2 New Nonfiction Picture Books

I read about the book Ada's Violin: The Story of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay by Susan Hood on a blog and knew I had to have it. I loved the story but hadn't ever heard anything about this amazing orchestra. Then a friend sent me this video clip.  

And this TEDx talk by Favio Chavez at TEDxAmsterdam



Ada's Violin tells the story of Ada and this orchestra.  The story is an inspiring one and the illustrations are brilliant. The author's note and photos at the end give readers more information. I can't wait to share this one with my students!

The other book I have been anticipating is Whoosh!  Lonnie Johnson's Super-Soaking Stream of Inventions by Chris Barton. I am a huge Chris Barton fan. (The Day-Glo Brothers hooked me years ago.) Chris Barton always finds these amazing stories of people and this one about Lonnie Johnson is a god one!  Lonnie Johnson is the inventor of the Super Soaker water gun. But he is also the inventor of so many things. This is a great story about someone who works hard at something he is passionate about. In the author's note, Barton says, "What was most appealing about Lonnie Johnson's story was the fact that it is still unfolding.  He didn't just take his Super Soaker money and retire young. Instead, he directed it toward hands-on efforts to solve one of the world's most important engineering puzzles of our day. His mission? To efficiently harness heat energy--from the sun and other sources--in order to generate the electricity we need without polluting the planet."  I love so much about this book. I love that it expands the scientists our children know. I love how it ties into the maker movement with all that Lonnie Johnson has created.  And I love that we can continue to follow his work.  Below is an interview with Lonnie Johnson from several years ago.

Chris Barton has written another amazing book about another amazing person. I am excited to add this to our picture book biography collection. 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

Thanks to Kellee (Unleashing Readers) and Jen (Teach Mentor Texts) for hosting It's Monday! What Are you Reading! Check out their blogs for the round up!

2016 is such a great year for books!  I've read so many great books. Her are some of my favorite recent reads:

Lily and Dunkin by Donna Gephart is an important read for everyone. This is a great story about two teenagers.  Lily Jo McGrother, born Timothy McGrother, is a girl.  Duncan Dorfman is dealing with bipolar disorder and other issues in his life.  This is a great story about friendship, kindness, understanding and change.  As a teacher this was an important book for me as it not only helped me understand what transgender teenagers might be experiencing, but it also helped me understand the challenges that parents face too. This book seems perfect for middle schoolers-I'd consider it a young YA book.  

The Seventh Wish by Kate Messner is another must read.  Kate Messner is one of those authors who can write about hard issues in a way that is perfect for middle grade and middle grade students. In this book we get to know Charlie who catches a magical fish who will grant her wishes.   As the story progresses, we learn that Charlie's college-age sister is dealing with heroin addiction.  Charlie wants desperately to make a wish that will make things better for her family.  Kate Messner does a great job of dealing with not only the issue of drug abuse but the effect it has on families.  

The Wild Robot by Peter Brown was worth the wait! I am a huge Peter Brown fan and love all of his work. When I heard he was writing a middle grade novel I was thrilled.  I got a copy of the book the day it was released and read it in a few sittings.  Roz, a robot, lands on an island and builds a life for herself there with the animals. I can't name exactly when I fell in love with Roz but I did and I was totally drawn into her story.  This book is one that has such powerful messages and is one that begs to be reread.  Totally brilliant book and very unique. I can't think of another book that does what this one does.

The Firefly Code by Megan Frazer Blakemore is my favorite kind of book--a dystopian fantasy. Most of these that I read are YA but this one is perfect for middle school. Mori and her friends live in Old Harmonie, a perfect world that is protected from pretty much everything.  A new girl, Ilana, moves into the neighborhood and things start to change. This is a book that engaged me throughout and I think it will be hugely popular in 5th and 6th grade classrooms. I am hoping there is a sequel coming to this one. (It was a coincidence that I read it soon after I finished The Wild Robot but some good discussions could happen for kids who read both of these novels!)

Poetry Friday -- Pigs

I visited four first grade classes (two visits -- two classes per visit) this week as the "visiting poet." One of the groups used the above picture as a prompt to start writing nonfiction poems. In my mailbox today, I found this:

And in this envelope was a whole packet of piggy poems! 

