MY AMERICA

Hopkins (Lives: Poems About Famous Americans, 1999, etc.) is one of the foremost anthologists of children’s poetry, with thematic collections on an amazing variety of topics, including school-related subjects such as math, science, American history, even school supplies and books themselves. This collection of 50 poems reflects the diversity of the US in several ways: in geography, weather, and history, in people, and in many different types of monuments, buildings, and homes, from the landmarks of Washington, D.C., to the cornfields of the Midwest. Hopkins has done a remarkable job of covering so much territory with only 50 poems, 20 of them commissioned for this collection. Many poems are by well-respected authors such as Carl Sandburg, Gary Snyder, and Myra Cohn Livingston, and writers of color are represented, including Langston Hughes, Nikki Giovanni, and Shonto Begay. Alcorn’s stylized paintings complement each poem with a palette of textured jewel tones. The poems are organized in eight divisions based on geography, with a map of the area and a quick summary of basic facts for each state preceding the poems in every section. Indexes of authors, titles, and first lines are also included. Most students study the 50 states in the upper elementary grades (with many teachers integrating poetry across the curriculum), so this volume will be a logical and welcome choice for larger school and public library collections. (Poetry. 8-12)