The Basket Counts

The Basket Counts (2000) by Arnold adoff and illustrated by Michael Weaver. 47 pages.

ISBN: 0-689-80108-4

A collection of poetry about playing basketball. Text formatting is playful, enhancing meaning. Colorful expressive llustrations show teens, girls and boys, of various ethnicities playing basketball. Games take place in urban street settings. Expressive and appealing for tweens.

Where the Sidewalk Ends

Where the Sidewalk Ends (1974), poems and drawings by Shel Silverstein.
ISBN: 0-06-025668-0

This book is full of one charming, silly, descriptive, hysterical poem after another; each with a funny, expressive line drawing to add interest.

My personal favorite is "Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out" - ".....Greasy napkins, cookie crumbs, Globs of gooey bubble gum....."

Wonderful read for all ages; appropriate for 9 to 12 year olds.

On a side note, when I started working at an urban middle school about 10 years ago, a 7th grade Language Arts teacher used the song "A Boy Named Sue" as part of a lesson about students' names. The song was written by Shel Silverstein and sung by Johnny Cash. A new album has just been released that pays tribute to Shel Silverstein; more information at NPR.

Love That Dog

Love That Dog, A Novel (2001)by Sharon Creech.
New York: Joanna Cotler Books. 86 pages

ISBN 0-06-029287-3

Fiction

Verse, poetry.
This story is written in verse and told from the first person point of view by Jack, a boy in a class where poetry is being taught. The story is presented as entries in a journal, with dialogue directed at his teacher, Miss Stretchberry. Jack moves from being a reluctant poet, lacking confidence about his own work to finding his voice, developing confidence and writing in different poetic styles. Appropriate for ages 8 to 12.