January - February 2003

BOOK REVIEW
Pass the Poetry, Please by Lee Bennett Hopkins
Reviewed By Lynne Remick

Written for parents, teachers, and educators, this comprehensive poetry guide provides invaluable assistance in introducing poetry to children. For children’s writers, it’s a cup of inspiration and motivation -- filled to the brim with poetry, tips, profiles, recommended reading lists and more!

Part one provides a definition of a poem: “A poem is often an experience -- something that has happened to a person, something that may seem very obvious, an everyday occurrence that has been set down in a minimum number of words and lines as it has never been set down before. These experiences depend upon the poets -- who they are, when and where they live, why and how a specific thing affected them at a given moment.” The definition alone provides seeds from which to grow poetry!

After careful study of poetry and its intent (as well as guidelines for reading it), Hopkins introduces the reader to twenty-four of the best children’s poets -- John Ciardi, Robert Frost, Nikki Giovanni, Jack Prelutsky, Shel Silverstein, Jane Yolen and others. Part three, deals with “Sparking Children to Write Poetry,” but don’t be put off by the title. This exploration of poetry terms and forms will spark adults to write poetry, too! “From Acorns to Zinnias,” part four, leads the reader on a path to writing and reading themed poetry through example.

While this book will help you “pass the poetry ” to others, you won’t want to pass along the book -- there’s just too much good stuff in it!

About the Author: Lee Bennett Hopkins is a poet and distin-guished editor of many poetry anthologies, including My America, Poetry of the United States, Marvelous Math and many more! In addition, Hopkins has founded two poetry awards: The Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award and The Lee Bennett Hopkins/International Reading Association Promising Poet Award.