It's a Blog Tour - With Eight Legs & Poetry Friday!

           It's a blog tour and Poetry Friday hosted by Tabatha Yeatts at The Opposite of Indifference.            

        It's a perfect time for this new book to be born, alongside spring's awakening, and seeing more spiders, too, at least here in Colorado and other places moving out of a winter climate. 

          Non-fiction poetry books hold exceptional learning experiences, including literacy, natural history, art, and science all at the same time. Adults, including teachers, plus children, can take one wonderful book and begin a study on that topic, later also using the book as a mentor text for further studies of other topics. Leslie Bulion's words - prose and poetry plus Robert Meganck's illustrations offer so very much in every one of these areas. Additionally, if you're like one of my young granddaughters, you can read, learn, and enjoy a small bit at a time about your favorite subject, spiders!

          Catching interest is also key as Leslie opens with an overall poem titled with the scientific name, "Araneae All Around", a four stanza piece that amazingly covers everything, from where ("From leafy covers to forest floor,/Where foam-kissed ocean meets shimmery shore," and on) to hatching and bodies and what these eight-legged predators do! Each poem oozes with appreciation for spiders while including apt information. With creativity, Leslie offers a variety of poems, free-verse and patterned forms, adding a page of explanation for the poems in the back. One spider I have known of but wonder how many others will be surprised about is the "Diving Bell Spider" haiku described: "scuba spider/wears a silver bubble/dines in". 

          Each page includes text, a poem or more, and an illustration or more when spiders need to be grouped together. Here are a few samples:

         Helpful pages that highlight content are: a Table of Contents, a Glossary, Poetic Forms, Spi-ku spider identification for the pages, a 'how-to' for a "Spider Hunt", resources for further study, acknowledgments, a double-page spread of the book's spiders and their relative size compared to a pencil, and a page about the cover spiders. Information flows well, is entertaining in both text and poetry as it gives lots and lots (and lots) of information!

Other stops on this blog tour:

                Monday (4/5): Picture Books 4 Learning

                Tuesday (4/6): Storymamas

                Wednesday (4/7): The Miss Rumphius Effect

                Thursday (4/8): Reading to the Core

                Friday (4/9): TeacherDance

                Teacher’s guide: https://peachtree-online.com/pdfs/TeachersGuides/SpikuTG.pdf

If you'd like to follow. . .

Leslie Bulion social handles:

Facebook: @leslie.bulion

Twitter: @LeslieBulion

Instagram: @lesliebulion

 

Robert Meganck social handles:

Facebook: @rmeganck

Twitter: @r2meganck

Instagram: @r2meganck

 

Peachtree social handles:

Facebook: @PeachtreePub

Twitter: @PeachtreePub

Instagram: @peachtreepublishing

Extra Fun: Leslie reads one poem from her book at Michelle Schaub's Poetry Boost: 

          

 

          Thanks to Leslie Bulion, Robert Meganck, and Peachtree Publishing for a wonderful book and the opportunity to share it!

It's My Weirdest Giveaway EVER!

Tricia, at The Miss Rumphius Effect is our lovely host for Poetry Friday today, filling us up with mathematical poetry from a lovely group of poets.   Thanks Tricia!

         It's an exciting day for me because I have the pleasure of sharing Catherine Johnson’s newly published poetry book, Wierdo Zoo!   Thus far, you can find it here, on Amazon! The poems are both written and illustrated by Catherine, who blogs at Little Red Riding Hood, eating the cake and writing poems instead!  Even from the title of Catherine's blog, you can tell this is going to be a treat!

            Giveaway:  Catherine has been kind enough to offer a copy of her book to one lucky commenter.  I'll put them all in a hat and draw a name to be announced next week! 

         So here we go into an adventure, of all things, well, weird, when you visit Catherine’s house.  At least that’s where I think she found all these amazing  and marvelous creatures.  And I’m not trying to honeyfuggle Catherine at all (new word just learned) because once you begin to travel through the pages, you will adore the trip!

Poetry Friday-Gotta Book Flapping!

       Today’s Poetry Friday is hosted by the Marjorie at Paper Tigers.  Thanks Marjorie!

              I don’t remember when I began reading Greg Pincus’ funny poems on his blog, Gotta Book, but I do know when I started, I didn’t stop.  Every day, Greg starts my day with a blessing, a big laugh.  It is said that laughter is the best medicine, and if that is so true, it is also so true that Greg dispenses promising prescriptions to heal all that ails!

