Betsill's Book Nook

Name that Seed! By Heidi Bee Roemer  

Module 3: New Poetry Book   Ain’t Burned All the Bright by Jason Reynolds artwork by Jason Griffin Bibliography Reynolds, J. (2022). Ain’t burned all the bright ( J. Griffin, Illus.). atheneum, an Imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division. ISBN 978154439467 Summary Created during the Covid-19 pandemic, this book is an inside view of what life was like during this exceptional time. The poem spans the entirety of a moleskin notebook, with words sparsely sprinkled on each page. The pages are unnumbered, but it looks like it is a few hundred pages, some with words and some only with art. The poem is divided into three sections called Breath One, Breath Two, and Breath Three-a message in themselves of the protests that took place during 2020. At the end of the book is a brief dialogue between the author and the artist who collaborated on the project which gives insight into how they created it. A noteworthy piece of information discussed is that Reynolds gave G...

  Module 3: Verse Novel   Shout: A Poetry Memoir by Laurie Halse Anderson Bibliography Halse Anderson, L. (2019). Shout: A poetry memoir . Viking, an Imprint of Penguin Random House LLC. ISBN 9780670012107 Summary Shout is a memoir in the form of a novel in verse. The dedication page sets the tone for this memoir with a simple, yet powerful “for the survivors” inscribed on the page. Next, we read an introduction and prelude which gives insight into why this memoir was written, the emotions behind it, and that it will provide Anderson’s life story. The novel is divided into three sections, followed by a postlude called “my why,” sexual violence and mental health resources for readers, and acknowledgments. The resources for readers are a considerate addition that not only gives contact information, but a brief description of each resource. Analysis Shout , like Speak , is not a read for the fainthearted as Anderson bravely and boldly describes her life during the seve...

  Module 3: Poetic Form-Found Poetry   Nearer My Freedom: The Interesting Life of Olaudah Equiano by Himself by Monica Edinger & Lesley Younge   Bibliography Edinger, M., & Younge, L. (2023). Nearer my freedom: The interesting life of Olaudah Equiano by himself . Zest Books. ISBN 9781728450988 Summary Nearer My Freedom is a novel in verse using found poems from Olaudah Equiano’s autobiography entitled The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, The African. The book opens with a table of contents; this is especially helpful because of the amount of back matter. Following the table of contents is an “About This Book” section which gives readers a brief overview of the life of Olaudah Equiano, an explanation of how this found verse book was created using Equiano’s autobiography, and a quick note about vocabulary changes that make the text more suitable for contemporary readers.  There is a brief prologue in verse, th...

  Module 2: CYBILS 2023 Finalist- Enter the Body   Enter the Body by Joy McCullough   Bibliography McCullough, J. (2023). Enter the body . Dutton Books. ISBN 9780593406755   Summary Enter the Body recounts some of Shakespeare’s notable works through the perspective of three, young female characters he brutally killed in his plays. Juliet (from Romeo and Juliet), Ophelia (from Hamlet), Cordelia (from King Lear), and the mute Lavinia (from Titus Andronicus) are the main characters in this new version of old stories. The book opens with a content warning notifying readers that references to “sexual assault, mutilation, and death by many forms…” are within these pages followed by a list of dramatis personae. The novel is split into three parts: the first provides background stories where Juliet, Ophelia, and Cordelia tell their background stories in verse. In the second part the girls, on the trap door under the stage which serves as a type of purgatory, discuss ...

 Module 2: Multicultural Poetry   Saints of the Household by Ari Tison   Bibliography Tison, A. (2023). Saints of the Household . Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR). ISBN 9780374389482 Summary Ari Tison’s debut novel tells the story of two Bribri (indigenous Costa Rican) brothers living in Minnesota with their mom and abusive father. Their story is told in alternating viewpoints by Jay, in vignettes, and Max, in poetry. Domestic violence and its repercussions dominate the novel as the brothers navigate how to heal their physical and emotional wounds from their father. They fear they may be more like him than they want after they severely beat a boy up to protect their cousin. We watch Jay and Max learn to process and heal in their own unique ways tapping into their Bribri roots. Although the ending could be considered happy, it is also very realistic.  Analysis I enjoyed that each style for the brothers reflected their personality: Jay is direct and wrote in...

  Module 2: 2024 Notable Poetry Books and Verse Novels     Selected by the NCTE Children’s Poetry Award Committee Say My Name by Joanna Ho Bibliography Ho, J. (2023). Say my name (K. Le, Illust.). HarperCollins. ISBN 9780063334359 Summary Say My Name emphasizes the value of a person’s name as it links to their heritage, culture, and family values. Ho uses six children from different nationalities (Chinese, Tongan, Persian, Navajo, Mexican, and Ghanaian) to explore and celebrate the uniqueness of their heritage. The illustrations by Khoa Le are vibrant and each are crafted to reflect the culture and ethnic relevance of each child. The backmatter has a small thank you to friends that helped write about the diverse cultures and a pronunciation guide. The guide, however, is more than pronunciations, as it includes brief explanations of the names and their histories.  Analysis This book is a call to action that emphasizes the importance of learning...