Posts tagged Candlewick

Who are you, really?

June 13, 2013 · Filed under Fiction, High School, Middle School (6-8), Novel in Verse, Novels, Realistic, Science Fiction · Tagged , , , , , ,

Back in November, Lori posted a great list of titles that explore identity for teens as they ask questions like “How do you know when you have found your place in the world?” and “How and why do people change?”  I was thinking about those questions as I looked at some of the books I’d read recently, and a few stuck out as good choices to spark discussion among teens about the labels they choose or have chosen for them.

formerlysharkFormerly Shark Girl by Kelly Bingham.  May 2013. 9780763653620. Gr. 7-12

In Shark Girl, Jane Arrowood recovered from the traumatic shark attack that led to her losing her arm and adjusted to life as an amputee.  One year later, everyday life isn’t the big challenge anymore.  She is more concerned about moving forward. Can she face her fears?  Does she have what it takes to pursue art as a career?  Or is she obligated to choose nursing as a career to give back in some way?  People see her as disabled or as a victim, but she wants to be more than that.  This novel-in-verse is an opportunity to look at an experience all teens face—deciding their future career course—through the eyes of someone with a slightly different perspective.

earthgirlEarth Girl by Janet Edwards. January 2013. 9781616147655. Gr. 6-9

In the year 2788, being from Earth isn’t a good thing.  The only people who live on Earth anymore, now that there are so many other planets to choose from and portals that main inter-planetary travel easy, are the ones who are stuck there with an allergy that limits them to Earth.  They are viewed as “handicapped” by off-worlders who rarely come into contact with them.  Jarra wants to prove that she isn’t so different from her off-world peers, so she applies to be a part of an off-world history course that will be spending a year on Earth to study the ancient archaeological sites on the planet.  She quickly distinguishes herself as one of the best students, but it isn’t easy to keep her “Earth Girl” identity secret as she gets closer to her classmates.  This is an interesting look at prejudice and identity with a futuristic back drop that will appeal to science fiction readers in middle or high school.

openlystraightOpenly Straight by Bill Konigsberg. June 2013. 9780545509893. Gr. 9-12

Rafe came out as gay in eighth grade. It wasn’t a big deal at his accepting school, and his parents were very supportive.  But Rafe describes waking up one day and looking in the mirror to see nothing but his label: Gay.

“Where had Rafe gone?  Where was I? The image I saw was so two-dimensional that I couldn’t recognize myself in it.  I was as invisible in the mirror as I was in the headline the Boulder Daily Camera had run a month earlier: Gay High School Student Speaks Out.”

That’s why Rafe decides to go back in the closet at his new school.  It isn’t that he’s ashamed of who he is.  It’s that he wants to be seen for all the things he is. At least, that’s what he tells himself.  Turns out, it’s not that simple, especially when a potential romance complicates things even more.  This book is thought-provoking and insightful, but it’s also funny and romantic.  Highly recommended.

All three of these novels may surprise readers who might think they have little or nothing in common with the main characters.  I think they’ll find that they relate more than they expect.

 

MindyBlogger: Mindy R.

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Face Your Fears

May 20, 2013 · Filed under Fiction, Graphic Novel, High School, Intermediate (3-5), Middle School (6-8), Novels, Realistic · Tagged , , , , , ,

As I was choosing titles for our Spring 2013 webcast, I noticed a theme running through several of the books that ended up on my final list.  Perhaps it is my taste in books showing through my choices or maybe it’s a larger trend in children’s publishing this season. Either way, I highly recommend these books for exploring the idea of facing your fears and moving on.

sleepwalkersSleepwalkers by Viviane Schwarz. May 2013. 9780763662301. Gr. 2-6

If you’re ever afraid to go to sleep, all you need to do is leave a letter under your pillow for the Sleepwalkers.  They will save you from your nightmares.  The Sleepwalkers take on the monsters and scary situations that disturb our sleep by giving the dreamer what they need to face their fears. But the three heroes have been rescuing children from their nightmares for a long time, and they are ready to train their replacements.  This is the story of the new Sleepwalkers as they learn to conquer their own fears right in the dreams of the children they are rescuing.  Viviane Schwartz creates a fantastic world with unusual heroes that just may  have young readers looking at their dreams and fears with new perspective.

