When I was an elementary literacy coach, I ended up with this book. Book were given away, and I picked this one. That was five years ago. I finally got around to reading it. It was a really neat book.
Paul Janeczko explained, in a kid-friendly way, how to write haiku and other poems. As former English teacher, I have taught students how to write various forms of poetry. I appreciated the ways he broke down the components of couplets, limericks, tanka, and haiku to name a few.
Additionally, there were some exercises sprinkled throughout the book to allow readers to practice and sharpen their poetic skills.
Last, I always tell students that good writers know how to effectively break the rules. Janeczko explained ways that students could break the rules but still write in a particular poetic form.
I recommend this book for students who want to write poetry and to teachers who want to teach poetry to elementary students.
Rating: 4/5
| Suggested Grades | 4-8 |
| Lexile | 960L |