It’s almost the end of the school holidays here in my part of the world. For two weeks kids, including my own, have had a beak from school – but come Monday, they’ll be heading back.

So, I thought for Poetry Friday I’d share a school poem, which I wrote a few years ago as part of a set of teaching notes. First, here’s the poem:

Here’s me, trying to get a poem to appear by some sort of magic 🙂

Last week I wore shorts and dresses and contemplated a late-season swim.

This week Autumn is considering whether to turn straight into winter. It has been cold enough to need jeans, boots and jumpers – and it has rained. A lot.

Because I don’t much like the cold or the rain, I needed to cheer myself up a little, so I turned my thoughts to poems celebrating rain.

There’s this old favourite from Robert Louis Stevenson:

Rain

The rain is raining all around

It falls on field and tree.

It rains on the umbrellas here

And on the ships at sea.

On my recent trip to Sydney, I spoke to two groups of teacher-librarians about ways to use verse novels in schools. I promised at the time that I would put this list up  on my blog. So, here goes:

Ten thing things you can do with Roses are Blue or my other verse novels:

1. Read them aloud. Because they are poetry, and first person, they are largely written to be read aloud, and are short enough to be  read in the classroom or library in just a few sessions.

2. Give them to reluctant readers. The white space, the relatively short length and the accessibility of the language make them unthreatening.

3. Give them to advanced readers, who will recognise them as poetry, and enjoy the layers of meaning and the poetic techniques. (Incidentally, reluctant readers may do these things too, in the same way the advanced readers may enjoy the short length!)

4. Use them to broach difficult themes and topics with children – either one on one or in groups. A child need not be going through these situations to want to know about them. Every child at some time wonders about bereavements, for example or faces challenges in their lives. Although they may differ from those of my characters, experiencing tough times with characters can be both enabling and comforting. Reading a verse novel can develop sympathy and empathy.

5. Use them to introduce the less tough topics they also deal with: friendship, family support, poetry writing, art, domino toppling, school projects, Mother’s Day – all these, and more, are dealt with in my verse novels.

6. Use them to explore poetry in all its many forms. Poetry should be a part of every person’s life. A pleasurable part!

7. Share them with adults. Adults need poetry and happy-sad books too.

8. Shelve and display them in the fiction section rather than hiding them in the nonfiction section. Let kids find them.

9. Use them to fulfil the requirements of the Australian Curriculum (or, if you’re overseas, your own national or state curriculum). Teacher’s Notes are available here.

 10. Enjoy them yourself.

 
Are you doing something exciting with my verse novels in your school?  I would love to hear about it.