravely Humorous Poems

Castles: Old Stone Poems

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Trailer created by Jessica Pollock

Heroes and Sheroes; Poems of Amazing and Everyday Heroes

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Digital trailer by Amany Isa.

The Underwear Salesman and Other Jobs For Better or Verse

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Created by Chrissy Adkins (with help from her 5th grade class!)

Birds on a Wire: A Renga 'Round Town

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Trailer created by Cheryl Read

Earth Verses and Water Rhymes

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Trailer created by Christina Ehlig

Blackbeard: The Pirate King

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Blackbeard: The Pirate King

by J. Patrick Lewis

Book Trailer by Michelle Holloway

TWU SLIS

Good Mousekeeping: And Other Animal Home Poems

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Digital trailer created by David Jurecka for Good Mousekeeping: And Other Animal Home Poems.

A Burst of Firsts

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A Burst of Firsts: Doers, Shakers, and Record Breakers

by J. Patrick Lewis

Book trailer by Rebekah Espinosa- TWU SLIS

A Burst of Firsts on Youtube- better view :)

Ridicholas NIcholas: More Animal Poems

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Digital Trailer by Pamela Barrett

Skywriting: Poems to Fly

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Trailer created by M. Lynne Mays

Long Was the Winter Road They Traveled; A Tale of the Nativity

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Long Was the Winter Road They Traveled; A Tale of the Nativity

By J. Patrick Lewis

Illustrated by Drew Bairley

Book Trailer by Kathy G. Yale

Castles: Old Stone Poems

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Digital trailer created by Marsha Helmuth

Swan Song

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Readers Guide by Catherine Pendergrass

Lewis, J. Patrick, Swan Song. Illustrated by Christopher Wormell. Manka to: Creative Editions, 2003. ISBN: 1-56846-175-5

Recommended for ages 5 and up

Summary:

Lewis provides a chronological explanation for the elimination of over twenty species in poetic form. Poems vary in form, pattern, and shape. However, the all work together to deliver the same message: we have lost so much already. These poems are accompanied by a timeline at that bottom. This timeline provides a sequence of events that were occurring at the same time the species was eliminated. The timeline makes readers aware of the impact of humans on the animal world.

Review excerpts:

School Library Journal:

Some are simple tributes to their subjects, and occasional wordplay or wry humor lightens the mood. Lewis favors rhyming alternate lines, often lapsing into repetitious rhythm, though he sometimes makes a welcome break into varied poetic forms. Wormell's woodcuts provide realistic portraits.

Publishers Weekly

Paying homage to extinct animals, Wormell's (An Alphabet of Animals ) extraordinary wood engravings for this handsomely designed, oversize volume may exceed the expectations of even his most ardent admirers.

Awards for the Book:

ASPCA Henry Bergh Children's Book Awards

Questions to ask before reading the book:

· What do you know about extinction?

o Ask students this question so that you can explore what they know or need to know before you read them poems for the book.

· What happens to animals when they are over hunted?

o This would be a leading question if students have limited knowledge of extinction.

· What is your favorite animal besides your pet and what role does that animal play in his or her ecosystem?

o This question will require students to think about the animals they see each day and begin their thinking about what is lost when an animal is removed from an ecosystem

· Think of an animal or a pet. What does the world look like from that animal's point of view?

o Having students draw this could be impactful. This question requires students to think use creativity and to think outside of their world. It might also generate more empathy for animals in students who are less inclined to be empathetic.

Suggestions for reading poems aloud:

· Select one poem and assign lines to students. Have each read their line out loud. Getting students involved in an oral reading increases student buy in to learning opportunites.

· Display Wormell's drawings and/or actual photographs of the species addressed in the poem to insure that listeners understand the authenticity of the topic of the poem and book.

· Be sure to utilize the provided timeline. Create a visual of the human impact by displaying human actions at the same time period of animal extinction.

o If your class is studying a specific time period in history, be sure to pick the appropriate animal and discuss how the actions of humans impacted that animals extinction.

Follow up activities:

· Have students complete internet or library research about one of the species and present it to the class in the form of a poster, pamphlet or original poem.

· Have students research current endangered species and what can or is being done to protect or further endanger those species. Final products of this research should be in a form that can be publicized at the school or on the web, such as a poster, bulletin board, VoiceThread or posting on the school's or teacher's website.

· Have students write a short story in which one of the extinct animals is the main character. In the story, make sure students discuss the animal's habitat and what happened to it.

Related Web sites/ blogs

To focus on animal extinction:

http://www.fws.gov/endangered/kids/index.html#species

· An endangered species slide show on the US Fish and Wildlife Service Kids Page titled "Endangered Means There is Still Time."

http://www.endangeredspeciesinternational.org/overview.html?gclid=CMbny63n6qsCFWJn5QodKSUdJQ

· This website provides information about extinct species, including lists of recently extinct species and threatened species.

http://wildlifedirect.org/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=grant&gclid=CNGx35Do6qsCFcoBQAodwDvaIA

· Links to recent blog posts about extinction or helping endangered species are provided as well as wildlife tracking reports form conservations sites.

http://www.stopextinction.org/

· Though this is an activist group that asks for donations, the website provides information on current endangered species and links to several blog posts.

Lesson plans and materials for teachers on endangered species:

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/08/gk2/ecosystem.html

· The content of National Geographic's "Xpeditions Archive" lesson plans varies by grade level. The website provides a wide range of science lessons from a Kindergarten through second grade lesson titled "Fish Aren't Afraid of the Dark" to a high school lesson titled "The Human Role in Dog Evolution." Lesson plans are linked to National Science Education Standards.

http://www.abcteach.com/directory/basics/science/animals/endangered_species/

· This website provided pintables of coloring pages for younger animals learning about endangered species or extinction.

http://learningtogive.org/lessons/unit350/lesson1.html

· This lesson requires students to explore some of the reasons that animals become extinct and identify some of the things people can do to prevent endangered animals from becoming extinct.

http://www.kidsplanet.org/tt/wolf/languagearts/poems.PDF

· This lesson plan asks students to use background knowledge and write a letter to an animal in poetic form.

Related books:

Jolivet, Joelle. Zoo-Ology. New York: Roaring Brook Press, 2003. ISBN: 978-0-7613-2780-6

Elliot, David. In the Wild. Illustrated by Holly Meade. Candlewick Press, 2010. ISBN: 978-0-7636-4497-0

Sidman, Joyce. Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night. Illustrated by Rick Allen. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 2010. ISBN: 978-0-547-52922-6

Wormell, Christopher. An Alphabet of Animals. New York: Running Press Kids, 2006. ISBN: 978-0762427299,

The Little Buggers Insect & Spider Poems

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The Little Buggers: Insect & Spider Poems
By J. Patrick Lewis
Illustrated by Victoria Chess

A Readers’ Guide by Lisa Kreutziger

Bibliography
Lewis, J. Patrick. 1998. The Little Buggers: Insect and Spider Poems. Ill. by Victoria Chess. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0-8037-1769-5

Recommended Age Levels
Ages 4 to 9

Summary of Book
This collection of twenty-four poems offers an engaging and entertaining look at some of the creepiest and crawliest of Earth’s insects and spiders. From a “lowly termite” advising kids to stop chewing their pencils, to a patient “praying mantis”, who after finally meeting her mate “ate the pesky fellow”, Lewis’s poems manage to capture some of the true nature of its subject while also delighting the audience with wit and word play. The book includes examples of both free verse and rhyming poems that are accompanied by Victoria Chess’s wonderfully detailed and playful watercolor and Pelikan sepia artwork.

Review Excerpts
“Lewis…has keen antennae for wordplay, seeking ways to exploit types of insects by making their attributes humorous.” –Kirkus Reviews
“Grounded in careful observation that ferrets out realistic details of the insect world, his agile verse is both clever and devilishly funny…” – Publishers Weekly
“Delicate, fiendishly agile illustrations…offer a perfect complement to the tone and humor.”
– School Library Journal

Questions to Ask Before Reading
Invite children to discuss the following:
*Play on Words (author’s craft): How do author’s “play” with words? Show the cover and ask why the author chose the word “bugger” for the title. Make the connection to multiple meaning words.
*Have you ever sat and watched an insect or spider? What have you observed them doing?
*What are some interesting facts you know about insects or spiders? How you could make up a silly story or poem about them using that fact?

Suggestions for Reading Poems Aloud
“Mayfly and June Bug” – Line-Around: Ask for volunteers to take turns reading one line aloud. Practice and repeat until effective rhythm and expression are found.
“The Pond Glider” – Chorus: After adult read aloud, invite children to participate in choral reading the word “Damselfly” at the beginning of each couplet.
“In Books Are Bugs” – Groups: After adult read aloud, divide students into small groups in which they practice one particular stanza. When ready the whole class participates in a read aloud with each group standing and reciting their stanza with appropriate cadence and feeling.
Vardell, Sylvia M. 2008. Children’s Literature in Action. Connecticut: Libraries Unlimited. ISBN 978-1-59158-557-2

Follow Up Activities
Science: Insect Characteristics and Habitats
During “School Yard Habitat” investigation, students use observations of insects to create poems and silly stories about the insects using some of their unique characteristics and/or habitat.

Writing: Author’s Craft: Word Play and Multiple meaning words.
Connect to familiar authors such as Shel Silverstein. Study and display some play on words, then try creating some of your own with a partner. Scaffolding: teacher may supply a list of words to choose from and a familiar rhythmic pattern.

Featured Poet Display/Study and Author Visit
Reading Comprehension: Compare and Contrast
Choose a related fiction or nonfiction book to due a paired book study. Compare and contrast genre elements, content, author’s craft, author’s purpose, etc.

Related Web Sites/Blogs
The author’s web site: http://www.jpatricklewis.com/
Insect web site: http://www.insectclopedia.com/
ALA’s Great Websites for Kids “Authors and Illustrators” Page: http://www.ala.org/gwstemplate.cfm?section=greatwebsites&template=/cfapps/gws/displaysection.cfm&sec=16
Poetry website: http://teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/poetry/

Related Books
Poetry
Cyrus, Kurt. 2001. Oddhopper Opera: A Bug’s Garden of Verses. San Diego, Calif.: Harcourt Brace. ISBN 9780152022051
Fleming, Denise. 1991. In the Tall, Tall Grass. New York: H. Holt. ISBN 9780805016352
Pinczes, Elinor J. 1995. A Remainder of One. San Diego: Harcourt Brace. ISBN 9780152013066

Fiction
Monks, Lydia. 2004. Aaaarrgghh! Spider! Boston: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 9780618432509

Nonfiction
Bulion, Leslie. 2006. Hey There, Stink Bug! Ill. by Leslie Evans. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge. ISBN 9781580893046
Florian, Douglas. 1998. Insectlopedia: Poems and Paintings. San Diego: Harcourt Brace. ISBN 9780152013066
Markle, Sandra. 2009. Insects: Biggest! Littlest! Honesdale, Pa.: Boyds Mills Press. ISBN 9781590785126
Slade, Suzanne. 2009. Insects: Six Legged Animals. Ill. by Rosiland Solomon. Minneapolis, Minn.: Capstone Press Inc. ISBN 9781404855243
Tait, Noel. 2008. Insects and Spiders. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. ISBN 9781416938682

The Bookworm's Feast

2011-10-24T22:44:00.000-07:00

The Bookworm’s Feast: A Potluck of Poems

Reader's Guide by Christi McCarty

Bibliographic Information
Lewis, Patrick. 1999. The Bookworm’s Feast: A Potluck of Poems. By: John O’Brien. New York, N.Y. Dial Books for Young Readers.

Recommended Age Levels

Ages 4-8  

Summary of Book

This outstanding anthology of verses and rhymes is served in outrageous proportions of appetizers, sherbets, entrees, side dishes, and desserts galore. Bookworms follow the flow of a menu format, enjoying their feast from beginning to end. Bookworms will find themselves carefully chewing on tongue twisters, puns and alliteration galore, appeasing the appetites of bookworms once more. Bookworms take pleasure in choosing from sweet or savory poems or rhymes about mellow armadillo, a HER-I-CANE name Lorelei, a peanut butter eating boy, or an alphabet gang. The Gentleman Bookworm makes a toast at the beginning of the feast saying, "Chew them slowly. One line at a time" and ends with, “Now remember, It’s especially wise to combine excursive, With a bowlful of poetry snacks!” The menu offers intriguing and luring depictions of literature as dishes enticing every bookworm into an eating frenzy. With cross-hatched pen and watercolor drawings covering corner to corner, this book provides humor and originality from page to page.

Review Excerpts

Publisher Weekly - “A five-star feast.” A "Gentleman Bookworm" invites his friends to a feast of " 'ridiculous rhyme!/ But might I suggest?'/ Said the host to the guest,/ 'Chew them slowly. One line at a time!”

School Library Journal - “A smorgasbord of poetic forms and moods. Arranged in sections like a formal menu ("Appetizers" to "Desserts"), the book contains poems for nearly any taste.”

Kirkus - “Lewis has created an almanac of words at play, using tongue-twisters, puns, alliteration, and many forms and fancies of rhyme scheme in an unabashed celebration of language.”

The Horn Book - “It's not often that such elegantly clever poetry leads to delighted smiles and even full-out belly laughs. When it does, it's truly cause for celebration!”

Questions to Ask before Reading Book
Question 1: Are Bookworms real bugs or are they fictional characters?

Question 2: Who is the author of this book? Who is the illustrator of this book? What does each person contribute to this book?

Question 3: How do the illustrations make you feel? Do they make you feel excited to read or bored and ready for the next activity?
Question 4: What types of poetry/rhymes could be presented in this book?
Question 5: Can you tell what the book is about from the title or the cover of the book?

Suggestions for Reading Poems Aloud
      1. Read poems out loud in class that children will thoroughly enjoy.
      2. Try to find poems to which each child can relate, providing a meaningful literature experience.
      3. Make sure every child can see the illustrations, if they are available.
      4. Read the poems and images beforehand. The more you understand the poem, the more your audience will understand it.
      5. Look up any unfamiliar words in the dictionary for their meaning and pronunciation, for easy explanation.

Strategies for reading the poems in the book
      1. “Heavy Metal Fellow”- Have four students volunteer to read one line in each verse.
Verse 1 Verse 2
Student 1: Milo Armadillo Student 1: Though he’ll seldom follow
Student 2: Heavy metal fellow, Student 2: Fellows up a hill-o
Student 3: Lives beside a hollow Student 3: Milo likes to wallow
Student 4: West of Amarillo. Student 4: Underneath a willow.

Verse 3
Student 1: If you holler, “HELLO,
Student 2: MILO ARMADILLO!”
Student 3: Don’t expect a bellow
Student 4: Milo’

2. “The Framboise Fair”- Have two female students volunteer to read the poem. The first student will read the daughter's verses, the second student will read the mother's verses.
3. “Autograph Verse”- As a group read this poem out loud. Have students start the first verse squatting, second verse standing, third verse squatting, and fourth verse standing.
Verse 1: Rain lets you down (Squat)
Verse 2: Sun lifts you up (Stand)
Verse 3: Because you are (Squat)
Verse 4: My butter-cup (Stand)

You could also split the class in half, having have each set of students alternate verse.
Verse 1: (Group 1) Squatting
Verse 2: (Group 2) Standing
Verse 3: (Group 2) Squatting
Verse 4: (Group 1) Standing
Follow Up Activities

Activity 1: (Art) ~Bookworm Book Marks~
Patrick Lewis uses a bookworm as his main character in The Bookworm’s Feast: A Potluck of Poems. Children will have fun creating their very own book mark bookworm that will help them keep their place when they read their favorite books and poems.