aftereliAfter Eli by Rebecca Rupp. August 2012. 9780763658106. Gr. 6-8

It’s been three years since Daniel’s brother Eli died in Iraq.  Though that time has passed, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the pain has lessened.  Daniel still adds names to the Book of Death notebook where he lists the names of people who have died particularly senseless or cruel deaths.  His parents aren’t really present for him anymore, and Daniel is focused on keeping the memory of his brother alive on his own.  When he meets some unconventional new friends, he finds that he is slowly drawn in to their lives, which is what he needs to be able to process his grief and move on.

willandwhitWill & Whit by Laura Lee Gulledge. May 2013. 9781419705465. Gr. 7-10

Wilhelmina Huckstep has an old fashioned soul—she likes old things and a simple life—but she is haunted by shadows, and she has been ever since her parents died. She would love to eschew modern life to spend time with her friends without technology getting in the way, but she’s embarrassed to admit that she’s afraid of the dark.  It turns out that Hurricane Whitney forces the issue when it knocks out the power, and makes Will and everyone else in town to do without for a few days.  Artistically inclined readers may relate to the way Will uses art to face her grief from her parents’ death.  Will is a likable heroine, and her story will have readers alternately cheering for her and tearing up.

There’s a lot more in the webcast on this theme and beyond.  I thought I’d pick just a few of them to share on the blog perhaps to entice those of you who haven’t watched the webcast yet to check it out.  You’ll hear my voice in the sections devoted to realistic teen fiction, graphic novels, and secondary science.  :)

MindyBlogger:  Mindy R.

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Book Review: Rabbit & Robot: The Sleepover

March 7, 2013 · Filed under Easy Readers, Fiction, Humor, Primary (K-2), Reviews · Tagged , , ,

rabbitandrobotRabbit & Robot: The Sleepover by Cece Bell.  September 2012. 9780763654757. Gr. 1-3

Rabbit is a planner.  His friend Robot is visiting for a sleepover, and Rabbit has their evening carefully planned out.  He is very excited for everything to go perfectly.

First on his list is making pizza, but it turns out that Robot likes nuts and bolts on his pizza rather than carrots and lettuce.  No problem!  Robot just takes apart Rabbit’s table to get what he needs for his pizza. But then where will they eat?!  Robot has an answer for that, too.  He spreads a blanket on the floor for a picnic.  Lovely.

As the two friends try to follow Rabbit’s list, something always goes wrong.  They can’t find the remote when it’s time to watch TV.  Robot wants to play Old Maid rather than Go Fish.   Then Robot’s batteries run out, and Rabbit has to figure out a solution.  The story is full of humor, and it has an old-fashioned charm.

This is a good choice for early chapter book readers looking for a funny story about mismatched friends, but the mom in me loved  that the book modeled problem solving and positivity for my 5-year-old.  I recently read Paul Tough’s book How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character, and I couldn’t help but notice the connection between Rabbit and Robot’s interactions and the skills that Tough talks about in his book.  Maybe you’ll see this book as a story about resilience and optimism (as I saw it) or maybe you’ll see it as about two friends dealing with silly situations (as my daughter saw it); either way, it’s a great choice for new chapter book readers.

If you’re interested in character ed, there are a few more suggestions in this post.

MindyBlogger: Mindy R.

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Looking at the Sky with Picture Books

January 17, 2013 · Filed under Picture Books, Primary (K-2) · Tagged , , , , , , ,

Look up.  What do you see in the sky? How do you see it?  Here are a few picture books to inspire young people to look up and use their imaginations to talk about what they see.

owlyandwormyHow do you see the sky?   – In Owly & Wormy: Bright Lights and Starry Nights by Andy Runton, the two friends want to see the stars.  There are too any obstacles in the forest, so they plan to camp out in a nearby meadow where the view will be clear.  Even pre-readers will be able to follow the story in this wordless adventure.  They’ll cheer when what at first seems scary turns out to be friendly and when Owly and Wormy finally get to see a whole sky full of stars.  It may open a discussion about the  basics of stargazing, but, at it’s heart, it is a simple, delightful story about overcoming fears.  Owly is a great addition to a classroom!

blueskyHow do you describe the sky? - Audrey Wood’s Blue Sky will inspire young readers to look up and wonder.  They may see stars or clouds or storms.  This picture book is a simple introduction to one day in the life of a family as they look at the sky and describe what they see.  There are only two words on each illustration, but the simplicity opens up an opportunity to talk about descriptive words, weather, or time with kids.  Audrey Wood writes about her inspiration for this book and of the importance of teaching children to observe the sky in their daily life on her web site.  She also has activity pages for your students to record what they see or create a dream sky.

