1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Lawson, JonArno. 2006. B;LACK STARS IN A WHITE NIGHT SKY. Ill. By Sherwin Tjia. Honesdale, Penn.: Wordsong. ISBN 9781590785218
2. SUMMARY
JonArno Lawson weaves together a poetic tapestry for a child that takes flights of fancy and of the mundane throughout the course of Black Stars in a White Night Sky. From the juxtaposition of light and dark, to the personification of tree-climbing kangaroos and dessert-preferring pigeons, Lawson makes sparkling poetry for the young and young at heart.
Old Man Margulis
“Old man Margulis
throws cake to the pigeons;
he claims that their feelings get hurt
by the same old dull bread crumbs and sunflower seeds --
‘What they coo for, my friends,
Is dessert.’”
While not specifically connected or associated with a particular theme this collection of works by JonArno Lawson does evoke, as a whole, a feeling of lightness and joy in the interesting aspects of life, as well as a recurring connection between the human and natural world that will entice young readers.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Rhythm, rhyme and sound play are at the forefront of Lawson’s work in this volume.
The Crepe Eaters
“They eat their crepes
behind drawn drapes,
they sneeze and cough politely.
How quickly they
avert their eyes
from anything
unsightly.
Whatever happens,
good or bad,
They take it
very lightly.”
Most, though not all, of the individual poems in this work have a strong rhyming pattern and a sauntering rhythm that is engaging and appropriate for children. Additionally the introduction of new words in rhyming patterns help support the acquisition of word sounds by young readers. Additionally Lawson’s use of sound adds an element of fun that is pervasive.
From The Knuckle-Nicking Buckle
“I nicked my knuckle
On my buckle
Fastening my belt;”
In addition to Lawson’s solid use of rhythm, rhyme and sound to draw in young readers, these delightful poems are couple with wonderful black and white illustrations by Sherwin Tija. The strong, dynamic images range from single drawings confined to a small portion of the page surrounded by whitespace, to full page detailed illustrations of environments that are often literal representations of the poetry they support. These illustrations use just enough detail to create a strong image while still remaining animated enough to support the fun and lightness of Lawson’s poetry.
Overall the entire collection is enjoyable and perfectly suited for young readers. The poems cover interesting topics in enticing ways and are paired with illustrations that enhance the whimsy of the poems. It is a wonderful choice for school, classroom and home libraries.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Review in WASHINGTON POST BOOK REVIEW "These playful verses pass the true-poetry test: They show the world in a new light. As even his titles prove, Lawson likes to turn words and ideas inside out and upside down, roll them around and see what surprises shake out. Who could resist dipping into 'The Maple Leaves That Mabel Leaves' or 'Frog on the Cob'? But he also shows an unexpected range of feeling.”
Review in KIRKUS REVIEWS: Staid design masks a terrific collection of poetic surprises, observations and ruminations on topics as varied as discovering sunken treasure but not taking it, meeting an unusually eloquent ‘Elephant,’ considering the prospect of eating ‘Frog On A Cob’ again… and, in the title poem, using the ‘inward-gazing mind’ to reverse what the ‘outward-dazing eye’ sees.”
5. CONNECTIONS
*This book of poetry would be a wonderful choice as a stimulus for pen and ink drawing units in an art class. While a number of the poems have illustrations, students could choose poems that did not to illustrate themselves. Additionally students could seek out images, or the teacher could provide images, to stimulate writing in JonArno Lawson’s style and allow students the chance to create their own works.
*Students could, after finishing a study of Black Stars seek out Lawson’s other book of poetry for children, The Man in the Moon-Fixer’s Mask and compare and contrast the two books as a whole, using the elements of poetry to create diagrams and charts by element.
Other children’s poetry books:
McCord, David. EVERYTIME I CLIMB A TREE. ISBN 9780316158855 (*Out of print but many copies still able to be purchased.)
Viorst, Judith. SAD UNDERWEAR AND OTHER COMPLICATIONS. ISBN 9780689833762
Monday, March 5, 2012
Book Review - Stop Pretending: what happened when my big sister went crazy - TWU LS5603 - Spring 2012
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Sones, Sonya.. 1999. STOP PRETENDING: WHAT HAPPENED WHEN MY BIG SISTER WENT CRAZY. New York: HARPERTEMPEST. ISBN 9780064462188
2. SUMMARY
In the most excruciatingly sorrowful, poignant and emotion-laden manner, Sonya Sones carries us through the journey of her older sister’s fall into debilitating mental illness. From the tender age of twelve we see through younger sister’s eyes as the family of four becomes a family of three, as her older sister takes up residence in a psychiatric facility. We are drawn in line by line, poem by poem, through the uproar and turmoil caused in the family, and in the shifting social relationships the knowledge of her sister’s illness causes in young Sonya’s school. We are given flashes of brightness when good days come by, the rage and sorrow that flow through the poetry of anger that cannot help but be felt by her parents, and even poems of new love and joy as the protagonist finds an accepting love who is able to see her family’s flaws and love her just the same. While normalcy isn’t reached at the end of the verse novel, one can feel the healing that has begun, and hopes for the best for the family, and any others struggling with the same issues.
