Poetry Friday -- Renga With Friends

About a month ago, Steve Peterson (@insidethedog) invited me and Jan Burkins (@janmillburk) to try writing a renga with him. Renga is an ancient collaborative poetic form, and is actually where haiku was born!

Steve gave us these directions and resources:

Directions

• 3 line haiku-like poem 

• 2 longer lines (sort of like a tanka form when you put them together). Another person writes this. 

• 2 lines are inspired by the haiku immediately above. 

• then, 3-line haiku poem inspired by the 2 previous lines, 

• and so on like a game of telephone until we reach 35 lines total.

And some resources

     a description of the form.
     some examples.

The order of play went Steve, me, Jan (repeat). Here's our first renga:

in the prairie dawn

a spider's web snares the sun  --

cricket rejoices

meadowlark joins the chorus

breeze bends ripening wheat heads

whose lanky bodies

bow, sun’s church--peace be with wheat

and also with corn

they gather on folding chairs,

jello melts while the preacher prays

white-robed acolytes

shoulders shaking with giggles

two clouds hide the sun

even the adolescent stalks are sober today

word of fire in the neighboring field

this dark sky --

thunderheads poke fingers

at a thirsty land

near the abandoned homestead

ditch lilies toss flaming heads

who called this place home

does the ground remember

stories brought to earth

a faded calendar tacked

to the wall above the stove

try to imagine

the layers of memories

beneath the dust

how much memory is imagination

how much dust is history

sun slants through wavy glass

in the stale air

motes rise to dance

down the road, far down the road

reverberations can be felt

After we came to the 35th line, we gathered via conference call from Mountain, Central, and Eastern time zones to discuss the process and the product.

Steve instigated this poem writing adventure because of a desire to try collaborative writing, and to practice the haiku and tanka forms, but he found himself meditating on Jan and me as he chose the words he thought would best fit with what we were trying to say.

For me, it was like trying to catch a tune and sing along.

Jan was continually looking for the meaning in each set of 5 lines alongside the meaning of the poem as a whole.

Our memories of church and our ideas of "prairie" were very different, but we realized that Rosenblatt's reader response theory was alive and well as we wrote together -- each of us as reader/writer could bring ourselves to the text and make our own meaning, independent of the two others.

For me, the prairie in the poem is the flat, dry landscape of Eastern Colorado, where I've spent this month with my mom. Wheat harvest has been in full swing, but no one is complaining about the rains that might have delayed some of the harvest -- they were good for the corn. Those white-robed acolytes are my childhood friend Barbie and me, trying to be solemn in our candle lighting duties, but invariably giggling all the way down to the altar and back. The end of the poem is woven with images of change, home, memory, and loss -- all of which have been bitter and sweet in this month of helping my mom transition from her home of 60 years to a new home in assisted living.

Jan and Steve found echoes of current events that I can see now, but that didn't occur to me as we wrote.

We have plans to play with revising this poem, and we are fifteen lines into another. It has been fabulous to take risks together, to watch the poem unfold, and to hear each other's actual voices over the phone after listening so closely to each other's writerly voices on the page. Thank you, Steve and Jan!

Steve's post about this adventure is here.

Jan's post about this adventure is here.

Margaret has the Poetry Friday Roundup today at Reflections on the Teche.

#PaperTownsMovie

Since Paper Towns--The Movie--comes to theaters tomorrow, I thought today was a great day to share the fun we had at #PaperTownsOH last week.  Lots of John Green fans in Ohio!

The crowd was a big one and according to twitter, fans began arriving at 5 a.m. to get a spot in line!  The line looked to be a fun place. John Green even had 50 pizzas delivered to the crowd which was hugely appreciated since many had been standing in line for hours. 

My daughter has always been a huge John Green/Paper Towns fan. She has the original book and heard John Green at Cover to Cover when it was released a while back. It was extra fun for her to have her book signed a 2nd time by John Green!

Thanks to Cover to Cover and Penguin Random House, we got tickets without having to stand in line.  We had great seats and had a chance to go backstage to meet everyone afterwards.  It was quite the treat.  Here we are with John (Penguin Random House), Laura (Beth's sister), Beth (Cover to Cover).

We got a sneak peek at 19 minutes of the movie (which looks to be spectacular!) and we got to hear from John Green and the actors/actresses in the movie. It was great fun with lots of screaming fans, of course!