Here are a few:

The Pig

I am pink.

My nam is pig.

I am skrd you will

eat me.

I liv in a farm.

And I slep in

mod.

oink oink

(Stanzas!! And how about those pig balloons!!)

Baby Pigs

the pig are pink

they roll in mud

togther as a team

baby pig are piglets 

snort oink snort oink

(I like how this writer improved on the "oink oink" ending!)

Pigs Day

Pigs go

to the

mud to

dres up

in mud

to

celebrate

Pigs!

Day!

(never mind Cinco de Mayo...let's celebrate PIGS DAY!)

Little Pig

I am a pig I play in

mud and I have 2 broths

We play and play all day

but dowte get coos to me!

are I will get you dirty.

(please note the interesting contrast between 

the illustrations and the poem!)

Sylvia has this week's Poetry Friday roundup at Poetry For Children.

Some of My Favorite Online Reading in April

I've read lots of great things online in the last several weeks. Here are some of the more important things I read--pieces that gave me lots to think about.

I love all things Kristine Mraz as she always reminds me what is important for our children. Her March article, Building Ecosystems of Joyful Growth is a must read. There are so many things mandated in schools these days but Kristine Mraz and Christine Hertz remind us that there are still many things that we control and it is the choices we make that determine the kind of experiences our children have.

I also loved this article by Bobby Dodd, How to Tell If You Love What You Do.  Loving what you do doesn't mean loving every day or that the work will be easy.  These insights are definitely worth thinking about --very smart way to think about our life's work.

I enjoyed this article as a blogger--On Reviewing Bad Books When You're Part of the Literary Community by Sarah Knight at Book Riot. Being thoughtful and kind and honest to readers is important to me as a blogger and Sarah brings up some important things to think about.

I found Hard Truths: Examining How Students Spend Their Time in Our Classrooms to be a great source for reflecting on my teaching and my classroom--what matches and what doesn't. The author says "When I reflect on whether my actions line up with my beliefs, I just take a close look at the past day, week, or month in my classroom."

My Worst Nightmare--What if I Accidentally Raise the Bully? is a must-read also, in my opinion. It gave me a lot to think about in the classroom-nothing new but really thinking about giving kids opportunities to get to know each other and to really go beyond the things that happened so easily in this story when it comes to bullying and kindness.

And just another reminder that yes, independent reading is worthwhile in NEA's recent article.

Ana Menendez Mourns Her Four-Year-Old's Childhood is an important read if you are a teacher of young children.

I loved the article Visualizing 21st-Century Classroom Design. I am a little obsessed with classroom design theories after reading The Third Teacher and The Language of School Design.

If you have not had a chance to listen to Donalyn Miller's podcast interview at Book Love, it is fabulous!

And this--On the Heartbreaking Difficulty of Getting Rid of Books. If you have read Marie Kondo's book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, but can't seem to make it work for your books, then this article is a must-read!

I love this article about understanding the types of mistakes. Fascinating!

And if you are a teacher who is feeling tired at the end of the year. Dear Teacher on the Tired Days is something you may want to put someplace where you can read it often during these last few weeks of the school year.

Animal Groups from National Geographic Kids

One of my students checked out Animal Groups by Jill Esbaum from the library a few weeks ago. When I flipped through it, I knew it was a book I'd want for the classroom. There was just enough text on a page for my students to move beyond merely reading facts.  Plus I loved the umbrella that pulled this book together--the things we call groups of different animals.

When I spent a bit more time with the book, I realized that this would also be a great mentor text for informational writing. I am always struck by the quality of the writing in many of the NG Kids books.  The writing in this book can definitely be used to study the craft of nonfiction and each page is a short enough piece to be used on its own in a mini lesson for this study.

The word choice is what stood out to me at first.  The vets the author chooses are great for helping kids choose specific verbs in their writing. Lines like "parents dive for dinner" and "Flitting through sunshine" are on each and every page. Are there are also phrases that will give kids options for nonfiction writing beyond just writing facts. The page on sea otters starts out "The ocean is a perfect playground for sea otters...." and "They hang upside down, wings folded, awaiting the warmth of the morning sun."

As readers, the book is organized in a way to support readers--good headings, Did You Know? boxes with extra information, a map at the end of the book, and a list of animal groups not included in the main text.

