America at War, poems selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins, illustrated by Stephen Alcorn
The world again is in more
turmoil and I remembered this book, as Lee Bennett Hopkins says not “about”
war, but about the poetry of war. The book is divided into eight sections, from
the American Revolution to the Iraq war. And now it’s just been told on the news that we
are again sending soldiers to that country. The book is a beautiful compilation of
more than fifty poems, with illustrations in a folk art style, mostly symbolic.
Here are some lines I loved.
~ of a boy sent
to fight for freedom in our Revolution: “Until the boy went, rubbing dreams
from his eyes” Stanley Young
~a letter from a
boy in the Civil War: “This war thins mothers’ sons to skeletons./But hold on
Pa, read them survivors’ names./I aim to be amon ‘em.” J. Patrick Lewis
~from World War
I, a well-known poem, still heart-breaking: “In Flanders Field the poppies
blow/Between the crosses row on row”
John McCrae
~from the women
in World War II who knit for their loved ones: “Silent prayers/In woolen
stitches.” Amy Ludwig VanDerwater
Others respond
to the Korean War, the Persian Gulf War, and the Iraq war—so many in our young
country’s history.
For students already touched in some
ways by their families or friends, or for those who hear the news today and
wonder, I imagine that this book can be used by those teaching that poetry can show
the facts of war in different ways from textbooks, show the emotions of war,
although based in truth.
This is one I think I need to read, Linda. Thank you for sharing. Sounds like an important collection.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this book with us Linda. Sounds like a powerful collection of poems.
ReplyDeleteSounds like an incredible collection. Also love how this could be used to show students the power and importance of poetry too.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a lovely collection, Linda - many perspectives and time frames are represented, it seems. Somehow, I wish this category of poems would someday soon cease to exist...but that seems further away from reality these days, doesn't it?
ReplyDeleteHi, Linda. I have a friend, a military doctor named Fred Foote, who is just out with a book of poems about serving on the USS Comfort. That book is for adults -- thanks for sharing this one for children. Poetry is a great way to get kids talking about war's role in history and in current events.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a hard and true book. Thank you for featuring it, Linda. Many of the lines I just have rattling around inside of me...
ReplyDeleteHi there Linda! We are now just concluding our reading theme on war, so sad to see that we missed out on this one. :(
ReplyDeleteThe books you shared in that theme were wonderful, though, Myra. Just add this title to your list for another time!
DeleteI love nonfiction poetry--Lee and many others do it so beautifully!
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