Hamsters, Shells, and Spelling Bees: School Poems (I Can Read Level 2) - Hardcover

Hopkins, Lee Bennett

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0060741120 ISBN 13: 9780060741129

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2008

Synopsis

From the very first day of the school year, there is so much to do! So grab your backpack, hop on that school bus, and don't forget your lunch. Whether you're practicing for the spelling bee or getting ready for the big school play, there isn't a moment to lose!

Lee Bennett Hopkins delivers an assortment of twenty spectacular poems from writers such as Jane Yolen, Alice Schertle, and J. Patrick Lewis that are perfect for show-and-tell. Sachiko Yoshikawa's vivid illustrations are sure to delight the whole class!

About this title

About the Author:

Noted poet Lee Bennett Hopkins has edited or authored numerous books for children, including the I Can Read Books Hamsters, Shells, and Spelling Bees; A Pet for Me: Poems; and the ALA Notable Children's Book Surprises. The recipient of a Christopher Award and the University of Southern Mississippi's Medallion for "lasting contributions to children's literature," Mr. Hopkins lives in Florida.

Sachiko Yoshikawa moved to the U.S. from Japan in 1988 to study art. She has lived in California, Arizona, Oregon, East Africa and currently, in Washington state. She is the illustrator of What is Science? by Rebecca Kai Dotlich.

From Booklist:

Contributed by well-known poets for young people (Jane Yolen, J. Patrick Lewis, Alice Schertle, among others), the poems in this bright compilation in the I Can Read! series describe a wide range of school experiences, from humorous scenes of hamsters on the loose to students’ dreaming up their own lines of verse: “Pencil stub, I must / ask myself: How many more / poems are in you?” The selections range in style from haikus to free verse, although many poems follow a bouncy, rhyming structure. All are written in accessible words targeted straight to emerging readers, but pre-literate children will appreciate hearing descriptions of warm classroom moments, such as finding a sweet note from Mom in a lunch bag and a story time spent “close to friends / on a fuzzy red rug / like one big family.” The jellybean-bright, cartoon-style illustrations sometimes overwhelm the words on busy spreads, but these reassuring poems will find an accepting audience among both young readers and listeners. Preschool-Grade 3. --Gillian Engberg

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0060741120
• ISBN 13: 9780060741129
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 48
• Illustrator: Yoshikawa Sachiko