This Tent & Poetry Calendars

Sleeping in a Tent

by Amy LV

Students - Yesterday I had a conversation with my friend Jackie about spending lots of time outside.  I didn't realize how deeply the talk had settled into my bones, but it had.  For last night when I sat to write, this is what came out.  We are going camping soon too, in a cabin, and I can't wait to just spend time by the fire, under the stars with my family.

To write today's poem, I just followed my mind.  I allowed the poem to come to me instead of going off searching for the poem.  Sometimes just settling down and listening to yourself is the best way to begin writing.  Maybe that's the always the best thing to do.  Before writing, take a few good breaths and just listen to you.

You'll notice that each stanza of today's poem begins with the same first two lines.  And the ending, well...that is my favorite part.  I had played with a few different endings: endings about peeper sounds, endings about cozy toes and campfire-smoky hair, but those endings just did not feel right.  Then I realized how much I love sleeping outside.  And I asked myself why.  See, whenever I sleep outside in a tent, I want to ALWAYS sleep in a tent.  There is something magical about that feeling, being so close to nature, just a fabric wall away. The ending, like the subject, approached me.  And I let it stay.

And now, it's time for a...

Poetry Art Calendars

Klem South Elementary, Webster, NY

by Third Grade Teacher Rosanne Kulikowski

Today I am so happy to welcome third grade teacher Rosanne Kulikowski and her students from Klem South Elementary.  I have had the privilege of learning about writing with Rosanne for the past few years, and it is great fun for me to be able to share her class's project here.  

In room 205 at Klem South Elementary, we love poetry!  Last December we immersed ourselves in it.  The children loved Amy’s poems and enjoyed The Poem Farm. We always had to read about what inspired her to write each particular one.  Each of Amy’s poems in turn inspired students to reflect and connect poetry to their own lives.  

With all of the enthusiasm around these poems, I decided we would make special holiday calendars for parents, each with a child’s reflection and illustration for one of Amy’s poems every month. I was especially touched by how each poem brought out a personal meaning to every student.  Their illustrations were like small snapshots of their imaginations.  Below each poem/illustration/reflection was the calendar grid with holidays and family birthdays filled in.  The students not only loved reading and writing poetry, but were so proud of their gifts!

Click to enlarge these calendar pages by Sara and Isabella.

Art & Response by Sara

Art & Response by Isabella

Art & Response by Isabella

Art & Response by Sara

Thank you to Sara and Isabella and to their teacher Rosanne Kulikowski for sharing these calendar pages and this neat idea here today.

Today I am tickled to announce that Shane Couch, self-professed notebook addict, is sharing his addiction with us at my other blog, Sharing Our Notebooks.  Visit, read Shane's inspiring post, and perhaps win a new notebook for yourself!  If you are interested in sharing your own notebooks at Sharing Our Notebooks, please just contact me here.

Diane is hosting the Poetry Friday roundup this week.  Stroll on over to Random Noodling to find an always-rich assortment of poetic goodies for the days ahead.

Please share a comment below if you wish.

Double Play Dreams & A Double Poetry Peek

Henry's Shirt

Photo by Amy LV

Students - Today's poem was inspired by a great catch my son made in the outfield over the weekend.  Sometimes we write poems simply to celebrate something wonderful in our lives.  And watching Henry make that catch was pretty wonderful.  I decided to write today's poem in the voice of an outfielder, not my own, because out in the field is where the action is.

Did you notice that SMACK and OUT are all in capital letters?  This is because I want you to read them loudly.

And now, it's time for a double...

First Grade Poetry Journey 

by Debra Frazier

Today I am tickled to welcome teacher Debra Frazier and her first grade writers from Ohio as they share and offer a link over to their poetry journey from this spring. I am also so happy to welcome teacher Margaret Simon and her fourth and sixth graders from Louisiana with their manatee poetry. First, here is Debra.

Our class has been immersed in poetry, from reading, writing and tweeting! On our poetry journey we have learned about mask poems, line breaks, white space, creating visual images, and the art of reading poetry. Amy LV guided our journey with her Poem Farm and tweets.

We were honored when Amy graciously invited us to link to our poetry here on the Poem Farm. We are proud to be here, and we hope you enjoy our poetry and follow our poetry path on Twitter. Of course young poets LOVE comments! You can read our poems and comment right on the poets' kidblogs at Behind the Scenes in First Grade.

Here is one of the poems from one of our kidblogs.

Thank you so much to these young poets for sharing this journey with me all along and today at The Poem Farm.  I have learned a lot this spring about working with classes of young writers through Twitter, and I am grateful to Debra Frazier and her students for helping me learn.

And now, I am excited to tell you a little about what's been happening with Margaret Simon's students in Iberia Parish, Louisiana.  These students wrote poetry up until the very last day of school.

Manatee Poetry

Margaret Simon's Students Rise to Challenge

In manatee news, last Friday, I wrote a playful poem about a manatee named Manny.  I challenged students to write manatee poems of their own and promised that if any young writers researched and wrote manatee poetry, The Poem Farm would adopt a manatee.  

Well, Margaret Simon's fourth and sixth grade students at Caneview Elementary School and Jefferson Island Elementary School in Iberia Parish, Louisiana, took the challenge on their very last day of school.  You can read two of their manatee poems here at Margaret's blog, Reflections on the Teche. You can also read about how these students used Wonderopolis and included hyperlinks in their own kidblogs.  

