This wonderfully tender collection of poetry reflects on the many beautiful shades of black skin. Eloquent text and powerful illustrations fill the page. The first poem questions 'What shade is human?'. She proceeds in other poems to use phrases such as 'I am biscuit brown', 'I am raspberry black', 'I am as light as snowberries in fall', and 'I am toasted wheat berry bread' to characterize the rich colors.

Awards won: Coretta Scott King Award (Illustrator)

Reviewed by: rn

Date read: 12/18/2009

ISBN-10: 0060253754

ISBN-13: 9780060253752

Check the library catalog

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, Scientists, students, and teachers - This is a book about dinosaurs And other ancient creatures. This introduction won't be long, In fact I'm not sure we need it. 'Cause who needs a poem about a book, Why not just sit down and read it? Thus starts a rollicking adventure in verse through the realm of ancient creatures from Triceratops to the Saber-Toothed Tiger.

Reviewed by: caroll

Date read: 12/9/2009

ISBN-10: 076110884X

ISBN-13: 9780761108849

Check the library catalog

If you want to combine history and poetry, this is the book for you! All the way from the dinosaurs to September 11, American history is summarized into 41 short poems. It begins appropriately with, 'The First,' a ditty about dinosaurs ('The first Americans who roamed the prairie/ Were kind of big and kind of scary'), and ends with 'The Lady,' a salute to the Statue of Liberty, which Shields casts as witness to the destruction of the World Trade Center. Poems about the Wright brothers, the San Francisco earthquake of 1906, and 'The Great War' (WWI) are among those that fall along the timeline running across the top of the pages. Richard Thompson, a political cartoonist, offers appropriate doses of humor and poignancy in his illustrations accompanying the poems.

Similar books: Mural on Second Avenue, and Other City Poems by Lilian Moore; Heroes and She-roes: Poems of Amazing and Everyday Heroes by J. Patrick Lewis

Reviewed by: sc

Date read: 4/13/2009

ISBN-10: 1593541201

ISBN-13: 9781593541200

Check the library catalog

Who can resist poems about food? This entry in the Super SandCastle: Poetry Power series presents poems from different poets, as well as some written by children. The book also includes a section called Become a Poet, and gives kids tips, and advice, on how to develop their own poetry writing skills.

Reviewed by: sc

Date read: 4/14/2009

ISBN-10: 1604530030

ISBN-13: 9781604530032

Check the library catalog

The poems in this book are written as a conversation between a daughter, and her mother. In fact, Jane Yolen and Heidi Semple are real-life mother and daughter. The problems brought up by the daughter, from homework to insufficient allowance, are very real, and are answered with empathy, and motherly advice. Middle School girls might see themselves, and realize that their problems are universal.

Similar books: Running Back to Ludie by Angela Johnson

Reviewed by: sc

Date read: 4/13/2009

ISBN-10: 1563978865

ISBN-13: 9781563978869

Check the library catalog