“My sister gives her a high five.
It’s my turn.
I look around the table
At my whole family
And put down BETTER.”
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
“I can
remember what
things were like before she
got sick; my whole family climbed
into
the big
hammock on the
moondappled beach, wove
Ourselves together, and swayed as one.”
From the first two stanzas of the first poem on the first page of the book, the reader is overwhelmed with a sense of unwinding, of coming apart, of fraying. While no one rhythmic pattern is carried throughout the book, Sones’ relatively short-lined, terse representations of the emotions welling through her adolescent self during the years her sister fell-prey to the worst affects of her fight with manic-depression are a perfect match between form and function. Rhyming is not often seen in the novel, though there are internal rhymes to be found occasionally; “Sister’s in the psycho ward and when I visit, I glance toward the other patients’ twisted faces, quaking fingers, frightened eyes, wishing I could somehow break her out of here…”
The poetry is rich with the sounds, sights and smells of the mundane of life when amplified by the conspicuous absence of a loved one;
“knowing my father is sitting in there
in the dark
staring at the flickering screen,
too weary to talk
or even sit in silence
next to someone on the couch”
This was a book I simply couldn’t put down. The story, every ounce of it told through the poetry of Sones, had as much rich detail and drama as a thousand-page novel. This book is an excellent choice for readers of nearly any age from young adult and up.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Notable Children's Trade Books in the Field of Social Studies 2001
National Council for SS &Child. Book Council and 2000 Best Books for Young Adults (ALA)
2000 Best Books for Young Adults (ALA)2000 Quick Picks for Young Adults (Recomm. Books for Reluctant Young Readers)
Review in teenreads.com: “Read individually, each poem seems ordinary enough, but when read all together --- their collective power is breathtaking. Many of the poems can be difficult to read, but the book ends on a high note, with all four family members playing a very irregular game of Scrabble. Similar to Karen Hesse's Newbery Award-winning OUT OF THE DUST in its use of blank verse, STOP PRETENDING speaks to the power of images and is a compelling and provocative memoir.”
Review in KIRKUS REVIEWS: “The form, a story-in-poems, fits the story remarkably well, spotlighting the musings of the 13-year-old narrator, and pinpointing the emotions powerfully. She copes with friends who snub her, worries that she, too, will go mad, and watches her sister’s slow recovery. To a budding genre that includes Karen Hesse’s Out of the Dust (1997) and Virginia Euwer Wolff’s Make Lemonade (1993), this book is a welcome addition.”
5. CONNECTIONS
*Partner this book with a Health and Life skills unit on mental health or family, including inviting in a class speaker to help clarify understandings of mental illness and its presence and stigma in society. This activity is most appropriate for high school students.
*Have students engage in a journaling activity for one month, after which they too will create a short verse novel of their own poems. Students wishing to may have their books published for reading in the classroom or school library.
Other verse novels focusing on loss, life struggles and seeking normalcy in family:
Herrick, Steven. BY THE RIVER. ISBN 9781932425727
Hopkins, Ellen. CRANK. ISBN 9781416995135
Sones, Sonya.. 1999. STOP PRETENDING: WHAT HAPPENED WHEN MY BIG SISTER WENT CRAZY. New York: HARPERTEMPEST. ISBN 9780064462188
2. SUMMARY
In the most excruciatingly sorrowful, poignant and emotion-laden manner, Sonya Sones carries us through the journey of her older sister’s fall into debilitating mental illness. From the tender age of twelve we see through younger sister’s eyes as the family of four becomes a family of three, as her older sister takes up residence in a psychiatric facility. We are drawn in line by line, poem by poem, through the uproar and turmoil caused in the family, and in the shifting social relationships the knowledge of her sister’s illness causes in young Sonya’s school. We are given flashes of brightness when good days come by, the rage and sorrow that flow through the poetry of anger that cannot help but be felt by her parents, and even poems of new love and joy as the protagonist finds an accepting love who is able to see her family’s flaws and love her just the same. While normalcy isn’t reached at the end of the verse novel, one can feel the healing that has begun, and hopes for the best for the family, and any others struggling with the same issues.
“My sister gives her a high five.
It’s my turn.
I look around the table
At my whole family
And put down BETTER.”
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
“I can
remember what
things were like before she
got sick; my whole family climbed
into
the big
hammock on the
moondappled beach, wove
Ourselves together, and swayed as one.”
