On Writing Poetry
Carver, A Life in Poems
Marilyn Nelson
The author chronicles the life story of George Washington Carver in verse, opening with the poem, "Out of 'Slave's Ransom'" wherein Carver is described as a "puny black baby" who was "convulsive with fever" and "shook by the whooping cough." Many of the poems are based upon the accomplishments of George Washington Carver, which were astounding, but others offer insight into the lesser-known aspects of his life. This approach works: to go beyond the usual focus on his extraordinary gifts and appreciate the man who, with grace and faith, made his way out of the depths of poverty, over racial boundaries, and through the walls of ignorance with his gentle, sometimes plodding and always relentless quest for knowledge. His expansive mind was extraordinary, as was his character. "House Ways and Means" illustrates both of these attributes. As Carver extols the benefits of peanuts in testimony before the committee, he tastes one and Rep. Tilson from Connecticut asks, "Do you want a watermelon to go with that?" Unshaken, Carver responds, indicating that if Tilson wants dessert that's fine, but then he calmly continues with his expert testimony. The book is illustrated with historical photos. 2001, Front Street, $16.95. Ages 12 up. Reviewer: Carolyn Mott Ford
Carver, A Life in Poems
Marilyn Nelson
Marilyn Nelson unites poetry and biography in Carver: A Life in Poems, a Newbery-honor book. These are not simple verses, but intricate expressions of Carver's enigmatic and complex personality. Carver was driven by a desire to know and he paid for his education by becoming "a wizard with a washboard,/a genie of elbow grease and suds...the best washerwoman in town." Nelson writes of his reactions to lynchings and injustice, his relationship with Booker T. Washington and the success that came from his curiosity and ambition to do right by his people. How fitting that poetry is used to convey the way Carver married art and science to reach other human beings! These fifty-nine vignettes give glimpses that leave us wondering and seeking more information, a perfect representation of a man who did the same. Whether it's changing perspectives, reflecting life, explaining emotions, or intriguing with images, story delivered through verse clears a path to appreciation and understanding. 2001, Front Street, $16.95. Ages 12 up. Reviewer: Susie Wilde
Carver, A Life in Poems
Marilyn Nelson
George Washington Carver comes alive in these poems. Nelson sets the poems in the chronological order of Carver's life. Most of the narrative poems are short yet paint powerful, word-picture descriptions of Carver. Nelson accompanies her poems with photographs of Carver, his family and friends and gives brief descriptions of the important events in his life. By the end of the book, the reader feels as if s/he has walked with Carver through the major events of his life and has shared in his hunger, sadness, joy and accomplishments. The poems alternately bring laughter and tears as they portray the life of this great man. One even forgets that the poems are modern; they seem to have been written by Carver and those who knew him best. This book is a must for any library's poetry collection, regardless of whether the collection is for children, young adults or adults. 2001, Front Street, $16.95. Ages 9 up. Reviewer: J. B. Petty
ISBN: 1-886910-53-7
Best Books:
Best Books for Young Adults, 2002 ; American Library Association-YALSA; United States
The Best Children's Books of the Year, 2002 ; Bank Street College of Education; United States
Bulletin Blue Ribbons, 2001 ; Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books; United States
Capitol Choices, 2001 ; The Capitol Choices Committee; United States
Children's Books of Distinction, 2002 ; Riverbank Review; United States
Fanfare Honor List, 2001 ; Horn Book; United States
Middle and Junior High School Library Catalog, Supplement to the Eighth Edition, 2002 ; H.W. Wilson; United States
Notable Books for Children, 2002 ; American Library Association-ALSC; United States
Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young Readers, 2002 ; National Council for the Social Studies; United States
Parent's Guide to Children's Media, 2001 ; Parent's Guide to Children's Media, Inc.; United States
Senior High School Library Catalog, Sixteenth Edition, 2002 ; H.W. Wilson; United States
Awards, Honors, Prizes:
Boston Globe--Horn Book Awards Winner 2001 Fiction and Poetry United States
Coretta Scott King Awards Honor Book 2002 Author United States
Flora Stieglitz Straus Award Winner 2001 Nonfiction United States
John Newbery Medal Honor Book 2002 United States
