NPM Day 16: The Letter N

My book spine poem for NPM 2017:

She walks in beauty

A jar of tiny stars

Awakening the heart

Open the door

House of light 

Pass the poetry, please!

Continuing my alphabetic stroll
through National Poetry Month by
finding a picture book of poetry, 
exploring two awards for poetry,
and sharing books by Marilyn Nelson, 
the NCTE Award-winning poet for 2017.

• Night Garden:  Poems from the World of Dreams by Janet Wong and illustrated by Julie Paschkis is my favorite book of Janet's poetry.  When I opened to the table of contents, I noticed that the book is dedicated "in memory of Myra Cohn Livingston."   When I mentioned on Friday that Livingston's book included poems by poets we would recognize, Janet Wong was one of those poets in Livingston's master class at UCLA who contributed to the book.  My favorite poems from Night Garden are "The Ones They Loved the Most," "Turnip Cake," and "Old Friend."  
•  Notable Poetry Books for 2017, selected by NCTE, includes many titles you will recognize and others you may want to explore.  You can access Notable Poetry Book Lists from previous years at this page.
• The NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) Award for Poetry for Children is now awarded every two years.  You can access a flyer from NCTE listing past winners of this award.  One of the books in my book spine poem for NPM 2017, A Jar of Tiny Stars, is an anthology of poems written by NCTE poets and selected by children.  Renee LaTulippe's blog at No Water River includes a Spotlight on NCTE Poets video series with Lee Bennett Hopkins.   
• Marilyn Nelson is the 2017 winner of the NCTE Award for Poetry for Children.  I've read two of her recent books, How I Discovered Poetry and My Seneca Village.  You can learn more about her memoir, How I Discovered Poetry, at this NPR interview and read the poem that became the title of the memoir.  Here's a review of My Seneca Village, Nelson's book that reveals the story of the community that was displaced in order to build Central Park.