Poetree

Poetree
by Shauna LaVoy Reynolds
illustrated by Shahrzad Maydani

Can a tree write poems?  After poetry-loving Sylvia attaches one of her poems to a tree, she is delightfully surprised to find, when she returns the next day, that a different poem has been put in its place.  Did the tree write back?   Unable to stop thinking about this special tree, Sylvia continues to share her poems.  A surprising, yet sweet, twist brings the story to a heartwarming conclusion.

This is a wonderful book that combines a sweet story with beautiful poetry!

Author's website: https://shaunalavoyreynolds.com/

Garvey's Choice

Garvey's Choice
by Nikki Grimes

Told in verse, this wonderful book is the story of Garvey, a young man more interested in science than athletics, much to the disappointment of his father. At school he faces frequent bullying due to his weight. Things take an interesting turn, however, when Garvey becomes a soloist for the chorus. Will Garvey’s father approve of his new love of singing?

I flew through this book! I always tell my students that, if I open a book don’t budge from the couch until I’m done, then I know it’s a great choice for me. Garvey is a likable character and, the more I got to know him, the more I wanted things to go his way. Many readers will be able to relate to the situations that Garvey goes through in this story. I love how the story was told in verse, each page was like its own little poem. An author’s note at the end shares that the story is told using an ancient form of poetry called Tanka, and she also gives a breakdown of how it is written.

I had the opportunity to hear Garvey's Choice author Nikki Grimes speak at the recent American Library Association annual conference in Chicago earlier this summer.  What an outstanding person - I had not read any of her books until I read Garvey's Choice, but I will be sure to read more of her work soon!

Author's website: http://www.nikkigrimes.com/

Guess Who, Haiku

Guess Who, Haiku
by Deanna Caswell
illustrated by Bob Shea
Can you guess who from the haiku?  Deanna Caswell has created fun, animal-themed riddles told in haiku!  Each haiku riddle is answered with a turn of the page, where the reader sees a sweet, bright illustration of the animal that the haiku on the previous page was about.  

This fun, engaging book is a great way to introduce haiku to growing readers.  I'm looking forward to sharing this new book with my kindergartners and first graders when we celebrate National Poetry Month in April!


Illustrator's website: http://bobshea.com/