Sky ColorHow do you paint the sky?  – Tracey included Sky Color by Peter Reynolds in her recent post about imagination, and I think it is a great choice. In this picture book, Marisol volunteers to paint the sky in the mural her class is creating, but soon she realizes that she doesn’t have the color blue.  She doesn’t give up, and eventually Marisol realizes that there is more to the sky than she thinks.  This is a wonderful book to remind readers to be open to possibilities as they observe nature.

Sky Color 2-1-1

I hope these picture books inspire kids to look closely and think creatively about the world around them, or in this case above them. :)

Extended Bibliography:

Blue Sky by Audrey Wood. March 2012. 9780545316101. Gr. Ps-K

Cloud Dance by Thomas Locker. 2003. 9780152045968. Gr. 1-4

It Looked Like Spilt Milk by Charles Green Shaw. 1947. 9780060255657. Gr. Ps-2

Moon Dreams by Ruth Martin. 2010. 9780763650124. Gr. Ps-1

Once Upon a Starry Night: A Book of Constellations by Jacqueline Mitton. 2003. 9780792263326. Gr. K-3

Owly & Wormy: Bright Lights and Starry Nights by Andy Runton. November 2012. 9781416957751. Gr. Ps-2

Sky Color by Peter Reynolds.  August 2012. 9780763623456. Gr. K-2

Stars by Mary Lyn Ray. 2011. 9781442422490. Gr. Ps-1

MindyBlogger: Mindy R.

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My Favorite Fictional Teachers

November 19, 2012 · Filed under Fiction, High School, Middle School (6-8), Novels, Realistic · Tagged , , , , ,

It’s almost Thanksgiving, and in thinking about what I am grateful for this year, I keep coming back to teachers.  I’m grateful for all the teachers at my daughter’s school for the work they do both in and out of the classroom. I’m grateful for the teachers I had as a child who prepared me for college and my eventual career choice.  I am also grateful for my favorite fictional teachers who never let me forget that a good teacher can change your life.

Minnie McClary Speaks Her Mind by Valerie Hobbs. August 2012. 9780374324964. Gr. 4-8

Minnie has had enough change in her life lately.  Her dad lost his job at a law firm, and now the family has had to move from California to New Mexico, where Minnie is starting middle school with no friends.  Her uncle is back from being deployed in Iraq, but he is different now.  He spends all of his time in the basement building some kind of model helicopter.  All Minnie wants is to stay out of the spotlight at her new school, to do her work and get through the year without drawing too much attention to herself.  But Miss Marks’ language arts class is different.  Miss Marks encourages her students to express themselves and ask questions even when the topics get controversial, and soon there is controversy about Miss Marks herself.  I couldn’t help but cheer for Minnie as she stood up for her favorite teacher.

Princesses of Iowa by M. Molly Backes. May 2012. 9780763653125. Gr. 9-12

Paige’s entire life has been focused on one thing: being a Homecoming Princess in her senior year of high school.  It’s what she’s always wanted.  That’s what her mother says anyway.  After a huge mistake changes everything, Paige starts her senior year on the outs with her friends, not sure where she stands with her boyfriend, and searching for who she really wants to be. She signed up for a creative writing class assuming it would be an easy A, but Mr. Tremont challenges and inspires Paige to see a life beyond the here and now of high school, beyond mistakes she has made, and beyond her preconceptions about people.  I appreciated this look at prejudice and self discovery set in a small town.

These both happen to be language arts teachers, but I have also loved Ms. Shepherd the science teacher  in Evolution, Me, and Other Freaks of Nature by Robin Brande, Miss Pointy the 5th grade teacher in Sahara Special by Esme Raji Codell, and of course, Miss Honey from Matilda.

Who are your favorite teachers (fictional or otherwise)?

Blogger: Mindy R.

