From: janet_at_janetwong.com
Date: Sat, 06 Oct 2012 09:40:24 -0400

I, too, am LOVING these posts--reminders of favorite old titles, introduction to terrific new ones, and such a wide variety of topics and approaches!

And I really loved reading Karen Leggett's description of her international Skype session. Follow-through on these books--classroom discussions, Skyping, blogging, writing, and taking these ideas home to families--is key.

If there's just one thing that I hope to accomplish with my Declaration of Interdependence: Poems for an Election Year, it's to send kids home asking their parents or grandparents or aunts or uncles: "How about getting an absentee ballot and let's all vote together?"

Here's a poem on that theme:

We the People by Janet Wong

There's a crazy guy:

Scares kids on our street kicks old dogs pours oil down the drain cusses loud about e-v-e-r-y-thing hates "wasting money" on schools

And he has the right to vote.

Then there's me, just fifteen:

I worry about war watch the 6 o'clock news raise money for the poor plant trees in the park

But where's my vote?

Yesterday I filled out forms for Grandma, Mom, and Aunty Lin to get their ballots (absentee)--

And next month, come election time, I won't have a vote, no, I'll have three:

Grandma, Mom, Aunty Lin and me--

We are We the People.

Please share this poem with your kids--and write me or post something on my blog to let us know about your discussion! html

All best wishes, Janet janet_at_janetwong.com
Received on Sat 06 Oct 2012 09:40:24 AM CDT