Materials:
Crayons, Markers, Construction Paper, glue, colored yarn, google eyes, stickers, glitter, puff paint, really any art supplies you can find.

Activity 2: (Literature/Drama/Geography) ~Poetry Theater~

Have students perform their favorite selected poem from The Bookworm’s Feast: A Potluck of Poems. This is a great way for students to interact with one another in a collaborative group, which supports team work.

EXAMPLE THEATER:
Presentation Suggestions: Have the students read or perform the poem in front of the class. Have the students act out the different lines while they read them.

Props: Have students bring an articles of clothing from home (with permission from parents) to add to the pile of silly clothing. Students will need specific clothes such as blue jeans, a red bandanna, duck shoes (shoes decorated with ducks or yellow shoes) and a rain jacket, but everyone can contribute to the props.

Split students into four groups before performing the theater. Have students draw the states of Louisiana, Maine, Texas, and Vermont on butcher paper to illustrate the states that are mentioned in the poems. Have the students write important facts about each state on each piece of butcher paper.

Delivery: Have students attempt to read the lines of the poem with poetic rhythm. Practicing beforehand would be a plus. Let children volunteer to perform, don’t make students perform if they don’t wish to. We don’t want students' experiences with poetry to be negative.

Characters:
Student 1
Student 2
Student 3
Student 4

“What to Wear Where”
Student 1:
When I was a boy
In Looziana,
We wore blue jeans
And a red bandanna.

Student 2:
Folks moved up
To the state of Maine,
We wore duck shoes
In slicker-suit rain.

Student 3:
Folks moved down
To the state of Texas,
We wore brand names, Like Lazy X’s.

Student 4:
Now that we’re living
It up in Vermont,
We wear pretty much
Whatever we want.
Activity 3: (Science/Language Arts) ~Sensory Poems~

Grades: 5-8

Patrick Lewis’s poetry book, The Bookworm's Feast: A Potluck of Poems, focuses on the reader’s sense of taste. In Activity 3 students practice writing poetry using words related to the five senses.

Touching Hand Poems
Recreate on paper or the chalkboard a hand poem (see example). Read the poem with the students. Provide each student with a sheet of white construction paper or index paper. Have the students trace their hands on the construction paper with their fingers wide apart. Ask students to think of something special that their hands do such as wave “hello” in friendship, paint a beautiful picture, help them to climb a tree or play a sport, etc. Next, have each student write a poem about his or her hand around the inside edges of the hand outline. Cut out the hand shapes. Display the hand poems along a classroom wall so that one hand touches another to form a border of “Touching Hand Poems.”

Inside, Outside Sense Poems.
Find a few poems that are rich in perceptual detail. After you read the poems to the class, have students discuss how each sense is used in the poems. Ask students to write poems based on their senses, using as the subject things that they hear, smell, taste, touch, and see inside the classroom, house, etc. Use the following “Inside Poem” example to demonstrate a sense poem.

Inside Poem
Inside, I hear the thud of my brother’s feet.
Inside, the smell of pizza floats across my desk.
Inside, I taste the sweetness of my gum.
Inside, I run my hand across my paper.
Inside, I see my mother going down the hall.

Read the poem and discuss how a different sense is introduced on each line. Have students write a few inside poems. Challenge them to write the poem without using the words “see,” “hear,” “feel,” “touch,” “taste,” or “smell.” When students have written inside poems, ask them to write outside poems, which express the use of their senses in an outdoor environment. Assemble the students’ sense poems into a class book.

Printable version of this Activity can be found at: http://www.teachervision.fen.com/tv/printables/TCR/1557342350_38.pdf

Activity 4: (Writing Activity) ~Letters to Friends~
Have students write a letter to a friend like in the “Postcard Poem” in The Bookworm's Feast: A Potluck of Poems. Students can place the letters on their friend’s desks or in their cubbies when they have completed them.

NOTE:
If there is a student who doesn’t get a letter from a friend, the teacher could make them feel extra special by writing them a special letter and putting it in their cubby or on their desk. You could also assign partners to prevent anyone from getting their feeling hurt.

Related Websites
http://www.jpatricklewis.com J. Patrick Lewis' personal website:
http://www.rebeccakaidotlich.com/ -Here you'll find Rebecca Kai Dotlich's warm and evocative poems for the young.
http://www.poetry4kids.com -The children's poet Kenn Nesbitt provides both a service and a treat for anyone interested in kids' poetry.
http://www.fizzyfunnyfuzzy.com -Don't miss the fractured mind of Gareth Lancaster.
http://www.janeyolen.com - Jane Yolen, children's author extraordinaire, offers a beautiful, useful and "well-lighted place."
http://www.gigglepoetry.com/ - Award winning poetry website for children.

Related Books
Other Collections by: J. Patrick Lewis
Lewis, Patrick. 2002. Doodle Dandies: Poems That Take Shape. By: Lisa Desimini. New York. Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Lewis, Patrick. 2005. Heroes and She-Roes: Poems of Amazing and Everyday Heroes. By: Jack Cooke. New York. Dial
Lewis, Patrick. 2008. The World’s Greatest: Poems. By: Keith Graves. California. Chronicle Books

Fictional Collections of Poetry focusing on Dinosaurs
Frost, John. 1998. Dragons, Dinosaurs, Monster Poems. By: Korky Paul. New York Oxford Press.
Frost, John. 2004. Dinosaur Poems. By: Korky Paul. New York. Oxford Press.  

Florian, Douglas. 2009. Dinothesaurus: Prehistoric Poems and Painting. California. Bench Lane Books.

Fictional Collections of Poetry about Weather Patterns  

Frank, John. 2003. A Chill in the Air: Nature Poems for Fall and Winter. New York. Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers.

  Salas Laura. 2008. Seed Sower, Hat Thrower: Poems about Weather. Minnesota. Capstone Press.   

Kennedy, Dorothy. 1998. Make Things Fly: Poems about the Wind. By: Sasha Meret. New York. Margaret K. McElderry.

The Brothers' War: The War Voices in Verse

2011-10-20T22:50:00.000-07:00

The Brothers' War: Civil War Voices in Verse

By J. Patrick Lewis

Featuring the Work of Civil War Photographers

Readers Guide

By Janelle Iley

Bibliography

Lewis, J. Patrick. The Brothers' War: Civil War Voices in Verse. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic, 2007. ISBN: 9781426300363

Recommended Age Levels

This book is recommended for ages 12 and up.

Summary of Book
This book is a collection of poems about the different slaves and soldiers who were impacted by the Civil War, either by fighting in it, or by having friends or family members involved in the war. Their thoughts and feelings are captured through these writings that are in the form of free verse or rhyming poems and are displayed as poetry, letters, or songs. Throughout the book, the reader is able to capture the emotions of those who were affected by the Civil War and learn what the war cost them, especially those who lived during that time period, and learn how it still affects us today.

Review Excerpts

John Peters (Booklist, Dec. 15, 2007 (Vol. 104, No. 8)
If war is nothing more than lists of battles / Then human lives count less than saber rattles.” Written mostly in the voices of fictional and historical participants, these 11 poems are not so much narratives as cries of pain, fear, confusion, or release. Each is paired with a large, captioned period photograph—of a young soldier posing, of a slave’s scarred back, of bodies on a battlefield, of an armless veteran—and accompanied by a brief explanatory passage drawn from one of several sources. Along with back matter that includes a map, a time line, and an editorial note about photographer Matthew Brady and his followers, Lewis provides lengthy notes on his poems’ forms and inspirations. The educational content is useful for context, but the powerful words and pictures transcend their particular circumstances and will linger with readers. Grades 6-9

Sharon Salluzzo (Children's Literature)
With the lines, “If war is nothing more than lists of battles/ Then human lives count less than saber rattles,” Lewis leads the reader to his poetic tales of those affected by the American Civil War. The poems take the reader chronologically through the war. The image of a slave picking cotton recalls the major reason for the war. Within the poems are names of notables, such as Frederick Douglass, John Brown, and William Tecumseh Sherman. There are also fictional names of ordinary people, such as Roy Pugh, the Rebel son, who was shot by his Yankee sergeant father at the First Battle of Bull Run. Two of the poems are presented as letters between father and son and express parental concern and the fears of a prisoner of war. The grim reminder of the cost of war is in the final solemn, cadenced poem, “Passing in Review.” Great care was taken in the layout of this book. Almost every poem is accompanied by a photograph from the war and an informative caption. This is a superb way for older children and teens to be introduced to the Civil War. It also brings a deeper depth of understanding of the time period, the long-felt effects of that war, and the concept of war in general. An informative map of the United States in the years 1861--1865 is accompanied by a time line. Lewis describes his approach to this collection and each poem in the back of the book. An explanation of Matthew Brady’s studios, camera equipment, and the difficulties of taking of photographs is included as well. This book should be in every middle school, high school, and public library. It is an important addition to the Civil War collection of books. 2007, National Geographic Society, $17.95. Ages 12 to 18.

Anitra Gordon (Library Media Connection, February 2008)
These 11 original poems provide a fresh approach to studying the Civil War, one that students could continue by writing their own poems or news items based on events of the war. The short poems representing both sides cover topics such as slavery, cotton, specific battles, wounded soldiers, and letters to and from home. Most poems face a photo by Civil War photographer Matthew Brady that includes an informative paragraph about the subject of the poem. Notes on the photography, the author's notes on the poems, a map of the states in the Civil War, and a selective time line round out this informative, attractive book. Material on the Civil War can be overwhelming, yet this book extracts the essence of the war, the emotions felt by the imagined writers, and allows students to go on from there. Recommended. 2007, National Geographic Society, 48pp., $17.95 hc.. Ages 9 to 14.

Awards/Honors Received

*Winner 2008 NCSS/CBC Notable Children's Trade Books in the Field of Social Studies
*Winner 2008 IRA Teachers' Choices

*Middle and Junior High School Library Catalog, Ninth Edition Supplement 2008, 2008; H.W. Wilson Company
*Pure Poetry, 2007; Voice of Youth Advocates
*School Library Journal Book Review Stars, January 2008; Cahners
*Teachers' Choices, 2008; International Reading Association

Questions to Ask Before Reading
Invite the students to discuss the following questions before reading aloud The Brothers' War: Civil War Voices in Verse:

*What do you think the title The Brothers' War is about, based on the title and cover of the book?

*Do you have any ideas as to what happened during the Civil War?

*How do you think the history of the Civil War impacts our country today? What has changed since that time period?

*What do you think we can learn about war from this book and the people who fought in it?

Suggestions for Reading Poems Aloud

*“Down On the Plantation” – The teacher should read the poem aloud, and then the whole class should also read it aloud. After practicing reading the poem two or three times, the teacher should introduce actions with this poem. Actions should be used in accordance with the words: stoop, chop, scoop, dark, bent, and question mark. Every time these words are said, the students should act them out while saying them. Students will be able to imagine the lives of the slaves and fully understand what the words mean in the poem.

*“The Raider” – As a teacher, read the whole poem to the students while they are following along. Then, break up the stanzas and have the class alternate with you when reading it, again. Have the whole class read the second and fourth stanzas aloud, while you read the other stanzas aloud to them. By reading the poem like this, the students will understand the rhythm of it and be able to comprehend the feelings of the character's voice in the poem, which is supposed to be the voice of John Brown.

*“Blood of Our Fathers, Blood of Our Sons” – This poem has a lot of important details, so the teacher should read the whole poem aloud, and then, read it, again, repeating the lines 1, 4, 7, 11, and 14 twice. The third time the teacher begins to read he/she should have one student say each of the lines previously mentioned and repeat them twice as well. This will be important for students, since they need to be able to visualize what the poet is saying. By having one of them repeat some of the lines from the poem, the students will be able to imagine the emotions that were felt by the soldiers fighting in the war. They will especially understand the emotions of those who were fighting against their families. A similar method should be used in reading the following poems: “Boys in a Brothers' War” and “White Nightmare,” since these two poems also have a lot of strong visual imagery displayed and also depict people's lives affected by the war.

*“I am Fast in My Chains” – This poem is about Frederick Douglas. In order to gain another insight into the poem, the poem should be read aloud to the whole class while they are following along. Then, it should be read backward from bottom to top, with the students following along, again. The students will learn that poetry can be changed around, and they will also learn how it can develop different meanings, but still make sense.

*“Nathaniel Gwinnett-Shrapnel Wound” – Read aloud the whole poem, and then, have the whole class say every other line aloud as a group, starting with the first line and end by saying the last two lines together. Students will be able to hear the rhythm in the poem by saying every other line. A similar method should be used in reading some of the other poems: “Letters from Home,” “Letter Home,” “I Can Make Georgia Howl,” and “Passing in Review.”

Follow Up Activities

Writing

*This book has free verse and rhyming poems. As a class, identify the characteristics of each type of poem and have the students identify the poems in the book. Then, have students practice writing free verse and rhyming poems.

*Letters were also written in free verse in this book between a father who was at home and a son who was a soldier in the Civil War. Introduce students to letter writing and have them practice writing letters.

*Identify some figurative language that were used in the book. Afterward, have students practice writing using figurative language on their own.

Math

*A lot of dates were used in the book to help the readers keep track of events. In order to practice some math skills, have students figure out how much time had passed between each entry in the book.

*Collaborate with a social studies class and have students research the overall population of the United States at the time just before the Civil War, and then, have them find out how many lives were lost in the war. After finding this information, have students create charts to compare the population before and after the Civil War.

*Introduce estimation, percentage, area, and measurement to the class. Use this book of poetry to help students practice understanding these concepts by having them estimate how long the war lasted, calculate the percentage of lives lost in the war, figure the area of one of the states, and measure the distance between Texas and Maryland and calculate the miles.

Art

Photography is an important aspect in this book of poetry. Through the use of photography students are able to gain a visual understanding of the lives of soldiers and their families during the Civil War. Because of this gained understanding, students should identify some of the physical characteristics of people living in the Civil War era.

*Black and white photo images were used in this book. Discuss with students why the author used these images alongside the poems, rather than illustrations. Determine the author's purpose in using them and why it was important.

*Since photography was invented, stories have been told through pictures. Identify some major political figures in the Iraq War today, and have students find pictures to help create a story similar to The Brothers' War: Civil War in Verse.

Science

*Since the book mentioned a lot about soldiers' wounds and deaths, students should do a research activity on medicines used during the Civil War. They should be able to answer the questions about the type of medications that were used, how often they were used, the purposes in using them, and how they were or weren't effective.

*Students should compare and contrast the medical practices used to save soldiers during the Civil War vs. now. They should make presentations in class and be able to identify the similarities and differences between then and now.

*New technologies and scientific discoveries were being made available during the Civil War time period. Since there were so many advances made, have students research the weapons and technologies that were available during the Civil War era.

Social Studies

*This book is about the Civil War, so students should go to the library and research important political figures or battles from the Civil War, such as: Abraham Lincoln, Robert E. Lee, Frederick Douglas, John Brown, Battle of Bull Run, Battle of Shiloh, Battle of Gettysburg. Students should be divided into groups to work on projects and make presentations on these political figures or battles.