              I love to read poetry, and I work hard with the words to write it, yet I know that my brain is simply not wired the same way as Greg’s.  I wish I could think “fowl” when the words “foul ball” come into my mind.  Instead, I think "baseball", and immediately turn to a problem a child had with batting.  Greg thinks chickens in his poem titled The Fowl Ball, which ends with We laughed and played, a happy group…/And danced until we flew the coop. 

              When I read Mother Goose rhymes to children, we laugh at the sing-song rhymes, but I never think that I could pretend I had anything to do with all the tragedy lying within those rhymes.  Greg has done just that with the sad, sad poem titled Uncle Goose.  He laments in the second verse:  Georgie Porgie kissed the girls,/But I’m the one who dared him./Jack and Jill both tumbled down/’Cause I’m the one who scared ‘em. 

          

           Greg also looks at things differently in his imagination, which sometimes ends with a little bit of sad, like in the poem, The Biking Blues.   This child wanted to go out riding, and says:  Instead, I’m stuck at home because my bike said,/”I’m two tired.”  Even when not the usual big joke, there is the play on words that shows Greg’s funny bone.  I find he wants us readers to look at things from different angles, to understand the importance of being silly, celebrating the little things, and laughing as much as possible.  In the poem Mixed Up, it opens with My fingers sit where you have toes./My elbow’s where you have your nose.  In

Bubble Wrap, Greg writes: Pop!  Pop!  Pop!  Pop!  Snap!  Snap!   Snap!/We just got some bubble wrap!  A final belly laugh happens when one reads Belly Button Blues, with I got no innie, got no outie./Every day it makes me pouty. 

           The wonderful thing about all this is that in April, Greg published an e-book titled The Late Bird that includes all the poems he had previously published on his blog (fifty of them!) plus four brand new ones!  I purchased it immediately and it is now on my IPad and IPhone, where I can access the poems any chance I find.  And it is a treat to read a few at a time, or all in one gulp, which I did the first couple of days.  For example, in the waiting room at a doctor’s office, I now sit quietly waiting for some appointment and bring up Greg’s e-book, relax, and laugh!

           Greg’s bio at the end of the e-book shows he's a very busy guy.  He is a poet, novelist, screenwriter, and blogger.  You can find him sharing children’s poetry (both his own and from special guests) plus children’s literature related goodies at the link above or at http://www.thehappyaccident.net, where he talks social media.  The 14 Fibs of Gregory K.  is coming soon from Arthur A. Levine Books.

             If you haven’t already, go find The Late Bird on Amazon and as Greg writes in the title of his latest post, Keep That Bird Flapping!

              Thank you Greg, for allowing me to review your wonderful poems.  They delight me every day!

---------------------------

And-please check yesterday’s post if you have time.  It’s about an important book newly out, and a giveaway!  The publisher is promising to send a free copy to the winner chosen randomly from the commenters. 

A Book Discovery from the Past

I am participating in the Award Challenge hosted by the blog, Gathering Books.  Be sure to connect with this blog as often as possible.  It is filled with posts about books and authors you will want to know. 

I just finished listening to this amazing book that I somehow missed a few years ago.  It is Waiting For Normal by Leslie Connor.  Here is a young eleven, then twelve year old whose stepfather and mother recently divorced.  Because the mother left her at age nine to care for the two younger sisters, the stepfather has gained custody of them, while leaving Addie behind to cope with her mother.  Sound complicated?  It is.  And sometimes these are the circumstances that children must face, or worse.  They, like the main character Addie, are looking for normal!

At the beginning of the book, Addie and her mother, whom she calls Mommers, move into an old trailer in a remote spot near a mini-mart type of store.  This appears to be all the ex-stepfather can afford as he still is paying some money to the ex-wife.  The mother is furious, but Addie is shown to be a person who looks at the bright side.  She loves the private ‘bedroom’ she has above the living area, with curtains! There were times I wondered how she manages in the face of her difficult circumstances.  Throughout the story, Addie’s mother leaves her alone for days at a time.   Luckily Addie befriends the curious group across the road that runs the mini-mart and gains support from them while continuing her own resilient ways. 

It’s a long book that includes numerous twists and turns (a term Addie uses for her own family’s life) that make one ache with despair for this early adolescent.  

