Logan Reads

Logan loves to read
every book he sees,
novels, books of jokes, mysteries
monsters, dragons, ninja folks.
Every time he starts to read
his brain gets bigger, yes, indeed.

     What kind of books do like to read?  What have you learned from reading a book? Can you write your own poem about libraries, books or reading?  Have fun and enjoy your summer.

     Today is poetry Friday and the poetry roundup is over at  Carol's blog Carol's Corner.  You can find more poetry here.  Thank you,  Carol,  for hosting us this week.

The Library

In the library
you'll find gold
with books to read
for young and old.

A secret world
is what you'll find
to learn new things
and improve your mind.

    One of the first things I did when I moved was get a Hawaiian library card.  I've been having fun getting to know the libraries on Kauai.  And I'm learning how to reserve books on line and how to get electronic books for my e-reader and downloads of audio books.
   Do you frequent your library?  What kinds of books do you like to read?  Poetry books?  Can you write a poem today about a book you are reading or about your library?  Have fun writing.

   The greatest thing Ben Franklin ever gave us was a free public library.

WINTER HAIKU

Building a snow girl
on her head we put a hat
and a mop for hair.

In pink hats and gloves
we're hit with flying snow balls
we bomb the boy's fort.

Good books I can read
I'm set for a school snow day
warm, cuddled inside.

Windows with crystals
sparkling in the morning sun--
diamond tiaras.

Baking with Grandma
we make sweet sugar cookies--
a Christmas present.

For Christmas we sing
all around the neighborhood
finding peace on earth.

   So here are a half a dozen winter haiku, can you write your own winter haiku using a 5-7-5 pattern?  Have fun writing.

MY BOOK

Oh, look!
A good book.
Just what I need,
Something to read.
Not too gory,
an exciting story.
A dashing hero,
off he goes.
Fit and hale
for an exciting tale.
He does daring deeds.
I love to read.


    This is another "thinkie," the start of a poem, a draft.  I've been at the Sixth Annual Tucson Book Festival again today.  I attended several exciting workshops and got to hear several great children's authors read.  It was an exciting day.  So, I'm sorry this is late, but it has been a day I would call: feeding the pump.
Can you write your own poem today about something that makes you proud?

SATURDAY CHORES

Today I'll change my sheets
and tidy up my room.
I'll put my toys away
and get the job done--zoom.

I'll straighten all my books
and put clean clothes away.
I'll do all my chores,
It's Saturday, cleaning day.


     Do you have Saturday chores?  Can you make a list poem today about all the things you have to do?  Have fun writing.

BOOKS, BOOKS, BOOKS

I like to read
and travel
on the magic carpet
a book provides.

I like meeting new people
in books. I like
learning rhyming words
from poems in books.

I like tasting sweets
I can cook from books
and songs I can sing from books.
 I've learned to tie knots from books.

I find places to hike,
and meet fairies, elves, and imps
and all sorts of things
from the books that stretch
my imagination.

I never know where
the next book
will take me
which is why
I love
books, books, books.


     Can you write a poem today about your favorite book?  Or try writing a persona poem in the voice of a book.  Have fun.

READY

I'm a little bit worried

about the hurricane.

The winds will blow

and it will rain.

We've got flashlights

with fresh batteries

a transistor radio

if we lose electricity.

School has been cancelled

for the next two days.

I've got books to read

and board games to play.

Dad says I shouldn't worry

as I go to bed this night

and I hope when I awake

everything will be all right.


     What is the weather like at your house?  What do you like to do when school is cancelled?  I hope you have fun writing a poem today.  Every day is a great day for writing poems.

Things I Like in Summer

I like hamburgers

and french fries to chew

chocolate milk shakes

and ice cream too.

I like roses

and irises blue

cool long grass

with morning dew.

I like making necklaces

bead by bead,

and summer books

I can read.

I like going to the movies

whenever I can

to see Laurel and Hardy

and The Thin Man.

I like swimming

and riding my bike.

Can you tell me

what you like?

     I've been feeling really tired and down lately and I find that making a list of all the things to be thankful for often pulls me out of my funk.  Can you make a list of the things you are grateful for?  Can you turn it into a list poem?  Have fun writing.  I hope this is a super great day for you.

Library Books

This book went to the library.

This book stayed home.

This book was lent to friends to read.

This book was left to roam.

This book crackled, cheeped, and peeped--

it was full of poems.

I'm still having fun with the This Little Piggie exercise, I hope you are too.  I always enjoy poems about books and libraries.  One of the longest recent list poems I have read was 9 pages, titled Library, written by Albert Goldbarth and included in his award winning collection SAVING LIVES.  The poem is a list of all the books in his library and is full of rich details so the reader can personally know each book too.  As the lead poem in the SAVING LIVES collection, Library starts

This book saved my life.
This book takes place on one of the two small tagalong moons of Mars.
This book requests the author's absolution, centuries after his death.
This book required two of the sultan's largest elephants to bear it; this other book fit in a gourd.
This book reveals The Secret Name of ...

You can read the rest of the poem at Poetry Daily. You can learn more about Goldbarth at http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/1295    or http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/albert-goldbarth

Look at the books on your own bookshelf, or go to the library and look.  If you were going to write your own library poem what would you include?  Are there details you could use for each of the five senses?

For another fun idea, Travis Jonker a librarian in Michigan, is featuring spine poems on his blog this month.  It is a fun exercise if you want to try it, check out his blog at http://100scopenotes.com/2012/03/06/wanted-book-spine-poems/

Have fun.

Three Pirates

Three bold pirates

I once knew,

a fat one,

and a skinny one--

they were two,

but the one bold pirate

with his hair tied back,

he ruled the seas

with his sword--

whack, whack.

Traveling the ocean

they would go,

taking bounty to and fro,

but the one rough pirate

with his hair tied back,

he ruled the seas

with his sword--

whack, whack.

   This poem has been running around in my head for three days driving me crazy.  So I'm hoping that sharing it here will let me move on.  Do you ever have that happen to you?  Something gets stuck in your head and won't let your brain rest.  Oh wait, didn't the Muppets have a tune, This is the song that never ends...it was like that, or Barney's I love you song.

   Do you recognize the song Three Little Ducks, in this poem?  So here is the wild and  crazy challenge for you today.  Take any noun that you can have three of--bears, bubble gum, rocking chairs--and write your own poem.  And yes, you can change the end rhyme.

   OK, so here I go again.  Let's see if this will work for books.

Three good books

that I once read,

a nonfiction,

and a mystery

kept under my bed,

but the one picture book

'bout a mouse that roared,

I read it often

and never got bored.

   Ah, got through that one.  Let's try another.

Three gray mice

that I once knew

a small one,

a fat one,

they were two,

but the one little mouse

who was very meek,

he scared elephants

with his

squeak, squeak, squeak.

    Oh yes, that is much better.  Can you see the hand gestures to go with the mice?  If you have a poem with obvious hand gestures, it makes it a lot easier for children to learn or memorize the poem. 

   Thank you.  That silly rhyme caught in my head has turned out to be fun. It got me laughing.  Now it is your turn.

   If you'd like to share your own silly poem, I'd love to read it.  

    Thank you for stopping by.

   

Books

I like to read

and learn new things

Love the adventures

reading brings.

I like the story

of the blue whale

and the princess

in a fairy tale.

I read nonfiction

and books with facts.

Reading is my way

to relax.

But, my favorite books

as you can see

are the ones 

with poetry.

     I'm off to the Tucson Festival for the Book today, so I thought I write a poem about reading and books.  Can you write your own poem today about reading? What is your favorite kind of story to read?