Children's Literature Supports:
Listed below are some great mentor texts to use with students when teaching them poetry writing!
Ages: 4 - 8 years
Dogku is a book by Andrew Clements that is about a stray dog who is looking for a home. He eventually wanders into a house of three children. The question is, will they get to keep him? This book is told entirely in haiku poems and is a great mentor text for teaching young students how to write haiku.
Things to consider: before students can write haiku poems, they should be exposed to many examples. They also should work with counting syllables and word choice activities.
Extension Activity: Create a story as a class! Each student is responsible for writing one section (one haiku) part of the story! A great way for students to collaborate and create!
http://www.amazon.com/Dogku-Andrew-Clements/dp/068985823X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1396227481&sr=1-1&keywords=dogku+by+andrew+clements
Dogku is a book by Andrew Clements that is about a stray dog who is looking for a home. He eventually wanders into a house of three children. The question is, will they get to keep him? This book is told entirely in haiku poems and is a great mentor text for teaching young students how to write haiku.
Things to consider: before students can write haiku poems, they should be exposed to many examples. They also should work with counting syllables and word choice activities.
Extension Activity: Create a story as a class! Each student is responsible for writing one section (one haiku) part of the story! A great way for students to collaborate and create!
http://www.amazon.com/Dogku-Andrew-Clements/dp/068985823X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1396227481&sr=1-1&keywords=dogku+by+andrew+clements
Grades 4–8
"In this worthy sequel to Love That Dog (HarperCollins, 2001), Jack is once again in Miss Stretchberry's class, developing his poetry composition skills and learning from the masters. His Uncle Bill disparages the free-verse form and mundane subjects, stressing the importance of metaphor, alliteration, onomatopoeia, and LARGE moments. But Jack works his way into these concepts by means of Miss S's introduction to the work of Edgar Allan Poe, T. S. Eliot, William Carlos Williams, Valerie Worth, and Walter Dean and Chris Myers, and her constant encouragement of his own attempts. Jack, still healing from the loss of his dog, resists getting a new pet and despises an aloof neighborhood black cat with which he has an unpleasant run-in. He also grapples with putting into words his feelings about his mother, who is deaf, a fact that is slowly and deftly revealed in his poems. When the Christmas-present kitten he has learned to love disappears, Jack grieves anew, until the despised black cat saves the day. Once again, all of the poems are addressed to Miss Stretchberry, and Jack's growing excitement as he discovers the delights of sound ("Tintinnabulation!") and expression is palpable. He also learns the poetry of silence as he and his mother communicate through sign language and tender gestures." - Marie Orlando, Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY
http://www.amazon.com/Hate-That-Cat-Sharon-Creech/dp/0061430943/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1396227443&sr=1-1&keywords=hate+that+cat+by+sharon+creech
"In this worthy sequel to Love That Dog (HarperCollins, 2001), Jack is once again in Miss Stretchberry's class, developing his poetry composition skills and learning from the masters. His Uncle Bill disparages the free-verse form and mundane subjects, stressing the importance of metaphor, alliteration, onomatopoeia, and LARGE moments. But Jack works his way into these concepts by means of Miss S's introduction to the work of Edgar Allan Poe, T. S. Eliot, William Carlos Williams, Valerie Worth, and Walter Dean and Chris Myers, and her constant encouragement of his own attempts. Jack, still healing from the loss of his dog, resists getting a new pet and despises an aloof neighborhood black cat with which he has an unpleasant run-in. He also grapples with putting into words his feelings about his mother, who is deaf, a fact that is slowly and deftly revealed in his poems. When the Christmas-present kitten he has learned to love disappears, Jack grieves anew, until the despised black cat saves the day. Once again, all of the poems are addressed to Miss Stretchberry, and Jack's growing excitement as he discovers the delights of sound ("Tintinnabulation!") and expression is palpable. He also learns the poetry of silence as he and his mother communicate through sign language and tender gestures." - Marie Orlando, Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY
http://www.amazon.com/Hate-That-Cat-Sharon-Creech/dp/0061430943/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1396227443&sr=1-1&keywords=hate+that+cat+by+sharon+creech
Ages: 9-12 years
"In 60 poems, an orphaned boy explores the various forms of poetry. Through her hero, the author creates a contagious appreciation for poetry while using the genre as a cathartic means for expressing the young poet's own grief, said PW in a starred review. Ages 8-up."
Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
http://www.amazon.com/Locomotion-Jacqueline-Woodson/dp/0142415529/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1396227411&sr=1-1&keywords=locomotion
Ages: 10 - 14 years
"The classic anthology of poetry for children--now revised with new poems to enchant a new generation.A treat for the eyes as well as the ears, this diverse selection of poetry is matched with works of art culled from New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. The art, like the poetry, spans many time periods and genres, making this a true "museum" for all ages."