*Students should research the events of the Civil War. During class, each student should create a time line of the events that took place during the Civil War.

*Divide students into three groups. Give each group a specific state, such as: Kansas, Missouri, or Arkansas and have them research that state's involvement in the Civil War. Afterward, they should share their findings with the class.

Related Websites/Blogs

*J. Patrick Lewis' Website

http://www.jpatricklewis.com/

[Learn about the author and some of the other books he has written. Look at information on speaking engagements, future books, and other educational links.]

*Civil War

http://civilwar.com/

“[Find information on battles, weapons, abolition and slavery, and people who fought in the Civil War. All of this information can be found on the website.]

*Google Lit Trips Website/Blog

http://www.googlelittrips.org/

[Explore some of the places that were mentioned in the book on this website.]

*History: American Civil War

http://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war

[Interactive tools, information, videos, and resources for use in the classroom are all made available on this website.]

Related Books

Other Poetry

*Bauer, Patricia. B is for Battle Cry: A Civil War Alphabet. Ill. by David Geister. Chelsea, MI: Sleeping Bear Press, 2009.

*Martell, Charles. A Man of Ampurdan: Grandfather's Spanish Civil War Poems. United States: CreateSpace, 2011.

*Negri, Paul. Civil War Poetry (Dover Thrift Editions). Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, 1997.

*Shange, Ntozake. Freedom's a-Callin Me. Ill. by Rod Brown. New York: Amistad, 2012.

Related Nonfiction

*Herbert, Janis. The Civil War for Kids: A History with 21 Activities (For Kids series). Chicago: Chicago Review Press, Inc., 1999.

*McPherson, James M. Fields of Fury: The American Civil War. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2002.

*Murphy, Jim. The Boys' War: Confederate and Union Soldiers Talk About the Civil War. New York: Clarion Books, 1990.

*Ray, Delia. Behind the Blue and Gray: The Soldier's Life in the Civil War

(Young Reader's Hist- Civil War). New York: Puffin Books, 1996.

Related Fiction

*Noble, Trinka Hakes. The Last Brother: A Civil War Tale (Tale of Young Americans). Ill. by Robert Papp. Ann Arbor, MI: Sleeping Bear Press, 2006.

*Osborne, Mary Pope. Civil War On Sunday (Magic Tree House #21). Ill. by Sal Murdocca. New York: Random House, Inc., 2000.

*Ratliff, Thomas, and David Salariya. You Wouldn't Want to Be a Civil War Soldier: A War You'd Rather Not Fight. Ill. by David Antram. Danbury, CT: Franklin Watts, 2004.

*Whelan, Gloria. Friend on Freedom River (Tales of Young Americans). Ann Arbor, MI: Sleeping Bear Press, 2004.

Countdown to Summer: A Poem for Every Day of the School Year

2011-10-20T22:47:00.001-07:00

Countdown to Summer: A Poem for Every Day of the School Year
By J. Patrick Lewis
Illustrated by Ethan Long
Readers Guide
By Karen Tassone

Bibliography
Lewis, J. Patrick. 2009. COUNTDOWN TO SUMMER: A POEM FOR EVERY DAY OF THE SCHOOL YEAR. Ill. by Ethan Long. New York: Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 978-0-316-02089-3

Recommended Age Levels 8-14

Summary of Book

In this entertaining collection of one hundred-eighty poems, mixed forms of poetry are used to entertain the reader. Rhyming and figurative language are creatively transposed to feature poems that relate to school and the typical holidays that happen during a school year. The number of poems included in this collection is intended to follow a classic school calendar year, thus happening upon the holiday themed poems that are in sync around the actual holiday. The centrifugal idea behind this book is for the classroom teacher to share one poem a day by reading it aloud to students. When the book is finished, the school year should be finished. Students will enjoy listening and hearing words like “underwear, burps, and toilet” that are incorporated into the silly humor. Lewis’ book is truly a fun and creative choice to use in teaching literary concepts throughout the year.

Review Excerpts
The collection contains a good variety of styles; the themes and subjects will please elementary-age children. Illustrations are light-hearted and match the tone of the poems. Library Media Connection
These one-hundred eighty poems cover everything from school librarians to the tooth fairy to holidays across the religious spectrum. Though the bold line drawings are purely humorous, some of the limericks, cinquains, and acrostics include musings about loneliness, Hurricane Katrina, and other serious subjects. Verses ranging from effectively pithy to undistinguished give a broad picture of what poetry can be. -Horn Book

As a no-pressure, just-for-poetry's-sake tool to start the day in the classroom, it could be a teacher's best friend. Kirkus Reviews

The book counts down from 180 days of school left to one day left. The poems focus on a variety of topics, from Bigfoot to toilet inspectors, principals to the Kentucky Derby. There are also a number of poem types, useful for teachers interested in using this book on a regular basis to entertain and to educate. One of my favorite uses of Haiku was found on day fifty-seven, entitled “Country Haik-lues.” In this section, a haiku provides a clue as to the country it describes; for example, “Where everybody/wears a caste, curries favor,/and favors curry.” Limericks, riddles, shape poems, free verse, and nonsense verse are also found throughout. Illustrations for the various poems are done in pencil on paper and are consistently detailed and humorous. This is a fun book that could suit a number of classroom purposes. -Children’s Literature

Cartoon illustrations keep the mood light and breezy. This collection may be most appreciated by teachers, who'll find it an appealing and accessible introduction to whimsical wordplay. -School Library Journal

Awards/Honors Received

*2011 NCTE Poetry Award Winner

Questions to Ask Before Reading

Invite the children to discuss the following before ever showing the book cover of Countdown to Summer: A Poem For Every Day of the School Year.

*Think back to your very first day of school when you started kindergarten. Can anyone describe how they were feeling and why? Were you scared, excited, nervous, or sad? What was it like to start school this year? Will it feel different as a student when you leave elementary school and move to intermediate school? Are there advantages for being the youngest or oldest student group at school?

*Since you have been in school for several years now, let’s talk about what typical holidays happen during the duration of the school year. Who can tell me anything they know about the month of September? October? November? December? January? February? March? April? May?

*Let’s switch gears and now I’d like for you to tell me what you know about the genre, poetry? Are there different kinds? Do they follow a certain format? Do they entail various kinds of figurative language?

Suggestions for Reading Poems Aloud

*Using poem #146 “In a Book I Once Read the Chicken’s Song” have the girls read the odd numbered lines aloud, leaving the boys the even numbered lines in parenthesis to respond back.

*Have students echo read after the teacher reads each line of #156 “Weather in a Word: Still.”

*Assign each student a different letter of the alphabet to stand up and read aloud using #174 “The Librarian.”

*Pair students as a single boy and girl in each group, and have pairs take turns reading #30” Autograph Verses.” In each line, one person reads the first half of the sentence up to the comma, and then the other person finishes reading what is left behind the comma.

Follow Up Activities

Writing

*Use the link http://www.poetry4kids.com/blog/video/how-to-rhyme/ to listen to a video of Kenn Nesbitt explaining how to write poetry, use rhyming words and where to fit them into the poem. After viewing the short “how to” video, continue to scroll down on the website and listen to the animated videos that Nesbitt has created with some of his poems. Afterwards, students can create their own funny poems demonstrating the proper usage with rhyming words.

*Take a funny poem that rhymes and white-out corresponding rhyme words to create a fill in the blank kind of poem where students must think of their own rhyming word that fits into the poem.

*Use the link http://www.proteacher.com/redirect.php?goto=3829 to follow a webquest that familiarizes students with author and poet Jack Prelutsky as he teaches the thought process behind writing a poem. Students will ultimately try their own hand at writing a poem and will have the opportunity to publish it Online.

Math

* After reading poem #48 “Lost in Austin,” students will brainstorm in small groups how we could figure out the distance between Austin and Boston
*After reading poem #79 “Mr. Mack Celebrates the 100^th Day of School,” tell students to make lists in categories of things that weigh about 100 pounds, things that have about 100 calories of energy in them, various money groupings to make 100 cents, and packages of items that might have about 100.
*After reading poem #1 “School’s Out!” have students independently write down as many was as they can think of to make 180 using addition and multiplication.

Science

*Using the link http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/02/how-to-go-green-back-to-school.php to dig into the concept of “Going Green at Back to School Time.” This site will challenge students to change wasteful thoughts and become more respectful to the environment which include ideas for saving and conserving year round to make it a habit.

*After reading #78 “Good-bye to an Architect,” assign students a different dinosaur to research and share facts about.

*Demonstrate using models how the Earth, Sun and Moon work together to create day and night. Do this after reading #31 “If the Earth Bumps the Moon.”

Social Studies

*After reading the first poem #180 “A Sixth Grader Sees the Future,” discuss the expectations for the school year by going over homework expectations, absences, manners, respecting the environment, etc.

*After reading poem #64 “Civil War Couplets,” have students research to find out what caused the Civil War, how the United States was effected before and after.

*After reading #7 “The White House,” students can pick a president to research.

Art

*Make an illustrated time line to help keep tabs on the progression of the school year.

*Create postcards that feature landmarks unique to your state after reading #18 “Postcard.”

*Complete a crayon-resist project after reading #27 “Leaving Small Town America.”

Related Web Sites

Poetry Teachers

http://www.poetryteachers.com/

(Check out this website to learn how to teach poetry in your classroom using funny poems.)

Pro Teacher Collection

http://www.proteacher.com/070034.shtml

(Look at this huge educational website created by teachers for teachers. It’s a solid site for gaining new ideas to try in your classroom as well as share your own ideas. The genre of poetry is well covered.)

Net Rover

http://www.netrover.com/~kingskid/poetry.htm

(Explore this website and introduce students to the interactive kid-friendly templates for creating acrostic and shape poems, rhyming couplets, noisy poems, and rhyming word games.)

LB-Kids

http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/kids_simple_search_results.aspx?datafield=countdown+to+summer&agegroup=KIDS&search_button.x=0&search_button.y=0

(Download the educator’s guide to the featured book, Count Down to Summer: A Poem for Every Day of the School Year, and receive useful tips for using language in many ways found in this book collection of poetry.)

Kids Health

http://kidshealth.org/kid/feeling/school/back_to_school.html

(This is a user friendly website that discusses the social, emotional and physical aspects that kids face in beginning a new school year.)

USA.Gov

http://www.usa.gov/Topics/Back_to_School.shtml

(This site contains resources and tips for parents and educators in preparing for the new school year.)

Author Website

http://www.jpatricklewis.com/teachers_interview1.shtml

(Take a peek at author J. Patrick Lewis on his website. Locate his gallery of pictures and his Question and Answer area to take a deeper glimpse on this author. Also, view his schedule for “Author” visits.)

Related Books

Fiction Children’s Literature

Clements, Andrew. 2009. Extra Credit. Ill. by Mark Elliott. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Fleischman, Paul. 2009. The Dunderheads. Ill. by David Roberts. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.

Krosoczka, Jarrett J. 2009. Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute. New York: Alfred A. Knopf Publishers.

Nonfiction Children’s Literature

Prelutsky, Jack. 2008. Pizza, Pigs, and Poetry: How to Write a Poem. New York: Greenwillow Books.

Seuling, Barbara. 2008. One President Was Born on Independence Day: And Other Freaky Facts About the 26th Through 43rd Presidents. Ill. by Matthew Skeens. Minneapolis, MN: Picture Window Books.

Winter, Jeanette. 2009. Nasreen's Secret School : A True Story From Afghanistan. New York: Beach Lane Books

Poetry Related to School, Holidays, and Fun

Hopkins, Lee Bennett. 2005. Days to Celebrate : A Full Year of Poetry, People, Holidays, History, Fascinating Facts, and More. Ill. by Stephen Alcorn. New York: Greenwillow Books.

Nesbitt, Kenn. 2007. Revenge of the Lunch Ladies: The Hilarious Book of School Poetry. Ill. by Mike and Carl Gordon. Minnetonka, MN: Meadowbrook Press.

Prelutsky, Jack. 1984. The New Kid on the Block: Poems Ill. by James Stevenson. New York: Greenwillow Books.

About the Author
J. Patrick Lewis is a prolific writer of children's picture books and poetry books, including Tulip at the Bat, The Bookworm's Feast, Blackbeard: The Pirate King, and The Last Resort. He lives in Westerville, Ohio. His website is www.jpatricklewis.com.

About the Illustrator
Ethan Long is the author and illustrator of Tickle the Duck, Stop Kissing Me! and Duck's Not Afraid of the Dark and has illustrated a number of other children's books. He lives in Tallahassee, Florida and his website is www.ethanlong.com.

Good Mornin', Ms. America: The USA in Verse

2011-10-20T22:47:00.000-07:00

Good Mornin’, Ms. America: The USA in Verse
By: J. Patrick Lewis
Illustrated by: Mark Clapsadle
Readers Guide
By Kim Mitchell-Moffett

Bibliography:
Lewis, J. Patrick. 2005. Good Mornin’, Ms. America: The USA in Verse. School Specialty Publishing.
ISBN: 9780769631707

Recommended for Ages 9-12

Summary of Book:
This book is 32 pages of fun poetry written in the styles of Haiku and rhyming verses that capture the various personalities of our great country. These collections of poetry poke fun at American culture while celebrating our various differences. The humorous illustrations by Mark Clapsadle capture the imagination of all readers who journey through the states.

Review Excerpts/Awards:
From School Library Journal
Grade 2-4–This collection of poems and riddles in various forms, including rhyming quatrains and haiku, offers playful but sometimes confusing trivia about U.S. geography and everyday Americana. For example, Did You Know? states that More than any other U.S. state, Michigan has registered bowlers. To spare. or Postcard from the San Diego Zoo: Look up Wow! in the dictionary./This is what you'll find:/the hippopotamus in front/and my behind behind! The unclear, often obscure references make this a disappointing effort from a popular and prolific poet. Cluttered pages with overly cute and amateurish cartoons further detract from the book's appeal.–Sally R. Dow, Ossining Public Library, NY  Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Carol Ann Lloyd-Stanger (Children's Literature) Award-winning poet J. Patrick Lewis introduces children to a variety of poetic forms in this collection of whimsical poems celebrating a variety of states, cities, and communities across the country. There are references to history, such as Neil and Buzz taking a trip to the moon. Many poems encourage interaction, with missing letters to fill in and puzzles to solve. The colorful illustrations have a cartoonish quality that will appeal to readers. The collection is random and wandering, giving the impression of a long walk across the country. Young readers will find humor in the word play, funny descriptions, and engaging illustrations of such images as a mid-western farm, two mice piloting a mail plane flying over the country, children jumping rope in Cincinnati, cowboy country, and a special postcard from the San Diego zoo. Pleasurable for adults to read and children to hear. 2006, School Specialty Publishing, $15.95. Ages 4 to 8.

