Madness! 2012 -- Voting is LIVE!

Head on over to the Live Scoreboard on Ed DeCaria's blog Think Kid, Think! Almost all of the Round One, Flight One poems are up and ready for your votes. Yes, mine is there, but take a minute to enjoy ALL of the "Kids' Poetry. Under Pressure."

March Madness Poetry--Round 2 Voting is Open!

INHUMAN vs INCONGRUOUS

a hard working kid thwarted by March weather 

vs. 

the unlikely bond between a tarantula and its prey

Thank You, March Madness Poetry Voters!

Forgive Me, I Meant to Do It: False Apology Poems by Gail Caron Levine

I fell in love with Gail Carson Levine years ago when I read PRINCESS SONORA AND THE LONG SLEEP. The humor she brought to her retelling of one of my favorite stories--The Princess and the Pea--was brilliant. And I went on to read the rest of her Princess Tales.  So, I have been looking forward to Gail Carson Levine's new poetry book called FORGIVE ME, I MEANT TO DO IT. I really had no idea what to expect from this book, but knew that I'd want a copy. I picked my copy up at Cover to Cover last week and read it when I got home.

This book was one that made me laugh out loud. Each poem in the book is connected in some way to a fairy tale or nursery rhyme we know.  The poems are apologies from characters, etc. about their actions. But they are false apologies which makes them even more fun. I kept finding poems I wanted to share with my family. (My husband was thrilled as I continued to read samples aloud while cracking myself up--he was trying to watch March Madness...)  One of my favorites was an apology poem from Pinocchio.

I think kids will have a ball with this one. Older kids will make the connections needed to understand the humor.  For some, this may inspire them to read some of Gail Carson Levine's other fairy tales--her retellings and her original tales.

The author's bio on Amazon states that Gail Carson Levine shares a birthday with William Carlos Williams.  How fun, then, for her to write a book inspired by his famous poem!  The author does invite readers to try their own apology poems--she does so with her usual wit:-)

So much to love about this author and this new book!

Cavalier

My second round word in the Madness 2012 poetry tournament is

CAVALIER.

Um...yeah.
Not as easy as whacked.
I got stuck for a REALLY long time.
But then, just like last time, all the words fell into place. I like it.

My poem has been submitted (without kid testing this time). Voting will begin sometime tomorrow.

March Madness Poetry 2013

Shh...Mary Lee's busy writing. Her word is

CAIRN

Photo from Wikimedia Commons

and her poem's due tomorrow morning.

While she works, you can check out the #MMPoetry information at Ed DeCaria's blog, Think Kid, Think.

March Madness Poetry 2013--Time to Vote!

The Round One Poems are up on the Live Scoreboard.

My poem using the word CAIRN is here. 

It is a poem about balance. 

I dedicate this poem to Franki,

and to ALL teachers,

who struggle daily to keep their

"rock piles"

in balance.

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