- Barnes and Noble Description
http://www.amazon.com/Knock-Star-Childs-Introduction-Poetry/dp/0316488003/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1396227378&sr=1-1&keywords=knock+at+a+star
"The classic anthology of poetry for children--now revised with new poems to enchant a new generation.A treat for the eyes as well as the ears, this diverse selection of poetry is matched with works of art culled from New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. The art, like the poetry, spans many time periods and genres, making this a true "museum" for all ages."
- Barnes and Noble Description
http://www.amazon.com/Knock-Star-Childs-Introduction-Poetry/dp/0316488003/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1396227378&sr=1-1&keywords=knock+at+a+star
Ages: 4 and Up
"It's hard to imagine a world without A Light in the Attic. This now-classic collection of poetry and drawings from Shel Silverstein celebrates its 20th anniversary with this special edition. Silverstein's humorous and creative verse can amuse the dowdiest of readers. Lemon-faced adults and fidgety kids sit still and read these rhythmic words and laugh and smile and love that Silverstein. Need proof of his genius?"
- Barnes and Noble Review
http://www.amazon.com/Light-Attic-Special-Shel-Silverstein/dp/0061905852/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1396227329&sr=1-1&keywords=a+light+in+the+attic+by+shel+silverstein
"It's hard to imagine a world without A Light in the Attic. This now-classic collection of poetry and drawings from Shel Silverstein celebrates its 20th anniversary with this special edition. Silverstein's humorous and creative verse can amuse the dowdiest of readers. Lemon-faced adults and fidgety kids sit still and read these rhythmic words and laugh and smile and love that Silverstein. Need proof of his genius?"
- Barnes and Noble Review
http://www.amazon.com/Light-Attic-Special-Shel-Silverstein/dp/0061905852/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1396227329&sr=1-1&keywords=a+light+in+the+attic+by+shel+silverstein
Ages: 6 and Up
"Come in . . . for where the sidewalk ends, Shel Silverstein's world begins. You'll meet a boy who turns into a TV set, and a girl who eats a whale. The Unicorn and the Bloath live there, and so does Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout who will not take the garbage out. It is a place where you wash your shadow and plant diamond gardens, a place where shoes fly, sisters are auctioned off, and crocodiles go to the dentist.
Shel Silverstein's masterful collection of poems and drawings is at once outrageously funny and profound. This special edition has twelve extra poems that did not appear in the original collection.
Irreverent, hilarious and wildly popular, Silverstein’s collection of verse is hard to put down. His black pen drawings are an integral part of the poems, which range from funny and gross to introspective or tender. Silverstein is a master at tickling the funny bone, and his book is definitely not just for kids!"
- Barnes and Noble Description
http://www.amazon.com/Where-Sidewalk-Ends-Poems-Drawings/dp/0060256672/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1396227291&sr=1-2&keywords=where+the+sidewalk+ends+by+shel+silverstein
"Come in . . . for where the sidewalk ends, Shel Silverstein's world begins. You'll meet a boy who turns into a TV set, and a girl who eats a whale. The Unicorn and the Bloath live there, and so does Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout who will not take the garbage out. It is a place where you wash your shadow and plant diamond gardens, a place where shoes fly, sisters are auctioned off, and crocodiles go to the dentist.
Shel Silverstein's masterful collection of poems and drawings is at once outrageously funny and profound. This special edition has twelve extra poems that did not appear in the original collection.
Irreverent, hilarious and wildly popular, Silverstein’s collection of verse is hard to put down. His black pen drawings are an integral part of the poems, which range from funny and gross to introspective or tender. Silverstein is a master at tickling the funny bone, and his book is definitely not just for kids!"
- Barnes and Noble Description
http://www.amazon.com/Where-Sidewalk-Ends-Poems-Drawings/dp/0060256672/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1396227291&sr=1-2&keywords=where+the+sidewalk+ends+by+shel+silverstein
Ages: 13-17 years
"Modern poems chosen for their individual excellence and their special appeal to young people. Exciting photographs accent the contemporary tone of the collection.From lighthearted Phyllis Mc-Ginley to pessimistic Ezra Pound; from the lyricism of Edna St. Vincent Millay to the vigor of Lawrence Ferlinghette; from Carl Sandburg on loneliness to Paul Dehn on the bomb -- such is the range. The little known or unknown poet and the widely recognized appear side by side."
http://www.amazon.com/Reflections-Watermelon-Pickle-Stephen-Dunning/dp/0688412319/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1396227246&sr=1-1&keywords=reflections+on+a+gift+of+watermelon+pickle
"Modern poems chosen for their individual excellence and their special appeal to young people. Exciting photographs accent the contemporary tone of the collection.From lighthearted Phyllis Mc-Ginley to pessimistic Ezra Pound; from the lyricism of Edna St. Vincent Millay to the vigor of Lawrence Ferlinghette; from Carl Sandburg on loneliness to Paul Dehn on the bomb -- such is the range. The little known or unknown poet and the widely recognized appear side by side."
