NPM Day 17: The Letter O

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 sharing five titles I own that

begin with the letter O.

Open the Door:  How to Excite Young People About Poetry

Edited by Dorothea Lasky, Dominic Luxford, and Jesse Nathan

True confession time - this is the only title in my book spine poem

that I haven't read.  I've picked it up occasionally and read some of the

essays (not so exciting).  But I couldn't resist using it in in my poem since it's such a perfect segue into Mary Oliver's book of poetry,

House of Light (which I have read).

Opening a Door:  Reading Poetry in the Middle School Classroom 
by Paul B. Janeczko
I know I shared books by Janeczko on the letter J day.  But I didn't share this one
and it's wonderful!  After a short introduction by X. J. Kennedy, and a brief Part I "Becoming a Teacher of Poetry,  the book moves quickly to the important stuff in Part II "Exploring the Possibilities of Poetry" with fifteen explorations of specific poems.  "All young readers deserve a chance to be touched by a poem," and these explorations will help the middle school teacher do just that.  Finally, the book wraps up with another brief section, Part III Becoming an Active Reader of Poetry:  Advice and Resources.  If you teach middle school, check out this important title published by Scholastic that is only 144 pages long.   Maybe I should replace line four in my book spine poem with this title.  (It took me until day 20, but I finally did put this title in place on my book spine poem.)

One Minute till Bedtime:  60-Second Poems to Send You Off to Sleep 

Selected by Ken Nesbitt

I checked this one out from the library, but knew

right away that I had to have my own copy. 

The book flap refers to it as "...a new bedtime classic." 

I heartily concur.

One Big Rain:  Poems for Rainy Days

Compiled by Rita Gray and illustrated by Ryan O'Rourke

This book strolls through the seasons and includes this invitation:

"As you read about rain, in various poetic forms,

Ripple in it, float in it, boat in it.

Go on, get wet." 

-Rita Gray

Perhaps only those of us who live in the 

Pacific NW can truly appreciate a book 

of poetry about rain for every season.  

One Today:  The Inaugural Poem for President Barack Obama

by Richard Blanco and illustrated by Dav Pilkey

I love this beautiful picture book and the poem written for

Present Obama's second inauguration that celebrates America

from dawn to dusk and coast to coast.  

I'll never forget reading it to an eighth grade class

(when I was substitute teaching)

and having them applaud when I finished the book!