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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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LEFTY CARMICHAEL HAS A FIT

by Don Trembath ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 15, 2000

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After years of normal living, a teenager learns he has epilepsy and has to cope not just with the disease, but with the side effects, including the hostility of his peers. High schooler Lefty has an epileptic seizure while hanging out with his best friend, Reuben, and must subsequently learn to live with the disease, deal with medication, make lifestyle changes, overcome his own fear, as well as that of family and friends, and face his peers. What little action there is in this marathon talkfest concerns Lefty and his friends (including his 12-year-old brother) smoking and drinking. In his tough, working-class neighborhood this is considered perfectly normal, and the author never counters that. Most of readers’ efforts may be spent trying to keep track of the many characters: Lefty’s friends and brothers, his mother’s tough-as-nails girlfriends, neighbors, classmates, medical personnel, etc. When Lefty, a budding writer, pens an imaginary dialogue between two elderly neighbors and a would-be mugger, the story picks up; otherwise this is a flat and emotionally distant bull session that, though extended, leads nowhere. (Fiction. 11-13)

Pub Date: Jan. 15, 2000

ISBN: 1-55143-166-1

Page Count: 215

Publisher: Orca

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2000

Categories:

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT NONFICTION

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CAREER IDEAS FOR KIDS WHO LIKE MATH

by Diane Lindsey Reeves ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2000

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paper 0-8160-4096-6 Even those readers not necessarily seeking a career guide will find this an enlightening introduction to math-oriented, math- dependent jobs of many kinds. Reeves leads off with a lengthy self-test to help readers determine whether a career in mathematics is appropriate. She subsequently covers 15 careers, ranging from actuary work to urban planning, giving a general description of each occupation, a list of fascinating websites, and a profile of someone who actually does each particular job. The chapters are followed by a list of careers in science, health, aviation, and more, all requiring a degree of proficiency in math. Finally, a working plan is laid out, to help readers organize the steps necessary to break into and thrive in their chosen fields. Plenty of useful information has been packed into this book, written in a lively and interesting manner that will engage browsers as well as those gazing into the future. (b&w drawings and photographs, bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 12-14)