Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} I Am the Book by Lee Bennett Hopkins Casey's SLIS Multi-Purpose Blog. This blog serves many purposes as I pursue my Master of Library Science Degree from Texas Woman's University. I am aspiring to become an elementary school librarian to not only instill in children a love for reading, but also to motivate them to read and help them find text to self connections. I believe it is through these connections, a child can learn more about himself. Monday, February 4, 2013. Hopkins Collection: I AM THE BOOK by Lee Bennett Hopkins. Appeal/Layout: The physical appeal of the book is not one that is catchy. The acrylic painting illustrations are bright throughout. The typeset is not varied much, but the titles of the poems are in a different color than the actual poem. A table of contents is offered for ease in locating a specific poem, and the titles of the poems listed alternate between two different colors so that differentiating between them is easy. The characters that are used to illustrate the poems are not appealing, but the way pictures of books are painted as objects are very fascinating. The poems cover enjoyable feelings of what books do for people AND how books might feel if abandoned or not properly cared for. The back of the book contains a small paragraph written about each of the poets included in the book. Overall Quality: Thirteen accomplished poets have contributed to Hopkins’ collection of thirteen poems. The poems compliment the title of the book and all seem geared towards the enjoyment (rather than any other emotion) of a good piece of literature. I found this book to be on my list of “non-favorites” as it does not seem to tap into more than one emotion for the reader to connect to. If a reader does not enjoy reading as much as the poets, it would be hard for the reader to relate. Book Reviews by Ms. LaCaze. Literature for Children & Young Adults with a few others thrown in there too. Tag Archives: Lee Bennett Hopkins. City I Love by Lee Bennett Hopkins. Bibliographic Citation Hopkins, Lee Bennett. 2009. City I Love . Ill. by Marcellus Hall. New York: Abrams Books for Young Readers. ISBN: 9780810983274. Image from Amazon.com (Click to view the book on Amazon) Review City I Love is written by well-known children’s poet, Lee Bennett Hopkins, and illustrated by Marcellus Hall. It is a collection of 18 short poems about various cities across the globe from London and New York City to Venice and Mexico City. All of the poems in the book are short, some shorter than others, but the descriptive style of each poem makes the book very cohesive. The layout of the book flows together but is not exactly uniformed for each poem. Many poems cover a double page spread while others do not, but each layout works for its particular poem. This book follows a little brown dog with a backpack and a blue bird as they embark on an international adventure. Not only are the poems appealing to a young audience, but also readers will enjoy trying to find the dog and his bird companion in each poem. Another fun thing about this book would be trying to guess which city the dog and bird are in for each poem. The images are gorgeous, but they don’t have the city name written on them, which is fun. Since school age children start learning about cities and transportation early on, they can relate to these poems, but they can also learn from them. In the poem “Taxi” there is a Double Decker bus with a British flag, Big Ben in the background, and the taxi driver is driving on the other side of the car. All of these images hint that the dog and bird are in London, but younger readers may not know this, so it can become a fun game. Many of the poems within the book do not rhyme like the poem “Sparrow,” “Lucky to be born / on this balcony, sparrow / awaits city flights”. However, some poems, such as “Sing a Song of Cities”, do rhyme. This poem begins, “Sing a song of cities. / If you do, / cities will sing back to you”. One of the things I really like about this book is how descriptive it is. Hopkins uses many adjectives to describe each city experience, and really gives the reader a feeling about each place. For example, in the poem “City Lights”, which is about Tokyo, says, “Blazing lights / flicker / flash / glitter gleam / twinkle / sparkle / bedazzle / beam / so / brilliantly / bright”. I also like the spacing in some of the poems and the way he uses the text to create an image. For example, in the poem “Snow City”, he uses the word “down” and the letters are descending. Highlighted Poem. Subways are people- People standing People sitting People swaying to and fro Some in suits Some in tatters People I will never know. Subways are people- Some with glasses Some without Boy with smile Girl with Frown People dashing Steel flashing Up and down and round the town. Subways are