Engrossing tales from the fifth grade Every child is like A little world with ever-changing weather, Nights and mornings. And somehow, here we are, Spinning through the universe together.
Unforgettable students in this fifth-grade classroom reveal their private feelings about birth and death, a missing bicycle and a first kiss, as well as their thoughts about recess, report cards, fitting in, and family.
Using a rich array of traditional poetic forms, such as sonnets, sestinas, and acrostics, Helen Frost interweaves the stories of the kids in Room 214 and their teacher. A final section giving detailed analyses of the twenty-two forms will be of special interest.
"Written in verse, each student speaks in a unique poetic voice whose form is explained in detail in a 'Notes on Forms' section. . . . Interwoven dramatic stories and interesting poetic patterns give this book extra appeal. A boon for poetry classes."
School Library Journal
"* Appropriate, original imagery and understated, natural voices make these poems sensitive and insightful. . . . The notes on how the form in each poem works are of particular value to teachers eager to guide students in their own poetry writing."
Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"* Poignantly conveyed. . . . Readers may be surprised at the complexity of the rules governing the writing, so naturally does the author seem to capture the poetic essence of the children's voices--she makes it look like so much fun that readers may want to try some of the forms themselves."