http://www.amazon.com/Reflections-Watermelon-Pickle-Stephen-Dunning/dp/0688412319/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1396227246&sr=1-1&keywords=reflections+on+a+gift+of+watermelon+pickle
Ages: 6-10 years
"Did you think Cinderella married the prince and lived happily ever after, or that the three little pigs outsmarted the wolf? Think again! Master storyteller Roald Dahl adds his own darkly comic twists to six favorite tales, complete with rambunctious rhymes and hilarious surprise endings."
http://www.amazon.com/Revolting-Rhymes-Roald-Dahl/dp/0142414824/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1396227199&sr=1-1&keywords=revolting+rhymes+roald+dahl
"Did you think Cinderella married the prince and lived happily ever after, or that the three little pigs outsmarted the wolf? Think again! Master storyteller Roald Dahl adds his own darkly comic twists to six favorite tales, complete with rambunctious rhymes and hilarious surprise endings."
http://www.amazon.com/Revolting-Rhymes-Roald-Dahl/dp/0142414824/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1396227199&sr=1-1&keywords=revolting+rhymes+roald+dahl
Ages: 4-8 years
Pattern-driven digital illustrations pair with concrete verse to express water's cyclical nature: "Thirsty air/ licks it from lakes/ sips it from ponds/ guzzles it from oceans/ and this wet air/ swirls up." In a bone-colored landscape in another part of the world, a child in a hut and wild animals in a barren tree await a gray storm cloud. When a torrent comes, a lullaby-like line assures: "Honey,/ living things dream/ of water," and a mother with long, brunette hair embraces her child, droplets from her hair coalescing into tiny animal silhouettes. A lyrical and bighearted outpouring. Ages 4–8.
http://www.amazon.com/Water-World-George-Ella-Lyon/dp/1416971300/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1396227113&sr=1-1&keywords=all+the+water+in+the+world
Pattern-driven digital illustrations pair with concrete verse to express water's cyclical nature: "Thirsty air/ licks it from lakes/ sips it from ponds/ guzzles it from oceans/ and this wet air/ swirls up." In a bone-colored landscape in another part of the world, a child in a hut and wild animals in a barren tree await a gray storm cloud. When a torrent comes, a lullaby-like line assures: "Honey,/ living things dream/ of water," and a mother with long, brunette hair embraces her child, droplets from her hair coalescing into tiny animal silhouettes. A lyrical and bighearted outpouring. Ages 4–8.
http://www.amazon.com/Water-World-George-Ella-Lyon/dp/1416971300/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1396227113&sr=1-1&keywords=all+the+water+in+the+world
Ages: 8 - 12 years
"With a fresh and deceptively simple style, acclaimed author Sharon Creech tells a story with enormous heart. Written as a series of free-verse poems from Jack's point of view, Love That Dog shows how one boy finds his own voice with the help of a teacher, a writer, a pencil, some yellow paper, and of course, a dog. With classic poetry included in the back matter, this provides the perfect resource for teachers and students alike.
"I guess it does
look like a poem
when you see it
typed up
like that."
Jack hates poetry. Only girls write it and every time he tries to, his brain feels empty. But his teacher, Ms. Stretchberry, won't stop giving her class poetry assignments -- and Jack can't avoid them. But then something amazing happens. The more he writes, the more he learns he does have something to say."
http://www.amazon.com/Love-That-Dog-Sharon-Creech/dp/0064409597
"With a fresh and deceptively simple style, acclaimed author Sharon Creech tells a story with enormous heart. Written as a series of free-verse poems from Jack's point of view, Love That Dog shows how one boy finds his own voice with the help of a teacher, a writer, a pencil, some yellow paper, and of course, a dog. With classic poetry included in the back matter, this provides the perfect resource for teachers and students alike.
"I guess it does
look like a poem
when you see it
typed up
like that."
Jack hates poetry. Only girls write it and every time he tries to, his brain feels empty. But his teacher, Ms. Stretchberry, won't stop giving her class poetry assignments -- and Jack can't avoid them. But then something amazing happens. The more he writes, the more he learns he does have something to say."
http://www.amazon.com/Love-That-Dog-Sharon-Creech/dp/0064409597
Ages: 8 - 12 years
"Sometimes sweet and sometimes funny, but always clever, these poems are fun to read and even more fun for kids to write. Bob Raczka is a fresh, new voice in children''s poetry who knows that fun and games can turn a poetry lesson into lemonade!"
http://www.rakuten.com/prod/lemonade/216806508.html?listingId=331595407&scid=pla_google_SynergyDataInc&adid=17260&gclid=CMyn_Nyxub0CFYdFMgodCEoAIQ