people- People old People new People always on the go Racing, running, rushing people People I will never know. Activity As a group we will talk about diversity. To introduce this concept to younger children I would use a crayon box, and we’d discuss how all the crayons are different, but they all go together in the same box. To reinforce that cities are full of diversity, we will read this poem aloud and discuss all the different kinds of people on the subway. The students will then make a mask out of a paper plate of one of the people on the subway that they saw today who is different from them. Spotlight on NCTE Poets: Lee Bennett Hopkins, with Sylvia Vardell. “…it is the stuff of all existence.” Welcome to the fifteenth episode of SPOTLIGHT ON NCTE POETS! The videos in this series with Lee Bennett Hopkins are brief and personal looks at all the recipients of the NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children. This series isn’t about analyzing the poets and their work, but rather about preserving Lee’s personal recollections, insights, and memories of each of these amazing people . Through these short interviews, we hope to foster an appreciation of the poets and their work by “reading it and loving it from the heart,” as Lee says. This installment brings us to a prolific and celebrated educator, poet, author, and anthologist who has dedicated his life to the advocacy of children’s poetry, to the benefit of us all. Lee Bennett Hopkins. Guest Speaker: Sylvia Vardell. Obviously, Lee could not speak about himself, so I called in another important and well known children’s poetry advocate and scholar , Dr. Sylvia Vardell, to do the honors for this episode. Sylvia is a professor of children’s literature at Texas Woman’s University, the author of numerous books for teachers, and one half of the team (with Janet Wong) for the Poetry Friday Anthology series. She blogs on children’s poetry at Poetry for Children. I am indebted to Sylvia for the time she took to research and prepare her excellent comments on Lee and to put up with an interview with me! Thank you, Sylvia! A Personal Note. I do not usually include my personal thoughts on the poets themselves, since that is Lee’s territory, but this is a special case. When I first interviewed Lee in 2013, I had no idea it would be the beginning of such a beautiful friendship. In the intervening years, I’ve come to look upon Lee as my own personal Willy Wonka of children’s poetry , a delightful, eccentric, wacky man who has led me into a world of pure imagination — and encouraged me to become a part of it. We have been working on this NCTE series for over two years, and in that time we have spent countless hours on Skype — most of them going off on tangents about poets and poetry that have enriched my own knowledge more than any master class ever could. By sharing his vast experience, Lee has given me a great gift — and indeed, has given that gift to us all through this series and through his continued, fervent advocacy of poetry and, more importantly, of poets both established and emerging. I struggled with figuring out how to thank Lee for this gift and for his dear friendship. In the end, I realized there are a lot of people out there who would also like to thank him. And so, with the generous contributions of 56 children’s poets, I have put together a special tribute video as our collective small way of saying a BIG thank you! That video appears at the end of the post. On with the show! In 2009, Lee Bennett Hopkins became the fifteenth recipient of the NCTE award. Celebrating with Walter Dean Myers, Rebecca Kai Dotlich, Me, Jane Yolen, J. Patrick Lewis, Georgia Heard, Sylvia Vardell, Janet Wong. As Lee himself has often noted, he was not a big reader as a child, but once he became a teacher, he realized how important poetry could be for kids. He was one of the first to bring the poetry of beloved adult poets — particularly Langston Hughes in Don’t You Turn Back (1969) — to a younger audience, thus getting an early start on what would become an incredible career as an anthologist. (Click on graphics to enlarge and read.) Indeed, I knew Lee first as an anthologist, and it was only later that I realized he had written plenty of work on his own, and in many genres. From the poetic ABC’s of Alphathoughts (2003)… …to the sweet observations in Kim’s Place (1974)… …to the joyous adventure of City I Love (2010), which takes us on a trip around the urban world, accompanied by dog and bird… …to the absolute poetic charm of the theatrical Full Moon and Star (2011), where Lee brought his love of theater to children … …to the myriad other collections that show not only Lee’s vast reach into all subjects, but also his ability to speak to children in their own language . Some of Lee’s collections, 1970-2012. And in 1995, WordSong published Lee’s touching autobiographical