Winter Wish

Whoa! Where did the last two months go?

The winter issue of "The California Reader" has arrived and it's beautiful. It features a glorious poem by Joan Bransfield Graham, "Wish for Peace." It's from the book AMERICA AT WAR with poems selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins. Lee just received the NCTE Excellence in Poetry Award.

Best wishes to you.

Hate That Cat: A Novel

I loved LOVE THAT DOG by Sharon Creech and at ALA I found an Advance Reader’s Edition of HATE THAT CAT: A NOVEL (HarperCollins). I read it just after I found RIVER OF WORDS and the two books are a great pairing. Creech presents some of the poetry of William Carlos Williams as Jack continues his second year in school with his favorite teacher, Miss Stretchberry.

Due on sale September 23, 2008, teachers who loved LOVE THAT DOG (like me!) will want to be sure and find this companion work to read and share with their students. There’s a “Teach Creech” button on her website (www.sharoncreech.com), but right now there’s no info on HATE THAT CAT. I’m hoping something will be posted as the book’s publication date nears.

On a personal note: We went to the Norton Simon Museum and the Irving Museum with daytrippers (www.daytripper.com) today and had a lovely time. What amazing art treasures. We’ve never been to either and were quite impressed.

A River of Words

The American Library Association’s exhibit hall is packed with the best new books for all ages. But, I’d like to tell you about one of my favorite finds: A RIVER OF WORDS: THE STORY OF WILLIAM CARLOS WILLIAMS, written by Jen Bryant, illustrated by Melissa Sweet (Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2008). It is fabulous and I have to confess I went a bit nuts at the booth when I saw it.

I have always liked his poem, “This is Just to Say.” It’s one of my all-time favorites—so simple and clearly expressed.

This Is Just To Say

I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox

and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast.

Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold.

I remember reading a lot of work by William Carlos Williams when I was in college, but it never was presented in such an attractive way.

The book is a picture book biography of Williams. Sweet’s illustrations are fascinating collage. There is an Author’s Note and and Illustrator’s Note and three parallel timelines present the life of Williams, his poems, and what was happening in the world at the time. Teachers will love the timelines—they fit so nicely into the California Standards.

A fabulous new read and a wonderful way to share poetry with your students.

America At War

AMERICA AT WAR is an anthology of poems selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins and illustrated by Stephen Alcorn. This collection includes more than fifty poems and is divided into eight chronological sections from the American Revolution to the Iraq War.

Here are the details:

Reading level: For all (including adults!)
Hardcover: 96 pages
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry, 2008
ISBN-10: 1416918329
ISBN-13: 978-1416918325

The back cover features a concrete poem, “Wish For Peace,” by California’s own favorite poet, Joan Bransfield Graham. (www.joangraham.com)

This anthology belongs in every school and public library shelf and every teacher who teaches history and/or peace and conflict issues will find this a valuable resource.

And, my wish for you today is “peace.” Have a lovely, calm day.