Happy Poetry Friday!

Today's Poetry Friday Round-Up is being hosted by Sheri at Sheri Doyle.

Sheri reminds us to find happiness in the simple things.  Poetry is surely one of my favorite ways to find joy in each day!  Be sure to visit Sheri to indulge in many poetry pleasures!  

March 21  holds many exciting things for me!  My first born will become a teenager this year (eeks!), it is the first official, full day of spring, and this year I will have the pleasure of spending the day with poet and author, Kenn Nesbitt!  

My first born, Sienna, will soon be 13!  She is a beautiful dancer!

Kenn will be visiting my school on that day!  He will be making two presentations (primary and intermediate) for the students and staff.  In preparation for his visit, I have been sharing his poems during my "Poetry Breaks!," with my small reading groups, and on the morning announcements.  Additionally, I (along with our librarian and other classroom teachers) have been sharing Kenn's delightful website, Poetry 4 Kids with students.  

My absolute favorite Kenn Nesbitt poem  . . . 

A Pug is a Dog

by Kenn Nesbitt

A pug is a dog
with a curlicue tail.
He eats like a hog
and he snores like a whale.
He's flat in the snout
and his belly is big.
The pug came about
just by misspelling pig.

Miley, my pug!

Miley and I can't wait to have him autograph this poem poster (see an earlier post about these posters)!  She wants him to autograph her picture, too!

 

Audiobook Jukebox Review: Rise of the Guardians

   

Rise of the Guardians: An Audiobook Review

Title: Rise of the Guardians: Movie Novelization
Author: Stacia Deutsch
Narrator: Keith Nobbs
Unabridged Length: 2 h, 33 m
Published by Simon & Schuster Audio, 2012
Genres: Young Adult, Middle Reader, Fantasy

From the Publisher:

Join forces with the Guardians to defeat Pitch in this retelling of the animated feature Rise of the Guardians.

When Pitch, the boogeyman, decides that children should believe in him and not the Guardians, he adds a little fear to their dreams, turning them into nightmares. If children around the world are afraid, there will be no more room for hope. The Guardians must band together to stop him. But in order to do so they need a little help from an unlikely source: Jack Frost. Jack loves to have fun, but he’s not usually one for heroics. Will Jack find the hero within him before Pitch can carry out his master plan?

Join Jack Frost and the entire gang of Guardians—North, Bunnymund, Tooth, and Sandman—as they band together to vanquish the boogeyman and his nightmarish threats and to preserve the very spirit of childhood. This junior novelization includes eight pages of color images from the movie.

My Review:

I will begin my review of this audiobook by saying that I had not yet seen the movie prior to listening to its audiobook adaptation.  I was pleasantly and immediately immersed into the fantasy world of the Guardians.  Listening to narrator, Keith Nobbs read this tale, made me feel as though it was being read by a full cast of narrators.  Knobbs does such a fabulous job of bringing each character to life, that the listener truly feels as though there is a different person for each character's dialogue, as well as for the narrator of the story.  Knobbs transforms his voice into North by using a perfect Russian accent, speaks for Bunny in a believable and humorous Australian accent, and transform his voice, yet again into an eerie, English accent to portray Pitch, the Boogeyman.  Additionally, Knobbs uses other voices to bring the various children characters to life.  Honestly, the listener of this movie adaptation will have no need to actually watch the movie, because the narration of the audiobook allows the listener to create his/her own unique movie in his/her own mind - the ultimate goal of reading and listening to a tale be told.  

Although the genre lists this audiobook as a young adult and middle grade fantasy, I believe that parents of younger children may want to choose this as a family audiobook to listen to on a trip in the car or even as bedtime family entertainment.  Teachers may also find this audiobook to be a great resource to play, not only as a classroom read aloud selection for entertainment and enjoyment but also to assist in helping teach children to truly visualize the story and bring it to life.  Knobbs narration is also excellent modeling for how reading fluently should sound - he truly brings all characters and situations to life by using his voice and narration style.  

An additional note that I'd like to mention:  I did watch the movie after listening to the audiobook and found them to be extremely similar.  Kids who have already watched the movie will be in for a treat when choosing Rise of the Guardians as an audiobook selection.  Audiobooks like this could turn reluctant readers into avid readers/listeners. 

Popping Up A Popcorn Poetry Break!

"Popcorn" poem by Helen H. Moore

For many years I have enjoyed sharing Helen H. Moore's "Popcorn" poem with my students. It's a fun and catchy poem that is easy to remember and naturally lends itself to dramatization! We become the popcorn popping in the pot!

Bringing in the air popper, popping up some real popcorn, and reciting Moore's poem couldn't be any more fun!

Students are able to fully enjoy and internalize this poem using ALL five senses! We see, smell, hear, touch, and taste the popcorn AND the poem!

Popcorn

 Pop, pop, popcorn,

popping in the pot!

Pop, pop, popcorn,

eat it while it’s hot!

Pop, pop, popcorn,

Butter on the top!

When I eat popcorn,

I can't stop!

                                 -- Helen H. Moore

Happy Poetry Friday!  Today's round-up is being hosted by Linda at Teacher Dance. 
She will surely be sharing many poetry treats!

Poetry Friday: Celebrate Groundhog's Day with a Poem!

Groundhog Poem Poster (along with a fun snow poem)

Happy Groundhog's Day!

Many years ago, I began to use this fun poem about groundhog's day with my students. I am not sure where I found it and I never was able to identify an author. It is a simple poem that helps explain the mystery that seems to surround groundhog's day each year.