Ann Bryan Nelson (Library Media Connection, February 2007) Colorful depictions of cities, states, and monuments fill pages about the United States, creating a clever collection of anagrams and word puzzles in verse. From the Statue of Liberty to Buzz and Neil in "America on the Moon," the vastness of the United States is covered with both whimsical and bold illustrations well suited to the variety of topics and ages interested in learning more about a "Midwestern Farm;" the Appalachian Trail; Edgar Springs, Missouri, center of the U.S. population; and media hero Punxsutawney Phil. End pages with travel stickers for most of the states and suitcases complete a travel theme. "Cowboy Country" in reds and burnt oranges cleverly portrays a hungry fellow in a 10-gallon hat with wagon wheel, bedroll, cacti, and a steaming cup of coffee enjoying a hotdog roast as the sun sinks in the West. There's even a guessing game with each state's initials. Recommended. 2007, Gingham Dog Press (School Specialty Children's Publishing), 32pp., $15.95 hc. Ages 5 to 11.

Questions to ask before reading:
Invite your students to discuss the following:
“How many states do you know?” Write down the states they name on the board or have a blank USA map and fill in the blanks as a class.
“Name something “special” you know about a state.” Their state nicknames, state bird, flag, etc.
“What state would you like to learn about and why?”

Suggestions for Reading Poems Aloud:
Invite three groups of four children to read the poems dedicated to six of the southern states, one group at a time, acting out the words as if in a reader’s theater.
Have a copy of the poem for California on the overhead and invite the students to read the poem along with you, pointing out the rhythm of the haiku poetry.
Read aloud a poem to your students, being sure not to mention the name of the state, and have the students try to guess which state you’re reading about.

Follow-up Activities:

Social Studies
Assign a poem to a group of three or four and have them read the poem, right down the interesting facts said about the state, and then research further on those facts and add to them. They can also research whether the information stated in the poem is true or false. When done, have the groups present their findings to the class.
Writing
Place one of the poems on the overhead for the students to see, read the poem aloud, and then have the students write down what came to mind immediately following your reading. Now have then discuss with a partner and after a few minutes, have a class discussion of their responses.
Art
Have each student pick their favorite state, no duplications, and have them re-make the state flag, and one other representation of their choice, along with a brief explanation of the meaning of the flag and the item of choice. Their projects will be displayed around the room or in the hallway.

Related websites:
http://www.jpatricklewis.com/books.shtml (look here for J. Patrick Lewis personal info and book listings)
http://www.poetry4kids.com/modules.php?name=Web_Links&l_op=viewlink&cid=12 (look here to find various activities for kids and poetry)
http://www.gigglepoetry.com/ (look here to find ideas on teaching poetry)

Related books:
Hopkins, L. Bennett. 2000. My America: A Poetry Atlas of the United States. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.
Saunders, Susan. 2003. Smart about the 50 States (Smart about History). Grossett & Dunlap.
Hopkins, L. Bennett. 1994. Hand in Hand: An American History through Poetry. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Long Was the Winter Road They Traveled

2011-10-20T21:09:00.000-07:00

Reader's Guide by Lindsey S. Chesser

for a user-friendly Word document, email me at lindseychesser@gmail.com

BIBLIOGRAPHIC CITATION

Lewis, J. Patrick. (1997). LONG WAS THE WINTER ROAD THEY TRAVELED: A TALE OF THE NATIVITY. Ill. by Drew Bairley. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0803718144

RECOMMENDED AGE LEVELS

For illustrations: 2-8 years

For text and illustrations: 8 and up

PLOT SUMMARY

The nativity story retold through poetry, Joseph and Mary travel to the stable where Jesus will soon be born. Animals including a burrow, spiders, birds, a dog, an ox and more are watching and waiting with Mary and Joseph. At Jesus’ arrival, these animals show their excitement: “The Milk Cow mooed as if to say How Beautiful to the Mare” and “On hoof and wing they went, bellowing, bleating… or perfectly still in their astonishment.”

REVIEW EXCERPTS AND AWARDS

*Booklist - “A reverent, tender look at the wonders of a night almost 2,000 years ago.”

*School Library Journal – “Quiet, well-chosen words describe the gathering of the animals to witness Jesus' birth.

QUESTIONS TO ASK BEFORE READING THE BOOK

*What do you already know about the birth of baby Jesus?

*What animals do you imagine were there with Mary and Joseph?

*What is a stable? For which animals is this common place to be? For what animals is it not?

*Imagine someone in your home having a baby. Would animals come from all around to witness it? Why do you think they came to witness the birth of Jesus?

*Do you have any pets? What would they say to you if they could talk?

SUGGESTIONS FOR READING ALOUD

*Give each student a copy of the words and have them real aloud with you the last sentence in each stanza.

*There are fifteen stanzas. Each student could take one, or the class could be divided into groups. Those groups could read aloud their stanza together when it is their turn.

*Have students brainstorm sounds to accompany the many different animals and their presence at the scene. Then when reading, stop for each animal and have the students voice the sound. For example, the poem reads, “The sheep coughed low,” and the students could say, “baa, baa.” Another example is “When the Owl blinked slow-eyed wonder,” and the students could voice, “hoot, hoot.”

*Referring to the previous suggestion, students could be divided in groups for each animal. When their animal comes along in the poem, they recite their sound.

FOLLOW UP ACTIVITIES

WRITING/LANGUAGE ARTS

*This story has advanced language. With a partner, have students create a list of words they do not know from the poem and have them look up the definition. For example, “Chanticleer” is a rooster. Have students choose a word they looked up and then create a poster with the word, the meaning, and an illustration of that word to hang in the classroom.

*Make a spinning wheel, like at a carnival, with story elements or any standard your students are focusing on. A wedge might read, “Describe what happens at the beginning of the story,” or “Identify the main characters and their feelings in the poem”.

http://www.ehow.com/how_5749029_make-carnival-spin-wheel.html

FOLLOW UP ACTIVITIES Texas Standards Included

HISTORY/GEOGRAPHY (Grade 2 Standard 2, elementary standard 3 and 4)

*Show students a map and have them tag or label the places from the book, such as Bethlehem, Jericho, Hebron, and Jerusalem. For older students, discuss the time period and the date system.

SCIENCE (Grade 2 Standard 10A, Grade 3 10B, Grade 5 10A)

*Refer back to the pre-reading question, “What is a stable? For which animals is this common place to be? For what animals is it not?” Discuss the animals from the story. Determine where these animals usually live? What kind of habitat? What functions do these animals have because of where they live? (Example: hooves on a donkey)

MATH (Grade 2 Standard 3, Grade 3 Standard 2 and 3)

*Supply students with pictures of a particular animal from the manger. Students will cut the animals out and on poster board, will create an addition or subtraction problem with pictures. For example, five sheep could be cut out, grouped together, and glued with an addition sign and then three more sheep pictures. Below the line to indicate equals, eight sheep are cut and glued.

*Supply students with pictures of the many animals found in the manger. Have them cut out a set number of one particular animal. For example, three bats. Then have the students draw a line to represent a fraction and then cut out a full set of all of the animals in the manger. This would provide a concrete visual that of the 10 animals in the manger, three of them were bats (or whatever the numbers and pictures indicate).

ART (Grade 1 Standard 1B, elementary Standard 1)

*Referring to the oil illustrations, have students work in groups of three to indicate color and texture used with illustrations of nature.

*Referring to the oil illustrations, have students work in groups to analyze the use of color to evoke feelings. How does Bairley use color to express certain feelings?

RELATED BLOGS AND WEB SITES

*FunSchool, Animal Homes

http://funschool.kaboose.com/preschool/amazing-animals/games/game_animal_homes.html

For educational games about animals in their natural habitat, visit this website. (Must have Java applets capability).

*Share Christmas

http://www.share-christmas.com/stories/Christwas/

Visit this website for all the Christmas material you could need! This site offers recipes, Christian tales, the “truths” about certain stories such as Rudolph and Santa Clause, traditions, jokes, crafts, games, and coloring pages.

*Apples 4 the Teacher

http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/christmas/poems-rhymes/

This site includes Christmas poems and rhymes for students to interact with and even includes tips for interaction.

RELATED BOOKS

*Coatsworth, Elizabeth and Elizabeth Jane Coatsorth. 1997. Song of the Camels : A Christmas Poem. Ill. by Anna Vojtech. New York: North South Books.

*Haidle, Helen. 1998. The Living Nativity. Tulsa, Okla.: Honor Books.

*Hughes, Langston. 1902. Carol of the Brown King: Nativity Poems. Ill. by Ashley Bryan. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Excerpts Cited:

Lempke, Susan Dove. 1997. "Long Was the Winter Road They Traveled: A Tale of the Nativity “ Booklist 1 Oct. 1997: 323+. Literature Resource Center. Web. 16 Oct. 2011.

Marino, Jane. 1997. "Nativity." School Library Journal 43, no. 10: 45. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed October 16, 2011).

Big is Big (and Little, Little)

2011-10-20T21:05:00.000-07:00

Big is Big (and Little, Little)

A Book of Contrasts

Written by J. Patrick Lewis
Illustrated by Bob Barner

Reader’s Guide

By Christina Cassell

Bibliographic Citation

Lewis, J. Patrick. 2007. BIG IS BIG (AND LITTLE, LITTLE). Malaysia. Holiday House, Inc. ISBN 0823419096

Recommended Age Levels: 4 to 8

Summary:

Big is Big (and Little, Little) is a poem picture book by author J. Patrick Lewis and illustrator Bob Barner. The book is a list of opposites, such as old and new and front and back. All of the pages have lines that end with rhymes but some lines add internal rhymes as well. Young readers will enjoy the rhythm and rhyme and it makes the book a great read aloud. Barner’s beautiful and bright illustrations will keep readers’ eyes following along. Young readers will also enjoy the familiar animals Barner picked to help represent the opposites.

Reviews:

Wordplay meets playful art in this clever look at opposites. Lewis's bouncy verse and Barner's rollicking illustrations show the contrasts between various animals-"Fat is fat and thin is thin. Some curve out and some curve in" is illustrated with a portly pig skipping next to a slinky snake. Using a chantlike beginning to each rhyme, every small vignette tells its own mini-story ("Cool is cool and hot is hot" compares penguins and a lizard; "Mad is mad and sad is sad" shows a disapproving frog and his chastened offspring). Done in a combination of cut-paper collage, bright pastels, and bold black line, Barner's animals cavort against vivid backgrounds. This book is a pleasure to use as a read-aloud or read-alone.-Marge Loch-Wouters, Menasha Public Library, WI Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information

-School Library Journal

Bright, bold collages of torn paper, pastels and tempera fairly jump off the pages as Barner and Lewis team up with this concept book in rhyme for lap listeners. "Big is big and little, little / If you are somewhere in the middle" starts off the series of bouncy, whimsical couplets. The enormous whale takes up most of the double-page spread, while the jolly middle-sized fish chases after the tiny one, not realizing the danger. Well-known animals are chosen to illustrate the concepts, but some of the ideas might be a little over the heads of the target audience: "Young is young and old is old, / pink and blue-or silver and gold." The picture of a presumably older hippo and two teeny hippos does not help the reader understand the idea. The more straightforward ideas are the most successful. "Day is day and night is night. / One is dark and one is light." Still, preschool teachers will enjoy this somewhat slapdash examination of the oft-taught idea of opposites.

-Kirkus Reviews

Awards:

Patrick Lewis was named Children’s Poet Laureate

Questions to Ask Before Reading:

What does big mean? What is something that you think is big?

What does little mean? What is something that you think is little?

What are opposites? Can you name a set of opposites?

Suggestions for Reading Aloud:

Have the students act out the book with hand motions as you read. For example, when you read “Big is big” students can stretch their hands out to show something big.

Two Voices: Pick two students to rehearse parts to read aloud. Split the first line into the two opposites and have the students read the last part together.

Example:

Text: “Big is big and little, little/If you are somewhere in the middle”

Student 1: “Big is big”

Student 2: “and little, little”

Student 1 and 2 in unison: “If you are somewhere in the middle”

Call and Response: Split the class into two groups. Have the groups take turns reading lines. One group can read one line from the page, or one whole set.

Example:

Group 1: “Big is big and little, little. If you are somewhere in the middle.”

Group 2: “Short is short and tall is tall. If that means anything at all.”

Group 1: “Big is big and little, little.”

Group 2: “If you are somewhere in the middle.”

Line-Around: Have students take turns volunteering to read a line from the book. Students can even act out their part as they read it.

Follow Up Activities:

Math:

· Have students work on sorting objects by size (big, medium, or little). Have students draw an example of something that is big, medium, and little.

· Discuss relative size. In the book, we see a big whale, a medium fish, and a little fish. How would you describe your size compared to a whale? (Little) What about your size to the little fish? (Now you’re big) How can you be described as big and little? (The teacher can extend this to talk about short and tall, which is discussed on another page).

Social Studies:

· The book outlines contrasting words. As humans, we are all unique and different from those around us. How are you different and the same as other students in your class? How are different and the same as other people in your family? Make a graphic organizer comparing the similarities and differences between you and one other person.

Language Arts:

· Discuss all the descriptive words used in the book (big, little, short, tall, sweet, mean, young, old, hot, cool, fast, slow, hairy, shiny, smooth, etc) Make a Bubble Thinking Map to describe an animal in the book. (Remember to only use adjectives in the Thinking Map.)

Writing:

· Make a class book of opposites. Optional: Vary the level of text, picking an appropriate level for your students. Examples: A whale is big. A mouse is little. Or simply label: Big. Little. Have the students illustrate the book by drawing pictures, cutting pictures out of a magazine, or taking pictures with a camera.

Related Web Sites:

J. Patrick Lewis’ Web Site

http://www.jpatricklewis.com/

Use this site to research the author, J. Patrick Lewis. Search his works, read riddles, and even invite Lewis to your library!

List of Opposites

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/themes/opposites.shtml

Use this list to review opposites. Also, there are a lot of sorts and other activity ideas here as well.

Opposites Game

http://www.toonuniversity.com/flash.asp?err=519&engine=7

Use this fun game to have children match words that are opposites.

Related Books:

Sherry, Kevin. 2007. I’M THE BIGGEST THING IN THE OCEAN. New York: Penguin Group. ISBN 0803731922

A large squid believes that he is “the biggest thing in the ocean.” He goes around comparing his size to other things in the ocean. Then, the squid meets a whale, and learns he is not “the biggest thing in the ocean.” This book can be used to describe big and little things and relative size.

Patricelli, Leslie. 2003. BIG LITTLE. Massachusets: Candlewick Press. ISBN 0763619515

A baby lists various things that are big, compared to little things, like big heads and little toes. The book can be used to describe things by size.

Hills, Tad. 2011. WHAT’S UP DUCK: A BOOK OF OPPOSITES. New York: Random House Children’s Books. ISBN 9780375988585

Throughout the book Duck and Goose illustrate a list of opposites. The book can be used to discuss opposites.

The House of Boo

2011-10-20T20:59:00.000-07:00

The House of Boo
By J. Patrick Lewis
Illustrated by Katya Krenina

Reader's Guide

by Raquel Solis

Bibliography

Lewis, J. P. (1998). The House of Boo. . Ill. by Katya Krenina, New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. ISBN: 9780689803567

Recommended Age Levels 4-8

Summary of Book
Three brave trick or treaters set out on a Halloween night to find the ghost of Boo Scoggins who lived on Humpback Hill. A Beware sign, a whining cat, billowing curtains, bats, shadowy figures, swirling leaves and dark sky are all sights the children see on their spooky adventure. "The crooked fence post warned: Beware! Misfortune follows fools who dare/Somewhere a cat unwound a whine/That gave the children such a scare." The children try to surprise the legend of Boo Scoggins, not once, but twice. J. Patrick Lewis incorporates a steady stream of rhyming words that evoke fun suspense and Katya Krenina’s mixed media illustrations help amplify the excitement children crave from a good Halloween night fright. Children of all ages would enjoy this mixture of Halloween rhyme and illustrations.