Thanks to these students, The Poem Farm is caring for a manatee!  Meet Chessie!

Chessie

Photo by Edwin Remsberg

Chessie

Photo by Hank Curtis

You can see our official adoption certificate from the Save the Manatee Club here and read more about Chessie here.

Thank you to Margaret Simon and her students for carrying on the manatee love with manatee poetry.  It's fun to have a manatee here at The Poem Farm!

I am very pleased to share the news that my first book, FOREST HAS A SONG, has made the NCTE Children's Literature Assembly list of 2014 Notable Children's Books in the English Language Arts.  Five other poetry books were on this list too, and I congratulate these wonderful poets: Andrea Cheng for ETCHED IN CLAY: THE LIFE OF DAVE, ENSLAVED POTTER AND POET, Margarita Engle for THE LIGHTNING DREAMER: CUBA'S GREATEST ABOLITIONIST, Nikki Grimes for WORDS WITH WINGS, J. Patrick Lewis for WHEN THUNDER COMES: POEMS FOR CIVIL RIGHTS LEADERS, Holly Thompson for THE LANGUAGE INSIDE.  Congratulations!

Please share a comment below if you wish.

Manny the Manatee & A Poetry Peek

Manny & Imaginary Friend

by Amy LV

Students - Are you asking yourself, "Why on earth is Amy writing about imaginary manatees?"  If you are, I completely understand.  And I can tell you why.  Yesterday I was scooting around online, and on Twitter, I came across this video from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.  After that, I could not get the word manatee out of my mind!  Somehow, pat-a-cake entered my mind too, likely because these two words have the same number of syllables and the same stresses too.

If you're interested in these cows of the sea, you can learn more about manatees at the Mote Marine Laboratory or the Save the Manatee Club.  In fact, if any classroom of poets researches, writes, and shares a manatee poem in the comments of this post or on Twitter (I am @amylvpoemfarm), I think that The Poem Farm might just have to adopt a manatee this weekend.  It will be our manatee to love from afar.

Lately I have been working on revising a couple of new books, so it was fun to switch over to a new imaginary manatee friend.  Perhaps Manny will join us in another wee verse down the road.

Monkey See, Monkey Do 

Bookstore Reading

April 2014

Last month, I had the good fortune to visit Monkey See, Monkey Do Bookstore in Clarence, NY for an April Poetry Celebration.  As part of this celebration, three young writers read their poems about what they love and how they feel.  It was a treat to be a part of that morning, and it is an honor to share their work here today.

Horses

They gallop in the fields,
Running like brave warriors
With riders on their  backs.

Sometimes they stand,
Tall and proud,
Neighing hello to their friends.

Although they love to run free,
They love to rest at home,
Munching on hay.

by Ada, age 8


Monkey See, Monkey Do

Monkey See, Monkey Do
We’ve got tons of books for you.
Come on down,
It’s right through town
Chapter books,
and raptor books,
Books big and small’
and off the wall.
I have been hooked
on books!

by Martha, age 8


Tossed and Turned

Tossed and Turned
Tossed and turned in the waves of life
I am a twig fighting in the current
Nothing will be the same again
Every friend I make digs a hole in my heart
Filling it up with friendship and love
Then comes the horrible day when I am swept away
Tossed and turned in the waves of life
Fighting the current just to survive
“Help Me! Help Me! friends”
You are so kind

by Mira, age 10

Thank you to Monkey See, Monkey Do Bookstore and to these poets for this celebration of poetry.

In other happy news, FOREST HAS A SONG was just named as a '2014 Notable Children's Book in the Language Arts' by the Children's Literature Assembly of the National Council of Teachers of English.  I have not yet seen the whole list, but I would like to offer congratulations to another poet friend, Margarita Engle as her THE LIGHTNING DREAMER: CUBA'S GREATEST ABOLITIONIST was also named to this list.

Liz is hosting today's Poetry Friday roundup over at Elizabeth Steinglass!  Head on over to her place to taste the various poetic offerings in the Kidlitosphere this week.

Please share a comment below if you wish.

On Mother's Day - For a Dad

Love
by Amy LV

Students - I wrote today's poem because I have been thinking about children who do not have moms living with them.  A mom is a special person.  But a dad or a grandma or grandpa or aunt or uncle will often step in and be the mom who - for whatever reason - might not be there.  Thank you to everyone who does the job of a mom each day - dads, grandparents, other relatives, teachers, nurses, those who love us when and how we most need it.  

You will notice that this poem does not go on and on.  It is simple.  The feeling is simple too.  Sometimes too many words are too many words.

Jama is hosting today's Poetry Friday roundup over at her delicious blog, Jama's Alphabet Soup.  Visit Jama's place to enjoy Poetry Friday fun all around the Kidlitosphere this week!

This weekend you will find me at the International Reading Association Conference in New Orleans, LA.  I will be speaking as a part of this panel about THE POETRY FRIDAY ANTHOLOGY FOR SCIENCE, and I will be signing FOREST HAS A SONG at the Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Booth (#1951) from 1:00pm - 2:00pm.  Can't wait!

Happy Mother's Day!

Please share a comment below if you wish.