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SEEING THE BLUE BETWEEN

Name: SEEING THE BLUE BETWEEN
Author: Paul B. Janeczko
ISBN: 0-7636-0881-5

ADVICE AND INSPIRATION FOR YOUNG POETS

edited by Paul B. Janeczko ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2001

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For a class, or to work up enthusiasm about writing—and not just poetry—one could hardly do better for young people than this fresh and inviting collection. In a series of letters, usually addressed to the young poets reading the section, contemporary poets write a page or two of inspirational how-to and then add a poem or two of their own. Janeczko has gathered some wonderful contributors, many of whom have made a career not only in writing but in writing for young people: Janet S. Wong, Naomi Shihab Nye, Karla Kuskin, Nikki Grimes, X.J. Kennedy, Joseph Bruchac, Douglas Florian, and many others. Like a favorite poem, their advice has rhythm and repetition: observe; read a lot; listen to words; write and write; revise; say your poetry out loud. The title comes from Kristine O’Connell George’s notion of seeing stories not in the clouds, but in “the blue between.” Andrew Hudgins has a wonderful one-page essay on the benefits of reading poetry in the bathroom. “Poetry names the secrets you didn’t know you were keeping,” says Robert Farnsworth. Teachers and librarians will love this, too—as a classroom tool and as a way of explaining the art of poetry lucidly. (notes on contributors with thumbnail photos, index of first lines, acknowledgements) (Poetry. 10-15)

Pub Date: April 1, 2001

ISBN: 0-7636-0881-5

Page Count: 144

Publisher: Candlewick

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2002

Categories:

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT NONFICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
WHERE I LIVE
edited by Paul B. Janeczko ; illustrated by Hyewon Yum

- BOOK REVIEW
SECRET SOLDIERS
by Paul B. Janeczko

- BOOK REVIEW
THE PROPER WAY TO MEET A HEDGEHOG
edited by Paul B. Janeczko ; illustrated by Richard Jones

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POETRY SPEAKS WHO I AM

edited by Elise Paschen by Jarvis Jay Masters ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2010

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From the creators of the popular anthologies Poetry Speaks and Poetry Speaks to Children (2001, 2005) comes another volume, this one aimed at the 12-14 set. Paschen casts a wide net for material, including pieces by William Shakespeare, Emily Dickinson, Sylvia Plath, Billy Collins, Nikki Grimes and Ogden Nash, among many others. The poems selected deal with themes of particular interest to young teens, such as romance, growing up, loneliness, friendship and identity. An audio CD featuring many of the poets reading their work as well as some poets reading the works of others is included; these clear and powerful readings add a welcome dimension and will no doubt enhance readers’ enjoyment of the collection. The design of the volume, with its funky typefaces and brightly colored cover, will also appeal to young teens. The final pages provide space for readers to add their own poems—a good idea, because after paging through this eclectic and powerful anthology many will indeed be inspired to take up the pen. (About the Contributors) (Poetry with audio CD. 12-14)

Pub Date: April 1, 2010

ISBN: 978-1-4022-1074-7

Page Count: 176

Publisher: The History Press/Trafalgar

Review Posted Online: May 13, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2010

Categories:

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT NONFICTION

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GIRLS

A HISTORY OF GROWING UP FEMALE IN AMERICA

by Penny Colman ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2000

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A brief discussion of the development and persistence of gender roles acts as an introduction to this excellent overview of what it has meant to be a girl in this country, from pre-colonial times to the present. Colman (Rosie the Riveter, 1995, etc.) never resorts to a generic ideal or tells the story as if she is speaking of an “everygirl”; instead, she allows a narrative to emerge from the histories and words of real people, from every social, ethnic, and economic level in the US. Some of the subjects and speakers are well-known, others are not (although they probably ought to be), but all are interesting and inspiring. Alice Greenough, daughter of “Packsaddle Ben” Greenough, grew up in the turn-of-the- century Montana wilderness where she did all the things her brothers did; Mary Elizabeth Bowser, a young black woman, worked with Elizabeth Van Lew, a middle-aged white woman, as spies for the Union army; Lilac Chen, a former prostitute in 19th- century San Francisco, tells how her own father sold her into slavery in China when she was only 6; and Yvonne “Eve” Blue, an obviously anorexic 14-year-old, maintained her gaunt frame by limiting herself to 140 calories a day—in 1926. These and dozens of other fascinating people offer more insight into gender roles better than any history text or sociological treatise, in lively writing that is greatly enhanced by page after page of black-and-white photographs, an extensive list of further reading, and a good index. A must-have for most collections. (Nonfiction. 8-12)