Review Excerpts

“For children who like their frights unredeemed by the usual happy endings, try this spooky picture book. The rhyming verse tells of three children who climb Humpback Hill to Boo Scoggins' haunted-looking house. Frightened by a shadow on the stairs, a posted warning sign, and a cat's sudden whine, the children run down the hill, only to find a freshly dug grave with Scoggins' name on the headstone. They climb the hill again, but the house is now closed and dark. The local legend of Boo Scoggins lives on, mysterious as ever. Perhaps in part because the unusual rhyme scheme (abba / bbcb / ccdc, etc.) limits the poet's choice of end words, the story seems a bit confusing at times, but the menace comes through in the verse and in the gouache paintings. Rendered in dark colors with brighter highlights against black backgrounds, the dramatic illustrations create an eerie atmosphere suitable for this unusual Halloween poem.” –The Booklist

"Three children, dressed as ghosts, check out Boo Scoggins's house on Humpback Hill. Yet exactly what transpires there will be unclear to readers. Despite a couple of stumbles, the nimble verse trippingly sets a spooky mood, especially when read aloud (e.g., "Somewhere a cat unwound a whine..." or "In dark woods thick with creeper vine..."), yet ultimately makes the action difficult to follow. The gouache illustrations are wonderfully dark. Krenina uses purple and green shades of black to illuminate the scenes. Contrasted with the orange typeface, the full-spread paintings combine with the words to create the perfect atmosphere. However, in the end, it seems that this book is nothing but atmosphere. The ambiguous and confusing conclusion will leave some readers cold instead of "chilled." Still, many kids enjoy even an empty scare-that kind of deliberate fright that they can invent out of anything-and so might appreciate this book. –School Library Journal

Questions to Ask Before Reading

Before reading The House of Boo, by J. Patrick Lewis begin the read aloud by asking questions that activate prior knowledge and introduce concepts and vocabulary.

*Lead the students through a picture walk of the book. While turning the pages, encourage students to describe what they see in order to monitor vocabulary and evidence of prior knowledge. What things do we see in the illustrations of this book? Where is this story occurring? Who do you think will be the characters in this story?

*Lead the students towards making predictions. After looking at the pictures, what do you predict this book will be about? What do you predict we will learn?

*Activate prior knowledge. How many of you have been trick or treating? How many of you have felt scared or frightened?

Suggestions for Reading Poems Aloud

*Adult Read Aloud- The best way to introduce this book to 4-8 year old children is first through an adult read aloud. The teacher will read the book slowly and with expression to help give the students a foundational awareness of the book’s atmosphere, vocabulary, tone, and rhyming words.

*Emotions- The House ofBoo evokes many different types of emotions and reactions. After reading the poem aloud, the teacher should scaffold discussion of the poetry such as in a Poetry Talk.

*Drama- Have the students act out the roles of the trick or treaters. Select different stanzas of the book to reread and then ask the children to interpret the stanza through movement. The students are sure to have fun acting out their interpretation of fear and suspense.

Follow Up Activities

Writing

*Shared Writing: The House of Boo is written in Rubaiyat rhyme. After reading the book, lead the children into a shared writing activity. Ask students to identify and retell words they identified as rhyming words in the story. One list of words, for example, would be from the –ill word family. The list would include hill, mill, and whippoorwill.

*Paired Writing: Provide the students with the opportunity to create their own spooky Halloween Storybook. Working in pairs, ask students to think about what characters, setting, problem, and conclusion they would choose for their spooky story. The pair of students would later read their spooky Halloween Storybook to the class.

*Independent Writing: Incorporate some fun to encourage fine motor development, writing fluency, and retelling skills. Provide the students with a white, yellow, green and purple crayon to be used to draw their favorite part of the story on black construction paper. Encourage and scaffold students while writing their sentences. Students will get a kick out of drawing on black paper!

Math

*Counting: After counting how many ghosts are in the story, introduce the song, “One little, two little, three little ghosts, four little, five little, six little ghosts, seven little, eight little, nine little ghost, and 10 little ghosts say, ‘BOO!” Introduce the number ten, the quantity of ten, and number order.

*Patterns: Introduce and review pattern concepts such as ABA, ABBA, and ABAB with the students. Provide students with 10 die cut ghosts. Have the students mark the ghosts with different faces or color them different colors to create ghost patterns.

Science

The illustrations in the book The House of Boo are full of dark pictures with haze, shadow, and mist. The following simple science experiments will add to the eerie, scary atmosphere Katya Krenina beautifully incorporated into the story.

*Shadow and light: Introduce and discuss what make shadows. Ask students to reflect on shadows they see during the day and shadows they see at night. Set up an area in the classroom where students can experiment with shadow making behind a white sheet and using a flashlight. Provide students with different props such as ghosts and other characters that they can manipulate to make a shadow puppet storyline.

http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/casting-shadows-across-literacy-1016.html

*Eerie Mist: Create an eerie mist while also introducing the properties of matter. Teach students about the process of matter such as sometimes solids become a liquid, and then a gas. Direct students to observe a piece of dry ice. Students may observe how the gas mixes with tiny droplets of water, forma a water vapor or heavy steam.

http://www.ehow.com/way_5485761_halloween-science-activities.html#ixzz1bHqD4YFF

* Smoke and Bubbles: A “smoky” experiment is sure to excite the students! Using a rebus, discuss and demonstrate how all the materials will interact to create smoke. Introduce and encourage use of vocabulary such as vapor, tongs, gas, interaction, reaction, and dry ice.

http://www.ehow.com/way_5485761_halloween-science-activities.html#ixzz1bHqRTSa0

Social Studies

*Halloween around the world: Introduce students to the different ways people around the world celebrate Halloween. Mexico, for example, celebrates a different version of Halloween called Day of the Dead. Compare and contrast the different traditions.

*Halloween safety: Safety is always a very important thing to learn before trick or treating. Young children need to learn how to keep safe while out having fun. Review helpful safety tips to ensure a healthy and safe Halloween outing such as trick or treating in a group, candy safety checks, and never leaving with strangers.

*The First Trick or Treaters: Share with students information about how Halloween traditions first began and how the tradition still remains.

http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/articles/holidays/trickortreat.htm

Art

*Paper Plate Ghost: Using white paper plates, white construction paper, and some black crayons to draw a face ask students to construct a spooky ghost representative of those in the story.

* Footprint Ghost Craft: This activity is sure to tickle some tiny feet. Using white paint, paint the bottom of a student’s foot with a paint brush. After paint the bottom of the foot, have the child press their foot onto a black piece of construction paper. Using crayons the children can then draw around the ghost a scene of The House of Boo such as Boo Scoggins's house on Humpback Hill.

http://www.dltk-holidays.com/halloween/mfootprintghost.htm

*Ghost Windsocks: Using white construction paper and white streamers, have the children create ghost windsocks. Students can use them to make them sway and boo just like the ghost characters in the story.

http://www.dltk-holidays.com/halloween/ghostwindsock.html

Related Web Sites

Picture Books and Pirouettes: A Celebration of dance, movement, and children’s literature.

http://kerryaradhya.blogspot.com/2011/10/its-halloween-poetry-party.html

-This website contains two other Halloween poetry picture books that may be fun to use to compare styles, illustrations, and themes.

A Picture Book-Inspired Poetry Lesson from WritingFix - Focus Trait: Word Choice Support Trait: Conventions

http://writingfix.com/Picture_Book_Prompts/Halloween_hoots1.htm

-Visit this website to for lessons that will encourage students to write Halloween poems.

Sing Songs with Emily, the Blog

http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2011/08/03/little-orphant-annie-a-singable-scary-halloween-poem-singable-picture-book/

-This website contains the titles of singable Halloween picture books and Halloween scary songs.

Los Gatos Black on Halloween by Yuri Montes

http://www.yuyimorales.com/gatosblack/gatos_black.html

-Visit this interactive website about the book Los Gatos Black on Halloween and watch the book come to life!

Related Books

Fiction Children’s Literature about Halloween Poetry Picture Books

Andrews, S., & Plecas, J. (1995). Rattlebone Rock. New York: HarperCollins.

Montes, M. (2006). Los gatos black on Halloween. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company.

Nikola-Lisa, W., and Mike Reed. 1997. Shake dem Halloween bones. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co.

Riley, J. W., & Stanley, D. (1983). Little Orphant Annie. New York: Putnam.

Wheeler, Lisa, and Mark Siegel. 2008. Boogie knights. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Nonfiction Literature Related to Halloween

Brokaw, Meredith, Annie Gilbar, and Jill Weber. 1991. The Penny Whistle Halloween book. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Gibbons, Gail. 1984. Halloween. New York: Holiday House

Gibbons, Gail. 2002. Halloween is--. New York: Holiday House.

Greene, Carol, and Linda Bronson. 2004. The story of Halloween. New York: HarperCollins.

Marx, David F. 2000. Halloween. New York: Children's Press.

Poetry Related to Halloween

Behn, Harry, and Greg Couch. 2003. Halloween. New York: North-South Books.

Carlstrom, Nancy White, and R. W. Alley. 1995. Who said boo?: Halloween poems for the very young. New York, N.Y.: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Hopkins, Lee Bennett, and Stacey Schuett. 2005. Halloween howls: holiday poetry.

New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers.

Horton, Joan, and JoAnn Adinolfi. 1999. Halloween hoots and howls. New York: Henry Holt.

About the Author

“A great book is a homing device
For navigating paradise.

A good book somehow makes you care
About the comfort of a chair.

A bad book owes to many trees
A forest of apologies.”
― J. Patrick Lewis

J. Patrick Lewis is an award winning American poet and author of numerous children and adult poem books. While Lewis holds a Ph. D in Economics and taught economics at the University of Ohio, he remained devoted to writing poetry. Lewis has been received many notable honors for many of his books such as from the American Library Association, 2010-11 National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Excellence in Children's Poetry Award, and Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. Lewis has more than 25 published books that demonstrate his strong abilities to create stories with riddles, rhyming, and word play that lure devoted readers.

About the Illustrator

Katya Krenina is a writer and illustrator of several children’s books. Her background includes studying at two Ukrainian Art Institutes in her native country the Ukraine. Krenina majored in Illustration at Syracuse University in New York where she currently works full time. She is currently teaching at Le Moyne College. Krenina has worked on more than 15 published books using mixed media illustrations.

Self-Portrait with Seven Fingers

2011-10-20T20:58:00.000-07:00

Self-Portrait with Seven Fingers:

The Life of Marc Chagall in Verse

By J. Patrick Lewis and Jane Yolen

Readers Guide

By Jamie Baccaro

Bibliography

Lewis, J. Patrick and Jane Yolen. 2011. Self-Portrait with Seven Fingers: The Life of Marc Chagall in Verse. Mankato, MN: Creative Editions. ISBN 9781568462110.

Recommended Age Levels

Ages 11 and up

Summary of Book

This pictorial biography of Marc Chagall is told through fourteen illuminating poems of his life over the past nine decades. The reader is introduced in the beginning to the Jewish heritage of Chagall in Russia through both the symbolic artwork and the sprinkling of Yiddish terms in the poetry. The title phrase “with seven fingers” in Yiddish means to do something well or adroitly. Each poem is elaborated on by a paragraph below the poem that explains what was going on in his life as well as any definitions of Yiddish terms. Chagall comes from a small village called Vitebsk in Russia where half the population is Jewish, otherwise known as shtetls. He was the oldest of nine children and describes in Maternity the celebration of his younger brother. In I and the Village, Over Vitebsk, and The Violinist Chagall details the important features of his village as the poem speaks the dialogue that could have played out from the scene. Chagall’s life beyond the village began after his engagement with Bella Rosenfield and his move to Paris. The next set of poems (My Fiancée in Black Gloves, Birthday, Double Portrait with a Glass of Wine, Paris Through the Window, Self-Portrait with Seven Fingers, The Promenade, and The Flying Horse) tells of his life with his wife, daughter, Paris, Russia and escape from the Nazis. The joy that is portrayed in most of these artworks are mirrored through the poetic words and exuded emotion. The latter part of his life involved the death of Bella, another wife and son, France and his wife of the last thirty years of his life. These remaining poems of Autoportrait, The Tribe of Levi, and The Fall of Icarus represent the decades of the 60’s and 70’s in his life. These last poems and paintings appear to symbolize a denouement to the life of artist Marc Chagall.

Review Excerpts and Awards

*Book was released in August of 2011 therefore there are no published reviews or awards as of yet.

Questions to Ask Before Reading

*Before the students can see the cover of the book, ask them “What do you think the book Self-Portrait with Seven Fingers: The Life of Marc Chagall in Verse is about?” When students share their answers ask them to share what their clues were. After several have shared their guesses, show them the cover and explain the title and pictures on the cover.

*Do you know who Marc Chagall is? Can you name a famous artist? Why do you think someone would choose to be an artist for a profession? What kind of jobs can an artist do?

*Marc Chagall has lived and traveled to different parts of the world. Find these places on the map provided: St. Petersburg-Russia, Berlin-Germany, Paris-France, Pyrenees Mountains, Spain, New York-New York, Jerusalem-Israel, Saint-Paul-de-Vence – France.

*Share with students that Chagall grew up in a small village and in this village they had customs or traditions or things that they did that were unique to where they lived. What are some customs or traditions that people in your neighborhood do? (Ex: 4^th of July fireworks, beginning of summer barbeques, church Fall bazaars)

*Chagall knew at a very young age what his talent was and what he wanted to do with his talent. Do you have a talent? Do you think you might know what you want to do for a living when you are older?

*Chagall was persecuted for who he was. Has anyone ever been mean to you because of who you are (the color of your skin, ethnicity, religion, and the way you talk)?

Suggestions for Reading Poems Aloud

I and the Village – The whole class can participate but only nine students will read a line. Students will be characters from the poem and freeze in a position of action, as if in a frozen scene from a play. One student will read a line at a time. When they read their line they will stand up and say the line directly to the audience and then go back to their frozen action statue. One student will play the part of Chagall who will be facing the audience but with a canvas in front of him and a paint brush in his hand. Every fourth line will be spoken by all the village people in the same fashion that their own lines were spoken. The performance should be in the surrealistic style that Chagall was known for.
The Promenade – Divide the class into four groups, one group for each stanza. Have an aisle in the middle with a long carpet to represent the ‘promenade’. All groups will be lined up on the carpet, one behind the other. Each stanza represents a city and students should be dressed appropriately for their city. Russian villagers should have old clothes, Paris clothes should have sparkle and color, and New York should have red and amber colors with glitter petticoats like the poem describes. The groups should walk one group at a time on the carpet by taking one step for each line. When each group is done with their stanza they are to walk quickly down the carpet and to one side of the carpet. All groups will recite the last two lines while looking up slightly toward the lights in the ceiling.
The Flying Horse – Students in the class will be divided into two groups. The group on the left will face the audience and say the first half (eight lines) of the poem directly to the audience in unison. While the first group is speaking the second group will be in a frozen tableau that will represent the people with yellow stars, soldiers and children. When the first group is finished with the first half they will freeze into a tableau that will represent Paris people, soldiers, Chagall and the death of his wife Bella. The second group will unfreeze and simply stand up straight and face the audience while saying the second half of the poem in unison.