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Kate DiCamillo Contest

November 2, 2012 · Filed under Contest, Easy Readers, Fiction, Humor, Intermediate (3-5), Novels, Primary (K-2), Realistic · Tagged , , , ,

  We here at Mackin are big fans of Kate DiCamillo and her body of work.  Whenever a new book comes out, we fight over who gets to read the ARC first!  We love her so much, we interviewed her for our latest Compendium!  Check out the interview here.  So we are so excited that Candlewick has provided some wonderful prizes for us to share with our readers!  What are these wonderful prizes?  We thought you’d never ask!

The grand prize winner will receive a complete set of DiCamillo’s Mercy Watson series along with two adorable Mercy Watson plush toys, and a tote bag.

The second prize winner will receive an autographed special edition of Because of Winn-Dixie along with a Winn-Dixie plush toy.

The third prize winner will receive also receive an autographed special edition of Because of Winn-Dixie and a fabulous Bink & Gollie T-shirt.

That’s right folks…THREE prizes!  Three chances to win!  All you have to do is leave a comment about your favorite Kate DiCamillo book, or if you haven’t had the pleasure of reading her work yet, which book you’ll like to start with.

We’ll announce the lucky winners next Friday!  Good Luck!

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Tweaking Fairy Tales in Picture Books

October 29, 2012 · Filed under Fantasy, Picture Books, Primary (K-2) · Tagged , , , , ,

Kids will get a kick out of the twists to three familiar fairy tales in these new picture books.

The Princess and the Packet of Frozen Peas by Tony Wilson (ill. by Sue DeGennaro). 2012. 9781561456352. Gr PK-2.

Prince Henrik wants to fall in love and get married, so he asks his older brother Hans for advice.  Prince Hans found his wife, Eva, the old-fashioned way—with a single pea under a stack of mattresses.  Princess Eva is a real princess, beautiful and sensitive.  But Henrik just wants a wife with a nice smile, a wife that likes camping and hockey, so he decides to tweak his brother’s method.  Instead of twenty mattresses, he uses one thin camping mattress. And instead of one small pea, he decides to use…a whole packet of frozen peas.  But what kind of princess will pass this test?

Jack and the Baked Beanstalk by Colin Stimpson. 2012. 9780763655631. Gr K-3.

Jack and his mother live in an old broken-down burger truck, which doubles as their café.  The place is clean, the food is great, and they used to have a lot of customers.  But that was before the new overpass was built, and the road past the café was closed.  With just a few pennies left, Jack’s mother sends him to the store for some milk and coffee beans.  And of course, Jack is stopped by a man selling magic beans—a can of magic baked beans.  You know the rest of the story—Jack climbs a magic beanstalk to find an egg-laying bird, a talking music maker, and a huge giant with lots of gold who wants to cook… lunch for Jack?  This twisted fairy tale contains all of the ingredients of the original tale, but with a much tastier conclusion for all.

Goldilocks and Just One Bear by Leigh Hodgkinson. 2012. 9780763661724. Gr K-3.

One day, while walking through his familiar woods, a bear finds himself lost in the middle of a big city.  Instead of owls hooting, he hears honking and beeping.  Scared, he ducks into the nearest building, where he rides the elevator to the top and steps into a lovely apartment.  By now he is hungry, so he tries out the porridge—say, does this sound familiar?  Hodgkinson’s take on a popular fairy tale is hilarious, and she adds a sweet reunion at the end.

Blogger:  Tracey L.

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Book Review: See You at Harry’s

June 18, 2012 · Filed under Fiction, Intermediate (3-5), Middle School (6-8), Novels, Realistic, Reviews · Tagged , , , , ,

See You at Harry’s by Jo Knowles.  May 2012. 9780763654078. Gr 5-8. – Reviewed from ARC

Fern’s family is a book family.  Each of her siblings are named for book characters.  Her older brother Holden is named for the main character in her mom’s favorite book, and Fern herself was named for the girl from Charlotte’s Web because, as her mom says, “From the moment you were born, I could tell you had a special soul.  I knew you’d be a good friend. A hero.”  Fern names her younger brother Charlie after her favorite book at the time, which was Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,  but she finds her Charlie is nothing like the Charlie from the book, who was sweet and quiet.  Her Charlie is three years old, and while he has sweet moments, he is a handful.

Fern’s family is also a restaurant family.  That doesn’t sound so bad, but when Fern’s dad includes the family in the commercial for the restaurant with little Charlie saying “See you at Harry’s” in his sweetest toddler voice just before Fern starts middle school, the opportunities for embarrassment are everywhere.