This book is filled with interesting information and great nonfiction writing. I think kids will love it as readers and also as growing writers.   So glad to have a copy for the classroom!  It looks like Jill Esbaum has several other nonfiction books and I am definitely going to check them out as I think her writing is great for middle graders to study and learn from!

Animal Bites: A Nonfiction Series from Animal Planet

I am always looking for good new nonfiction series that are accessible to my 3rd graders. I recently received a copy of OCEAN ANIMALS from the newish Animal Bites series from Animal Planet.  It looks like it will be a perfect fit for 3rd and 4th graders.

The book is filled with amazing photos so it will definitely attract readers--it is one they will pick up on their own. And there seems to be just the right amount of text on each page. Each page contains more than a few facts but not so much text that the book becomes overwhelming for young readers.

The book's text features are color-coded so readers are directed to a key on the Table of Contents page.  There are several categories covered in the book and the colored tabs alert the reader to which umbrella topic is being discussed on a page.  Topics like "Where They Live", "How They Live" and "Big Data" are some of the categories. There are also some pages that focus on one type of animal to get more information.

The book has a good progression so can easily be read from cover to cover over a few days. But the pages also stand alone so each page can be read alone and there are lots of mini lesson possibilities form the stand-alone pages.  This is a good series to use to share various ways to read nonfiction and the ways the various nonfiction text features are used to help share information.

There are a few other books in this series and I am anxious to see if my kids like them as much as i think they will. I definitely have plenty of series about animals but many of  my 3rd graders could read about animals every day and still want to read more! They are a sturdy paperback book so they seem like they will hold up well in a classroom.

The other books in the series include Polar Animals, Farm Animals and Wild Animals.

I'm excited to discover this new series!

Do You Know Emily Arrow?

I recently discovered Emily Arrow! It was one of my best recent discoveries for sure!  Maybe you have too. It seems that I have come across her work a few times over the last few weeks and I have become a huge fan! I remember watching her Water is Water video during our Mock Caldecott study. I had a small group of girls who learned the hand motions and had a blast with the book and song. But I didn't pay much attention except that I loved the song and was amazed that someone could create something like this around a book! Then I discovered her Be a Friend video and then researched to see what else she had out there!

If you didn't discover her work during Caldecott season, maybe you discovered it when you saw her new amazing Louise Loves Art video on Mr. Schu's blog this week!  As Colby Sharp said on Facebook:

Or maybe you discovered her because you celebrated Poem in Your Pocket Day last week and there is nothing better than her song to celebrate the day.   (We like the one with the Motions Guide--it has become a class favorite in the last few days!)

Before I introduced her songs to my class this week, I created an Emily Arrow Padlet for my students so they could easily get to each one of the videos. I knew they would want to know how to find all of her videos as I knew they would fall in love with her work just as I did. They are mesmerized and inspired by every single video. We started off with Be a Friend. I hadn't been sure which video to show first , but when one of my students came unknowingly dressed perfectly for Be a Friend,  how could we not start by watching Emily Arrow's Be a Friend video first?  Then, of course, they wanted to watch every one of her videos!

 I love Emily Arrow's work for so many reasons. First of all, it is pure joy.  The songs are happy and joyful.  This week, Emily Arrow brought so much joy to our classroom.  We are in testing season and we needed a few pick-me-ups after a few tiring mornings. I shared the Emily Arrow videos I discovered and could not believe the happiness in every face as they watched and played along. Just as I did, they became instant Emily Arrow Fans!

But the songs are not merely fun and happy (although that alone would be enough!) But the books Emily chooses to interpret in song are books that have powerful messages for readers.  They give our young readers another way to look at a book.  I love that my kids can think differently about a book because of Emily's songs.

I also think that these inspire a kind of creativity that I hadn't thought of. love that kids are already thinking about creating their own songs. Some are thinking about the videos and how she creates those.  We have a few Makerspaces at our school and no one had thought about making a song. Emily Arrow inspired a few that making a song is something they might like to try. Emily Arrow has brought huge possibilities to our classroom.

