GENRE: Poetry

Book of poetry...

http://images.google.com/images?gbv=2&hl=en&q=come+sunday+grimes

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Grimes, Nikki. 1996. Come Sunday. Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. ISBN: 0802851088.

PLOT SUMMARY

The poems in this book take the reader through each facet of a typical Sunday of the main character, LaTasha. The first poem is of her mother waking her up Sunday morning to get ready for church. As the story keeps going, Nikki Grimes offers a poem for arriving at church and seeing the ladies of the congregation, the description of what the ladies are wearing, the walking-in of the ushers, the singing, baptisms, Sunday school, the offerings, supper at church, the preaching, the end of the day, and laying herself back to sleep. Each poem is from a little girl's point of view of how she perceives a Sunday and what happens at church. The poems take the reader from the beginning of Sunday to the end of the day.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Nikki Grimes does a beautiful job in narrating a Sunday at church through the use of poetry. Each poem is written in such a precise way that the reader gets a sense of being at church right next to LaTasha, the narrator of the poems. The language used is simple, but yet, so descriptive that when reading each line you can almost feel the laced gloves, you can almost taste the sweet glazed yams, you can feel the uncertainty of going in the water during baptism, and you can feel the strong faith of the LaTasha when she implores to him at times. The poems turn a typical day at church into an interesting, sweet and inspirational day through the descriptive words used by the author. It is a wonderful book of poetry that turns the mundane into celestial.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

Review in Booklist. "Grimes' short poems, boxed neatly into each ink-and-watercolor double-page spread, capture both the jubilation of a spirit-filled African American congregation and the more solemn moments. Yet both author and illustrator make sure that all this wonder is reflected strictly from the child's point of view."

Review in School Library Journal. "Grimes's topical poems are short and down-to-earth enough to engage children and occasionally will sweep them along with a bouncy rhythm or a spark of recognition that brings LaTasha's Sunday to life."

CONNECTIONS

This book is an excellent way to present children with well-written poetry. They are short but full of description. This book can be a wonderful tool in the classroom to also introduce descriptive writing and sequence of events, and there will be plenty of personal connections since the poems deal with a universal theme of religion and congregations.

Other books by Nikki Grimes are Oh, Brother! and The Road to Paris.

This is a link to Nikki Grimes website:

http://www.nikkigrimes.com/

A verse novel...

http://images.barnesandnoble.com/images/7380000/7382202.jpg



BIBLIOGRAPHY


Hesse, Karen. 1997. Out of the Dust. New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN: 0590360809.

PLOT SUMMARY

Billie Joe. Dust storms. Things lost. Things gained. Karen Hesse writes the story of a young girl growing up during the hard times of the 1930s in a farm that does not cease to see dust storms. She lives with her stoic father and her determined, pregnant mother in a farm that is not yielding much for everyday leaving. Although much is happening that could kill the spirit, they keep going forward and making ends meet as much as they can. They are looking forward to the birth of the new baby, but unfortunately, a tragic accident eventually takes the life of the newborn baby and Billie Joe’s mother. Billie Joe blames herself of the events that took her mother and brother away, and deep down, she can’t forgive her father for inadvertently setting up the very thing that made the accident happen, a pail of kerosene next to the stove.

Not only does Billie Joe lose loved ones but also, she loses her ability to play the piano which is the one and only thing in which she resembles her mother. During the accident, Billie Joe burned her hands terribly. So much that she is unable to play the piano without feeling great pain. That pain leads for her to stop playing the piano which is the one thing she loves. Among the things lost, Billie Joe also copes with a strained relationship with her father.

After many tries of coping with all things lost and the dust storms, she decides to run from the dust and the pain. Later, she understands that getting out of the dust is futile because the dust is inside of her as she explains it to her father. It is an intense moment of revelation both for Billie Joe and her father, and at that moment, their relationship becomes stronger and more understanding.


As the story is coming to an end, Billie Joe’s father is courting a woman who is trying to understand what they have been through and is not trying to replace or step on no one’s toes. Little by little, Billie Joe starts to open the doors to her soul to this woman who is making things better at home. The novel ends with Billie Joe letting the reader know that things will be fine, and she will keep growing to be a stronger person next to her father and the new woman.


CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Karen Hesse touches the reader in an unbelievable way. The award-winning novel keeps the reader hooked through the intense rollercoaster ride of emotions and events. The reader is at the edge of the seat as each powerful event unfolds in the novel in which Billie Joel, the main character, takes us through her everyday life filled with hardships and life-learning moments. Hesse does a wonderful job of describing the emotions inside of Billie Joe which range from happiness to regret, from sadness to anger. In this novel, the reader learns about the hardships of the Great Depression, the difficult and intriguing life in an area of dust storms, family bonds and the “growing pains” of a young girl. The novel is beautifully written in verse-form, and it will surely leave the reader with a better understanding of life and family. This timeless novel is much recommended. No one that reads it will be unmoved by the canny way Hesse writes each verse in the novel that difficult to put down once it has been started.

REVIEWED EXCERPTS

Starred review in Publishers Weekly. "This intimate novel, written in stanza form, poetically conveys the heat, dust and wind of Oklahoma. With each meticulously arranged entry Hesse paints a vivid picture of her heroine's emotions."

Starred review in Booklist. "A powerfully compelling tale of a girl with enormous strength, courage and love."

CONNECTIONS

As this novel was being read, many connections were being made to what the present-day economy is going through here in the United States. This novel is a must read during anytime but more so during these difficult times that U.S. families are facing. In the classroom setting, many connections can be made in an interdisiciplanary setting. Students can learn about history, geography, science, literature, human spirit and so much more.

The following is a great link to use to learn about The Dust Bowl. It provides timelines, maps website links and images that are great, useful tools to teach students:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/dustbowl/

A book of poems...

http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=a+pizza+the+size+of+the+sun&btnG=Search+Images&gbv=2


BIBLIOGRAPHY


Prelutsky, Jack. 1994. A Pizza the Size of the Sun. New York: Greenwillow Books. ISBN: 0688132359.


PLOT SUMMARY

This book is a compilation of funny poems. Some are long and some are short, but mostly, they all go to a rhyme. The topics vary from a crazy computer to a shy lettuce. The illustrations done by James Stevenson capture Prelutsky's poems with much precision. Such is the case of the poem "I'm Drifiting Through Negative Space" well depicted simply by a gray background in which the tone of the poem is negative and contrary. Overall, this book of poems is full of humor ready to be enjoyed, and the indexes at the end of the book come in handy in locating the poems in the book.


CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Jack Prelutsky along with James Stevenson can readily put a smile on someone's face with these silly and funny poems. It is a book that can be enjoyed and read time and time again. Poems can be read one at a time, or chunks at one time, or read all in one seating. They are meant for young and old and girls and boys. Prelutsky does a wonderful job of playing with words and silliness such as in "Llook!", a poem about llamas.

Being one that is usually not inclined to read poetry, I found myself picking up the book time and time again to read these poems. One quickly became a favorite because it remounted me to my childhood in which I often thought of inanimate objects having feeling and thoughts. That poem is "If." I have read it many times, and every time I find something new to understand and enjoy.

This book is recommened for easy-going reading that will lift the spirit and find a smile lurking as it is being read.


REVIEW EXCERPTS


Reviewed in Booklist. "The verse finds perfect visual expression in Stevenson's witty ink drawings touched with gray wash. A delightful addition to poetry collections that will not stay on the shelf for long."


Reviewed in School Library Journal. "Perfect for reading aloud or alone, it will be reached for again and again by teachers, parents, kids, librarians, and anyone else who likes poems that make them chuckle. As a matter of fact, this book should be required reading for those out there who claim they don't like poetry."


CONNECTIONS

SLJ's review hit right at home when they recommend the book to people who supposedly do not like poetry. I am one of those, and I can say I thoroughly enjoyed the book by Jack Prelutsky. I will give Prelutsky's other books a try, too, for sure.

The New Kid on the Block (starred reviewed)
Something BIG Has Been Here (starred reviewed)
My Parents Think I'm Sleeping