From: Sue McGown <smcgown>
Date: Fri, 04 Apr 2008 07:40:45 -0500

Happy Birthday soon to you, Lee. Thank you for your strong comments about poetry. I agree with you completely and have used your philosophy introducing and using poetry for over 35 years in the library. / Pass the Poetry, Please/ is a resource I discovered the year it was published and my worn copy is used every year with students to share many types of quality poems with them. Thank you for all your anthologies and for always choosing the best. I just received /America at War/ yesterday and look forward to reading it and using it with students as well. Your contribution to the world of poetry and publishing for children cannot be measured! Thank you! Thank you! Keep up the good work! Sue McGown St. John's School Houston, TX

Lbhcove at aol.com wrote:
> First, I would like to thank Megan for this opportunity. I am quite pleased
> and honored to take part in this discussion.
>
> The first thing I think of when planning a collection is the child and what
> I want the
> child to reap. When it comes to poetry - pure poetry - I want them to see
> beauty in the world, feel emotion, compassion, to breathe deeply and utter,
> "Yes, this is how it is."
>
> I am a purist when it comes to the genre. There is a place for light verse
> -- good light verse -- which few can write. And it is plentiful! But there
> is enough of it.
>
> I want youth to read the best of the best.
>
> I strongly object to bathroom humor -- bodily functions, farting, et. al.
> Our youth gets enough of the crass.
>
> My role, even though it may not be popular, is to bring their levels up --
> not stoop to
> what adults think will make them laugh.
>
> I have been in education close to fifty years.
>
> (On April l3, I shall be only 30 years away from being on a SMUCKER'S
> STRAWBERRY JAM jar!)
>
>
> I have compiled more anthologies than any one else in the history of
> children's literature.
>
> Through each, from the first to the forthcoming I shall continue to wave the
> poetic flag, bring our readers voices to lift them, wake them, shake them --
> all with the beauty of words by masterful voices.
>
> LBH
>
> AMERICA AT WAR (McElderry Books/Simon & Schuster)
> _www.simonsays.com_ (http://www.simonsays.com/)
>
>
>
> **************Planning your summer road trip? Check out AOL Travel Guides.
> (http://travel.aol.com/travel-guide/united-states?ncid=aoltrv00030000000016)
> _______________________________________________
> CCBC-Net mailing list
> CCBC-Net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu
> Visit this link to read archives or to unsubscribe...
> http://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/mailman/listinfo/ccbc-net
>
>
>
Received on Fri 04 Apr 2008 07:40:45 AM CDT