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Poetry Friday

Poetry Friday: Angela Johnson

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Some poems in Angela Johnson’s book The Other Side: Shorter Poems (Scholastic 1998) were written when she was a teen, and others when she was older. It’s inspiring that poems written during Johnson’s teenage years were eventually published and…

Poetry Friday: Robert Frost

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Robert Frost performs his poem “Birches” in this audio clip. I enjoyed hearing how this famous poet’s voice actually sounds as well as how Frost chooses to pace his poem. Wouldn’t this be interesting audio to share and discuss with…

Poetry Friday: Illustrating Poetry

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This week I’m considering an audio-visual approach to poetry. Listen to illustrator R. Gregory Christie discuss how he approached the creative task of illustrating children’s poems in The Palm of My Heart (Lee and Low, 1996). Next, have students illustrate…

Poetry Friday: Naomi Shihab Nye

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In anticipation of springtime and change, listen to poet Naomi Shihab Nye perform her poem “The Frogs Did Not Forget” from her book Honeybee (HarperCollins, 2008). Listen to Naomi Shihab Nye perform “The Frogs Did Not Forget.” A favorite excerpt:…

Poetry Friday: Margarita Engle

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In this audio clip, author Margarita Engle shares the backstory for her 2009 Newbery Honor book and 2009 Pura Belpré-winning book, The Surrender Tree: Poem’s of Cuba’s Struggle for Freedom (Henry Holt, 2008). Learn about the life of the character,…

Poetry Friday: Jon Scieszka

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In this audio clip, Jon Scieszka playfully reads selected poems from his book Science Verse (Penguin, 2004). I enjoy his chuckles after each poem, and I love how he incorporates both humor and poetry into the curricular area of science.…

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