novel in poems , Been to Yesterdays: Poems of a Life , which won the Christopher Award and was a Golden Kite Award honor book. And it’s still in print! In my 2013 interview with Lee, he said about Been to Yesterdays : “My teenage years were in turmoil. I had a single-parent mother. It wasn’t easy growing up. But it was a wonderful childhood in many ways. We learned. We were streetwise.” With friend and mentor Charlotte Huck at the launch of BEEN TO YESTERDAYS. Lee did not restrict himself to poetry, however, penning also two autobiographical novels for young people — the popular Mama and Mama & Her Boys — as well as other novels and an autobiography. Lee’s role as a teacher clearly gave him the nudge to write many professional books for teachers , librarians, and parents. In fact, Pass the Poetry, Please! : Bringing Poetry into the Minds and Hearts of Children , first published in 1972, stayed in print for over twenty-five years — and no doubt inspired countless teachers to bring poetry into their students’ lives . Of course, Lee has always been a very busy bee, so in between all his own books, he was still crafting gorgeous anthologies featuring other people’s work. Over the years, his opus grew… Some of Lee’s anthologies, 1969-1976. …and flourished … …and burgeoned… …and bust out all over… until… …one of Sylvia Vardell’s students decided Lee belonged in the Guiness Book of World Records , and she made it happen! Lee on the Guinness distinction: “Guinness was a total shock . It was all due to Sylvia Vardell and one of her doctoral students, who initiated this and saw it through. I had nothing to do with it. It was a thrill and an honor.” The I CAN READ Books. Amid the flurry of anthologies, Lee also had another idea that eventually turned into the ever-popular I Can Read poetry series for beginning readers. This is what Lee had to say about the series in my 2013 interview: “One of my true favorites is a book called Surprises (I Can Read Book 3) , which was the first I Can Read poetry book. I have wonderful memories of it because it was done with Charlotte Zolotow , who was my brilliant editor at Harper Collins. One day we were having lunch in New York, and I said, ‘Charlotte, the I Can Read series has been out since the 1950s when Maurice Sendak and Else Minarik did Little Bear , and there has never been an I Can Read book of poetry.’ Charlotte dropped a fork on the floor of the restaurant and said, ‘Oh. My. God. Do it.’ And I thought, this is going to be a knockout. “The book took over two years. Each poem in an I Can Read book can have only 36 characters per line , including punctuation and spaces. The I Can Read books are very difficult to do, but I love them. Surprises was done in 1984 and it’s still in print and still a big seller.” Phew! Are you tired yet? But wait, there’s more! Not one to rest on his laurels, Lee forged ahead to create anthology after anthology that really spoke to classroom teachers and made it easy for them to integrate poetry into the curriculum , in any subject. Like BUGS. In fact, my first encounter with Lee’s work was with the delightful Nasty Bugs , gorgeously illustrated by Will Terry. Then when you look past the bugs and you find a vast galaxy of poems about everything in the…well, the galaxy! Imagine how excited teachers must be when they discover there are poems about math , like these jewels in Marvelous Math , so richly illustrated by Karen Barbour. And there are poems about science ! And about reading and books and words ! And nature ! I love Lee’s simple yet evocative language and imagery in both of these poems. Such gentle poems. And let’s not forget history and American themes , which Lee seems to have a particular gifted for. Indeed, the breadth of Lee’s body of work is a thing to behold. In one fell swoop, he can take us from the dignified and historical , as in Lives: Poems about Famous Americans … …to the silly-sounding Oh, No! Where Are My Pants? and Other Disasters: Poems , which, on closer inspection, isn’t that silly at all. The poignant poems in this book speak to kids’ reality and touch gently on subjects like insecurity, loss, embarrassment, longing, and every other emotion kids feel. In fact, I have to share a couple more. Aren’t these gorgeous? That rabbit poem…gah! And the list of goodness goes on and on. And yes, although Lee’s books are a perfect fit for teachers of any subject , for writers they are also a virtual master class in craft from all the best children’s writers. But most of all, they are simply lovely books to enjoy . Take away the teaching aspect and the learning aspect and the craft aspect, and what you’re left with are beautiful poems to inspire and delight you . And Lee himself says that’s what poetry is really all about. So I will end this overview of Lee’s work with two more snippets of amazing books to simply enjoy. It’s been an enlightening