Social Studies Poetry

Book Review: Remember the Bridge: Poems of a People



Weatherford, Carole Boston. 2002. Remember the Bridge: Poems of a People. New York. Philomel Books. ISBN 0399237267

1. Review of Book:
In Remember the Bridge: Poems of a People, Carole Boston Weatherford writes a collection of poems describing the history of African Americans. The poems begin in Africa and move through the time of slavery and Reconstruction, into the Jazz Age, and to today. The poems describe the trials African Americans faced as they journeyed against their will to become the enslaved workers of another continent. They discuss the story of what Africans left behind-- and the horrors they faced in America. As the poems continue, Weatherford tells the story of the African-American, but moves from the past to the present writing poems about famous African Americans today. On each page there is a new poem. Some of the poems rhyme or have rhythm while others do not. Each poem is accompanied by either black and white photographs, illustrations, or lithographs that add to the overall imagery of the poem. The illustrations also give readers a glimpse and feeling of history, as well as a better understanding of each poem. Because of some of the content and vivid illustrations especially in regards to the harshness of slavery, the majority of the book is geared towards older students ages 13 and older. However the poems near the end of the book that discuss African Americans such as Harriet Tubman, Marian Anderson, Rosa Parks,and Martin Luther King Jr. can be shared and discussed with children ages 8-12. Overall, Weatherford's poems will definitely stimulate emotions and enrich children's knowledge when paired with a history unit on slavery and many African American's contributions to our country.

2. Classroom/Library Connection:
Follow Up Activity:
So many of Weatherford's poems can be easily paired and shared along with well-known non-fiction children's books. For example students can enjoy hearing the book, When Marian Sang: The True Recital of Marian Anderson, by Pam Munoz Ryan. After reading this book the poem, The Contralto, can be shared.

The Contralto (For Marian Anderson)

Banned from playing the concert hall,
she sang outdoors on a grassy mall.
Statues watched as she warmed the crowd,
filling the wind with a sound so proud,
spirituals, arias, from her soul,
rushing, rising as rivers roll.
Praising the Lord and His mighty hands,
her voice, a bell, pealed across the land.
She told America, I shall sing.
Listen, children, hear freedom ring!

Afterwards a discussion can be had comparing the poem to the story and some of Marian Anderson's songs can be played for the children to listen to.


3. Review Excerpts/Awards Won:
American Association of University Women Award for Juvenile Literature, 2002 Winner United States.

The stories of basket weavers, family farmers, cowboys, Civil War soldiers, quilt makers, and cooks are celebrated along with those of more famous figures in African American history in this powerful collection of poems that implores readers to learn and remember the past. Many poems are inspired by accompanying archival engravings and photographs: portraits of Madam C. J. Walker, Bessie Smith, and other legends; searing engravings of slave life, including a photograph of a man's back -- an exploded mass of thick-roped scars; an intimate, beautiful photograph of Martin Luther King Jr. feeding his young daughter. Unfortunately, there are no captions for the images, information that was perhaps sacrificed to maintain the bold design. Readers need to flip to an appended page of small print for the photo and illustration credits. The sing-song rhythms in the poems' rhymed couplets also work against the somberness and horror described in many of the selections, but the style suites the more celebratory passages, and together the words and images tell unforgettable stories about the individuals who endured and created culture and change. The final poem, "I Am the Bridge" is a rousing defense for knowing and connecting with history. Gillian Engberg (Booklist, Feb. 15, 2002 (Vol. 98, No. 12))

Science Poetry

Book Review: Animal Poems of the Iquazu/Animalario del Iguazu



Alarcon, Francisco X. 2008. Animal Poems of the Iquazu/Animalario del Iguazu. Ill by Maya Christina Gonzalez. California. Children's Book Press. ISBN 9780892392254

1. Review of Book:
In Animal Poems of the Iquazu/Animalario del Iguazu Francisco X. Alarcon writes a collection of bilingual poems celebrating Argentina's lush rainforest and the Iguazu Waterfalls, one of the wonders of the natural world. In the introduction, Alarcon explains that the Iguazu National Park was established in 1934 to protect the waterfalls and the surrounding tropical rainforest. The park is filled with thousands of species of trees, plants, and animals, and he wrote most of the poems in this book after his many visits there. He also writes that many of these plants and animals are in danger along with the rainforests, so he wrote the poems to motivate everyone to take action to protect the Iguazu area as well as the world. Throughout Alarcon writes short poems about the species and sites one might see if they visited the park. Poems about both small and large animals, insects, the sky, the water, and what people do when they come to visit. The poems are short and informational, and geared towards a young audience ages 6 and up. With some poems Alarcon also gives side notes to explain the significance of the specie described in the poem, which adds meaning and helps readers to better understand. Children who speak and read both English and Spanish will be drawn to the poems because they are beautifully laid out amongst Christina Gonzalez's large and colorful detailed paintings. After reading these poems children will be inspired to learn more about other animals in the rainforest and they will want to know what they can do to help protect them.

2. Classroom/Library Connection
After sharing many of the poems about the different animals and features of the Iguazu, share the final poem of the book, Same Green Fate.