From the first two stanzas of the first poem on the first page of the book, the reader is overwhelmed with a sense of unwinding, of coming apart, of fraying. While no one rhythmic pattern is carried throughout the book, Sones’ relatively short-lined, terse representations of the emotions welling through her adolescent self during the years her sister fell-prey to the worst affects of her fight with manic-depression are a perfect match between form and function. Rhyming is not often seen in the novel, though there are internal rhymes to be found occasionally; “Sister’s in the psycho ward and when I visit, I glance toward the other patients’ twisted faces, quaking fingers, frightened eyes, wishing I could somehow break her out of here…”
The poetry is rich with the sounds, sights and smells of the mundane of life when amplified by the conspicuous absence of a loved one;
“knowing my father is sitting in there
in the dark
staring at the flickering screen,
too weary to talk
or even sit in silence
next to someone on the couch”
This was a book I simply couldn’t put down. The story, every ounce of it told through the poetry of Sones, had as much rich detail and drama as a thousand-page novel. This book is an excellent choice for readers of nearly any age from young adult and up.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Notable Children's Trade Books in the Field of Social Studies 2001
National Council for SS &Child. Book Council and 2000 Best Books for Young Adults (ALA)
2000 Best Books for Young Adults (ALA)2000 Quick Picks for Young Adults (Recomm. Books for Reluctant Young Readers)
Review in teenreads.com: “Read individually, each poem seems ordinary enough, but when read all together --- their collective power is breathtaking. Many of the poems can be difficult to read, but the book ends on a high note, with all four family members playing a very irregular game of Scrabble. Similar to Karen Hesse's Newbery Award-winning OUT OF THE DUST in its use of blank verse, STOP PRETENDING speaks to the power of images and is a compelling and provocative memoir.”
Review in KIRKUS REVIEWS: “The form, a story-in-poems, fits the story remarkably well, spotlighting the musings of the 13-year-old narrator, and pinpointing the emotions powerfully. She copes with friends who snub her, worries that she, too, will go mad, and watches her sister’s slow recovery. To a budding genre that includes Karen Hesse’s Out of the Dust (1997) and Virginia Euwer Wolff’s Make Lemonade (1993), this book is a welcome addition.”
5. CONNECTIONS
*Partner this book with a Health and Life skills unit on mental health or family, including inviting in a class speaker to help clarify understandings of mental illness and its presence and stigma in society. This activity is most appropriate for high school students.
*Have students engage in a journaling activity for one month, after which they too will create a short verse novel of their own poems. Students wishing to may have their books published for reading in the classroom or school library.
Other verse novels focusing on loss, life struggles and seeking normalcy in family:
Herrick, Steven. BY THE RIVER. ISBN 9781932425727
Hopkins, Ellen. CRANK. ISBN 9781416995135
Bronx Masquerade - Book Review - TWU LS5603 - Spring 2012
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Grimes, Nikki. 2002. BRONX MASQUERADE. New York: Speak. ISBN 9780142501894
2. SUMMARY
In an intriguing combination of young adult narrative fiction interwoven with adolescent poetry voiced from the many identities that make up Mr. Ward's high school English class, Nikki Grimes paints an incredible tale of how poetry can open doors. By implementing Open Mic Fridays an English teacher, Mr. Ward, opens up an entirely new arena for self-expression, identity and connection among his often disenfranchised kids. Along with struggling against stereotypes as well as the limitations life can put on people, these young adults show through their poetry and first person narratives how much can change when expression is appreciated and feelings are given poetic voice. While every ill in each of their young lives is not addressed, author and poet Grimes ensures that the work these “kids” put into their poetry tells a satisfying over all story, with sweet and stunning poetry that supports to story, but also can be read wonderfully in a stand-alone performance.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
“Daily
I notice you frown
at my thick casing,
feel you poke me
with the sharp tip
of your booted words.” by Janelle Battle
---------------------------------------
“In case I forgot to tell you,
I’m allergic to boxes; Black boxes, shoe boxes
New boxes, You boxes -
Even cereal boxes
Boasting Champions” by Devon Hope
---------------------------------------
“When I was seven,
I looked to heaven
And dreamed
Of going to the moon
But pretty soon
Somebody came along
To change
my tune.” by Steve Ericson
With every new teenage identity she squirms into to write the poems that create the skeleton of this mixed poetry novel, a new aspect of author/poet Nikki Grimes seems to emerge. Following no one standard rhythm or rhyme patter, playing with alliteration, assonance and consonance and embedding language choices distinctly identifying the individual imaginary author, Grimes perfectly introduces you to eighteen some-odd high school students who share with you a unique identity, perspective and set of issues through their poetry. The overall emotional coaster very much resembles the genuine ups and downs of high school life. Grimes does such justice to each of her “kids” the reader cannot help but get caught up in believing that these are legitimate individual students sharing their life pains and pleasures through poetry.
