New Poetry Book

The President's Stuck in the Bathtub

By: Susan Katz

Illustrated by: Robert Neubecker

Katz, Susan. 2012. The President's Stuck in the Bathtub: Poems About the Presidents. Ill. by Robert Neubecker. New York, NY: Clarion Books.

ISBN: 9780547182216

The President's Stuck in the Bathtub is an informative collection of poetry written by Susan Katz. Katz's collection consists of 44 poems, one for each president of the United States. Every poem in the book is written to further a child's knowledge about our past and present president. Some of the poems have rhythm and rhyme, while others are written in more of a verse format. Some of the poems are written in a shape. The poem about Abraham Lincoln and his stovepipe hat is written in the shape of his hat. Another aspect of the book is there are facts about each president located on the bottom of the page of their own personal poem. Some of the facts pertain to the president's family or pets. For, example William McKinley had a parrot that talked to everyone in the White House that walked by his cage.

All the poems are consistent in quality. The facts that Katz displays in her poetry are humorous. For example, the poem "Hatbox" is about Abraham Lincoln and how he used his stovepipe hat to carry important documents. The poem titled "The Naked Truth" is about how John Quincy Adams loved to skinny dip in the Potomac river. The poems in the book appeal to young readers because they are humorous, yet they are full of facts. These poems help extend the reader's knowledge about our nation's presidents. One of the helpful aspects of the poems in the book is that they enrich a person's insight to our country's leaders. I learned many interesting facts while reading, such as Andrew Jackson was a poor speller.

Robert Neubecker's illustrations are full of color and humor as well. For example, the poem about James Buchanan is titled "Funny Looking," and Katz explains how Buchanan had a bad eye and he would tilt his head to the side in favor of his good eye. Neubecker's illustration shows Buchanan with his head titled, as well as his dog.

Each poem displays a title, the name of the president, and the years of his service. Katz also has an index in the back listing all the presidents.

Children will enjoy this book of poems about our 44 presidents. They will gain knowledge and insight about our country's past and present leaders. It is a history lesson with a humorous twist. I also think that Katz does a great job of showing children that presidents are humans like all of us, and we all have personal funny stories to tell.

Out Hunting

(Ulysses S. Grant, 1869-77)

Hunting wild turkeys,

Ulysses S. Grant remembered

to stalk silently,

to hide carefully, deep

in the trees.

When two, three,

or twenty handsome turkeys

thundered by,

no one

escaped his eye.

Grant remembered

to watch where they flew,

but there was one thing

he forgot to do.

oh, shoot!

Yet by keeping his gun

propped on his shoulder,

he gave those birds

a shot

at growing older.

Activity: After reading this poem about Ulysses S. Grant discuss with children the humor that is found in this poem. Ask them, "What is humorous about the ending of this poem?" After discussing the answers ask students to brainstorm and think about a funny story about their own life. Students can then write a poem about a funny event that happened in their life, just like that poem about Ulysses S. Grant.

Verse Novel

Out of the Dust

By: Karen Hesse

Hesse, Karen. Out of the Dust: A Novel. New York, NY: Scholastic Press.

ISBN: 0590360809

Karen Hesse tells a tragic and triumphant story of a 14 year old girl named Billie Jo during the time of the Dust Bowl. Hesse writes Billie Jo's story through verse. After causing an accident by throwing kerosene onto a stove which leaves her pregnant mother and her own hands badly burned Billie Jo is faced with the fact of her mother's death while giving birth to her brother. Billie Jo is made to feel as if she is the one to blame for the tragedy. Billie Jo must learn how to deal with her distant father, her burned up hands that no longer can play the piano, and the drought and famine brought on by the Dust Bowl.

Hesse stirs up very strong emotions when reading about this young girl's life, and how difficult times were. Sadness over took me when reading the verses about Billie Jo's difficult times of physical and emotional pain. The poem titled "Blame" goes into great detail about the pain Billie Jo is feeling because of the circumstances of her life. Hesse gives very detailed descriptions about how terrible life was for those who lived during the Dust Bowl. The sense imagery and emotional impact she enforces with her descriptions of how everything was covered in dust feels like you are on the plains of Oklahoma yourself. "Dust Storm" is a poem with so much vivid imagery that describes scenes from this horrible time.