Same Green Fate
let's listen to
the green voice
of the rainforest

the colorful chorus
of so many flowers
trees and birds

let's learn
the distinct
living alphabets

of so many species
so many insects
and butterflies

let's be part
of the clamor and
song of this land:

you all belong
to us as we all
belong to you

protect all of us
for the Earth's fate
for your own sake

let's make the world
a true Ybira Reta-
a Land of the Trees

After sharing this poem, discuss what it means. Then have a class discussion and brainstorm what are things we can do to help the Paranaense Rainforest? Then refer to the back of the book which gives more information and resources in finding out more about the Iguasu National Park and the tri-national conservation project of the Paraneaense Rainforest. Have students break up into groups to continue to further research the rainforest by using the given online resources. Then have students write a persuasive letter convincing others of the importance of the rainforest and giving suggestions of what can be done to protect and save it.

3. Review Excerpts/Awards Won:
Americas Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature, 2009 Honorable Mention United States
Cybil Award, 2008 Finalist Poetry United States

This eye-catching combination of brilliant illustrations and eloquently crafted bilingual poems celebrates the animal life and natural beauty of the rainforest. Alarc-n reflects his love for the biological diversity of Argentina's Iguazú Waterfalls National Park in graceful free-verse poems expressed in the voices of birds, lizards, jaguar, monkeys, river turtles, giant ants and even the "pesty mosquitos." The simple words—often playfully integrated into the illustrations as shaped poems—stress the natural balance of the Iguazú and remind readers that "for all of us / wild animals and / plants of the rainforest / there are no limits / only one Earth / without borders." The multimedia illustrations feature lush, glowing paints that depict the animals (including humans) set against a backdrop of cut-paper strips that comprise the rainforest's verdant growth. A concluding verse, "Same Green Fate," explicitly states the overall theme: "protect all of us / for the Earth's fate / for your own sake / let's make the world / a true Ybirá Retá— / a Land of the Trees." Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, July 1, 2008 (Vol. 76, No. 13))

Biographical Poetry

Book Review: The Poet Slave of Cuba: A Biography of Juan Francisco Manzano.















Engle, Margarita. 2006. The Poet Slave of Cuba: A Biography of Juan Francisco Manzano. Ill by Sean Qualls. New York. Henry Holt and Company. ISBN 0805077065

1. Review of Book:
In The Poet Slave of Cuba, Margarita Engle uses verse poetry to tell the biography of Juan Francisco Manzano, a Cuban slave who escaped to become a famous poet. The poems are written from Juan's point of view as well as a variety of others' perspectives. They begin when Juan is born into the household of a wealthy slave owner in Cuba in 1797. From there we follow Juan throughout his life as a slave and learn of his numerous owners and the pain he endured for so many years. Even though he was denied an education he still had a love and an exceptional talent for poetry. In the final few poems we learn of Juan's courageous escape to freedom. In the back of her book, Engle also gives further insight to Juan Francisco Manzano's poetry, his life as a slave, and a little about his life after slavery even though not much is known today. Due to the graphic and emotional subject matter of slavery, this book is truly meant for middle school children and up. However, even though Juan endures and manages to survive the worst, Engle uses skillful verse to show that Juan never gives up hope during his challenges and eventually overcomes it, something that younger students can also relate to and understand. Sean Qualls' black and white illustrations paint small pictures for the reader at times portraying a face or an expression, but they lack color and details to leave much up to the imagination. Overall, this book will bring insight to the issue of slavery in Latin American countries and would be an interesting read for students studying this topic.

2. Classroom/Library Connection:
The Poet Slave of Cuba will best be understood after reading the entire book portraying Juan's point of view as well as the other characters. However, the book can be introduced and will draw children in by beginning by reading the first verse of the book about Juan.

My mind is a brush made of feathers
painting pictures of words
I remember
all that I see
every syllable
each word a twin of itself
telling two stories
at the same time
one of sorrow
the other hope...

Follow-up Activity:
After reading this first poem invite volunteers to take on the roles of Juan and the other characters of the novel. Have them read the rest of the poems aloud acting out each of the characters. The book ends learning of Juan's escape, but not much is known about his life afterwards. As a result, students can choose Juan or one of the other characters from the biography and write a conclusion to each of the character's stories.

3. Review Excerpts/ Awards Won:
Americas Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature, 2007 Winner United States
IRA Children's and Young Adult's Book Award, 2007 Winner Young Adult-Nonfiction International
Paterson Prize for Books for Young People, 2007 Special Recognition United States
Pura Belpre Award, 2008 Winner Narrative United States

In plain, stirring free verse, Engle dramatizes the boyhood of the nineteenth-century Cuban slave Juan Francisco Manzano, who secretly learned to read and wrote poetry about beauty and courage in his world of unspeakable brutality. His present-tense narrative begins when he is six, when his parents are set free. He remains behind with a mistress who treats him like a pet, making him perform for guests. When she dies, five years later, he is given to a cruel, crazy woman, who has him beaten and locked up at whim. He doesn't escape until he is nearly 16. Side-by-side with Juan's anguished voice are the narratives of other characters, including his mother, his demonic owners, and the white child who secretly tries to help. Qualls' occasional black-and-white sketches express Juan's suffering and strength, and a brief afterword fills in historical background. Related in fast-moving poetry, the cruelty is vivid, as is the boy's amazing inner power: tied, gagged, and beaten, Juan knows his owner "can't hear the stories I tell myself." Today's readers will hear the stories, though--and never forget them. Hazel Rochman (Booklist, Feb. 15, 2006 (Vol. 102, No. 12))