I purchased her new album (Emily Arrow Storytime Singalong) on iTunes and added it to our classroom playlist.  We have cleaned our classroom this week while singing along to The Dot Song (we are partial to the version with the motion guide!), Poem in Your Pocket and Max the Brave.  These songs are perfect for all ages.

So, my recommendation, if you are looking for more joy in your life...if you want your students to see things that are possible with books, music, video, play... if you don't want to miss anything new that Emily Arrow creates, you should :

Follow her on Facebook
Follow her on Twitter (@hellowemilyarrow)
Visit her blog.
Subscribe to her Youtube Channel.

If you don't know Emily Arrow, go get to know her now!

Jackie

Jackie

Mommy? Grandma?
Why are you crying?
Did I do something wrong?

No, Jackie. No, Punkin'.
It's not you.
We're crying for the bygones.

We're remembering Uncle Jack.
Grandpa's trumpet 
was one of the things from home that he took along

with him into the war.
The trumpet didn't come back, and neither did he.
But you're here, so Uncle Jack will live on.


©Mary Lee Hahn, 2016

Papa

Papa

It seems like just yesterday

my little girl was in ruffles and a bonnet,

then serious-faced with that long, long hair.

Our Lizzy was the observer.

She worshipped Lewis,

kept Jack out of more than his share 

of trouble. She watched over Henry

like a mother hen.

She could beat me at checkers, fair and square.

Now I've given her away.

My little girl.

Take care of her, young man. Take good care.

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2016

I'm going to miss this family I've invented from random photographs and scraps of my own family's history. I plan to work on giving them a more proper storyline. Or perhaps I'll just collect them into an e-book. Time will tell. It always does, it seems.

Buffy has the Poetry Friday roundup at Buffy's Blog.

Lizzy

Lizzy

Falling in love
with a race car driver
surprised me as much as it did you.

When the children come,
he has promised
to find a new,

safer line of work.
How many grandkids?
I think you can plan on two.


©Mary Lee Hahn, 2016

Henry

Henry

Dear Iva,
I couldn't be more sure.
But are you?

You'd give all that up for me?
For a life on this farm?
For a job at the school?

When I look at your face
in the photo you sent
I still can't believe it's true.


©Mary Lee Hahn, 2016

The 2016 Progressive Poem is HERE!

It's been a little nerve-wracking to be the 27th poet to add a line to the 2016 Kidlitosphere Progressive Poem. I've peeked in on it a couple times a week since the first of the month, but I didn't want fall in love with the direction it was heading, knowing that the direction would certainly change. (And boy has it!!)

I'm glad I got a spot this year -- the schedule filled up fast! Here's who's added lines so far (and who will add after me):

2016 KIDLITOSPHERE PROGRESSIVE POEM

April
1 Laura at Writing the World for Kids
2 Joy at Joy Acey
3 Doraine at Dori Reads
4 Diane at Random Noodling

5 Penny at A Penny and Her Jots
6 Carol at Beyond LiteracyLink
7 Liz at Elizabeth Steinglass
8 Janet F. at Live Your Poem

9 Margaret at Reflections on the Teche
10 Pat at Writer on a Horse
11 Buffy at Buffy's Blog
12 Michelle at Today's Little Ditty

13 Linda at TeacherDance
14 Jone at Deo Writer
15 Matt at Radio, Rhythm & Rhyme
16 Violet at Violet Nesdoly

17 Kim at Flukeprints
18 Irene at Live Your Poem
19 Charles at Poetry Time
20 Ruth at There is No Such Thing as a Godforsaken Town

21 Jan at Bookseedstudio
22 Robyn at Life on the Deckle Edge
23 Ramona at Pleasures from the Page
24 Amy at The Poem Farm

25 Mark at Jackett Writes
26 Renee at No Water River
27 Mary Lee at Poetrepository
28 Heidi at My Juicy Little Universe

29 Sheila at Sheila Renfro
30 Donna at Mainely Write

The poem started off with some gorgeous images of birds and wishes, then the ocean and more wishes. A celebration of spring kept the spirit of the poem light in the third and fourth stanzas. In the fifth stanza, we took a short break from the earthly poem and rode Pegasus to the largest moon of Jupiter. The breeze returned with an offer for our speaker: "I give you flight!" What a gift! But the speaker suddenly gets cold feet in stanza seven, line one, at which point, Renee, in yesterday's line, "pushed her out of the plane."