Follow Up Activities

Writing

Marc Chagall cherished his memories from his youth growing up in a small village in Russia. He later used these objects and symbols from his childhood in his paintings throughout his life. Write some memories of your childhood and currently that you will want to remember as an adult. These anecdotes and memories could be a treasure in years to come.
The poems in this book are varied in their form. Some poems have rhyming elements and some are more of a free verse form. Take a special moment in your life (ex: when a baby sister/brother was born, when you broke your arm, first day at a new school, made the winning point, first recital etc.) and tell the story either in a rhyming pattern or free verse.
Using a poster of The Violinist pass out three strips of paper to each student. Divide the class into group of four. Have each student write on one strip of paper how the picture of The Violinist makes them feel. On the second piece of paper write a descriptive sentence of what they see. On the last piece of paper write an action sentence about what they see. Give each group a piece of construction paper and have them arrange their strips of paper to create their own group poem. They can further extend by having one student in the group read the original poem and have the rest freeze in a tableau that represents the picture of The Violinist.

Social Studies

Chagall lived during times of war and political upheaval. Research the years of WWI and how did this time in Russia effect the Jewish people and Chagall?
Research the years of WWII and Chagall during this time. How was Chagall affected by the Nazis? What did he do?
Use the book and a map and retrace the journey that Chagall made around the globe throughout his life. Where did he spend most of his life living? Why do you think he loved this city?
Chagall spent most of his life escaping persecution and in search for opportunities where none were afforded to him before because of his Jewish heritage. Have you had a personal experience where you felt you were being picked on for who you are? Share your story. Do you know an older person who has had a personal experience with prejudice? Interview this person and share their story with the class.

Math

(Math and Art lesson) After looking at The Self-Portrait with Seven Fingers then discuss what Cubism means. Find in groups the acute, obtuse and right angles in the art work. Each student will create their own cubist artwork with the subject being themselves doing something that they are good at. Each student will be given an 8x11 piece of construction paper to draw their picture on. The picture must include acute, obtuse, and right angles as well as various polygons. Once students are finished with their own art, all pictures will be taped together to create one giant rectangle. Measure the rectangle to find the area and the perimeter of it.
Using the map and distance scale provided that shows the journey that Chagall has made across the globe, find the distance traveled between each city. What was the total distance traveled?
If three paintings were sold in 1914 for $3,930 and now one painting is worth 2 million dollars, what is the rate of increase? (Formula: current price – original price / original price. Multiply answer x 100 to get the percent.)

Science

Chagall is known for his uses of color and light in his paintings. Experiment with paint in creating light and dark colors. What happens to a color when white is mixed in with it? What happens to a color when black is mixed in with it? What happens to certain colors when mixed with other colors?
Chagall traveled to various countries from the early 1900’s through modern times. Research and compare how transportation has changed through the 20^th century. What type of transportation do you think Chagall used to get from Russia to France? What type of transportation do you think Chagall used to get from Spain to the United States?

Art

(Cubism) Show students Self-Portrait with Seven Fingers and explain. Pair students up and have them sketch their partner using exaggeration. Exaggerate features using various shapes. Distortion of features is acceptable. Experiment with color and the use of light next to dark colors. Students can use oil pastels.
Show students the I and the Village piece and explain the idea of Surrealism. Have students draw a big X in the middle of their card stock paper in the portrait view. Have students draw four pictures of important memories or important things in their life. Emphasis should be on bright colors, focal points, and dream like unrealistic scenes.

Related Web Sites

*Marc Chagall Biography

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/chagall.html

This Web site tells about the life of Marc Chagall.

*Marc Chagall Paintings

http://www.chagallpaintings.org/

This Web site shows thirteen paintings and explains different features of each painting.

*Marc Chagall Personal Portraits

http://marcchagallart.net/

This Web site includes a biography of Chagall as well as many personal portraits of him through the years.

*Marc Chagall Collection at Museum of Modern Art

http://www.moma.org/collection/artist.php?artist_id=1055

This Museum of Modern Art Web site has over 2o Marc Chagall works available for viewing online.

*Surrealism Definition

http://i.word.com/idictionary/surrealism

This is the definition of surrealism from Merriam-Webster online.

*Surrealism Art Movement

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/surr/hd_surr.htm

The surrealism movement as described by James Voorhies who works in the Department of European Paintings at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

*Cubism for Kids

http://www.theartgallery.com.au/kidsart/learn/cubism/

Basic explanation of cubism in kid’s terms.

*Cubism Art Movement

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/cube/hd_cube.htm

This history of cubism is explained by Sabine Reward from the Department of Nineteenth-Century, Modern, and Contemporary Art at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

*Jewish Heritage Symbols

http://jhom.com/calendar/tishrei/art_shofar.html

This Web site explains the meaning of some famous symbols in the Jewish heritage.

*The History of World War I

http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-i

This Web site is from the History Channel and gives the background in text and video on how and why the war began.

*The History of World War II

http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii

This Web site is from the History Channel and gives the background in text and video on how and why the war began.

*History of the Holocaust

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/history.html

This Web site is put together by the American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise that was established in 1993 to strengthen the U.S. – Israeli relationship.

*German Occupation of France

http://www.enotes.com/topic/German_occupation_of_France_during_World_War_II

This Web site gives a very succinct explanation of the occupation of France.

*J. Patrick Lewis

http://www.jpatricklewis.com/

This Web site is the poet and author’s official site. The site has a list of all his books, teacher and student information as well as poems and riddles.

*Jane Yolen

http://janeyolen.com/

This Web site is the poet and author’s official site. The site has links for teachers, answers for kids, advice for storytellers and writers, a biography, awards as well as a list of newly released books.

Related Books

Marc Chagall Juvenile Literature

*Hopler, Brigitta. 1998. Marc Chagall: life is a dream. Prestel – Verlag.

*Landmann, Bimba. 2006. I am Marc Chagall: text loosely inspired by My Life by Marc Chagall. Ill. By Bimba Landmann. Eerdmans Books for Young Readers.

*Lemke, Elisabeth and Thomas David. 2000. Marc Chagall: What colour is paradise? Picture selection is by Elisabeth Lemke and Thomas David. Prestel.

*Markel, Michelle. 2005. Dreamer from the Village: the story of Marc Chagall. Ill by Emily Lisker. Henry Holt and Co.

*Mason, Antony. 2005. Marc Chagall. World Almanac Library.

*Welton, Jude. 2003. Marc Chagall. Franklin Watts.

Holocaust Non-Fiction and Fiction

*Engle, Margarita. 2009. Tropical Secrets: Holocaust refugees in Cuba. Henry Holt. (Holocaust fiction)

*Hawes, Alison. 2011. Who’s Who in WWII. Crabtree Publishing Co. (WWII biographies)

*Kacer, Kathy. 2006. Hiding Edith: a true story. Second Story Press.

*Opdyke, Irene Gut with Jennifer Armstrong. 1999. In my hands, memories of a Holocaust rescuer. Random House.

*Thornton, Jeremy. 2004. Religious intolerance: Jewish immigrants come to America (1881-1914). PowerKids Press. (Jewish holocaust)

*Wolf, Joan M. 2007. Someone Named Eva. Clarion Brooks. (Nazi fiction)

Jewish Poetry

*Auerbacher, Inge. 1993. I Am a Star: Child of the Holocaust. Puffin.

*Feltquate, Barbara. 2008. Kiddish Yiddish: Jewish Traditions and Culture in Rhyme. Ill. By Tom Post. Bardolf and Company.

*Gross, Elly Berkovics. 2009. Elly: My True Story of the Holocaust. Scholastic Press.

*Levy, Debbie. 2010. The Year of Goodbyes: A true story of friendship, family and farewells. Hyperion Book.

*Patz, Nancy. 2003. Who Was the Woman Who Wore the Hat? Dutton Juvenile.

*Edited by Steven J. Rubin. 1997. Telling and remembering ; a century of American Jewish poetry. Beacon.

Jane Yolen

Jane Yolen has been called “the Hans Christian Anderson of America” due to her significant contributions to children’s literature, especially her original and collected fairy tales. She has written more than 300 books, including the Caldecott Medal-winning Owl Moon, and earned numerous honors. She lives in Massachusetts and Scotland.

J. Patrick Lewis

J. Patrick Lewis spent years as an economics professor before finding his passion as a writer. Today he holds an esteemed reputation in children’s publishing, having authored more than 70 picture books, including such acclaimed titles as Galileo’s Universe, Black Cat Bone, The House, and Skywriting: Poems to Fly. He lives in Westerville, Ohio.

Vherses: A Celebration of Outstanding Women

2011-10-20T20:38:00.000-07:00

Reader's Guide by: Rachel Blackmon

Bibliography: Lewis, J. Patrick. Vherses: A Celebration of Outstanding Women. Ill. by Mark Summers. Mankato: Creative Editions, 2005. ISBN: 1568461852

Recommended for Ages 9-12 or Grades 4-7

Summary:

J. Patrick Lewis and Mark Summers have created a novel in verse which highlights the accomplishments of fourteen remarkable women throughout history to present day. From Amelia Earhart (Solo) to Anne Frank (People Are Really Good At heart), Jane Goodall (Notes From a Day in the Bush) to the Williams sisters (Double Doubles), and several other pioneers of their time, Lewis has selected a cast representative of the vast multitude of opportunity available to girls and women alike. These poignant, direct poems introduce the reader to each woman on a level which encourages further conversation and generates instant admiration. Summers’ precise illustrations serve as the final punctuation in these lyrical narratives, and evoke emotional responses at first sight.

Review Excerpts:

“He [Lewis] writes a poem that summarizes the fine points of each individual and does so with beautiful, concise words and musical rhythm. It is amazing how much the reader can learn from just a few stanzas. The illustrations are incredible and add much to the enjoyment of reading of the book… The author has drawn on a reservoir of knowledge to depict these famous individuals and clarify their accomplishments. This is a perfect book to display how reading poetry is a wonderful way to recreate a memory through imagery” (Children’s Literature, 2005).

“Lewis and Summers celebrate the accomplishments of 14 mostly American women through verse and illustration…The style and content of the poem reflect the personality and endeavors of its subject…This will be a delightful addition to the poetry shelf and good choice for women's history studies” (Booklist, 2005).

Questions to Ask before Reading:

1. Show students the books and ask if they recognize any of the women on the cover. If so, what do they know about them? If not, what do they predict will be outstanding about them?
2. What makes someone outstanding? Why? What would make you feel outstanding?
3. Who is your favorite female historical figure? Why? Is there anyone in your life today that reminds you of this figure? Who? Why?
4. Do you think there’s anything men can do that women cannot, specifically because of gender? If so, then what and why? If not, why?

Suggestions for Reading Poems Aloud:
1. All - Have students get into groups of 4 and read one selected poem from the Lewis’ novel in a round. Therefore, the first student would read the first line and then the next would start with the first line as the first student goes on to the second, and so on. This will encourage the students to keep a steady rhythm so they can keep in line with one another as well as provide repetition of the poem itself so that it may resonate more strongly.

2. Double Doubles – Have children pair off and read this poem aloud to each other, alternating stanzas, while facing each other in an effort to mimic a tennis match.
3. People Are Really Good At Heart - Teacher will read poem once to class and then discuss with students what Anne Frank must have been feeling when writing this poem. After discussion has taken place, students will be asked to reflect on the poem, and Anne Frank's circumstances at the time it was written, and then give a dramatic reading with the tone and rhythm they imagine were meant for this poem to be read in.
4. All - Teacher will write the names of all the women featured in the collection on the board and as the poems are read aloud to the class, students will take turns guessing which poem is about which woman.

3.
Follow Up Activities (art/history/reading/technology/writing):

*art – Have students reflect back to pre-reading discussion questions and focus on what the word outstanding means to them. Then, instruct them to create a poster collage from cut outs, print outs, drawings, etc… which depicts this meaning for them.

*history/writing/technology – have students get into groups of 3 or 4 and select their favorite outstanding female, either from the book or from other sources. Have them perform a study of selected hero and produce either a typed report or PowerPoint presentation of chosen female.

*reading – have students choose a partner and one poem from the book. Ask them to discuss with each other what they remember about the poem and what they thought it was trying to convey. Then, have them re-read same poem aloud to each other and find something they had not noticed the first time. Share findings with class.

Related Websites:

More “outstanding women”: http://nwhp.org/resourcecenter/biographycenter.php

Women in History: http://www.lkwdpl.org/wihohio/figures.htm

History for Kids (through poetry) website: http://www.history-for-kids.com/

Children’s Encyclopedia of Women: http://www.pocanticohills.org/womenenc/womenenc.htm

Related Books:

More works of children’s poetry about renowned females –

Glaser, Linda. Emma’s Poem, 2010. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Morrison, Lillian, 2001. MORE SPICE THAN SUGAR: POEMS ABOUT FEISTY FEMALES. Houghton Mifflin.

Paul, Ann Whitford. All by Herself. New York: Harcourt Children’s Books, 1999.

Smith, Charles R., Jr. 2003. Hoop Queens. Candlewick.

Children’s non-fiction literature about renowned females –

Annino, Jan Godown, 2010. She Sang Promise: The Story of Betty Mae Jumper, Seminole Tribal Leader. National Geographic Children’s Books.

Chin-Lee, Cynthia, 2005. Amelia to Zora: Twenty-six Women Who Changed the World. Charlesbridge Publishers.

Pinkney, Andrea Davis & Brian Pinkney, 2009. Sojourner Truth’s Step-Stomp Stride. Disney/Jump at the Sun.

Vernick, Audrey, 2010. She Loved Baseball: The Effa Manley Story. Collins.

About the Author:

Born on May 5^th 1942, to Leo and Mary Lewis, J. Patrick Lewis was one of three boys who all grew up in Gary, Indiana. Today he lives in Ohio and has four grandchildren he adores. Author of more than fifty children’s poetry publications, J. Patrick Lewis is widely known and revered by fellow authors and fans.

Author’s official site:

http://www.jpatricklewis.com/

Spot the Plot! A Riddle Book of Book Riddles

2011-10-20T20:13:00.000-07:00

Reader's Guide by Patrick L. Yercich

Bibliography: Lewis, J. Patrick. 2009. Spot the Plot! A Riddle Book of Book Riddles. Ill. by Lynn Munsinger. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle

Recommended for ages 4-8.

Summary
Award-winning author J. Patrick Lewis’ Spot the Plot! A Riddle Book of Book Riddles presents an engaging and charismatic collection of thirteen poetic riddles, but with a twist—each riddle is about a classic children’s book, and it’s up to the reader to solve them. From all-time classics such as Peter Rabbit to recent staples like the Madeline series, Lewis puts his considerable poetic skills to work in crafting clever, creative riddles that will appeal not simply to elementary school children, but to any adult who still has fond memories of the land of Oz, messages in spider webs, and searching for hours to find a certain bespectacled man in a red and white-striped hat. Each riddle is told in a different style of poetry and given a loving homage of illustrator Lynn Munsinger’s colorful, hand-drawn artwork, which will thrill younger readers and nostalgic parents/teachers alike. Lewis’ Spot the Plot entertains and delights, providing an eclectic collection of brain-teasing riddles for children ages 4-8.

