From: Barbara Tobin <barbarat>
Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2003 03:06:25 -0400

I forgot to tell my favorite part of the Beans on the Roof story, what happened before the readers theatre presentation to the parents.. After the teacher read the story to her first/second graders, she took them up to the usually out-of-bounds rooftop of the school, just like the kids in the story, and let the children peer out over their city. They then wrote their own 'roof poems', and compiled a class anthology. Here is Julie's poem:

It Feels Fine

Aaah, it feels fine when I'm on the roof. I'm on top of the world. I can't believe that those tiny dots are people
"Hey, look at me!" The wind blows my hair all over the place. I feel as if I am flying. I'm up so high.

[then follows a drawing of a flying girl, strongly reminiscent of Ringgold's Aunt Harriet's Underground Railroad in the Sky].

Since they invited me to participate, I wrote my own little roof 'poem' for them:

Spring Queen

I perch aloft my castle home On my rooftop deck so high That pushes like a beanstalk Up into the sky.

I am queen of all I see Towers, spires, buildings tall Highways, byways, bridges all This place belongs to me.

If I could wave a magic wand I'd change the grays to gold and blue To make the sun and sky look new. I'd spread a lacy cloak of green To make my city fresh spring cleaned.
-------------------------------------------------- Two points I think are important here:
    * kids love to read poems written by their teacher
    * kids love to read poems by other kids

Does anyone have some favorite anthologies of kids' poems to share?
   * Has anyone found The Palm of My Heart: Poetry for African American Children well received by kids?
   * What about When the Rain Sings: Poems by Young Native Americans?

            Barbara Tobin (barbarat at gse.upenn.edu)
Received on Mon 14 Apr 2003 02:06:25 AM CDT