John Green!!

The stars of the movie!

A signed Paper Towns poster!

Looking forward to seeing the movie!

Friends with Fins: Informational Videos

I'm always looking for good videos for my students.  As we expand our understanding of what it means to be a reader in this digital age, I know videos are an important part of learning.  I want my students to have lots of experience with quality video.  I've heard over and over again from my students that they enjoy watching video for entertainment, but they don't really know how to watch video to learn. So I know part of my work is helping them to read video.  I think lots of kids pick up bits of info when they are watching for entertainment, but finding good informational videos for kids is sometimes a challenge.  Short videos that are crafted well so that kids can learn information as well as study the video for the craft are things I am always on the lookout for.

Recently I noticed that Jaclyn Friedlander, a Marine Life and Ocean Conservation Expert has been adding weekly video episodes to her blog. (I interviewed Jaclyn on our blog about her picture books a while back.)

The Friends with Fins videos are PERFECT for my students. They are short, engaging and packed with lots of fascinating information.  Many connect to our science standards and I'll watch them a bit more closely to see which align with our science standards.  So much of our life science is about habitats and animal adaptations and so much information connected to that is embedded in these videos.

I also plan to use the videos in Reading Workshop as we think about learning from video clips. And I will use them in writing workshop as they will be great mentor texts for informational writing. They are crafted well and there is lots to study as a writer/moviemaker.  The way that Jaclyn shares information is accessible to young learners.  There are so many possibilities for these videos.  I like them individually, but the collection of the videos on the site provides so even more to learn from.  Not only are these a great link to science standards, but Jaclyn is passionate about ocean conservation and uses her blog and social media to spread that message.

Jaclyn plans to add a video most weeks to the site will continue to grow.  (All of the videos are also available on her Youtube Channel as well. And her books are now available as Kindle or iPad versions.

Kindergarten Luck by Louise Borden

I have been looking forward to the release of Kindergarten Luck by Louise Borden for a long time.  I received a review copy in the mail from the publisher last week.I love all of Louise's books and we love that she is an Ohio author.

Kindergarten Luck is about a boy named Theodore and his lucky day.  On a gloomy day, Theodore finds a shiny new penny face up and his day goes from gloomy to lucky.  The book follows Theodore through his day in Kindergarten where lucky things happen!  From having great pancakes for breakfast to being line leader at school, Theodore has a great day!  At the end of the book, Theodore pays his luck forward so that his friend can have a lucky day too.

This is a happy book with lots for readers to talk and think about.  It seems like a book that should be in every Kindergarten classroom. It is also great for older kids too when talking about paying things forward and finding those positive things throughout the day.  The illustrations are fun and happy and the end pages are an added piece of fun!

This would be a great gift for any kids in your life who are getting ready to start Kindergarten!

Poetry Friday -- Weather

Kimberley has the Poetry Friday roundup this week on Google+.

Who Done It? by Olivier Tallec

I saw this book somewhere a few weeks ago and knew I wanted to keep my eye out for it. Then this week, I got a review copy from the publisher in the mail and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it.

WHO DONE IT is by Olivier Tallec, an author/illustrator who I've loved since I read THIS IS A POEM THAT HEALS FISH.

This new book is quite fun.  Each two page spread features 10 characters who are doing their own thing. The line on each page asks the reader to look for something in the illustration. For example:  Who played with the mean cat?  The reader has to look at the illustrations for clues to find the answer to the question on each page.  It is quite fun and each page is amusing in its own way. The answers are obvious but not totally-it takes a bit of looking to find the person on each page. (And there  is an answer page in the back if you need it!)


I see so many possibilities for this book. First of all, it is a great book for young children.  It will start great conversations and provide great interactions. The text is also predictable and simple so it seems great for early readers.  I also know my 3rd graders will love it and it will be a great book to use when we talk about visual information and getting information from visuals.

Really this book is much too fun. You will want a copy for sure!

More Nonfiction Picture Books

Trapped: A Whale's Rescue
A great short book about a whale rescued from abandoned nets in the ocean. This one would make a good read aloud and there is more info after the main story for readers who are interested in more.