Here's the poem:

A squall of hawk wings stirs the sky.
A hummingbird holds and then hies.
If I could fly, I’d choose to be
Sailing through a forest of poet-trees.

A cast of crabs engraves the sand
Delighting a child’s outstretched hand.
If I could breathe under the sea,
I’d dive, I’d dip, I’d dance with glee.

A clump of crocuses craves the sun.
Kites soar while joyful dogs run.
I sing to spring, to budding green,
to all of life – seen and unseen.

Wee whispers drift from cloud to ear
and finally reach one divining seer
who looks up from her perch and beams —
West Wind is dreaming May, it seems.

Golden wings open and gleam
as I greet the prancing team.
Gliding aside with lyrical speed,
I’d ride Pegasus to Ganymede.

To a pied pocket, the zephyr returns
blowing soft words the seer discerns
from earthbound voyage to dreamy night,
The time is now. I give you flight!

Yet I fear I am no kite or bird–
I lift! The world below me blurred

by tears of joy. I spiral high 

Mother

Mother

This picture haunts me.
It's as if
I sealed my fate

in a moment of silliness
prompted by the photographer.
The blind date

with the man who would be your father
was that same night.
I was blind indeed. And he didn't wait

a single minute for my good sense to return.
Almost before I realized it,
I was hitched and whisked away

to that wretched farm.
His conquest
was my doomsday.

I won't try to stop you, Iva.
Neither will I come rescue you.
It is your life to waste.


©Mary Lee Hahn, 2016

Iva

Iva

I never knew Great Uncle.
When I turn twenty and can manage
the money he left for me

I will thank him for his hard work,
his thrift, and his service in far away Russia in the Great War.
Then I'll not hesitate to leave.

A life on the farm
was Mother's "terrible mistake."
It is my dream.


©Mary Lee Hahn, 2016

Iva

Iva

Dear Henry,
Yes, that's me --
on the outside.

Inside, I'm still the girl
who could out-race and out-spell you
with one arm tied

behind my back!
Keep sending your poems about the homeplace.
They're what's keeping the true me alive.


©Mary Lee Hahn, 2016

Henry

Henry

All right, Pa.
You want me to invent a better story?
Youngest son

grows up to become
the world's first famous
ukulele musician.

Deprived of violin and trumpet
by his older brothers,
he discovers a musical passion

all his own. Deeply regrets
missing out on a life of farm work.
How's that for invention?

The truth will be:
Youngest son inherits farm,
makes agriculture his ambition.

Finds fame
in cattle and crops.
His regrets? None.


©Mary Lee Hahn, 2016

Papa and Henry

Papa and Henry

There's my gallant Henry,
high on his steed,
ready to gallop into the sunset!

                                                  Tell the truth, Pa.
                                                  We both know
                                                  from the set

                                                 of Dolly's ears
                                                 what was about to happen.
                                                 I was lucky to get

                                                 out of that alive.
                                                 When Dolly went to live at the Dobler's
                                                 I was not upset.

Henry, my boy, what's stopping us
from inventing a better story
complete with some imaginary regrets?


©Mary Lee Hahn, 2016




Jama has the Poetry Friday Roundup this week at Jama's Alphabet Soup.

Henry

Henry

There I am,
Jack's shadow.
I'm surprised he let me hold his precious bat.

Do you think he's okay?
Why haven't we heard from him?
Where's he at,

anyway? Why won't they tell you?
When will this war be over?
I want my hero back.


©Mary Lee Hahn, 2016

Lizzy

Lizzy

A note to my younger self:
Don't take the world so seriously.
You don't always have to do as you're told.

Snatch off that silly bonnet
and run towards freedom.
Make your move, and make it bold.


©Mary Lee Hahn, 2016

Papa

Papa

I remember that day.
I did all my morning chores
up to my knees in mud,

came back to the house
to clean my boots up,
and there he was,

proud as punch
in my overshoes.
How could I begrudge his fun?


©Mary Lee Hahn, 2016

Mama

Mama

We went back to Nebraska
just that once.
My brother's wealth was hard

on your Pa.
All of it --
tidy barn, grass in the yard,

and Jack in hand-me-downs
holding tight
to that car,

not wanting to leave it
for our dry and dusty
struggle of a farm.


