Poetry Anthology Celebrates Childhood With Topics That Children Relate To

April is National Poetry Month and poems are sometimes introduced for the first time to young readers during this month. Poetry books for children are sometimes difficult to find with interesting topics. Jane Yolen has published a complete anthology of poetry for children that celebrates all of the activities that children participate in during childhood. The topics are simple and the poems are short and lyrical. School, sports, pets, and home life are all subjects that are included in the poetry. Yolen's anthology of poetry In and Out the Window is one that parents and teachers will want to add to their children's bookshelf.

The anthology is divided into chapters. The chapter At Home includes poetry such as "A Family", "Midnight Closet", "Our Kitchen", and "Around the Table". "The Patter of Rain on the House" is a lovely longer poem that is part of this chapter.

Poems about nature, the seasons and months of the year, and a variety of animals are included in the anthology. "Cat Thoughts", "The Dog Barks", and even a short sweet two-line poem about a little pot-bellied pig are part of the collection of poems about animals.

School is a big part of childhood and the anthology includes many poems about school life. "My Teacher" is one of the longer poems. "Lunch Lady Lingo" is a creative poem about the cafeteria workers. Recess, the crossing guards, and poems about after-school activities are part of the anthology.

Poetry about sports include "Gym Shoes", *Goalie", and a poem about a football helmet are some of the engaging poems about children and their life at school.

Yolen includes the poem "Why to Write a Poem" to encourage young writers to learn to write poetry.

Cathrin Peterslund contributed her talents as an illustrator with delightful black and white illustrations for many of the poems.

In and Out the Window is a collection of more than one hundred poems. It is recommended for ages 8-12. It was published by Philomel, a division of Penguin/Random House. It has an ISBN of 978-0-593-62251-3.

Teachers who teach in elementary reading and language arts classes will celebrate National Poetry Month this April. Reading and writing poetry is an engaging part of the language curriculum in elementary classrooms. Jane Yolen's anthology of poems that celebrate childhood activities has a lesson for children in writing poetry. Poems can be written about any subject and can be both short and long. There can even be poetry with only two lines.

*Choose a poem from a chapter each week or several poems from the same chapter. Assign a chapter for reading the poems individually each week. Invite children to share a favorite poem from each chapter each week.

*Select the poem that is included about each month to read during the year. Provide drawing paper, crayons, and makers for children to illustrate the poem about the chosen month.

*Engage children in a discussion of the poem "Leaving Math Alone". Take a class poll of the number of children who dislike math and can relate to the poem.

*Invite children to participate in a creative writing activity by writing their own poem about their favorite topic.

Jane Yolen is an award-winning author of over four hundred distinguished books. She has a master's degree in education from the University of Massachusetts. She has six honorary doctorates. Her stories and poems center around her feelings about family and herself.

Cathrin Peterslund is a gifted illustrator from Denmark. She has a BA in graphic storytelling. She enjoys using patterns and textures in her illustrations and also enjoys working with digital media.