Water is Water: A Book About the Water Cycle
I LOVE this book! It is not only a great introduction to the water cycle but the language and illustrations make it a great read aloud.  This is patterned text done in a way that shares a great deal of information. There is lots of extra information at the end of the book.  A great nonfiction mentor.

Tricky Vic:  The Impossibly True Story o the Man Who Sold the Eiffel Tower
Tricky Vic is one that has been on so many "Best of 2015" lists that I had to read it. It is a longer picture book about Robert Miler, a famous con artist whose story is fascinating.  

Puppy Pirates by Erin Soderberg

At Nerd Camp, we were able to go into a room filled with books and choose 2 books--what a fun time!  You can imagine the scene with teachers browsing to choose the two perfect books.  Decisions! Decisions!

I had no trouble deciding. I grabbed Erin Soderberg's new series Puppy Pirates (that was released the day of Nerdcamp) and I grabbed Crenshaw. (I had read and loved Crenshaw and wanted a copy for my Newbery Club students.)  The new Puppy Pirates book was the first thing I read when I got home form Nerdcamp.

I am a HUGE Erin Soderbergh fan so I have been anticipating this series since our last Skype visit with her. She showed us the covers and talked a bit about the series.   My 3rd graders LOVE The Quirks series and having another series for 3rd graders by this author is very exciting!

Stowaway is the first book in the new Puppy Pirates series. And how adorable is the cover!?  There were two books in the series released last week--Stowaway and X Marks the Spot. I read Stowaway and am anxiously awaiting the other.  The book is about a soft little puppy named Wally who meets a ship full of pirates and wants to join them. He has always longed for a home and for adventure.  In this first book, Wally has to prove himself to the pirates-to show that he is brave enough to be a Puppy Pirate. The book is perfect for 2nd and 3rd graders. The humor is exactly what they love--one character always says the wrong thing, there is lots of pirate language and there is a bit of word play throughout.  The combination of cute sweet puppies and pirates is a brilliant one and one I know my 8 year olds will love!  The length is perfect for readers newish to chapter books and the plot is easy to follow without being too simple or boring. The language is fun and engaging.  I can't wait to share this new series with my students in the fall!

I was able to volunteer at Nerd Camp Junior and hear Erin Soderberg talk to a group of kids during this even She was incredible and so fun! I learned that the 4th book in The Quirks series is due out in the fall! Woooohoooo!  I think Erin Soderberg is an author who understands perfectly this age group that she is writing for so the more she writes, the better!

Poetry Friday

(c) Mary Lee Hahn, 2015

Katie has the Poetry Friday roundup this week at The Logonauts.

Please note this change for next week: Kimberley will host us on Google+. This is where you will find her post -- leave your links in the comments.

Inspiring People From History--A Collection of Picture Books

This week, I read a stack of nonfiction and historical fiction picture books that I've been hearing about.  All of the following are either nonfiction or based on/inspired by a true event. I've realized lately that so many of the nonfiction books I read are more science related than Social Studies so I am happy about this new stack. There is so much to learn from incredible people from history.  I love the kinds of thinking and conversations books like that can begin in the classroom.

28 Days:  Moments in Black History That Changed the World

I love the whole idea of this book. 28 people who changed the world--one to learn about each day for a month. This one can be read and shared in so many ways. Packed with great information and stories.

Gingerbread for Liberty: How a German Baker Helped Win the American Revolution

I would have liked US History so much more had I known about stories like this one!

Seeds of Freedom: The Peaceful Integration of Huntsville, Alabama

This book includes several pieces of history in Huntsville, Alabama. I knew some of this story, but not all of it. This is one of my favorites of the year for sure...An important book.

Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl's Courage Changed Music

This book is inspired by the story of Millo Castro Zaldarriaga who broke Cuba's tradition against female drummers. It is a great story told in beautiful verse and has amazing illustrations.

Emmanuel's Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah

I was not aware of Emmanuel before reading this book. Emmanuel was born with one leg but that did not stop him from doing anything.  His message --disability is not inability--is a strong one that he continues to work to spread.

In Mary's Garden

This is the story of Mary Nohl, a girl who made art out of lots of things and created cement sculptures in her garden gallery in Wisconsin.  Such an interesting story about art and a unique artist.  The author's note tells about how controversial Mary's art still is and that the neighborhood where her garden is want the art to be dismantled.  It is an interesting story to follow after reading this book.