Showing posts with label 2013 Lee Bennett Hopkins Promising Poet Award. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2013 Lee Bennett Hopkins Promising Poet Award. Show all posts

Friday, March 1, 2013

Sweet Sweet Dog - Love Poems


Sage, Amy, & Cali


Click the arrow to hear me read this poem to you.

Students - If you have a pet or know a friendly pet, then you may know the feeling of wanting to burrow your face into that pet's fur.  Our own two dogs are extremely sweet and surprise us with all of the little ways they show love.  This poem is for Cali and for Sage, for all of the dogs I've ever loved, and for all of your dogs too.  

To start writing today's poem, I first just sat and read lots and lots of poems yesterday afternoon, poems by Aileen Fisher, Eve Merriam, and David McCord.  Then, I opened up my notebook and started to write.  These words are the ones that decided to show up. Well, to be honest, they did not show up exactly like this.  But I moved them and added to them and subtracted from them and just kept going until this is what stayed on the page!

You might have noticed that this poem uses a lot of repetition.  When I talk to dogs, I often repeat myself.  It's important that they understand me. Don't you agree?

In wonderful news, as posted by Lee Bennett Hopkins, Guadalupe Garcia McCall is the recipient of the 2013 LEE BENNETT HOPKINS/INTERNATIONAL READING ASSOCIATION PROMISING POET AWARD for UNDER THE MESQUITE (Lee & Low). In "This stunning debut novel" (School Library Journal) Lupita, a high school freshman, one of eight children born in Mexico, learns her mother is diagnosed with cancer. The tender, free verse, novel deals with Lupita's courage to deal with a life tragedy.

Tentative Cover

And in more fabulous Lee Bennett Hopkins award news, Kate Coombs won this year's Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award for her picture poetry book, WATER SINGS BLUE.  About this beautiful collection of ocean poems, illustrated by Meilo So, Jonathan Hunt of School Library Journal writes, "Water Sings Blue...got four starred reviews and is, to my mind, the standout poetry collection of the year."  


To learn more about these awards, visit Lee's site at AWARDS.

Julie Larios is hosting today's Poetry Friday roundup over at The Drift Record.  Head on over to see what's brewing poetry-wise in the Kidlitosphere this week!

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