Out of the Dust not only tells a story of a young girl, it also tells about a very important and interesting event in our nation's history. Hesse's book was written for young adults and I know readers will really enjoy this realistic story. Her novel through verse gives great insight and knowledge pertaining to how bad things really were during the Dust Bowl.

All the poems are very consistent in quality, and they all flow together nicely to tell a powerful story. All the poems in the book are written by Karen Hesse, and each poem reinforces the main point of the book. The book is divided into seasons starting with the winter of 1934 and ending in the autumn of 1935.

Out of the Dust is a verse novel. The verses make the reader realize how fortunate we are, and how we should never take anything for granted. I do not see how anyone could read the pages from this book, and not have deep strong emotions stir up inside them. Hesse does an amazing job telling how Billie Jo turns her life around and pulls herself out of the dust.

Beginning: August 1920

I came too fast for the doctor,

bawling as soon as Daddy wiped his hand around

inside my mouth.

To hear Ma tell it,

I hollered myself red the day I was born.

Red's the color I've stayed ever since.

Daddy named me Billie Jo.

He wanted a boy.

Instead,

he got a long-legged girl

with a wide mouth

and cheekbones like bicycle handles.

He got a redheaded, freckled-faced, narrow-hipped girl

with a fondness for apples

and a hunger for playing fierce piano.

Activity: After reading the whole poem, discuss with students how the author is describing what took place when Billie Jo was born, and how the author describes characteristics about her. Students can then write a poem about themselves and what was happening when they were born, or they can write a poem about their own personal characteristics. Students can even interview family members to hear the story of when they were born, or characteristics about themselves when they were little.

Poetic Form

Zombie Haiku

By: Ryan Mecum

Mecum, Ryan. 2008. Zombie Haiku. Cincinnati, OH: HOW Books.

ISBN: 9781600610707

Ryan Mecum takes the poetic form of haiku to a whole new level in his book titled Zombie Haiku. The story starts off with Chris Lynch finding the journal of a zombie he has just killed and who has just bitten him. The book then flashes back and retells the story of how the zombie Chris killed came to be a zombie and how he arrived at the airport. Mecum uses haiku poetry to tell this gruesome tale. The book finishes with Chris Lynch turning into a zombie as a result of this bite.

Great amounts of sense imagery and descriptive language are used throughout the entire book. Some of these poems were so descriptive in their gore that I myself had a bit of a stomach ache when I finished the book. Some examples of this imagery entails very detailed descriptions of eating other people and craving their brains from the point of view of the zombie. The book definitely leaves an emotional impact by leaving the reader completely grossed out, yet I was intrigued how much detail Mecum gives with haiku poetry.

Haiku poetry is the least favorite type of poetry found among young adults. Mecum has taken a very popular subject matter and told a unique story that young adults, particularly boys, will really enjoy. While reading the book I often got so caught up in the story that I forgot I was reading haiku poetry. The topic of zombies is very interesting among young adults. Zombie Haiku would greatly increase a student's knowledge of descriptive language and the structure of a haiku poem. The book stimulates great emotions and imagination due to the fact that the main character is a zombie hunting people to eat.

The poems are very consistent in quality. Even though some poems made my stomach churn I still wanted to know what would happen next. All the poems found in the book are very compatible and they all flow together nicely. Various moods and feelings are felt throughout the book such as fright, sadness, laughter, and sickness.

All of the haikus in Zombie Haiku are written by Ryan Mecum. There are one to three haikus per page. Very appropriate visuals and photographs are used throughout the whole book. Pictures of zombies and drops of blood are splashed throughout the pages. There are chapter titles, but there is not a table of contents.

Mecum takes such a hated form of poetry and turns it into a thriving story that young adults will love to read. Young adults, especially boys, will love these poems. Zombie Haiku is an amazing example of how poetry can be used to write about anything.

Occasional screams

loudly tell me of missed meals

that others found first.

Activity: This poem is a great example of the strong sense imagery Mecum uses. After reading this poem and several others from the book, and discussing sense imagery students can be divided into groups. Each group is given three haikus from the book and each group reads their three haikus and highlights and discusses the words that display sense imagery. Each group then shares their three poems and the words they highlighted and how the words show sense imagery.