Poetry Friday Roundup is hosted today by Random Noodling.

My selection is The Tree That Time Built: a celebration of nature, science and imagination.

This anthology of nature-inspired poems was collected by Mary Ann Hoberman, 2008 U.S. Children's Poet Laureate and Linda Winston, anthropologist and teacher and includes more than 100 poems and a CD.

Poets ranging from Yokoi Yayu (1703-1783) and Wislawa Szymborska (Nobel Prize for Literature 1996) - to names perhaps more familiar: Dylan Thomas, Ogden Nast, Robert Frost and Tony Johnston share the pages offering a rich variety of styles and thoughts on the natural world.  A Glossary, Suggestions for Further Reading and Research, and Thumbnail biographies of the poets provide added depth for this inspiring collection.

Writers Wednesday

The extraordinary Maya Angelou

My favorite quote:

 

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." –Maya Angelou, 1928-2014

Nonfiction Monday

For Nonfiction Monday  --  "The Poppy Lady: Moina Belle Michael and her tribute to veterans" by Barbara Elizabeth Walsh with paintings by Layne Johnson.

 

Georgia schoolteacher Moina Michael knew she had to do something to support the young men being sent into combat during World War I. She rolled bandages, knitted socks, provided books and food. She wanted to do more, but what? The answer came to her in the words of a poem by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae which begins:

"In Flanders Fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses row on row,"

Walsh tells the story of how that inspiration became Moina Michaels crusade to show support for the troops both past and present by wearing a red poppy. Walsh informs her work with interviews and references to Michael's book "TheMiracle Flower."

Johnson's paintings convey just the right tone for this thoughtful and inspiring story.

Read about the History of Memorial Day ,

Moina Michael

and the Memorial Day Poppy.

Find her poem: We Shall Keep the Faith

which she wrote as a response to In Flanders Field.

Read In Flanders Field, here.

Enjoy the day and remember!

Poetry Friday

Poetry Friday is hosted today by VioletNesdoly / poems.

For Poetry Friday -- "Fireflies at Midnight" by Marilyn Singer with pictures by Ken Robbins.

 

Singer treats her young audience to a lively collection of verses that carry the reader from dawn to midnight on a summer's day. Cheerful robins greet the morning, horses laze in the sun, rabbits disappear at dusk, frogs boast in the evening and fireflies share their brilliance at midnight. Singer collects a diverse group of creatures and each poem effectively capture the voice of the varied animals as she does in these opening lines for "Otter."

 

"It starts with the slide

with the mud

with the ride.

Then the splash

and the dip

and the flip

and the glide."

 

This is a book that begs to be read aloud for the pleasure of the words, as an invitation to observe the natural world, and as a lovely introduction to a study of animals.

Writers Wednesday

Are you wondering why that manuscript was rejected . . . again?

You might find the answer in the remarks from an editor, a literary agent, and an author as they respond to the question in this post:

Top 3 Reasons Why Fiction Manuscripts Get Rejected

Written by M.J. Moores @ Authors Publish Magazine. 

 

 

Writers Wednesday

Memoir: a written account in which the writer chronicles his/her personal history or the history of someone else based on their own knowledge of the individual.


If you've ever considered writing a memoir then you might enjoy "The Importance of Memories" which is today's post at The Blood-Red Pencil.

The post includes a link to Kim Pearson's posts on the subject of memoir writing.

Nonfiction Monday

For other Nonfiction Monday posts click HERE. 

For Nonfiction Monday  --  "Arlington: the story of our nation's cemetery" written and illustrated by Chris Demarest.

 

With Memorial Day just two weeks away, it seemed appropriate to share this story of Arlington Cemetery. Demarest has created a work that traces the history of Arlington from its early connection to George Washington through present day. Following the death of his father, George Washington Parke Custis was adopted and raised by his grandparents, George and Martha Washington. At the age of 21, Parke Custis began building Arlington House on land inherited from his father. The property was inherited by Custis' son-in-law, Robert E. Lee and eventually sold to the federal government by Lee's son. The first Revolutionary War dead were reburied at Arlington in 1892.

 

Demarest's research broadens the scope of the book to include details such as the creation of Freedman's Village, a home to more than one thousand freed slaves and other points of interest related to the Arlington property. The author notes that 300,000 people are buried at Arlington and provides a brief list of some of the familiar writers, activists, justices and presidents. He also includes a list of the many memorials to be found. Demarest concludes his work with a personal look at his own experience of his father's burial at Arlington and a discussion of his illustrations.

 

Written in picture book format, but crafted for older readers grades 3-6, this is a work that will provide its audience with a well-researched study that is both comprehensive and respectful. Beautiful watercolor illustrations offer glimpses of Arlington from varied perspectives. A timeline, author's notes, and suggestions for further reading provide opportunities for enriched study. Common Core compatible.