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It's Tuesday!  And sometimes on Tuesday, I post little reviews of websites that feature children's books, reviews of children's books, or activities to encourage reading of children's books - by kids and their grown-ups.

So look what I found!!  Author/illustrator Hans Wilhelm has made several of his books into pdf files that can be used in classrooms, read online, projected, printed out - whatever!  The only requirement is that the use be non-commercial.  So schools and libraries and parents at home can share these fun titles with their young readers.  The website is called Children's Books Forever.  Check it out.

If you are someone who only wants your young person to read the BEST of children's books, then you will like The Best Children's Books.  It's a book finding service that lists best books by a variety of categories.   These sites are always useful and fun to browse through. 

Me, I think the best book for a child is the one that makes that child want to read.   Sometimes, that's a flimsy grocery store mass-produced book about a TV character.  Sometimes it's a classic.  Kids need both.  Like the creators of The Best Children's Books, above, I lean heavily toward classics. But I can still recite the opening lines of The Huffin Puff Express (words by David L. Harrison and art by Art Seiden) which I bought at the grocery store for next to nothing years ago.  Just saying.


Now for some fun!  Funbrain!  It's a website chock full of games that reinforce reading and math skills for kids.   You will find reviews, comics, books to read online, and games at Funbrain.

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Okay. 31 poets, 31 images and you have p*tag, 31 poems linked by tagging and repetition. It went like this: wait until you are tagged, pick an image, and then write a poem, using 3 of the words from the previous poet's poem. Ready, set, go! And we were off, under the guidance of Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong. This ekphrastic approach to poetry, where poems are inspired by art, fueled the poets fully. While the resulting poetry collection is eclectic, the repeated words give a notable continuity to the stream. There's an organic pulse running from beginning to end as readers witness this captured Art Happening on their e-readers.

Personally, David L. Harrison tagged me, so I was able to read his wonderful poem "Family Reunion at the Beach." Then I was off to choose a photo from Sylvia's posted images given to inspire us. The photo of a crowd, blurred by the camera's movement, caught my eye. It seemed as if spirits were leaving bodies despite the people's focus locked on the stage. I then chose three of David's words from his poem: clasping, future, and eyes, for my own haiku "Crowd." Finally, I tagged the lovely poet, Julie Larios. I would later learn she used my words: trapped, eyes, away.

All other poems were hidden from the participants until the release of p*tag. So it was a delight to download and read the stream, read how images and poems and repeated words created a complete work of art. I love how one poet responded to another, and immediately offered another point of view. You can see this particularly between Julie Larios and Michele Krueger. One writes of rising above, the other finding "peace in place." Stephanie Hemphill's' "In Praise of Luck" lifted my spirit, although I'd call it providence. :~) And oh, the delight to see one I esteem so highly, Lee Bennett Hopkins, write with few words just like me.

So here is a poem a day for the month of October while we celebrate YALSA's Teen Read Week. How perfect for the theme "Picture it @ your library." Download p*tag onto your device. Visit the website to learn more, see photos, and try your own hand at the ekphrastic approach to poetry. Thanks, Janet and Sylvia! *standing ovation*

p*tag
compiled by Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong
available on e-readers

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Few of David L. Harrison’s fans would suspect that the author of more than seventy-seven titles for children (which have sold more than fifteen million copies, earned numerous awards, and been translated into twelve languages) struggled for years to find his niche and a publisher.“I received sixty-seven rejections in a row before anything was published,” he says.How did he face so many years of

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It's mid-June and seemingly everyone has a vacation planned, happening now, and already done with for the summer. Even I'm taking a "vacation" in a little less than two weeks, driving across the country to our new house in Virginia! I thought today's selection for Poetry Friday was appropriate...and in honor of all you lucky beach goers!

Vacation: We're Going to the Ocean, with poems by David L. Harrison and illustrations by Rob Shepperson, is a great intro to summer fun. With poems all about what kids end up doing on vacation, from hiking, to horseback riding, from getting squished in hugs by Aunts to, of course, the beach, the reader gets a nice dose of everything "vacation."

Nice, short poems and easy-to-read text, make this a nice choice for any child from beginner to middle grade. The illustrations are done in black and white pencil drawings, kept simple, and the small size is perfect for sliding into a backpack for your child's own vacation!

To learn more, or to purchase, click on the book cover above to link to Amazon.

Vacation: We're Going to the Ocean
David L. Harrison
62 pages
Poetry
Wordsong
9781590785683
May 2009

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Ahoy! Just in time for “International Talk Like a Pirate Day,” David L. Harrison has published a pirate poetry collection, appropriately titled Pirates (Wordsong/Boyds Mills Press, 2008), an over-sized book illustrated with vivid portrait-like paintings of a by-gone era by Dan Burr. However, Harrison’s book captures the more unsavory aspects of the pirate (lack of) character and acknowledges that pirates were/are first and foremost thieves. These poems do not glorify pirates as heroes, but rather capture the seedy, gritty life—and death—that was their lot. An introductory (and closing) note acknowledges the same and reminds us about the contemporary pirates that continue to prey upon ships today. Here’s a sample poem that reflects the rhythmic structure that Harrison so often incorporates in his poetry.

Signing on a Crew
by David L. Harrison

‘Gather round, ye scurvy mates,
I’m signing on a crew.

You there! Can you tie a knot?
Ye’ll do.

I’d say you’ve snatched a purse or two.
Ye’ll do.

Does the thought of plundered gold
make ye shiver?
Make ye bold?
Ye’ll do.

Ha! You’re rotten through and through!
Ye’ll do.

Phew! You stinking, drunken lout!
You’d whack your uncle’s gizzard out!
Well step right up!
Beyond a doubt
ye’ll do.

Harrison, David L. Pirates. Illustrated by Dan Burr. Honesdale, PA: Wordsong/Boyds Mills Press.

This book is sure to be a hit—full of grim and gruesome details about ship’s rules, life at sea, grub, whippings, fighting, stealing, and getting marooned, captured, or hanged. Reader beware! Aaargh!

Pair this with J. Patrick Lewis’s Blackbeard, the Pirate King (National Geographic, 2006). He focuses on the fascinating life of Edward Teach in poems, facts, and endnotes, accompanied by classic pirate illustrations by Pyle and Wyeth, and more.

For more Poetry Friday fun, go to author amok.

Picture credit: amazon

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I received a letter from HIGHLIGHTS for CHILDREN magazine today announcing the publication of my poem, "Reaching for the Stars," in the November 2008 issue of their magazine.
How exciting!
I started writing this poem while at the Highlight's Foundation Chautaugua Workshop in July 2005. My writer mentor for the week was David L. Harrison, a poet laureate from Missouri. It was during one of his presentations that the poem took shape.
So I offer a salute today to Mr. Harrison. I'm including some links below to a few online sites with information about him. Of course, he has a large number of books available either through bookstores or libraries. He writes not only poetry and stories for children but also nonfiction books as well.

A MATTER OF METER
By David L. Harrison
http://www.teachingk-8.com/archives/articles/a_matter_of_meter_by_david_l_harrison.html

The article explains some of the rhythmic patterns used in poetry with examples by children. The author also offers suggestions for presenting the topic to students.

RANDOM HOUSE MEET THE AUTHOR
http://www.randomhouse.com/author/results.pperl?authorid=12056

Brief highlights of Mr. Harrison’s writing career and education

THE READER: THE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS READING ASSOCIATION
“Fluency Fun: Kids Love the Sound of Words”
http://www.arareading.org/The%20Reader%20-%20fluency.pdf

An interview with Mr. Harrison and examples of his poems

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