Poetry Friday is being held by the fabulous Tabatha Yeatts at The Opposite of Indifference. Thanks for being part of the community.
Last week the CYBILS finalists were announced. The Poetry category had thirty-eight titles which were discussed. There were stellar nominations this year. And that makes the committee’s task more difficult. With the goal to have between five to seven finalists, there will be those titles that are ever so close to becoming a finalist. These books are ones that were left on the shelf and not sent to the round two judges. I highly recommend that if you are wanting a poetry book that you check these out as well.
ASHLEY BRYAN’S PUPPETS: MAKING SOMETHING FROM EVERYTHING by Ashley Bryan, published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers.
Ashley Bryan takes found objects from the seashore to create puppets. They are complete with a name and a poem that describes what they are made of and their vision. The Spirit Guardian sums it up best: “We are born of cast-off pieces / And, like magic, brought alive / By your own imagination. / That’s the gift / By which we thrive.” Readers are invited to write their own poem at the end for two unnamed puppets.
EVERYTHING IS A POEM By J. Patrick Lewis, illustrated by Maria Cristina Pritelli. published by Creative Editions.
A collection that celebrates the best of J. Partick Lewis. Serious, humorous,and historical poems provides a fantastic introduction to the world our former Children’s Poet Laureate. Pritelli’s illustrations are brilliant and playful.
ODE TO A COMMODE: CONCRETE POEMS by Brian Cleary, illustrated by Andy Rowland, published by Millbrook Press.
A fun collection of poems that are shaped as the specific object. Cleary does an excellent job with a one page introduction about Concrete poems. The cartoon illustrates add to the light-hearted poems.
ON THE WING by David Elliot, illustrated by Becca Stadtlander, published by Candlewick.
These poems are a lyrical delight capturing the characteristics of birds from hummingbirds to the great horned owl. The acrylic illustrations creat an illusion that the birds will fly of the page.
THE POEM THAT WILL NOT END by Joan Bransfield Graham, illustrated by Kyrsten Brooker, published by Two Lions. Ryan O’Brian, a boy who loves to write poetry, writes them everywhere: soccer field, bathroom, cafeteria. Is it a poetry book, a picture book, or a hybrid? One thing for sure is that it’s a book with great kid appeal. Readers learn about Ryan’s poetry writing obsession and get to read his poems. Ryan provides a guide to poetic forms that invites readers to try writing a few of their own. Brooker’s illustrations are colorful and lively.
Happy Friday.
Happy Poetry.
Check It Out 
These gems are definitely going in my classroom. I can’t wait to see what my students do with Ode to Commode. The poems are really cleverly done. I am thinking about trying an art project to coincide with Ashley Bryan’s Puppets. These are some good fish we had to leave behind. You are so right. The nominations were awesome.
Each of these books is on my to buy list – thanks for sharing!
I picked up Ode to a Commode at NCTE and have already read The Poem that Will Not End and Everything is a Poem. Thanks for letting me know about the other two. Now I’m off to request them.
Thanks, Jone–looking forward to getting into these, especially The Poem That Will Not End. I wonder if it will work with kindergarten?
I appreciate all of the CYBILS categories giving a hat-tip to the ones that were close, but didn’t make it to the short list.
We had a lot of terrific nonfiction entries this year too! It’s so hard to choose the final 5-7; I can’t even imagine what it would be like to be a Round Two Judge and have to bring it down to one! You know I will be looking for all of these at the library this morning! Thank you!
Great list (I especially enjoyed The Poem That Will Not End.) Thanks for shining a light on these books.