I first recite and dramatize the poem for the kids. Then we recite it again in an echo format. And, of course we follow with a choral recitation, as we all act like groundhogs.

As a final bit of groundhog fun, students attach the poem to the back of a groundhog stick puppet. Groundhog's Day would not be complete without this little poem celebration!

Stayed tuned for some pictures of our groundhog poem puppets!

 Happy "Poetry Friday!"  I am happy to be sharing and participating, once again,  in this wonderful community of poets and poetry lovers!  Today's "Poetry Friday Round-Up" is being hosted by April at Teaching Authors.  Stop over to her blog for a cup of tea and some poetry! 

New Beginnings

Happy New Year! 

and Happy Reading & Writing New Year!

Many of us set goals and resolutions for the New Year.  I am one of those individuals!  Some of my resolutions for this year include both reading and writing goals that I'd like to accomplish.  One way to incorporate writing into your daily life is to keep a journal.  I have always kept a journal (or ten!) and have resolved to rejuvenate my personal reading journals.  I plan to to this via GoodReads, my musings here, and my handwritten journals.  One of my favorite types of journals to use is a collage journal.   

Today I am a guest on Amy Ludwig VanDerwater's blog, Sharing Our Notebooks, where I share my collage journals.  Be sure to visit this wonderful resource for ideas and inspiration for writing.  

Audiobook Jukebox Review: Dork Diaries 5: Tales from a Not-So-Smart Miss Know-It-All

 Audiobook Review

 

Dork Diaries 5: Tales from a Not-So-Smart Miss Know-It-All

• by Rachel Renee Russell
• Narrated by Jenni Barber
• UNABRIDGED  
  
• Running Time: Approximately 3 hours 

Publisher's Summary

Nikki Maxwell authors an advice column for the school newspaper in this fifth installment of the New York Times best-selling Dork Diaries series.

Nikki Maxwell develops a sudden interest in student journalism that may or may not (okay, definitely does) have to do with the fact that mean girl Mackenzie has started writing a gossip column. And there just might be some info involving Nikki’s crush, Brandon, that Nikki doesn’t want Mackenzie reporting to the world. So Nikki joins the school newspaper staff - and ends up as an advice columnist!  It’s fun at first, answering other kids’ letters. But when Miss Know-It-All’s inbox is suddenly overflowing with pleas for guidance, Nikki feels in need of some help herself. Fortunately she has BFFs Chloe and Zoey on her side - and at her keyboard! 

My Review

Although this is Russell's fifth installment in this series, I had not previously read or listened to any of the Dork Diaries.  Fans of the series will most likely be eager to get their hands on book number five.  If you are like me, though, and have not yet read one of the books, rest assured that you will still enjoy listening to book number five. Fans of books written in a diary-style and tween girls will especially find this audiobook of interest.  Nikki Maxwell, the author of this tween diary, gives readers enough background and detail into her current situations, that readers are easily able to feel as if they have known her from the beginning of her diary-keeping-days.  Jenni Barber's dramatic narration of Nikki's diary convinces listeners that they are listening to a tween's melodramatic adventures and daily musings. 

Tales from a Not-So-Smart Miss Know-It-All, offers listeners a great way to ring in the New Year, as Nikki's latest diary begins with a prank that occurs over the winter break and leads to a lot of drama in the new year!  Tween girls will easily relate to Nikki as she recounts, in detail, her feelings as she deals with the antics of mean-girl, Mackenzie, her pesky younger sister, her crush, Brandon, and the support of her best friends, Chloe and 

Zoey.  So, grab your favorite blanket, curl up in a cozy spot, and listen to Dork Diaries 5: Tales from a Not-So-Smart Miss Know-It-All!

It's Poetry Friday! Taking A "Poetry Break!" with Alan Katz

NYSRA, Syracuse, NY October 2012:  Taking a "Poetry Break!" with author Alan Katz!  

Amy Ludwig VanDerwater is hosting today's Poetry Friday Round-Up at The Poem Farm!  Be sure to visit her blog for lots of poetry delights!

 

 

 

“Alan Katz: A Silly Dilly Author”                                                                                           

NYSRA Conference 2012 attendees may have been lucky enough to experience a relaxing, humorous, and inspirational breakfast and/or conference session with funny-man and author, Alan Katz!  Mr. Katz has a long list of credits to his name, including, having written for television shows, games shows, children’s programing, newspapers, comic books, poetry books, trading cards, games, picture books, and much more!  Mr. Katz inspired and entertained his audience by sharing his own writing stories and inspiration for their creation.  One such strategy is for writing parodies.  First one must select a well-known song, then count the number of syllables in each line, and finally change the lyrics to match your topic.  Singing silly songs is what led Mr. Katz to create silly poetry and tales.  He has always enjoyed writing and writing about the ordinary, which is often funny and silly.  A major source of writing inspiration has always come from his experiences with his own family.  Mr. Katz’s many songs, poems and stories have sprung onto the page as a result of something his children have said or done.  Additional advice for achieving one’s dreams, offered by Mr. Katz, is “if you want to be a writer (or whatever interests you), you need to get out there and write (or do whatever it is you want to do)!  

Alan Katz’s book titles include:

Oops!   

                                                                                                                                     Poems I Wrote While No One Was Looking

Don’t Say That Word!  

                                                                                                                
Several Silly Dilly Songbooks      

                                                                                                                                          
Karate Pig

Be sure to check out these funny and engaging poetry books, silly song books, and picture books!  You will also not want to miss Alan Katz's website.  Click here to visit his site!