Her life includes:

-A change to a new school

-Cooking toast dinners, with enthusiasm

-A grumpy grandfather who has washed his hands of his daughter, Addie’s mother, and unable to be much help

-A wonderful character who owns the mini-mart named Sula, who takes the role of offering the kindness that Addie needs so desperately

-A loving ex-stepfather whose hands are tied by the courts, trying to help Addie as much as he is able

-Two sweet little sisters who add some happiness to Addie’s life

-A weaving in and out of Addie’s challenges in school and the additional gift she has of listening to music and being able to re-create it in her flute playing, all because of dyslexia.

-A couple of school friends who are supportive as much as they can be

-A hamster named Piccolo that adds the warmth of companionship Addie needs

When I listened to the book, it was frustrating to hear Addie grow herself, hearing her thoughts of despair and hope, aching myself for this young child to have something go right for once in her young life.  I began to think of all the other characters I’ve met just this year who’ve endured their challenges, needing help from adults and peers in their lives, and sometimes not getting that help for a long while. Sometimes these children hide their needs very well, to protect loved ones and the often-tenuous hold they have on their lives.  It is a challenge for teachers and others who work with children to watch carefully for signs of need, and take action as vigorously as possible.   In the recent books, I think of Augie in Wonder, Marlee in The Lions of Little Rock, Fern in See You At Harry’s, Hazel and Augustus in The Fault In Our Stars, and Conor in A Monster Calls.   And now I will be reminded of Addie in Waiting for Normal.  Thanks to marvelous writers, these poignant characters serve to remind us of the real characters in our lives, perhaps classrooms, which need our advocacy. 

More than once, I sat parked, listening to yet another chapter before leaving my car.  A woman named Angela Rogers narrated the book with such talent, I continued to ‘hear’ the voices each time I arrived at my destination and had to turn the cd off.  If you can listen to the audio version of the book, do so.

In 2009, the book was named one of School Library Journal's Best Books, an ALA Notable Children's Book, and ALA Top Ten Books for Young Adults, is on Texas Lone Star Reading List, and won the 2009 Connecticut Book Award.

A Book Slice - Tasty!

Tuesday Slice of Life is hosted each week by Stacey and Ruth at their blog, 

Two Writing Teachers

         I don’t want anyone to forget that we just finished poetry month, so it’s good to keep one fabulous book of poetry in mind in May, too. 

        I am happy to write about Laura Purdie Salas today, May 1st, about her new book, Bookspeak, illustrated by Josée Bisaillon.   I wrote a haiku for Laura today as a tribute to her love of books and poetry, and because she wrote a haiku every day during poetry month. 

Talk of poetry.

Laura’s popping up everywhere.

She writes how books feel!

            When I taught in the classroom we loved conversations about books and reading.  We discussed what books give us, what they do for us, those we like and why, those we dislike and why.   Students not only discussed these topics as a class group, but they wrote to me in letter journals about their books and delights or struggles.  They brought books that I just had to read and they loaned books to each other.  The more formal writing was about books, too: poetry, reviews, and personal stories about their earliest memories or special times with books and parents, grandparents or aunts and uncles.  I have a few books with published works about books too, but Laurie Purdie Salas’ recent book filled with wonderful poems about all kinds of book topics makes me sad because I am no longer in the classroom so I can share it with my students.  However, I have done the next best thing, I am sharing the book titled Bookspeak with all the classes in the school! 

A Wrinkle In Time - Still A Great Read After 50 Years!

       This is my first review that celebrates award-winning books to be read and relished, hopefully more than once, sometimes for a lifetime.  The ALA will announce 18 awards next Monday, including the renowned Caldecott and Newbery Medals, the Coretta Scott King Book Awards and Printz award, so it’s a good time to start the challenge I have taken at Gathering Books blog.  Thanks to Myra and Iphigene and Fats from GatheringBooks for hosting the 2012 award-winning books challenge. 

        It is the 50th anniversary of the publication of A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L’Engle, which won the Newbery Award in 1963.  A Publisher’s Weekly article here tells of the year’s plans of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group to commemorate this beloved book, including a 50th anniversary edition that will be released soon.  And here is one of L’Engle’s acceptance speeches, when the American Library Association honored her in June, 1998 with the Margaret Edwards award for Lifetime Achievement In Writing in the Field of Young Adult Literature.

       According to a Study Guide from Glencoe Publishing, l’Engle once said: I start with what I know with all five senses, what I have experienced, and then the imagination takes over and says, “But what if—” and the story is on.   So, how does one review a book that has been in our consciousness for 50 years, has sold over 10 million copies, and even if someone hasn’t read it, they will always say, oh yeah, I know that book?  I think I will just respond to the reading I’ve just completed.  This is what I enjoyed this time.