journey getting to know Lee and his enduring work. His passion and dedication to children’s literature — and to mentoring and championing new voices — is a true inspiration to teachers, writers, and kids. What gifts he’s given us! SYLVIA VARDELL on LEE BENNETT HOPKINS. In His Own Words: Lee Bennett Hopkins on. Poetry. “Poetry and I fit together. I can’t imagine being without it. It is food and drink; it is all seasons; it is the stuff of all existence.” “Give children poetry. It is one of the best gifts you can give them. A gift to last a lifetime.” Teaching Poetry to Children. “Don’t dissect poetry. Enjoy it, every day. There shouldn’t be a day without poetry. It fits into every area of the curriculum, every area of life.” “Avoid the DAM (dissect and memorize) approach!” What Makes a Good Children’s Poem. “I simply call it the ‘ooh’ factor . If I read a poem and I go ‘ooh,’ then I love it. It has to knock me out. It’s craft, and more so honesty and truth . Genuine. The writer gets it. It’s an emotion, something that hits you like a ton of bricks. Like Langston Hughes with ‘Dreams’: it’s only eight lines but it gives you enough to think about for the rest of your life. ‘ When dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly’ – I mean, that’s craft, it’s honesty, it’s tough, and it’s poetry. Creating Anthologies. “Doing anthologies is fascinating because you can take the best of the best of the best . In any poet’s single collection, there’s wonderful stuff and there’s okay stuff. I found mining for the best pieces and putting them together, particularly in an anthology with different voices, gives it such a rich look. In most of my anthologies, there’s a beginning, a middle, and an end, so that hopefully when a child or adult picks up the collection, they’ll read it as a book and not just a series of isolated poems. “And I think that’s the trick, meshing the poetry. Often in my anthologies, the last line of a poem will reflect the title of the next poem . It’s a thing that I’ve developed that I just find fascinating.” (from my April 2013 interview with LBH) Photo from 1982: With good friends Dorothy Strickland, former President of IRA; LBH; Ezra Jack Keats, Caldecott Winner for THE SNOWY DAY; Priscilla Lynch, Executive at Scholastic, Inc. Publishing. “Publishing is a business, and all writers should know that. It’s not a game for sissies. No one is immune to rejection. If you believe in a manuscript , I maintain that it’s better in the mail than in your desk. Keep sending it out. ” (from my April 2013 interview with LBH) SPECIAL TRIBUTE TO LEE BENNETT HOPKINS. Note: In celebration of Lee’s NCTE win in 2009, Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong invited poets to contribute to Dear One , a tribute book of poems in honor of Lee. Some of the poets in the tribute video recited or sent those poems as their tribute, and I have noted those cases where possible. I am grateful to Sylvia and Janet for sharing this and other resources with me. More about Lee Bennett Hopkins. Dates: b. 1938 in Scranton, PA Occupation(s): Elementary teacher; senior consultant to Bank Street College’s Learning Resource Center in Harlem, New York; curriculum specialist for Scholastic; writer, poet, speaker, anthologist. Education: Newark State Teachers College (now Kean University); Bank Street College of Education (master’s degree); Hunter College (administration degree) Recognition: In 2016, Hopkins received the prestigious Regina Medal award sponsored by the Catholic Library Association; 2011 Award for Excellence in Educational Leadership/New Jersey Education Association; 2010 Florida Lifetime Achievement Award/Southwest Florida Reading Festival; 2009 NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children; 1995 Christopher Award; 1995 Golden Kite honor; 1989 University of Southern Mississippi Medallion for “lasting contributions to children’s literature”; 1980 honorary Doctor of Laws degree/Kean University. Lee’s website: LeeBennettHopkins.com See a list of Lee’s favorite selected titles on his website Complete bibliography of all Lee’s books on Wikipedia. Lee has established as well as some of those he’s won. Many interviews of Lee are accessible online. Here are a few I liked: Interview by Michelle Barnes at Today’s Little Ditty Interview on No Water River Audio interview by Kenn Nesbitt on Poetry4Kids. WINNERS of the NCTE AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN POETRY FOR CHILDREN. (First links go to NCTE articles about each winner; second links go to NWR video posts) (Criteria for award) I Am the Book. Readers will unlock a treasure trove of poems in this exuberant celebration of reading. A book is a wonderful, magical treat. The thirteen poems in this collection encourage young readers to snuggle up with a story and stretch their imaginations, to splash in a sea of tales by day and