A Writing Kind of Day: Poems for Young Poets - Softcover

Fletcher, Ralph

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1590783530 ISBN 13: 9781590783535

Publisher: WordSong, 2005

Synopsis

It's easy to make one,
lying on your back in the newest snow.
You move your arms like wings.
Later you forget about your creation,
go inside for a mug of hot chocolate.
That's when she rises from the snow
takes a feathery breath, tries out her wings.

So begins a poem about making a snow angel, but it might also refer to the mysterious way that a poem comes into being and takes on a life of its own. In this new collection, Ralph Fletcher shows us how you can write a poem about almost anything: a baby sister, a Venus's-flytrap, a failing grandmother, a squished squirrel, grammar homework, and more. These poems take us inside the creative process as they reveal both the playfulness and the power of poetry. More than anything, they invite us to pick up pen and paper and write some poems of your own.

About this title

About the Author:

Ralph Fletcher grew up as the oldest of nine children and has always been surrounded by stories. He has published novels, poetry collections, picture books, nonfiction books, and teacher resources. He has four sons and lives in Lee, New Hampshire.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 4-8–A young writer's daily experiences and concerns are folded into poems to which many readers can relate. For example, in "Bad Weather," the narrator presents a forecast for the school week, predicting "...a big term paper/due to arrive on Monday morning," followed by "intense...grammar drills" on Tuesday, the arrival of "the state writing test" on Wednesday,"...a high probability/of five-paragraph essays" on Thursday, and, finally, on Friday, "...some relief/when scattered poetry blows in." Varied in mood and tone, the offerings entertain as they celebrate words and language. A grandmother's "Memory Loss" is compared to crossing a river, as "She steps from word to word/until suddenly/she stops in the middle, disoriented." "Poetry" is described as a "sugar-crazed teenager/who just got a license/but refuses to follow/the rules of the road./...It embarrasses everyone/by telling the truth." What emerges is a picture of a young writer at work, looking closely at the world, making connections, and seeing the depth and beauty of everyday events and people. Ward's black-and-white illustrations use a variety of mediums, including pencil, photography, computer-generated images, and ink. Many aspiring poets will see the reflection of their own creative spirits and aspirations in this lovely collection.–Lee Bock, Glenbrook Elementary School, Pulaski, WI
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About this edition

• Publisher: WordSong
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 1590783530
• ISBN 13: 9781590783535
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 32