State and Provincial Reading Lists:
Kentucky Bluegrass Award, 2003 ; Kentucky
Gwendolyn Brooks: Poet from Chicago
Martha E. Rhynes
Gwendolyn grew up in a happy stable family with a no-nonsense, but loving mother. They never had much money and during most of her life Gwendolyn struggled to make ends meet. It wasn't until she was about fifty that there was a real epiphany in her life. She was a speaker at a conference at Fisk University during the height of the Civil Rights movement. She was amazed at the passion that her fellow speakers aroused and she came away from the conference wanting "African Americans to love, respect and help each other." This new racial consciousness brought about changes in her writing and her life in general. Rhynes steps backwards from this pivotal moment and tells the story of Gwendolyn's life leading up to that momentous event. Gwendoyn was a shy person and yet she attended writers' conferences and was dedicated to helping young people. She was criticized for not taking a more physically active role in the Civil Rights movement, but she did lend her support through her writings and she formed a writers' group for young people. Her new goal was to portray Black life realistically. In 1968 she became the poet laureate of Illinois and in the following year she separated from her husband of thirty years. Interestingly, after four years they once again came back to each other. She began publishing with houses run by African Americans and even opened a publishing house of her own. In 1986, she was appointed the poetry consultant at the Library of Congress (now known as the U.S. poet laureate). She lead a rich life, one that helped many people, and she earned many honors prior to her death in the year 2000 at the age of eighty three. Rhynes book is a good one for those looking for a biography; it has a timeline, listing of major works, honors, index, bibliography and source notes. My only wish is that it had included some samples from her poems--so that one could get the full experience, by reading some of the earlier works mentioned, and watch her progression and change in focus and style. For students of poetry, a copy of Brooks' poems to accompany the biography may be the solution. 2003, Morgan Reynolds, Ages 10 up, $21.95.
Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot
ISBN: 1-931798-05-2
Langston Hughes: American Poet
Alice Walker
Paintings by Catherine Deeter
Just in time for his centennial celebrations, the reprint of Alice Walker's loving portrait of Hughes is most welcome. Her narrative remains the same: a child-friendly look at the key points in Hughes's youth that set him on the road to becoming the writer that he was. Kids will love the Mexico City earthquake that never allowed Langston to catch up on his sleep before being bundled on the train back to Kansas. Adults will enjoy Walker's new Author's Note, which describes her warm friendship with the older Hughes during her college days. All readers will be drawn into Catherine Deeter's finely evocative paintings of Hughes and his times. An added bonus to all this is the inclusion of two of Langston's most memorable early poems-not as an afterthought, but beautifully flowing from the text. This is not a book for the multicultural market. It is a book for everyone about a native son who stretched for his dreams, sang like Walt Whitman of America, and made us all proud. 2002 (orig. 1974), Amistad/HarperCollins, Ages 7 to 11, $16.95. Reviewer: Kathleen Karr
ISBN: 0-06-021518-6
Langston Hughes: Great American Poet
Patricia McKissack and Fredrick McKissack
Originally published in 1992, the McKissacks have revisited the life of Langston Hughes and updated this biography. Readers learn about his father's desertion of the family after studying law and learning that African Americans could not practice in Oklahoma. He went to Mexico where he felt better opportunities existed. Langston and his mother struggled to make ends meet and Langston spent many years with his grandmother in Lawrence Kansas. He learned about great African American heroes. In the meantime Langston's father had become fairly wealthy in Mexico and offered to pay for Langston's education at Columbia, but he really didn't enjoy college. Harlem and the African-American community were a big draw. In 1925 he was "discovered" and the next year he won a prize for his first book of poems. He never stopped writing and died at the age of 65. Even today people are rediscovering and enjoying his poems. This book has a timeline, words to know section, and a list of references that are reasonably current as well as several Internet addresses. There is an index. 2002, Enslow, Ages 8 up, $14.95. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot
ISBN: 0-7660-1695-1
Lewis Carroll
Edited by Edward Mendelson
Illustrated by Eric Copeland
How doth the little crocodile/Improve his shining tail" begins this charming collection of poems and excerpts from the famous creator of Alice in Wonderland, and a huge body of other children's delights. Its editor, a Columbia English professor who has also taught at Harvard and Yale, first treats the reader to a virtual meeting with Carroll, the pen name of nineteenth century mathematician Charles Lutwidge Dodgson. He also sprinkles explanations and word definitions throughout the book so that one may make sense of the wacky poetry (although some is not meant to be sensible in any case). Although hopelessly old-fashioned, filled with such folks as a Snark-hunting crew composed of "...a Boots/A maker of Bonnets and Hoods/A Barrister..." and the like, the nonsense poetry retains its rollicking rhythms and begs to be read aloud with great gestures and a hearty air. Try this snippet from Jabberwocky--"Twas brillig, and the slithy toves/Did gyre and gimble in the wabe/ All mimsy were the borogoves/And the mome raths outgrabe." Luckily, the artist helps out with splendid watercolor paintings of fearsome beasts, swords and unimaginable creatures of every sort, so that another generation can enjoy the ramblings of this giant of storyteller. Part of the "Poetry for Young People" series. 2000, Sterling, $14.95. Ages All. Reviewer: Judy Chernak
ISBN: 0-8069-5541-4
Best Books:
The Best Children's Books of the Year, 2001 ; Bank Street College of Education; United States
Love to Langston
Tony Medina
Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie
Langston Hughes, one of the most influential poets of the 20th century, comes to life in this homage by Tony Medina. Crafting his poems using the style of his subject, Medina sheds light on Hughes' life, from his childhood to his deathbed. Each poem covers a different phase of his life, from the struggle of sitting in the "Jim Crow Row" in school to his happiness at Alice Walker bringing him "A Bag of Oranges" on his deathbed. Because Medina mirrors Hughes' style in his biographical poetry, the reader gains more insight than he would have if it were just a straight-text biography. To further understand the meaning behind the poems, a section of notes at the end of the book describe in deeper detail what Langston was going through. This last section is particularly useful for teachers. Whether you're studying poetry, African-American history, or biography, Love to Langston will come in handy. 2002, Lee & Low Books, $16.95. Ages 7 to 12. Reviewer: Carey Ahr
ISBN: 1-584300-41-8
Best Books:
The Children's Literature Choice List, 2002 ; Children's Literature; United States
School Library Journal Book Review Stars, March 2002 ; Cahners; United States
School Library Journal: Best Books, 2002 ; Cahners; United States
Maya Angelou: America's Poetic Voice
Nancy Shuker
Maya Angelou can sometimes seem a figure of mythic proportions - perhaps that is why she is included in this "Giants of the Arts and Culture" series - but Nancy Shuker does good job of making her seem accessible and real. Augmented by more than thirty black and white photos and many quotes, this text explores Angelou's experiences from childhood to current day. A great deal of attention is given to issues of race and class, art and poetry, but the main focus of this book is determination and survival. This is a thoughtful and compelling examination of one of America's most beloved individuals. Includes a chronology of significant events from Angelou's life in the context of American events, a glossary, and a bibliography. 2001, Blackbirch, Ages 9 to 12, $21.95 Reviewer: Heidi Green
ISBN: 1-56711-506-3
Robert Browning
Edited by Eileen Gillooly
Illustrated by Joel Spector
How can you get fans of video games and action TV excited about opening a picture book of Victorian poetry? Put rats on the cover. Numerous cascading rodents illustrate part of Robert Browning's version of "The Pied Piper of Hamelin." Even more exquisite pastels fill the inside, vividly bringing to life the drama, beauty and action of these reader-friendly selections of Browning's powerful but challenging poetry. Despite careful selection, some of the poems will still prove difficult for young readers, but all of them can be enjoyed for their rhythmic ear appeal. Many even lend themselves to rap-like cadences and vigorous dramatizations that kids will have fun performing. The bloody drama of a soldier falling dead before his general, the "dew-pearled" splendor of a spring morning, or the swiftly changing emotions of a winner in the aftermath of his duel--all will engage readers as well as stimulate them to think. Biographical information about Browning, definitions for difficult vocabulary and brief insights into each poem are included in this spirited addition to the "Poetry for Young Readers" series. 2001, Sterling, $14.95. Ages 9 to 13. Reviewer: Betty Hicks