It turns out that the commercial is the the least of Fern’s concerns as she starts middle school.  Now that she rides the same bus as her brother Holden, she has to watch him be bullied by kids on the bus while no one does anything about it. Holden doesn’t want her to tell their parents about the bullying or the reason he is being bullied—he hasn’t come out as gay to anyone yet and wants to do it when he is ready—but Fern can’t bear to watch her brother be treated unfairly without doing anything.

Then a family tragedy changes everything, and everyone deals with it differently.  Fern isn’t sure where to turn with her feelings of guilt and sadness when it seems like her family is falling apart.  In the end, they find that they can’t change what happened, but they still have each other.

This book made me cry and hug my daughter tightly.  I hope young readers will be just as moved to appreciate what they have and stand up for those they love no matter what.

Blogger: Mindy R.

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Books with covers that BOYS will actually pick up…

June 11, 2012 · Filed under Dystopia, Fantasy, Fiction, High School, Historical, Middle School (6-8), Mystery, Novels, Realistic, Science Fiction · Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I think we’ve all noticed the YA trend with beautiful girls on the cover, usually in elaborate gowns with long flowing hair.  Now I love these books as much as the next person, but it got me thinking…what about boy readers?  The middle and high school boys I know would never walk around school with books that have those type of covers.  Like these for example…

The tragic thing is that these books are told from alternating perspectives from both a female and male character.  But a boy reader would never guess that by the cover.  So I’ve taken it upon myself to search out great books that also have covers that boys won’t have to hide.

Article 5 by Kristen Simmons.  January 2012.  9780765329585.  Gr. 9-12.  Set in a dystopian future, the Bill of Rights are a thing of the past replaced by the Moral Statutes and the Church of America.  Ember was born out of wedlock and therefore considered a non-citizen.  She’s kept a low profile her whole life, until her mother is arrested by the one boy Ember cares about.

BZRK by Michael Grant.  February 2012.  9781606843123.  Gr. 9-Adult.  Grant steps away from his Gone series to launch this sci-fi spy series.  Set in the near future, BZRK is about control over the human mind.  Armstrong Fancy Gifts Corp. wants to create their own utopia by removing free will with the use of nanobot technology.  Only the BZRK group consisting of teens can stop them and their evil plans.  Like in his Gone series, Grant doesn’t shy away from violence and moral dilemmas in this new action-packed series.  Read Ryan’s full review here.

Final Four by Paul Volponi.  March 2012.  9780670012640.  Gr. 9-12.  Told through flashbacks, journal entries, newspaper accounts and TV interviews, this story focuses on four basketball players facing off in the Final Four of the NCAA Basketball Tournament.  Volponi looks behind the scenes at the realistic and gritty world of college basketball  Put this book in the hands of any basketball fan.

Froi of the Exiles by Melina Marchetta.  March 2012.  9780763647599.  Gr. 9-12.  Set three years after Finnikin of the Rock this story focuses on Froi.  Froi and the other exiles are recovering from the terrible curse placed on Lumatere, when disturbing news of another mysterious curse comes from the kingdom of Charyn, Lumatere’s enemy.  Froi is sent to investigate, and what he finds will change his life forever.  This is personally one of my favorite books of 2012 so far and should be given to any fantasy lover.

Legend by Marie Lu.  November 2011.  9780399256752.  Gr. 8-12.  In my opinion, this is the best dystopian novel to come out since The Hunger Games.  You have the over-controlling government, a rebel who threatens the system, and a girl who discovers the truth about the society in which she lives.  To read more about this title, check out my full review.  Give this to any fans of The Hunger Games and dystopian thrillers.

No Safety in Numbers by Dayna Lorentz.  May 2012.  9780803738737.  Gr. 7-12.  Lorentz debuts with a tension-packed thriller about a biohazard released in a mall.  Told from four teen’s perspectives, readers witness the breakdown of society when people are trapped in a small space in an emergency situation.

Ripper by Stephan Petrucha.  March 2012.  9780399255243.  Gr. 7-12.  Set in New York in 1895, Carver Young, an orphan and aspiring detective, is trying to figure out the identity of his father.  Apprenticed to an ex-Pinkerton agent and with the use of steampunk-like gadgets, Carver uncovers his father’s identity, much to his horror.  To read more about this book, check out my full review.