©Mary Lee Hahn, 2016

Papa

Papa

Jack was always a joker,
using the animals
for some prank or scheme,

but Lewis loved them
deep and hard.
They were a team:

Lewis,
his Bonnie dog,
and Queenie --

the old mare
who was so patient,
so gentle with Lizzy and Henry.

Lewis has been gone nearly a year,
but whenever a car comes into the yard
they both look up hopefully.


©Mary Lee Hahn, 2016

Mama

Mama

This one takes me right back
to the day of my mama's funeral --
Lewis playing "Amazing Grace,"

sitting there in a kitchen chair
at the edge of her beloved garden.
The one place

in all this endless brown dryness
where there was color and life.
That's what her garden was -- an amazing grace.


©Mary Lee Hahn, 2016

Lizzy

Lizzy

When Lewis' first model plane
took off like a dream on the first try,
is that when you knew

he'd be a pilot someday?
How he loved to tell that story.
Now, whenever a plane goes buzzing through,

I look up and imagine him there,
beyond "the surly bonds of Earth,"
"Up, up the long delirious burning blue..."


©Mary Lee Hahn, 2016
(with a hat tip to John Magee's "High Flight")



If you're new to my National Poetry Month project, you can go back to April 1, 2016 and read forward to catch the story line. Or you can go here and click on the link(s) under the pictures.

Michelle has the Poetry Friday Roundup this week at Today's Little Ditty.

Papa

Papa

Yes, indeed.
That's me.
Star of the team.

Valedictorian of my class, too.
If you work hard,
I believe you can succeed

at whatever
you aim for.
Of course, when it comes to wheat

a farmer can work his tail off
and the weather decides
what will be.


©Mary Lee Hahn, 2016

Henry and Lizzy

Henry and Lizzy


Who's that, Mama?
The one in the middle
marked with an X?

                                        He's so young
                                        and handsome!

                                        Tell us how you met!

I never knew
that once upon a time
Papa played trumpet!

                                        Did he bring you
                                        flowers? Candy?
                                        ...How could you forget?!?

Can I have it?
May I have it?
Pleeeeease, may I have it?

                                      Papa gave it to Jack
                                      when he enlisted?
                                      ...I guess that's best...

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2016

Mama

Mama

I've got enough work
to fill three days,
but here I sit,

mooning over the photo book.
Mama, I wish you'd look up
from your prize houseplants and chat a bit.

Help me figure out how to go on --
my two big boys gone to war --
one on a ship, one in a cockpit --

my little girl suddenly a woman, and lovesick --
the youngest just trying to find his way,
figuring out where he fits in all this.


©Mary Lee Hahn, 2016

Papa

Papa

That Jack.
He pestered me
like a horsefly

on a mule.
Just had to have my picture.
Stood me beside

the car, but made sure
the mistake he made after the dance
was hidden behind.

I was madder than a hornet that night.
Reckless, ungrateful son-of-a-gun.
But I can't help myself. He makes me smile.


©Mary Lee Hahn, 2016

Mama

Mama

Got a photo postcard today
from my brother who stayed
back on the old place

north of Concordia
when the rest of us moved to Colorado.
Looks like they've got no complaints.

"Richard on Eds shoulder,
he couldn't look out. Mrs. and myself
in our oats field, it made 62 bu."

We watch the clouds build up in the west,
watch them pass by our fields,
watch them continue east to deliver their rain.

It's sure enough dry here -- nearly desert.
But there's a beauty in it, and we are learning
to lean into the wind and weather. We'll stay.


©Mary Lee Hahn, 2016

Jack

Jack

Mama gave me my own camera
for my eighteenth birthday.
She seems to believe

that I could profit from studying the world
instead of always trying to get the world
to look at me.

Your plot backfired, Mama.
The herefords are watching.
And behind the shed, so's Henry.


©Mary Lee Hahn, 2016

Henry

Henry

Dear Iva,
I didn't think Mama
would miss just one.

Guess she knows her flock
better'n I thought.
It sure was fun

to see that photographer's face.
If I hadn't started laughing,
no one would have known I done it.