swashbuckle through chapters late at night. Playful illustrations by Yayo compliment thought-provoking poems by Jane Yolen, Rebecca Kai Dotlich, Naomi Shihab Nye, and others. About the Author: Lee Bennett Hopkins is the recipient of the Christopher Award, the University of Southern Mississippi's Medallion, and the NCTE Poetry Award. He is also the founder of the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award. He lives in Cape Coral, Florida. Yayo has won numerous prizes for his illustrations. Kirkus Reviews praised the whimsy and fun in his illustrations for The King Who Barked by Charlotte Foltz Jones. A native of Colombia, he lives in Montreal, Canada. "About this title" may belong to another edition of this title. We guarantee the condition of every book as it's described on the Abebooks web sites. If you're dissatisfied with your purchase (Incorrect Book/Not as Described/Damaged) or if the order hasn't arrived, you're eligible for a refund within 30 days of the estimated delivery date. If you've changed your mind about a book that you've ordered, please use the Ask bookseller a question link to contact us and we'll respond within 2 business days. Orders usually ship within 2 business days. Shipping costs are based on books weighing 2.2 LB, or 1 KG. If your book order is heavy or over sized, we may contact you to let you know extra shipping is required. I am the Book by Lee Bennett Hopkins. I am the Book is a collection of poems that are centered around books and reading. Each poem uses reading as a “metaphoric vessel” transporting the reader to an array of adventures. Going to the fair, finding lost treasure, and swashbuckling with pirates are just some of the adventures that readers can look forward to. Critical Analysis. This book includes a collection of 13 poems that are written by some of the best children’s authors/poets around. Each poem has a double- page spread, which includes a large illustration and poem. Each poem is written in larger-type font, and includes a title and author. A major theme of the book is “the imaginative journey of reading”, and uses each poem to set the stage for the reader’s imagination. To accomplish this, sensory language, onomatopoeia, and metaphor are frequently used. Most the poems use rhyme, however, the rhyming pattern is different in just about all of them. The stanzas or line patterns help the reader to emphasize certain words or read a poem with an intended rhythm. There is also a positive attitude towards reading within this book, which might help children feel more encouraged to read. The “about the poets” section at the back of the book could be a reference for readers who might want to find more poems by one of the authors. Each poem is short and easy to read, so even reluctant readers could find themselves reading this book. A table of contents is added to help readers find poems more easily. The illustrations in this book are vividly breathtaking, and greatly assist the reader with imagery. Each poem has its own illustration that goes along with its contents. In each illustration, a book is shown as the object or adventure that the poem is outlining. For example, the poem about liking to read and swim has the book shown as a swimming pool. The colors of the illustrations are bright and seem to be painted with brushstrokes. Review Excerpts. 2013 Beehive Children’s Poetry Book Award Nominee. Booklist- “Fun for sharing with preschoolers, this will also spark discussion in grade-school writing and art classes. Notes about each poet are appended”. Connections. Read similar books such as: Salas, Laurie Purdie. 2011. BookSpeak!: Poems about Books . ISBN 9780547223001. Hopkins, Lee Bennett. 2004. Wonderful Words. ISBN 9780689835889. Hopkins, Lee Bennett. 2000. Good Books, Good Times! ISBN 978-0064462228. Activities for I am the Book: Use one the poems as a mentor text and have the students glue it into their writer’s notebooks on the right hand side. One the left-hand side, students can them write their own poem, emulating some of the style from the pasted poem. Older students could identify sensory language, onomatopoeia, and metaphors within a given poem. I Am the Book. I picked up a book of poetry edited Lee Bennett Hopkins, Wonderful Words , at the New England Mobile Book Fair earlier this month. It was one I hadn’t seen before. Everything inside of it are poems about writing, reading, listening and speaking. I particularly like one called “I Am the Book” by Tom Robert Shields. Here are the first two stanzas: I’ll be your friend stay by your side, contradict you, make you laugh or teary-eyed On a sun-summer morning. I’ll spark you, help you sleep, bring dreams you’ll forever keep On a dappled-autumn afternoon. Click here to get the book, which contains this poem and many others! Poetry Friday is being hosted at Mentor Texts, Read Alouds, and More this week.