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo.  June 2012.  9780805094596.  Gr. 8-12.  In her thrilling debut, Bardugo uses Russian and Slavic myth and culture to create a new world.  Alina Starkov is a cartographer’s assistant in the army of the Ravka nation when a mission goes terribly wrong.  To save her best friend, Alina discovers she has the power to summon light, a rare ability.  Quickly taken in by the magical elite Grisha, Alina tries to navigate her way through the dangerous politics of the order…and discovers she may be more important than she ever realized.

Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater.  October 2011.  9780545224901.  Gr. 9-12.  This Printz Honor winner features a thrilling horse race with monstrous horses and a boy and a girl who have everything to lose.  Sean and Kate (Puck) risk everything when they enter this year’s annual water horse race.  Sean agrees to help Puck, and the two become closer as the race approaches.  But there can only be one winner.  To read more about this fantastic title, check out Tracey’s review.

The Vindico by Wesley King.  June 2012.  9780399256547.  Gr. 8-12.  The League of Heroes and the Vindico have been facing off in the age-old fight of superheroes vs. supervillians.  But the members of the Vindico aren’t as young as they used to be, so they devise an evil plan to kidnap teenagers and teach them to be the next generation of supervillians.  The five teens held captive become friends and plot their escape.  But as they learn more about their captors, they learn that the fight between superheroes vs. supervillians isn’t as black and white as they thought.

Hopefully these titles give you some new ideas of books to give your male readers that they won’t have to hide behind other covers!

Lindsey L.

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National Poetry Month

April 12, 2012 · Filed under Intermediate (3-5), Middle School (6-8), Nonfiction, Picture Books, Poetry, Primary (K-2) · Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Take Two! A Celebration of Twins by Patrick J. Lewis & Jane Yolen. Illustrated by Sophie Blackall. 2012. 9780763637026. Gr. PS-3.

I have a niece and nephew who are twins, so when I saw this title, I couldn’t resist! These sweet and funny poems celebrate being a twin, from sharing the womb to childhood, and includes a section on famous twins throughout history. Yolen and Lewis also throw in interesting “Twin Facts” throughout the book, like how Nigeria is the nation with the most multiple births or Cryptophasia is the name of the language twins share when they are babies and toddlers. Whether you have twins, or know any twins, this book is sure to bring a smile to your face!

I’ve Lost My Hippopotamus by Jack Prelutsky. Illustrated by Jackie Urbanovic. 2012. 9780062014573. Gr. 1-4.

Prelutsky entertains readers once again with over 100 new humorous poems. Whether it’s poems about fish in a tree or a dozen buffalocusts, they will have kids rolling on the floor with laughter. Prelutsky even includes a pronunciation guide for his imaginative creature,s such as cormoranteaters, wiguanas, and the gludus. Written with a snappy rhythm, these poems will make great read-a-louds.

Every Thing On It by Shel Silverstein. 2011. 9780061998164. Gr. 2-6.

Shel Silverstein’s poetry books were the first poetry books I read as a child and didn’t hate. His silly and quirky poems made me realize that not all poems needed to be serious and filled with double meanings (because we all know that those two roads that diverged in a yellow wood were not just talking about roads). Now Silverstein is back with even more oddball poems…about a hotdog with everything on it (including a parrot and a bee in bonnet), a poem about Santa’s clumsiest elf, and two poems featuring his dentist. Kids are sure to laugh at Silverstein’s silly humor and take him up on his invitation to write their own silly rhymes and poems.

I Lay My Stitches Down: Poems of American Slavery by Cynthia Grady. Illustrated by Michele Wood. 2011. 9780802853868. Gr. 4-8.

Grady’s powerful poems and Wood’s beautiful illustrations create a unique glimpse into African American slavery. Grady includes the good and the bad, writing about masters who taught their slaves how to read and write and allowed them to escape, while other masters stole the slave’s children away for auction. Grady includes footnotes with all her poems, explaining the historical significance of each poem. Readers will gain a deeper appreciation of poetry as well as unforgettable insight into slavery conditions.

If you’re looking for more great poetry titles, check out our other posts featuring poetry!

Mindy’s Looking for Science Poetry

Tracey’s Using Poetry Books as Writing Examples & April and National Poetry Month

Kristin’s Animal Poetry

Lindsey L.

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