S is for SILVER
Photo by Amy LV
New (Secondhand) Silver Earrings on Quince Branch
Photo by Amy LV
This poem is for
Kate Coombs.
Last Thursday's poem grew from the word KNICKKNACK, and I shared a list of Wilfred J. Funk's most beautiful words. In the comments, Kate suggested replacing his tranquil with silver. So imagine my surprise when I opened and pointed to SILVER! My finger was actually right ON the word (first time this month), and first I looked above it, thinking the word was SILT. When I lifted my fingertip, I could see what the real word was - SILVER. A beautiful word indeed.
Students - Today I was going to write a haiku. This is such a beautiful word, and haiku is such a beautiful form, one I'm coming to appreciate more and more this month because of the haiku that Lisa and Christophe have been writing through the dictionary. But then I started to write...and jot...and this poem came out. I adored my silver crayon when I was a little girl, and that little girl in me must have just written this poem without the grownup me even knowing! Remember that - we have lots of selves inside. It's good to listen to them all.
Also remember this - you can dedicate a poem to a friend or family member or someone you admire...anytime! It's a lovely gift!
Today it is a pleasure to welcome professor, author, and blogger at
Poetry for Children - Sylvia Vardell. She brings us news of her newest book, THE POETRY TEACHER'S BOOK OF LISTS, a book I already own and love and which you have an opportunity to win today. Take it away, Sylvia!
In my work with teachers and librarians, I find most people are open and interested in poetry, but may have no idea where to begin. That was the primary motivation for writing THE POETRY TEACHER'S BOOK OF LISTS - to provide a comprehensive resource tied to many of the "FAQs" (frequently asked questions) I encounter when it comes to poetry for young people. I've assembled 155 different poetry bibliographies and lists of research-based strategies featuring 1500 poetry books for children and teens (ages 0-18). For example, you'll find lists of poetry books for each of these topics: animals, baseball, birds, cats, colors, dinosaurs, dogs, food, gardens, insects, math, reading, science, space, sports, time, trees, history, war and peace, and weather. This makes it much easier to select poems for a particular curriculum unit.
But sometimes people want to share a poem for a special occasion or a festive holiday. So, I also have separate lists for Valentine's Day, President's Day, Women's History Month, Mother's Day, Father's Day, the fourth of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, and all the seasons, too. All the major poetry award winners are also listed (by award) as well as the best poetry books for each year of the last decade and by age categories.
Once you've found the right book for the right purpose, you'll also find helpful lists of activities, researched-based strategies, quotes, websites, tips and guidelines for incorporating poetry into your usual routine. Here's just a sampling from one strategy list.
Poetry Celebration Occasions
As we build an environment where enthusiasm for poetry will flourish, we can consider what poet Georgia Heard calls "poetry rituals." These are poetry traditions that provide a natural way to incorporate poetry into pre-existing routines and special occasions. They give children something to look forward to and in many cases provide opportunities for child participation. One excellent resource for finding "occasional" poetry is Lee Bennett Hopkins' book, DAYS TO CELEBRATE: A FULL YEAR OF POETRY, PEOPLE, HOLIDAYS, HISTORY, FASCINATING FACTS, AND MORE (Greenwillow, 2005). As Maria Brountas (1995) has said, "Poetry is a lovely gift we give to children that appreciates in value and lasts throughout their lifetime." Here is a list of possible poetry celebration occasions and ideas.
1. Invite children to perform their own poem readings on the last Friday of the month (or other set day) as a Poetry Friday event, popular in the children's literature world. Create a coffee house setting with tablecloths, bongos, and a microphone for fun. Record some of the readings for a homemade listening center.
2. If audio or public address announcements are made on a regular basis, include the oral reading of a poem (by a child or other volunteer) on a daily or weekly basis. Challenge children to work with a partner to prepare a performance reading with multiple voices, sound effects, or musical instruments.
3. Read aloud individually selected poems for children's birthdays (e.g., birthday poems or favorite poems of the birthday child). Invite families to donate a new poetry book in honor of the birthday child.
THE POETRY TEACHER'S BOOK OF LISTS includes 10 total strategies for Poetry Celebration Occasions. For more nuggets and excerpts from these lists, check out the book-based blog. Comments, suggestions, and additions are welcome. You can click below to purchase your own copy!
Much gratitude to Sylvia for donating a copy of this book to a reader of today's post! Please just leave a copy to be entered in the drawing. I will choose a name on Sunday evening and announce the winner on Monday morning. Good luck!
The winners of last week's drawing for NASTY BUGS, by Lee Bennett Hopkins, are Myra and Jone! Please send me an e-mail to amy at amylv dot come with your snail mail address so that I can send you your books. All giveaway books for April so far will be in the mail by Monday.
Speaking of giveaways, Natalie is the winner of this week's giveaway of
Laura Shovan's chapbook -
MOUNTAIN, LOG, SALT, AND STONE! Natalie - please send me an e-mail to amy at amy lv dot com with your snail mail address...and I will get it right off to Laura!
Thank you to Greg Pincus over at
Gotta Book for hosting me this past Monday with my poem
Secret. If you like cat or mystery poems, this one's for you.
In case you are new to The Poem Farm, this month I am walking, letter-by-letter, through the dictionary, (closed-eyed) pointing to a letter each day, and writing from it. You can read poems A-R by checking the sidebar, and you visit Lisa Vihos and read her accompanying daily haiku at,
Lisa's Poem of the Week. In today's comments, watch for Lisa's Haiku and also Christophe's haiku. It is lovely to poetryhike with new friends.
The categorization journey also continues. If you check the top tabs here, you will see that I have now organized 300 of the 500 poems on this blog. They will all be in their little lists by the end of the month, and I hope that you will find this useful. Much gratitude to all who are sharing this site with friends and colleagues; there have been many more visitors than usual this week!
Diane is hosting this week's Poetry Friday Roundup over at
Random Noodling! Stop by to see what is happening on this third Friday of National Poetry Month!
Please share a comment below if you wish.
