Poetry Friday - My Birthday Twin, Joyce Sidman!

A quick check last week of my Perma-Bound author/illustrator birthday calendar revealed a birthday twin - Joyce Sidman!  I celebrated a significant birthday yesterday, and Joyce is just one year behind me.   I've organized this post into four bullet points to reflect the day of our shared birthday in June.

1. Two of my favorite books by Joyce Sidman

The World According to Dog was a favorite in my 6th grade classroom.  I love this book for its marriage of outstanding photos, Joyce's poems, and student writing.  You can read my favorite poem from the book, "Dog in Bed" plus other great poems by Sidman at The Poetry Foundation's website.  What the Heart Knows:  Chants, Charms, and Blessings is a delightful departure from her usual books that deal with our natural world.  

My top four favorite poems from this book:

"Come, Happiness"

"Starting Now"

"Blessing on the Curl of Cat"

"Invocation for Sandcastles"

This book is not just for children.  It's perfect for anyone in need of hope, wisdom, and strength.  This link to the book from Sidman's blog includes a reader's guide, a book trailer, and even a downloadable worksheet . . . for your heart!

2.  Review of Ubiquitous on Irene Latham's blog

You have to love a book of poetry that can introduce students to a word like ubiquitous.  Don't miss Irene's reading of "The Mollusk That Made You," a wonderful poem of address to share with students.  

3.  Sylvia Vardell's review of Winter Bees and Other Poems of the Cold.

Sylvia created a  Discussion Guide for Winter Bees with links to CCSS.  Portions of this guide are included on her blog post.  She also has additional links at the end of her review.  

4.  An interview with Joyce Sidman at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.  

I discovered that my birthday twin and I both share a love of chocolate!

7-Imp: What’s one thing that most people don’t know about you?

Joyce: Hmmmm. That I think about chocolate almost constantly???

And at the end of the interview, she shares a never-before-published poem "How to Find a Poem." That poem with a couple of minor revisions was published in What the Heart Knows and is another of my favorite poems by Joyce Sidman. 

Four shares in honor of my birthday twin and poet extraordinaire, Joyce Sidman!

 Head over to Buffy's Blog for this week's roundup of poetry love. 
Thanks for hosting, Buffy!