Review excerpts, awards, and honors:

“This book is perfect for an interactive read-aloud, especially if the illustrations are held back until after the text has been read.”

-School Library Journal

“This book provides an excellent opportunity to introduce today’s children to these delightful works.”

-Library Media Connection

“Lots of fun as a story hour entrée, and kids might enjoy making up some more of their own.”

-Horn Book Review

*Beehive Book Awards nominee (poetry) 2011-2012

*Buckaroo Book Awards nominee 2010-2011

*Golden Sower Awards nominee 2011-2012

*Red Dot Book Awards nominee 2011-2012

*Young Hoosier Book Awards nominee 2011-2012

Questions to ask before reading
Invite the children to discuss the following questions prior to reading Spot the Plot.

*Today, we are going to be solving riddles. Does everyone know what a riddle is? Why is a riddle different from a poem? How do you solve a riddle?
*Spot the Plot! is all about famous books. What are some of your favorite books? What is it that you like about those books?

*The characters on the cover are dressed like detectives. What does a detective do? What does being a detective have to do with solving riddles?
*Using clues is one of the most important parts to solving a riddle. What is a clue? Can you spot anything that might be a clue on the cover of Spot the Plot ?

Suggestions for reading poems aloud
*“The Story of Ferdinand”—invite three volunteers to read the riddle out loud, dividing it by section. Invite a fourth volunteer to be an actor, playing the role of Ferdinand the bull. Basic costuming can be used if available. Allow the group some time to plan together, then present the piece as a narrative pantomime.

*”Pinocchio” – invite between three and twelve volunteers to read the poem together. Divide the poem between them in one-word sections. Allow them time to practice the poem until the one-word sections become continuous.
*“Rapunzel”—just for fun, invite one volunteer to read this four-word poem. Encourage them to read it loudly.

*”Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type”— invite the whole group or class to read the riddle aloud, alternating lines. If there are not enough lines for each child to have their own, they may be split or double cast. When the group gets to the final line (“The Cattle”) they should all speak it in unison.

Follow up activities (writing, art, science, etc.)
*Writing
Clues play an important role in Spot the Plot. Invite the children to write a list of five clues about their own favorite books. This can be completed alone or in small groups. Afterwards, see if the group can deduce the titles of these mystery books using only the five clues provided.

Have the children develop these lists of clues into full-fledged riddles. If the group possesses sufficient poetic ability, these may be adapted into poetic riddles such as those found in the book. Once the riddles have been completed, read them aloud for the group.

*Art

Illustrations play an important part in Spot the Plot, supplying both story and clues. Using the riddles that the group has put together, invite the children to draw, paint, or otherwise create corresponding pictures like those found in the book. Teach them how to use visual clues to convey hints about the answer.

Munsinger’s illustrations tell stories all their own; among these, the entire story of the detectives found on the cover. Invite the children to work alone or in groups on pictures that tell a story without words. See if the rest of the class can correctly interpret these stories.

*Poem writing
J. Patrick Lewis is known for his quick rhymes and variety of styles, making this book a perfect companion for introductory poetry lessons and lessons dealing with rhyme scheme. Analyze the rhyme schemes found in Lewis’ riddles with the children. Teach the children how to write a simple four-line poem using an ABCB rhyme scheme.

Invite the children to write poems based on their favorite books using the rhyme scheme above, or any other poetic form the group happens to know. These poems do not have to be riddles, but certainly can be. Experiment with writing poems as a class, and share them at the end of the lesson.

*Theatre arts

Many of the poetic riddles in Spot the Plot can be performed in a variety of theatrical styles. Form small groups of readers and actors. Assign each group a riddle, and allow them time to create a short scene based on that riddle. The scene may use the riddle directly, or as inspiration for improvised dialogue. At the end of the day, perform these short scenes for the group. Props and costumes may be used if available.

Related web sites/blogs
*J. Patrick Lewis’ official website
http://www.jpatricklewis.com/
[Features a list of Lewis’ works, some bonus riddles, how you can set up an author visit, and more.]

*Lynn Munsinger’s publisher’s website
http://authors.simonandschuster.com/Lynn-Munsinger/1288196
[Features a list of Munsinger’s works, author updates, and a biography section.]

*Teaching Poetry with Riddles
http://www.cloudkingdom.com/Education/teaching_poetry_with_riddles_stm.aspx
[Features helpful ideas for teaching poetry through riddles, plus a directory of poetry/riddle resources.]

Related books
*Other collections of poetic riddles by J. Patrick Lewis
Lewis, J. Patrick. 2007. Scien-trickery: Riddles in Science. Ill. By Frank Remkiewicz. United Kingdom: Sandpiper Books.
Lewis, J. Patrick. 2002. Arithme-tickle: An Even Number of Odd Riddle-Rhymes. Ill. by Frank Remkiewicz. Boston: Harcourt.
Lewis, J. Patrick. 1998. Riddle-lightful: Oodles of Little Riddle Poems. Ill. by Debby Tilley. New York: Knopf Books

*Other collections of poetic riddles by various authors:

Dotlich, R. 2001. When Riddles Come Rumbling: Poems to Ponder. Ill. By Karen Dugan. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills
Morrison, Lillian. 2006. Guess Again!: Riddle Poems. Ill. By Christy Hale. Atlanta: August House.
Spires, E. 1999. Riddle Road: Puzzles in Poems and Pictures. Ill. By Erik Blegvad. La Jolla, CA: Simon & Schuster.

*Nonfiction books pertaining to and for using poetry and riddles in the classroom:
Chmielewski, G. 2008. Classroom Zone: Jokes, Riddles, Tongue Twisters, and “Daffynitions.” Ill. By Jim Kaputo. Chicago: Norwood House Press.
Scarzi, E.. 2011. World’s Greatest Riddles and Brain Teasers! CreateSpace.
Lewis, Patrick J. Countdown to Summer: A Poem for Every Day of the School Year. Ill. By Ethan Long. Lebanon, IN: Hachette Book Group

Isabella Abnormella and the Very, Very Finicky Queen

2011-10-20T19:36:00.000-07:00

Readers Guide
By Tara Mayward

Lewis, J. Patrick. 2000. Isabella Abnormella and the Very, Very Finicky Queen of Trouble. Dorling Kindersley Publishing, Inc.

Recommended for ages 7-10

1. Summary of book:
Queen Angeline is the Queen of a town called Trouble, she is having a very difficult time sleeping, “no comforters, plush pillows, sheets of silk or velveteen could bring a golden slumber to Her Majesty, the Queen!” The King of Trouble calls on the townspeople to help vote on what he should do to help her sleep, but instead Isabella Abnormella Pinkerton McPugh comes to the Queen Angeline’s rescue and uses her creativity to help the Queen slumber like a baby!

2. Review Excerpts/Awards
·         Storytelling World honor book, 2000
·         “A rollicking good read for children 3-8.” -- Tampa Tribune Times
·         “Brooker's dynamic collage art almost skips off the page and Lewis's rhyming verse tickles the tongue.” -- San-Diego Union Tribune
·         Grade 1-4-In the first few lines, Lewis sets the stage for this tongue-in-cheek rhyming ramble. "The town of Trouble lay between/Good-Grief! and Who's-to-Blame?-/Three villages exactly almost/Opposite the same." The trouble in Trouble is the petulant, pouting Queen Angeline, who is unable to find a suitable mattress. Brooker's comic scenes of the kingdom in turmoil smoothly blend paper, fabric, and paint into energetic views of the worried folks trying to please the sniffy queen. The royal costumes, in jewel tones of rust, maroon, and blue, make cunning use of jewelry and sequins. Humorous details abound, punctuating and expanding the goofy verse, and many of the actions of the wide-eyed, large-nosed courtiers are laugh-out-loud funny. Everywhere, the grouchy queen is attended by an eager, smiling girl, Keeper of the Royal Cat. Isabella Abnormella Pinkerton McPugh finally introduces herself after the king has posed a long list of impractical possibilities to give Her Royal Highness a comfortable sleeping place. While readers may think Isabella's solution has a flaw, it works in the book and the story races along to a corny conclusion and a splendid double-page view of the smiling queen in her new queen-sized water bed. Lewis and Brooker make a fine match to tell a well-paced silly story that begs to be read aloud. -- School Library Journal

3. Questions to ask before reading
·         Looking at the cover of the book alone, what do you think this story is about?
·         Why do you think the queen is so very, very finicky? What do you think finicky means?
·         What is a Queen? A King? A Princess? What is their job? Can you name any real life Queens, Kings or Princesses?
·         Who do you think Isabella Abnormella is and why is she carrying a cat on a pillow?

4. Suggestions for reading poem aloud
·         This story is made up of stanzas; a teacher/librarian could read the book aloud one time through and then have each child read one stanza, each stanza is approximately 4 lines long.
·         There are not many characters in this book so breaking a class of students into small groups and having each group act out the story and play a part would be a great learning experience.
·         A teacher/librarian could read the poem one time through aloud and then read it a second time but after each line discuss any unknown words or explain how or why the line is phrased the way it is. This story has some larger vocabulary words and phrases that might cause a younger child to feel a little lost, so discussing the line and defining words will help a child understand the poem as a whole.

5. Follow up activities
·         Art
o   Explain the concept of a royal family and the coat of arms, have each child draw and color a coat of arms that represents their own family and heritage, have each child share this with the class.
·         History
o   When utilizing the British Royal Families website use the information on the site to give a history lesson about the royal family. Most children will be familiar with the country Great Britain or the Royal Family due to the recent wedding so this royal family website will be most recognizable to children. Use the History of the Monarchy, Royal Family Images and Fun Facts all listed on the website to help explain the history behind the family and what their purpose is now.
·         Writing
o   After utilizing the website about the royal family and discussing the history lesson on the royal family, have the children write their own royalty based poetry, fiction or non-fiction. During the history lesson have them write down keywords they hear that describes the royal family, have them create a somewhat fact based storyline and turn it into a poetic story.
·         Science
o   Isabella Abnormella solves the Queen’s sleeping problem by making a waterbed for her. In the story Isabella makes the waterbed out of gunnysacks. Have the children build miniature waterbeds to see what materials hold water and which do not, discuss why some waterbeds work while others do not.

6. Related web sites/blogs
·         http://jpatricklewis.com/ - Access J. Patrick Lewis’ website to read great information about the author, books he’s written, scheduling a SKYPE author visit or a visit to the classroom in person and much more.
·         http://www.royal.gov.uk/Home.aspx - To help kids understand royalty, utilize the official website for the British Royal Family to help explain where and how the royal members live, what they do and why they do it.
·         http://www.waterbed101.com/index.html - After the kids try to build their own miniature waterbeds in Science, go to this website to explain how to build real waterbeds. There are great step-by-step pictures that show how to do it too.
·         http://www.makeyourcoatofarms.com/index.asp - This is a great website to get younger kids started creating a coat of arms. They can be creative and try out different shields, symbols and colors.
·         http://www.fleurdelis.com/index.html - Here is a site that a teacher or librarian could walk children through and explain what different patterns, colors and the symbolism behind some designs.

7. Related books
Fiction Children’s Literature:
·         Baker, E.D. 2010. The Wide-Awake Princess. Bloomsbury USA Childrens.
·         Cech, John. 2007. The Princess and the Pea. Sterling.
·         Wilcox, Leah. 2008. Waking Princess. Putnam Juvenile.

Non-Fiction Children’s Literature:
·         Anderson, Scoular. 1999. Puffin Factfile of Kings & Queens. Penguin UK.
·         Fox-Davies, Arthur Charles. 1991. Heraldry: A Pictorial Archive for Artists and Designers (Dover Pictorial Archives). Dover Publications, Inc.
·         Hajeski, Nancy. 2009. Princesses. Hammond World Atlas.
·         Jamieson, Andrew Stewart. 1998. Coats of Arms (Pitkin Guides). Pitkin Unichrome Ltd.

About the Author:
J. Patrick Lewis is a children's poet and author of over 75 children's picture books including Riddle-icious, Please Bury Me in the Library, First Dog and The House. He has been called "a master of poetic forms" by the School Library Journal. Unlike his character, Queen of Trouble, J. Patrick Lewis did not find sleeping on a waterbed as enjoyable, he actually became seasick! He currently resides in Chagrin, Ohio.

About the Illustrator:
Kyrsten Brooker started her career after college as an interior designer but she always loved drawing and painting. She quickly began her career as a freelance illustrator and has been doing so since 1991. She was selected as Publisher Weekly Flying Start for her illustrations in Nothing Ever Happens on 90th Street. She currently resides in Edmonton, Canada with her dog Sash.

Tulip at the Bat

2011-10-20T18:20:00.001-07:00

Reader’s Guide
By Leticia Penn

About the Author

“Great poetry is a circus for the brain.”

–J. Patrick Lewis

J. Patrick Lewis has written over seventy children’s books mostly poetry. He makes over 30 elementary schools visits a year. He was named the 2011 Children’s Poet Laureate by the Poetry Foundation in 2011. He also received the 2011 National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Excellence in Children’s Poetry Award for his body of work and the National Council of Teachers of English Excellence in Poetry Award. Visit his website at http://www.jpatricklewis.com/

About the Illustrator

Amiko Hirao is the illustrator of picture books Take Me Out to the Ball Game, How the Fisherman Tricked the Genie, Just What Mama Needs, and All Aboard! She resides in Brooklyn New York.

Text & Illustrations from Tulip at the Bat by J. Patrick Lewis. Illustrations © 2007 by Amiko Hirao Published by Little Brown and Company, New York. All rights reserved. http://www.poetryfoundation.org/children/article/242020 Sylvia M. Vardell Interview

Bibliography

Lewis J. Patrick. 2007. Tulip at the Bat. by Amiko Hirao. New York: Little Brown and Company. ISBN 0316612804

Recommended Age Levels 4-10

Summary of Book

This poem picture book is about the World Series baseball game between the Boston Beast and the New York Pets. It is the end of the ninth inning when Tutu Tulip the Hippopotamus, a player for the New York Pets goes up to bat. The New York Pets have two outs and with two bases loaded; Armand Octopus on second and Amanda Elephant on first base. Tulip swings so hard, the baseball lands three feet from plate and begins to dig into the ground creating what seems like an endless deep hole in the ground. As the Boston Beast attempt to excavate the ball the New York Pets walk in three runs and win the World Series 3-1. In the end the city of New York celebrates the Pets with a ticker tape parade. Tulip at the bat is a delightful parody of Ernest Lawrence Thayer’s ballad of Casey at the Bat where the main character Casey was actually struck out, unlike Tulip at the Bat.

Review Excerpts

K-Gr 3-In this unique take-off on "Casey at the Bat," the New York Pets are playing the Boston Beasts in the World Series. Each team has quite a beastly lineup. Boston catcher Armand Armand the Octopus has lots of gloves at his disposal. Sliding into third base is a scary thought with the Pets' Lance Porcupine on the bag. However, it is Tulip Hippo who wins the day for New York when she bunts a ball so hard that the Beasts have to dig it out of the ground. Readers will thoroughly enjoy the antics of these animal athletes. The rhyme works most of the time, and it is witty and silly and lots of fun. The illustrations burst with color and action, and they're done with a perspective that puts viewers right on the field. Although young Boston fans might have preferred a different ending, this rollicking good read is a winner.

