Life's Literacy Lessons: Poems for Teachers

"This collection of poems was written to honor literacy educators for all that they do." So writes teacher and poet Steven L. Layne, who for years has delighted audiences by performing his poems at conferences and publishing them in The Reading Teacher. Layne has gathered 40 of his favorite poems about literacy and teaching into this unique collection that will touch the heart of anyone who has ever been a classroom teacher.

The poems in Life's Literacy Lessons range from serious to hilarious as Layne takes poetic license with the stuff of teachers' daily lives: beginning readers; grammar, spelling, handwriting, and composition instruction; adolescent literacy issues; reading aloud; and standards and teachers. A "story behind the poem" accompanies each piece, so that readers can understand the poem's inspiration.

As Layne states in the book's preface, "Discovering the truth of personal experience inside a simple poem engenders a wonderful bond of community." The honesty and wit in this collection will undoubtedly strengthen the bond of community among teachers of all grade levels.

Award-winning educator Steven L. Layne has been teaching reading and language arts at both the elementary and junior high levels for over a decade. He also teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in reading education, language arts, and children's literature.

An acclaimed writer and speaker, Steve appears at numerous conferences and provides workshops throughout the the United States and Canada. He has published two picture books and a young adult novel, as well as journal articles, textbook chapters, dramatic pieces, prose, and poetry.

Steve's many awards include the the Illinois Reading Council's 1999 Junior High Reading Teacher of the Year Award, the 2000 ICARE for Reading Award, and two awards for his doctoral dissertation research. Most recently, Steve has been honored by the National Council of Teachers of English with the 2001 Edwin A. Hoey Award, given each year to one outstanding middle-level U.S. educator.

Steve resides in St. Charles, Illinois, with his wife, Debbie, and his son, Grayson. He can be contacted at drread@northstarbks.com.