Betsill's Book Nook

  Module 5 This Is Just to Say: Poems of Apology and Forgiveness by Joyce Sidman Bibliography Sidman, J. (2007). This is just to say : Poems of apology and forgiveness (P. Zagarenski, Illus.). Houghton Mifflin Co. Summary Flipping through the pages, you will immediately notice the bright colors of each page and the attractive, colorful drawings. The book is eye-catching and appealing to readers. Upon opening the book, the table of contents divides the book into two parts: apologies and responses. The introduction tells of a 6 th grade class who created this book after writing some incredible poetry modeled after William Carlos Williams’ poem (spoiler alert: the class and the students who wrote the poems are from the imagination of Joyce Sidman). Next, is the inspiration for the book, the poem This is Just to Say by William Carlos William. At the back of the book is a dedication page and on the book flaps is information about the author and illustrator. Analysis This b...

 Module 6   Salting the Ocean: 100 Poems by Young Poets by Naomi Shihab Nye Bibliography Nye, N. S. (2000). Salting the ocean: 100 poems by young poets (A. Bryan, Illus.). Greenwillow Books. Summary This poetry anthology is as the title states: poems by young people in grades one through twelve, but they are for people of all ages. Opening the book, you will find a table of contents with four clearly labeled sections detailing how many poems each section contains and the common theme of the poems within the section. Additionally, it lists the backmatter. Beginning with the introduction in three parts, the author addresses anyone and a “couple in Nova Scotia,” “teachers, librarians, parents, and other friends who may pick up this book,” and “to the poets” (2000, p. ix, xi, xiiii). Through this introduction, she provides a history of her writing and teaching, and encouragement to those who currently or will write poetry. Each section is sandwiched with vibrant illustratio...

Module 4: Poetry Across the Curriculum-Biographical Fred Korematsu Speaks Up Bibliography Atkins, L., & Yogi, S. (2017). Fred Korematsu speaks up (Y. Houlette, Illus.). Heyday. ISBN: 9781597143684 Summary A middle grade book that tells the story of Fred Korematsu who spoke up for all Americans when Japanese Americans were being detained during WWII in internment camps with no cause or trial. The book opens with a call to action for readers to speak up when something isn’t right, then a table of contents. Each chapter begins with a poem narrating a portion of Korematsu’s life; the poems are paired with illustrations by Yutaka Houlette. Following each poem is a section of non-fiction writing that explains what was happening in the United States during this time with photographs, newspaper clippings or cartoons, a timeline, and vocabulary. Backmatter includes steps young readers can take to fight for justice like Korematsu, along with acknowledgments, source notes, bibliography,...

Module 4: Poetry Across the Curriculum-Social Studies   The Snow Fell Three Graves Deep: Voices from the Donner Party Bibliography Wolf, A. (2020). The snow fell three graves deep: voices from the Donner party . Candlewick Press. ISBN: 9780763663247. Summary An historical fiction retelling of the tragedy of the Donner party in 1846 uses 8 different “voices” to give different perspectives of the story. Each voice is from a member of the Donner party, except for the narrator, who is Hunger. Readers are guided from the onset of the journey in Illinois through the times of abundance and scarcity to California, where the journey ends. Readers get to know the main participants of the journey through the narration. Most voices are written in verse, but Hunger is written in prose. The book opens with a table of contents, a map of the Donner party trail, the voices, a recreated advertisement, a prologue by hunger, the novel, and the notes on backmatter. The novel is divided into s...

 Module 4: Poetry Across the Curriculum-Science The Tree That Time Built: A celebration of nature, science, and imagination. Bibliography Hoberman, M. A., & Winston, L. (2009). The tree that time built: A celebration of nature, science, and imagination . Sourcebooks Jabberwocky. ISBN: 9781402225178 Summary A middle grade book that beautifully blends poetry with science. The first page of the book is about the audio CD, as this copy comes with a CD that has 39 minutes of track. Then follows a table of contents. An introduction is provided explaining the intertwining of the thought process of naturalists and the thought process of poets. The content then begins. This book is an anthology of poems that are divided into nine sections-each a part of science, for example our beginning, dinosaurs, insects, and the connectedness of humans and animals. At the bottom of select poems are commentary that discuss the connection of the poem to the topic at hand. The book closes with ...

Name that Seed! By Heidi Bee Roemer