-School Library Journal

The New York Pets square off against the Boston Beasts, with the usual result, in this very distant cousin to “Casey at the Bat.” It’s the bottom of the ninth, two outs, Boston up by one—but with Pets pitcher Armand Octopus hugging second and corpulent outfielder Amanda Elephant really holding down first, up to the plate comes Tulip Hippo, with her “double stubble chins” and a pink tutu “held together by a dozen safety pins.” Unlike Casey, though, Tulip drills the pitch—so hard that it sinks into the ground in front of the plate, giving all three runners time to lumber home. As the line breaks in the last verse don’t come on the rhyming words, and Lewis has Tulip bunting while in the picture she’s swinging away, this strikes out on editorial attention to detail. However, Tulip, who is last seen waving triumphantly with her teammates through a blizzard of ticker tape, makes a fetching hero, and the outsized “WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS” message at the end will be music to the ears of New York fans everywhere.

-Kirkus Reviews

Patrick Lewis's parody of "Casey at the Bat" pits the Boston Beasts against the New York Pets with Boston ahead at the bottom of the ninth. All seems lost until Tulip the hippo drives a bunt so deep into the ground that Armand Octopus, Amanda Elephant, and Tulip cross home plate before the ball is excavated. The text is full of word play and baseball lingo, and children will enjoy the outsized animals that are barely contained by the borders of the illustrations. The rambunctious verse reads aloud well, but the mayhem in the jelly-bean colored illustrations and the disjointed storytelling may lose readers who don't know their baseball.

-Library Media Connection

Awards/Honors Received

*Even though J. Patrick Lewis was named Children’s Poet Laureate by the Poetry Foundation, Tulip at the bat did not receive any awards.

Questions to Ask Before Reading

*Have you ever played baseball before?

*What was your team’s name?

*What were your team colors?

*What is your favorite baseball team/player?

*What equipment is needed?

*What is the object of the game?

*What is a championship?

*How would you celebrate a victory?

*What is good sportsmanship?

*If you could put animals on a baseball team which ones would you choose and why?

Suggestions for reading aloud

*Divide the class in two groups. One group of students will read the lines (chosen by teacher) of Casey at the bat while the other group reads the lines of Tulip at the bat simultaneously. Give students time beforehand to practice individually, then as a group, then both groups read simultaneously.

*Choose two volunteers. The first volunteer will read the first line and the second will read the second rhyming line that rhymes with the first. Give students time to practice so that fluency may be enhanced.

*Read Tulip at the bat aloud to students and make sure to display the words as you read them aloud to model fluency. Once students become familiar and comfortable reading the poem divide the class into two groups and have one group read the first line in unison, then the other half of the class read the line that follows. Take turns reading each line to practice fluency.

Follow up activities

Writing

*Have students write their own version of Tulip at the bat but instead of including pets/animals ask students to include their friends and family members and the nicknames they have for each other, to create their own team. To make it challenging ask students to rhyme at the end of each line.

*Explain to students that at the end of a professional baseball game players are usually interviewed by reporters. Have students brainstorm questions they might ask a player after they won the championship if they were a reporter. Then ask students to assume one of the character roles such as Tutu Tulip or Lance Porcupine while another student conducts the interview and writes responses down. Then have students write their report and post the interviews on a “Read All About It Gazette”.

*Tell students that a couplet is composed of two lines with the same number of syllables per line with the ending word rhyming. Have students think of a topic they would like to write about. Have students brainstorm words that rhyme with the topic they chose, then as a group, create couplets with rhyming words at the end.

Math

*Have students brainstorm a list of common foods found in Tulip at the Bat (i.e. peanuts, hotdogs, pop corn, cotton candy, ice cream, etc..) Then have students survey the school and graph results in a bar graph. Make sure students are familiar with parts of a graph.

*Give students an aerial image of a baseball field and ask them to identify as many 2-Dimensional polygons such as square, rectangle, diamonds, etc… Then have students identify what kinds of angles are found in each of the polygons and label them as they find them. Be sure students understand the attributes of a polygon.

*Show students an image of the baseball field stands and ask them to identify how and why they are arranged that way. (Rows and columns to find seats easier) Tell them arrays are also organized in rows and columns and how they are used to show multiplication. Then have students cut out small images of seats and arrange them in rows and columns, just like they would be at a baseball stadium.

*Give students a drawing of their playground baseball field. Have students go out to the school yard and measure with a yard stick how many yards it is from one base to another, then use a calculator to find the perimeter around the bases.

Science

*Students list what animals they saw in Tulip at the Bat, then they categorize them according to herbivores and carnivores.

*Have students discuss the various forms of energy. Then what type of energy is being used and why it is categorized as such when the bat is being swung, the ball is being thrown, the players are running to the bases, the fans are cheering, the sun is shining, Then have them cut out images of those actions from a magazine and have various categories for each energy with the images from the magazine.

*After watching “The Magic School Bus Plays Baseball” video, have students write the importance of forces, gravity, speed, and friction and why they are critical to the game of baseball.

*Compare and contrast wood and metal bats according to the characteristics of conductors and insulators. Then have them write a persuasive piece on what type of bat should be used and the reasons why.

Social Studies

*Using Google Earth, http://www.google.com/earth/index.html, students will find New York, explore around and identify the various landforms such as island, lakes, canal, peninsula, ocean, river, mountain, fall, etc.. Then on the handout of a map of New York students will label the landforms found using Google Earth.

*Use Google Earth, http://www.google.com/earth/index.html, to view student’s hometown baseball stadium and the New York Yankees (Pets) stadium, compare and contrast each using a T-Chart.

*Gather books, websites and encyclopedias. In groups of two students will look up the history of baseball. How did it get started, what equipment is needed to play, when did it get started, how has it changed, where women and other minorities allowed to play? Then have students write all their organized final information on paper shaped like a baseball and display on a baseball theme bulletin board.

*Give students a United States Map and ask them to choose a baseball team they would like to follow across the U.S. Have students look up the opposing teams being played and where they are from. On the map, students will trace the path their team will be taking on away games, this way they get to know cities around the U.S.

Art

*Tell students they have been chosen as the next designers for the New York Pets uniform. First have students brainstorm in groups and write what the uniforms should look like, next students will sketch the uniform, and finally students will create a three-dimensional uniform and present as a group to the class.

*Write the names of each of the animals found in Tulip at the Bat on a piece of paper. Then mix the names up and have students draw three each. Pass out three index cards size 3x5 to each student, then, ask them to create a trading card for each of the names they drew. They must include the player’s number, nickname, homeruns, drawing of the player, and date of birth.

*Remind students how the New York Pets celebrated their championship with a parade in the streets of New York. In groups of four, students will design a float that the New York Pets will ride for their parade. Have students create a list of things that symbolize baseball and other items they would include on the float. Then using a shoe box and lid students will decorate the top of the box with items they brainstormed previously. Students may bring items from home to decorate and use butcher or construction paper as well.

Related web sites/blogs

Baseball Poetry

http://home.earthlink.net/~sscutchen/baseball/Poetry/index.htm

J. Patrick Lewis Poetry and Riddles

http://www.jpatricklewis.com/

Baseball poems, poetry & songs

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/poems.shtml

Poetry tools

http://42explore.com/poetry.htm

Funny Poetry for Kids

http://www.fizzyfunnyfuzzy.com/

Types of Poetry

http://www.kathimitchell.com/poemtypes.html

Casey at the bat

http://ops.tamu.edu/bob/poems/casey.html

Related books

Poetry related to Baseball

Bing, Christopher. 2000. Ernest L. Thayer’s Casey at the bat: a ballad of the Republic sung in the year 1888. by Christopher Bing. Handprint Books.

Thayer L. Ernest. 2006. Casey at the bat. by Joe Morse. KCP Poetry.

Gutman, Dan. 2007. Casey back at bat. by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher. Harper Collins.

Hopkins, Lee Bennett. 1993. Extra Innings: Baseball Poems. by Scott Medlock. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Publishers.

Maddox, Marjorie. 2009. Rules of the game: baseball poems. by John Sandford. Wordsong.

Morrison, Lillian. At The Crack of the Bat: Baseball Poems. by Lilian Morrison and Steve Cieslawski.

Nonfiction Literature Related to Baseball

DeGezelle, Terri. 2006. Let’s play baseball! By Terri DeGezelle. Capstone Press.

Green, Michelle Y. 2002. A strong right arm: the story of Mamie “Peanut” Johnson. Dial Books for Young Readers.

Thomas, Keltie. 2004. How Baseball Works. by Greg Hall. Maple Tree Press.

Moss, Marissa. 2004. Mighty Jackie: The strike out queen. Simon & Schuster.

Fiction Children’s Literature about Baseball

Preller, James. 2009. Mightly Casey. By Matthew Cordell. Feiwel and Friends.

Herzog, Brad. 2004. H is for Home Run: A Baseball Alphabet. by Melanie Rose. sleeping Bear Press.

McGrath, Barbara Barbieri. 1999. The baseball counting book. by Brian Shawn. Charlesbridge Publications.

Northworth, Jack. 2011. Take me out to the ball game. by Amiko Hirao. Imagine, a Charlesbridge Imprint.

Sederman, Marty. 2008. Casey and Derek on the ice. By Zachary Pullen. Chronicle Books.

Adler, David A. 2003. Mama played baseball. by Chris O’Leary. Gulliver Books.

Ritter, H. John. 2005. The boy who saved baseball. Puffin Books.

Boshblobberbosh: Runcible Poems for Edward Lear

2011-10-20T18:20:00.000-07:00

Readers Guide by Rebecca Neighbors

Lewis, J. Patrick. 1998. Boshblobberbosh: Runcible Poems for Edward Lear. Ill. Gary Kelley. Mankato: Creative Editions. Sandiego, New York & London: Harcourt Brace & Company. ISBN: 0-15-201949-9

Recommended Age Levels 8 to 16

1. Summary of book

This is a collection of sixteen nonsense poems dedicated to and inspired by the life of Edward Lear. Through clever use of humor, rhyme, rhythm and “bosh,” Lewis gives us a glimpse into the life of this iconic man. There is a drop of truth reveled in every poem, through which we learn about Lear’s upbringing, early occupations and passions in life. The Introduction and End Notes explain the poetry nicely and give some meaning to the nonsense. Lewis even includes a Chronology of Lear’s life as the final page of the book. Kelly’s illustrations are dark but have humorous elements also, complementing the nature of the book itself.

2. Special Honors

“Children's Literature Choice List,” 1999 ; Children's Literature; United States
“Middle And Junior High School Library Catalog,” Eighth Edition, 2000 ; H.W. Wilson; United States
“Notable Children's Books in the Language Arts,” 1999 ; NCTE Children's Literature Assembly; United States
“Publishers Weekly Book Review Stars,” October 1998 ; Cahners; United States
“School Library Journal Book Review Stars,” November 1998 ; Cahners; United States

3. Review Excerpts

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, 1998) 

Lewis (Doodle Dandies, p. 896, etc.) turns his admiration for Edward Lear into inspiration for a collection of biographical poems about his literary hero. An introduction and end notes help readers locate real aspects of Lear's life referred to in the poems. Such an unconventional approach to Lear attracts and intrigues; it offers readers a sense of what it means to pay homage. For those with firsthand knowledge of Lear's work, though, the poems here pale--the information in them is more interesting than the way in which it is delivered. Kelley's imposing paintings are masterful in the technique, comic in the approach, capturing a bit of the nonsense in Lear's writing, but focusing more on his life.

Kathleen Karr (Children's Literature)

 Edward Lear was an original, the nineteenth century's nonsense poet par excellence. In lyrical nonsense poems of his own, Lewis creates a loving biographical tribute to this globe-trotting, chronically ill twentieth child~and his cat, Old Foss. End Notes and a Chronology of Lear's life answer many of the natural questions rising from the poems, while Kelley's ultra realistic, edge of surreal artwork graces the lines. It's a lovely book, for nonsense lovers of all ages.

4. Questions to Ask Before Reading

What do we know about the life of Edward Lear?
What is nonsense poetry? How should we typically read nonsense poetry?
What do we know about life in England in the 1800’s—when Lear lived? How might this affect the reception of Lear’s “bosh?

5. Suggestions for Reading Poems Aloud

“Born in a Crowd” is a good adult read-aloud, giving children a chance to listen to a reading with expressive emotion. This may aid in initial understanding of the serious side of this poem.
“A Day in the Life…” and “…A Night in the Life” would be beautiful in a wave-like group format in which each group takes turns reading a stanza going around the room.
Lewis’s limericks like, “There Once Was a Man Who Could Cook,” and “There Was an Old Man of Dundee,” lend themselves well to unison readings in which the adult reads the poem first to help the children get a handle on the sound and then everyone reads in unison. This may allow children to better understand the rhythm of limericks.
Some of the sillier of these nonsense poems, like “The Queen Takes Drawing Lessons,” and “In the Middle of Your Face,” would be appropriate singing poems. An adult or child volunteer could make up a tune (or use a familiar tune) and sing the poem. The silliness of dramatic singing would only emphasize the nonsense lyrics by Lewis.

6. Follow Up Activities

Art: Find and discuss some of Lear’s drawings of parrots, landscape, etc.
Geography: Make a map of Lear’s real world travels throughout his life.
Science: Study some of Lear’s illnesses and discuss how they probably affected his day-to-day life.
Writing: Make a book of nonsense poetry complied from poems written by members of the group.

7. Related Web Sites and Blogs

J. Patrick Lewis’s Website. http://www.jpatricklewis.com/
First Dog Book Talk Video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rcw8RTTO428
A Blog of Bosh: The Edward Lear Home Page. http://nonsenselit.wordpress.com/
Artwork by Edward Lear. http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/lear_edward.html

8. Related Books

About Edward Lear

Kelen, Emery. 1973. Mr. Nonsense: a Life of Edward Lear. EP Dutton. ISBN: 0525662782
Lear, Edward. 1994. How Pleasant to Know Mr. Lear: Nonsense Poems. Ill. Bohdan Butenko. Stemmer House Publishers. ISBN: 0880451262
Livingston, M.C. 1985. A Learical Lexicon. Atheneum. ISBN: 0689503180

By J. Patrick Lewis

Lewis, J. Patrick. 2000. Freedom Like Sunlight: Praisesongs for Black Americans. Mankato, MN: Creative Editions. ISBN: 1568461631
Lewis, J. Patrick. 1998. Riddle-Lightful: Oodles of Little Riddle-Poems. Knopf. ISBN: 0679887601
Lewis, J. Patrick. 1990. A Hippopotamusn't and Other Animal Verses. New York: Dial. ISBN: 0803705182

More Nonsense Poetry by Other Authors

SeaStar Publishing Staff. 2000. Silly Stories: To Tickle Your Funny Bone. Chronicle Books. ISBN: 1587170337
Smith, William J. 1968. Mr. Smith and Other Nonsense. Delacorte Press. ISBN: 0440058937
Cole, William. 1979. A Boy Named Mary Jane, and Other Silly Verse. Avon Books. ISBN: 0380459558