©Mary Lee Hahn, 2016





A note to my readers: these stories and these characters are works of fiction. With very few exceptions, I have no idea who the people are in these photos. The names of many of the characters come from my ancestors and their friends. Other names are ones I chose to fit the character. The settings are real. My mom is from Denver and my dad grew up on a farm in Eastern Colorado (although some of these photos could be of ancestors/family friends further back who lived in Nebraska and Kansas). If we could sit down together for a cup of tea and a scone, I'd tell you all the little bits of truth I've woven into this fiction. I'd tell you the biggest surprises I've had, and the poems that took the most/fewest drafts. Like Amy LV commented, sometimes I feel like these people are talking through my pencil.

I did not have this all planned out before Poetry Month began, except that I grouped the photos in sets of seven to have ready to load onto the main page for the project. I had no idea I would be telling a story in verse this month. I'm as surprised and thrilled as you are. I expected to be frustrated by the challenge of writing a variety of poems, and instead, I look forward (and often can't stop myself from writing forward) as I discover the story and figure out ways to fill in the gaps. How will it end? No idea. Stay tuned. (If you want to read from the beginning, go back to the poem for April 1, and read forward to today.)

Over at Poetrepository, I have added (with permission) poems that Steve Peterson and Carol Wilcox have written that seem to me to fit with the flow of the story I've got in my mind. Carol Varsalona has also written some fabulous partner poems using these photos. You can find them here.

Happy Poetry Month Poetry Friday! Laura has the roundup at Writing the World for Kids.

Mother

Mother

Iva, I made this move
for your own good.
You will become

a proper lady.
I let Auntie down,
but you will overcome

growing up on that wretched farm.
You will rise in society
to the level you are from.

You can squirm all you want,
but I've got you firmly
under my thumb.


©Mary Lee Hahn, 2016

Iva

Iva

Dear Henry,
I found this picture of Mother
in Great Uncle's attic.

Wishing I could send you
that dead coyote.
Bet it would be worth more than

all those skunks you trapped
last summer
when you hatched that plan

to get rich quick.
Let me tell you,
rich ain't always grand.


©Mary Lee Hahn, 2016

Iva

Iva

When Mother's rich uncle in Denver died
and left everything to her,
she took it as a sign

that we were meant to leave
"that dirty farm" and
"those ignorant farm wives" behind.

I missed the class picture,
but Marjorie wrote and told me
how Jack masterminded

a plan to become
as famous as his siblings.
I wish I had been there to remind

him -- be happy with what you are
and what you've got.
Sometimes good enough is just fine.


©Mary Lee Hahn, 2016

Lizzy

Lizzy

When Lewis came home
from basic training
Jack suddenly remembered the chores

Pop has been nagging him to get done.
Everyone looks up to Lewis.
He's a natural-born

pilot if there ever was one.
Why does everyone's favorite
have to go off to some war?


©Mary Lee Hahn, 2016

Henry

Henry

It stinks being youngest.
Lizzy's famous
for her forty-inch hair,

and Jack's the ringmaster
whose life is a circus.
Last week, he made a pair

of dogs do a pony show,
and now he's holding
a pig in the air

by its back feet.
With one hand.
Being youngest is just not fair.


©Mary Lee Hahn, 2016

Lizzy

Lizzy

Over mama's shoulder
I see Jack, cornering
a shoat in the corral.

He's going to show
how he can hold
it up by the hooves.

Henry's watching, also.
Jack, do you know he idolizes you?
Watches your every move?


©Mary Lee Hahn, 2016

Poetry Friday -- Bygones

Jack

He had a reputation
for being a prankster
and a tease,

but if you could
stop time,
somehow freeze

the moment,
you would realize
that he's

not forcing them
to do this. All they want
is to please.


©Mary Lee Hahn, 2016

Happy National Poetry Month! When Mom and I were sorting through a drawer full of old pictures last December, I was struck by the forgotten faces and the unknown stories that were captured on film. This April, I'll bring 30 of the photos back to life through poetry. The main home for this project is on my poetry site, Poetrepository, but I'll be cross-posting here at A Year of Reading every day in April.

Amy LV has the Poetry Friday roundup today at the The Poem Farm. Let the wild rumpus known as Poetry Month begin!!!