ISBN: 0-8069-5543-0
Rudyard Kipling
Edited by Eileen Gillooly
Illustrated by Jim Sharpe
Here is a wonderful read-aloud book that should pique a young child's curiosity. The beauty of Kipling is that while the language requires effort, the music and rhythm of the poems can hold the youngster, as well as the reader, spellbound. Contained within this wonderfully illustrated volume are several well-known poems, such as "If" and "The Ballad of East and West" in addition to "Road-Song of the Bandar-Log" from The Jungle Book. The scope of subjects is breathtaking as Kipling pays homage to the British soldiers of World War I in "A Song in Storm" and playfully writes of his young daughter's constant questioning in verses from "The Elephant's Child." The moral lessons underlying "Natural Theology" and the poem about grumpiness in verses from "How the Camel Got His Hump" are timeless, however, certain of Kipling's poems were excluded from this collection because the language and sentiments would discomfort today's reader. Editorial notes throughout the book and a detailed introduction to Rudyard Kipling are included. 2000, Sterling Publishing Company, $14.95. Ages 9 to 12. Reviewer: Carolyn Mott Ford
ISBN: 0-8069-4484-6
Shel Silverstein
Cari Meister
Cari Meister shows Shel Silverstein to be a multi-talented man who started his creative life as a cartoonist and then went into writing poetry, books, plays and even songs. He wrote a song for Johnny Cash called "A boy named Sue." Silverstein is mainly known for his children's poetry books, A Light in the Attic, Sidewalk, and Where the Sidewalk Ends. He was born Sheldon Allan Silverstein in Chicago, Illinois. At an early age he began to write and draw. He joined the Army and drew cartoons for The Stars and Stripes newspaper and Pacific Stars and Stripes. Later, he sold cartoons to magazines and wrote three humorous books. Two of his most popular books were The Giving Tree and The Missing Piece. His last book was Falling Up, a collection of poems and drawings. SIlverstein's books won many awards. He died in 1999. Meister has shown the many creative sides of Shel Silverstein in this short biography. Illustrations are color and black and white photographs. 2001 Abdo Publishing Company, Ages 8 to 12 $19.92. Reviewer: Della A. Yannuzzi
ISBN: 1-57765-483-8
Walt Whitman: A Biography
Milton Meltzer
Meltzer's reference text traces the varied life of one of America's greatest poets. In addition to the chronological narrative, he includes phrases, lines, and entire poems that illuminate the poet's values, beliefs, and states of mind at various stages in his life and career. Although Whitman's allusions and language are sometimes difficult for younger readers to comprehend, Meltzer's provision of historical and social context helps make the included excerpts more readily accessible. Several black and white photographs of Whitman, as well as his manuscripts in revision and advertisements for his works, lend a sense of authenticity and realism to the biography. In his presentation of the poet, Meltzer does not shy away from the truth, including even those details that might tarnish our perception of Whitman as a writer and a man. We hear of his generous volunteerism in Civil War hospitals and the profound impact his poetic forms had on the writing of his day, but we also learn of his hesitance to believe that blacks should have the right to vote in post-Civil War America and his choice to portray himself as financially desperate in order to receive donations from wealthy patrons. Whitman is shown as a man, one worthy of admiration but also one with foibles. Each chapter, titled after a key phrase taken directly from Whitman's writings, can stand on its own and be read easily within a class period. The text also includes a chronology of Whitman's life; suggestions for further reading, including Internet references; and a comprehensive index for easy searching. 2002, Twenty-First Century Books, Ages 12 to 18, $31.40. Reviewer: Wendy Glenn
ISBN: 0-7613-2272-8
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Updated 3/25/03
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If you're interested in reviewing children's and young adult books, then send a resume and writing sample to marilyn@childrenslit.com.