Poetry Speaks Who I Am: 100 Poems of Discovery, Inspiration, Independence, and Everything Else for Teens (A Poetry Speaks Experience, Includes CD)

Poetry Speaks Who I Am: 100 Poems of Discovery, Inspiration, Independence, and Everything Else for Teens (A Poetry Speaks Experience, Includes CD)

From the creators of the New York Times bestseller Poetry Speaks to Children , comes this inspirational anthology book of poems for middle grade readers. Poetry Speaks Who I Am is filled with more than 100 remarkable poems for teen boys and girls, making it the perfect addition to any classroom. With poems about who teens are and who they are becoming, they'll find poems that make them laugh, that make them angry, or poems that speak directly to them. Poetry can be life altering. It can be gritty and difficult. It can be hilarious or heart-breaking. And it's meant to be experienced, so we've included a CD on which you'll hear 44 poems, 39 of which are original recordings—you'll only find them here. You'll hear poets both classic and contemporary, well-known and refreshingly new, including: Dana Gioia expresses the hunger of a "Vampire's Serenade" - Elizabeth Alexander waits for that second kiss in "Zodiac" - Langston Hughes flings his arms wide in "Dream Variations" - Marilyn Nelson reads to her class in "How I Discovered Poetry" - Paul Muldoon's poem "Sideman," brought loudly to life by the band Rackett - And 39 more! Poetry Speaks Who I Am is dynamic, accessible, challenging, classic, edgy, and ultimately...not quite perfect. Just like you. Starred Review. Grade 6–10—This extraordinary collection is alive with pathos, sensitivity, humor, beauty, controversy, and insight. The more than 100 poems are by prize-winning authors and relative newcomers. Familiar classics and contemporary selections sing out with profound ideas and simple truths. To define "who I am," there are selections about racial and ethnic identity; about ordinary and lofty ideas; about love, friendship, and family connections. They exhibit compassion, confusion, and anger. The poems are at once personal and universal, each told in a voice that speaks candidly to the target audience. The accompanying CD includes readings by many of the poets, and some of them describe the inspiration for their work, creating an intriguing perspective and connection to the piece. Blank pages at the end of the book invite readers to compose selections of their own. The variety of poems could easily hook youngsters on the genre as a comforting, accessible art form. This special book will enrich poetry sections.— Renee Steinberg, formerly at Fieldstone Middle School, Montvale, NJ Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From baseball to first kisses to family, friends, community, love, and anger, the subjects in the 108 poems that make up this lively anthology will appeal to young people. The editors mix classic and contemporary selections, from Langston Hughes' “I Loved My Friend” and Robert Frost's “The Road Not Taken” to Sherman Alexie's “Indian Education” and Julia Alvarez's “How I Learned to Sweep,” and the spacious, inviting design will encourage teens to dip in, browse, and then linger. Another draw is the accompanying audio CD, on which many poets read their own work. Kids will recognize the familiar scenes in many poems, such as the torture of bra shopping for the first time and the fun of browsing in a used book store. Just as compelling are the selections by Shakespeare, Rilke, Dickinson, Whitman, and other classic poets. This makes a strong companion to poetry collections for youth compiled by Ruth Gordon, Paul Janeczko, and Naomi Shihab Nye. Grades 6-9. --Hazel Rochman "Teen readers will find much to enjoy in "Poetry Speaks: Who I am…a highly eclectic collection of 100 poems about everything from valentines to being black to mowing the lawn." ― Scripps News "The power of spoken poetry is at the heart of Poetry Speaks. Poetry is a vocal art, an art meant to be read aloud. Listening to a poem read aloud can be a transforming experience. Poetry Speaks not only introduces the finest work from some of the greatest poets who ever lived, it reintroduces the oral tradition of poetry, of poetry performed." ― Powells Books "Poet Elise Paschen is turning her attention to yet another most universal of human experiences: awkward adolescence…[Paschen] can turn this subject into something that we can laugh about now." " ― NPR " Poetry Speaks Who I Am is the perfect book to introduce tweens & teens to Poetry… [ Poetry Speaks Who I Am ] also features blank pages in the back, where teens can write their own poetry. The book's design also speaks to younger readers -- with the pages created to look like they belong in a teenager's notebook, with scribbles and doodles around the edges…This adds yet another dimension to the experience of poetry, which is sometimes considered a performance art more than anything else." ― Portland Examiner "Elise Paschen: poetry for teens caters to the rebel in each of us… So what if that happens to be written by some fancy-sounding napoetryme such as Percy Shelley or Paul Muldoon? So much the better." ― Chicago Tribune "This volume of verse is aimed at teenagers