Poetry Friday

Poetry Friday is hosted today by Check It Out.

My selection is "Falling Down the Page" -- an anthology of list poems edited by Georgia Heard. 

This is a collection of 32 works by such well known poets as Jane Yolen, Allan Wolf, Rebecca Kai Dotlich, Lee Bennett Hopkins and editor Georgia Heard.  The book is formatted like a note pad, long, slim, and bound at the top which allows the poetry to be displayed vertically, and the poems do indeed "fall down the page."

The anthology is a celebration of childhood's everyday activities and the list poems are as varied as the poets: "Things to Do If You Are a Pencil" by Elaine Magliaro, "Winter's Presents" by Patricia Hubbell, "Good-Byes" by Eileen Spinelli, and "Chorus of Four Frogs" by David Harrison. 

Teachers will find this collection accessible and fun for their students and a great opportunity to invite children to create their own list poems. 

Writer's Wednesday

I've been reading and offering suggestions for a number of writers this week. Their work varies from essays and short stories to memoirs and novels.

Regardless of their writing styles or goals they all have one problem in common: how to approach editing. Everyone expresses the same frustration with the overwhelming scope of an edit and the difficulty of knowing where to begin. I don't know why, but new writers always seem to feel they are supposed to solve all their manuscript problems in one massive rewrite.

That's just not how the process works. Editing happens in stages -- which explains why we go through so many rewrites on our way to creating a manuscript worthy of publishing.

Begin with the big items first:

• Know your audience. Are you writing for a magazine or newspaper? Are you creating a book for a specific age or interest group? Every type of publishing has guidelines about format, word length, etc. Do your homework and have the criteria in mind before you begin to edit. You'll avoid wasted effort.
  



• Structure your work appropriately whether it's nonfiction or fiction -- Is it logical? Can the reader follow your reasoning in an essay or the action of your plot without becoming confused or lost?
  



• Are the characters distinct and multi-dimensional with clearly defined goals? Do their actions and motives arise out of who they are or are they dancing like puppets on a string at the whim of the author? Are their choices believable?
  



• Find your voice. Identify your distinct style of expression as essayist, narrator or fictional character.

It is very likely that you will need to do a separate rewrite for each of these points to allow you to focus on each element. When you are satisfied with the results, it's time to look at some of the other essentials of good writing.

I'll explore those next time.

Meanwhile, remember that the object of critiquing your work is to create the best piece of writing possible. Your goal is to make your writing accessible to your readers.

Nonfiction Monday

Nonfiction Monday is hosted today by Books Together.

My selection is "2030: a day in the life of tomorrow's kids" by Amy Zuckerman and James Daly with illustrations by John Manders.

What will the future bring for today's students? The authors speculate on a variety of futuristic possibilities: a watch that sends the wearer's temperature, blood pressure and feelings directly to the doctor, holograms in the classroom, robots, and virtual reality sports are some of the highlights, but advances in technology aren't the only topics. Social, environmental, and cultural changes are also explored and there are discussions of overpopulation, starvation and health concerns. The cartoon-style illustrations depict a world that children will identify with as they follow one boy's activities through the day.

Poetry Friday

Poetry Friday is hosted today by Picture Book of the Day.

My selection is "An Egret's Day" written by Jane Yolen with photographs by Jason Stemple.

Yolen has created a "day in the life" that combines her poetry with clearly organized information and beautifully conceived photographs. Yolen makes use of a variety of poetic forms and a paragraph of scientific discussion to explore egret behavior, biology and habitat.

Nonfiction Monday

Nonfiction Monday is hosted today by Chapter Book of the Day.

My selection is "Claude Monet: the painter who stopped trains" written by P.I. Maltbie with illustrations by Joseph A. Smith.

The name Monet may forever be linked with water-lilies, but Maltbie has found an entirely new aspect of the renowned artist's work to celebrate in this narrative non-fiction book. Inspired by his son's love of trains and the need to silence his critics, Monet created a series of paintings of steam engines set in the first Paris train station, the Gare Saint-Lazare. His work brought him success with both the critics and popular audiences and encouraged other impressionist artists of the time. Information about Monet and the Impressionist movement is readily accessible to readers and the book provides another viewpoint of the man and the community of artists in his time. Smith's illustrations combine the techniques associated with Impressionism and his own sensibilities as an artist to create a visually satisfying complement to the text.

Artist and illustrator notes, a glossary, index to Monet's work and a list of museums and collections that house Monet's artwork is included.

Poetry Friday

Poetry Friday Roundup is hosted today by The Writer's Armchair with Toby Speed.

My selection is "City kids: street & skyscraper rhymes" by X.J. Kennedy with illustrations by Philippe Beha.

Award-winning poet X.J. Kennedy examines urban life in this mostly exuberant collection of child-friendly verses. His poetry is short and engaging and explores city life through places, experiences and characters. Subways, laundromats, museums, zoos, pollution, crime, street performers, a firefighter lost on 9/11, and the Leaflet Man all receive attention. Beha's colorful cubist style artwork complements the text's alternating intensity and light-heartedness.

Writer's Wednesday

It's a working writer's day for me.

However, let me recommend this terrific post from Author/Agent Mandy Hubbard titled: The Epic Post on Trends (YA & MG). This post has created a lot of buzz on the SCBWI list serve and is worth a read.