While more individual poems might have been preferred the overall length of the text is appropriate for middle and high school readers. It also is an excellent means of introducing hesitant older students to the art of poetry in a more organic manner.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
2003 Coretta Scott King Author Award Winner
Review in GOODREADS.COM: “Award-winning author Nikki Grimes captures the voices of eighteen teenagers through the poetry they share and the stories they tell, and exposes what lies beneath the skin, behind the eyes, beyond the masquerade.”
Review in SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “A flowing, rhythmic portrait of the diversity and individuality of teen characters in a classroom....Competent and reluctant readers alike will recognize and empathize with these teens. As always, Grimes gives young people exactly what they're looking for — real characters who show them they are not alone."
5. CONNECTIONS
*This is the PERFECT book to begin one’s own open mic days or poetry slams for middle to upper school students. Spin-offs from this can include allowing students to combine other forms of expression such as art or music.
*Gather books of poetry written by actual teenagers and compare how Grimes presented these young people. Ask students to evaluate how authentic her poetry sounded, and choose specific poems to compare and contras
Other Nikki Grimes poetry books:
Grimes, Nikki. COME SUNDAY. ISBN 9780802851086
Grimes, Nikki. C IS FOR CITY. ISBN 9781404629424
Grimes, Nikki. 2002. BRONX MASQUERADE. New York: Speak. ISBN 9780142501894
2. SUMMARY
In an intriguing combination of young adult narrative fiction interwoven with adolescent poetry voiced from the many identities that make up Mr. Ward's high school English class, Nikki Grimes paints an incredible tale of how poetry can open doors. By implementing Open Mic Fridays an English teacher, Mr. Ward, opens up an entirely new arena for self-expression, identity and connection among his often disenfranchised kids. Along with struggling against stereotypes as well as the limitations life can put on people, these young adults show through their poetry and first person narratives how much can change when expression is appreciated and feelings are given poetic voice. While every ill in each of their young lives is not addressed, author and poet Grimes ensures that the work these “kids” put into their poetry tells a satisfying over all story, with sweet and stunning poetry that supports to story, but also can be read wonderfully in a stand-alone performance.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
“Daily
I notice you frown
at my thick casing,
feel you poke me
with the sharp tip
of your booted words.” by Janelle Battle
---------------------------------------
“In case I forgot to tell you,
I’m allergic to boxes; Black boxes, shoe boxes
New boxes, You boxes -
Even cereal boxes
Boasting Champions” by Devon Hope
---------------------------------------
“When I was seven,
I looked to heaven
And dreamed
Of going to the moon
But pretty soon
Somebody came along
To change
my tune.” by Steve Ericson
With every new teenage identity she squirms into to write the poems that create the skeleton of this mixed poetry novel, a new aspect of author/poet Nikki Grimes seems to emerge. Following no one standard rhythm or rhyme patter, playing with alliteration, assonance and consonance and embedding language choices distinctly identifying the individual imaginary author, Grimes perfectly introduces you to eighteen some-odd high school students who share with you a unique identity, perspective and set of issues through their poetry. The overall emotional coaster very much resembles the genuine ups and downs of high school life. Grimes does such justice to each of her “kids” the reader cannot help but get caught up in believing that these are legitimate individual students sharing their life pains and pleasures through poetry.
While more individual poems might have been preferred the overall length of the text is appropriate for middle and high school readers. It also is an excellent means of introducing hesitant older students to the art of poetry in a more organic manner.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
2003 Coretta Scott King Author Award Winner
Review in GOODREADS.COM: “Award-winning author Nikki Grimes captures the voices of eighteen teenagers through the poetry they share and the stories they tell, and exposes what lies beneath the skin, behind the eyes, beyond the masquerade.”
Review in SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “A flowing, rhythmic portrait of the diversity and individuality of teen characters in a classroom....Competent and reluctant readers alike will recognize and empathize with these teens. As always, Grimes gives young people exactly what they're looking for — real characters who show them they are not alone."
5. CONNECTIONS
*This is the PERFECT book to begin one’s own open mic days or poetry slams for middle to upper school students. Spin-offs from this can include allowing students to combine other forms of expression such as art or music.
*Gather books of poetry written by actual teenagers and compare how Grimes presented these young people. Ask students to evaluate how authentic her poetry sounded, and choose specific poems to compare and contras
Other Nikki Grimes poetry books:
Grimes, Nikki. COME SUNDAY. ISBN 9780802851086
Grimes, Nikki. C IS FOR CITY. ISBN 9781404629424
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