My goal for Poetry Month: TINY THINGS.
Forgive me for the long post today. My poem is long and I read many picture books last week, hoping that you will find a few you will want to find!
Yesterday was World Book Day and I got so excited thinking of readers all over the world learning to read, or reading great books no matter the age.
A Tiny Bit of Time Means A Life’s Journey
A book is a rectangle (most of the time) of pages,
carries a measure of messages, created by author heroes
for any age you choose. As babies,
let them grab and chew Boynton, or gaze at “Five Little Monkeys”
while hugging a stuffy. Toddlers love holding
“Goodnight Moon” as they nod, and quiet, and sleep.
A preschooler grabs a stack and yells, ‘read this, and this,”
sometimes leaves “Tikki Tikki Tembo”, “Madeline,” and “Curious George”
along the path, while crossing the room with E & P's "We Are In A Book."
Young readers yearn to read aloud, practicing this new talent
for anyone who will listen., enjoying hearing their voices
slipping off the tongue about “Little Bear,”
laughing with the silly stories of “Mr. Putter and Tabby.”
When your house holds middle graders whose challenge is to sit still,
give them “I Capture The Castle” or “The Fourteenth Goldfish,”
or “Red.” Books satisfy, amuse, devastate, and gratify,
but teens need empowerment. Find these almost adults. Take them to
“All The Bright Places.” Introduce them to “My Antonia” or
“Aristotle and Dante”. Be sure they know “The Fifth Wave,”
“All American Boys” and “The Hate U give.”
Growing up with books, can’t stop reading, lists grow
and change with wants and needs. Your favorites sit waiting.
Read on!
Linda Baie © All Rights
PS: I suspect any of you reading can substitute your own titles!
Still reading: The Pearl Thief by Elizabeth Wein. Next up, an arc from Candlewick that looks great: A Single Stone by Meg McKinlay.
For young readers ready for chapter books with a bit more complex content, this is a fun story. It follows Cody through a couple of weeks in her life, thinking and experiencing rules that are questioned, rules that she learns might be good ones to follow. She has an older brother and a couple of best friends who help navigate the challenges and with Cody also celebrate the rewards. It feels very appropriate for 8 years to maybe 10, holds some happiness and some thoughtful worries. I enjoyed what seemed real in the interactions among the friends and the families, all unique to the personalities. And learning about Cody as she revealed herself was great. Early in the book, we learned she was the first one up. “She loved the early morning when the whole day was waiting. Waiting for someone to push the START button.” Thanks to Candlewick Press for the advanced copy. This third book in the series came out this month.
A Song About Myself, a poem by John Keats
There are many books by Chris Raschka that I love. I recently found a copy of his “Endearments Around The World” that is a gathering of sweet words people use for their children, like “cupcake” and “honey bun”; and a continuing favorite is the “Hello, Goodbye Window.” Now a new book that is a tribute to a poem and story about John Keats who wrote so many wonderful poems, including this sweet adventure in a letter to his sister. Raschka’s illustrations wander just as the words do, illuminating this boy’s adventure with Keats’ words.
There is not a particle of life which does not bear poetry within it. ― Gustave Flaubert
