Free Choice Poetry: Hard-Boiled Bugs for Breakfast

Hard-Boiled Bugs For Breakfast: And Other Tasty Poems
By Jack Prelutsky
Drawings by Ruth Chan

Prelutsky, Jack & Ruth Chan. Hard-Boiled Bugs for Breakfast: And Other Tasty Poems. New York, NY: Greenwillow Books, 2021. 9780063019133

Plot Summary

Over one hundred poems of various shapes, styles, and sizes fill this zany book of poetry. Sneezing bees, a chocolate lake, Dracula with trick-or-treaters, an ancient ant, and more can be found within the pages. Bite-size poems with questionable ingredients. Which one will you eat?

Analysis

Jack Prelutsky has written another poetry book in his signature zany style that is sure to delight once more. This time focusing on wacky foods and sneaky puns, he has put together over one hundred poems that are in varying styles, shapes, and sizes. As usual, he uses rhyme and rhythm the most frequently, making his poems ideal for reading aloud with a group. Some of the puns that are in the poems might slip past younger readers, but will be a hit with older audiences. Some of his jokes require an accompanying visual to make sense, like the poem My Nose which says "For then my nose would be a foot - / That would be very wrong." and features an illustration of a boy with a long nose in the shape of a foot. With over one hundred poems, it will be easy for everyone to find one that they love, but so difficult to narrow down their favorite.

Ruth Chan's illustrations are a wonderful addition to Prelutsky's poems, especially when they finish the punchline in the poem. In My Carrots Are Angry, the vegetables are all acting sour and mad because they "are in a stew." Chan's illustration features a large stew pot filled with grumpy looking vegetables with each expression on their faces matching the descriptions from the poem. The black and white colors of the illustrations help the poems keep their white space, not taking away from the words themselves but becoming a perfect compliment. The face of each character are expressive and help readers to feel the different emotions as they are described in the poems.

Excerpt

My Kitchen Was Invaded

My kitchen was invaded

By a horde of nibbling mice.

They nibbled, nibbled, nibbled

On my peanuts, cheese, and rice.

I built a better mousetrap

To remove them from my house.

It didn't do a single thing ---

They've made a better mouse.

Connections

The easy flowing rhyming style that Prelutsky writes in makes his poetry excellent for reading aloud as a group. Students could take turns reading one line each from his poems, or reading them together as one large group. Students may even want to dress up in dramatic theater style clothing and perform the poems for the rest of the class, using their bodies and faces to be as expressive and animated as possible.

Reviews

Shoshana Flax with Horn Book Magazine wrote, "Prelutsky fans specifically, and fans of humorous poetry generally, should find just what they’re looking for here: nonsense confidently delivered in lines that scan satisfyingly, surrounded by Chan’s exuberantly cartooned black-and-white drawings. Along with imaginary creatures and the like, the poems cover familiar realistic kid-concerns such as homework, sibling conflict, and spinach—and if some are a little too familiar (see “I’ve Got a Cold”), guessing a predictable ending might feel like a victory for some readers."

FLAX, SHOSHANA. 2021. “Hard-Boiled Bugs for Breakfast: And Other Tasty Poems.” Horn Book Magazine 97 (2): 106–7. https://search-ebscohost-com.ezp.twu.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=brd&AN=148813602&site=ehost-live.

Susan Scheps with the School Library Journal wrote, "Prelutsky's new poetry collection is a gift to the ears and eyes. Written in a variety of rhyme schemes, the poems describe feelings, unusual beasts, and monsters (the lazy slothrush, the confused niddlenudds, the wazawa). Black-and-white cartoon drawings accompany each poem and bring the words—both comical and descriptive—to life. Prelutsky is a master of humor and poetic device. The imagery throughout is interesting and clever: a garden of glowing electric light bulbs; a musical octopus octet; giant bubble gum bubbles that lift a child off the ground."

Scheps, Susan. 2021. “Hard-Boiled Bugs for Breakfast: And Other Tasty Poems.” School Library Journal 67 (1): 86. https://search-ebscohost-com.ezp.twu.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=brd&AN=147902939&site=ehost-live.

Poetry by Kids: Salting the Ocean

Salting the Ocean: 100 Poems by Young Poets
Selected by Naomi Shihab Nye
Illustrated by Ashley Bryan

Nye, Naomi Shihab, and Ashley Bryan. Salting the Ocean. New York, NY: HarperCollins World, 2001. 9780688161934

Plot Summary

One hundred poems written by young people touch on many subjects including the self and the inner world, where we live, anybody's family, and the wide imagination. Written in a variety of styles and lengths, each poem gives a glance into the inner workings of the young person's mind as they lay their thoughts down for all to enjoy and interpret in their own way. Spanning across twenty-five years, the poems were written by students from first grade to twelfth that grew up to be dentists, dancers, teachers, students and construction workers.

Analysis

Naomi Shihab Nye's selection of these one hundred poems is intriguing and thought-provoking. Not all of the poems have a clear flow or thought process and yet they all resonate with readers. She includes an author's note at the end of this book explaining how she collected the poems from a twenty-five year span of her involvement with children. There is a poem for everyone within this collection. The amateur nature of these poems is what gives them each their charm. They feel unpolished and yet perfect the way they are. There is innocence in the words and the in the way the words are splayed across the pages with the line breaks and white space. Some of the poems are hopeful, some have a feeling of despair. They serve as a window into the mind of each of the writers, giving readers a chance to understand the poets more intimately. Some of the poems are short, and some are long. One poem, from Rachel Moore, is even simply an excerpt from a longer poem.

Ashley Bryan's artwork is used to introduce the sections of this poetry collection, which are The Self and the Inner World, Where We Live, Anybody's Family, and the Wide Imagination. The rest of this book is simply white pages with black words. The pictures help illustrate the contents of each section and give readers a sense of what the section is about. The sections are made up of an overarching theme, grouping together poems that have similar feelings or ideas. Reading the poems for one section out loud would be a good exercise is exploring the differences in experience and how those differences can shape poetry.

Excerpt

    Sandra is like

    a flower.

    No one knows she

    dances with the wind and

    remembers

    about when she was just coming out

    of the ground.

-Sandra Perez

Connections

When reading the different sections out loud, give students some paper and pencils, and after selecting just a few poems to read from that section, let them sketch what they see in their mind as you are reading to them. Some of the poems in this book feature friends and family and lost pets. Having the students sketch what they see can be a good exercise is writing poetry about your own experiences. Sketching the poems as they see them in their mind can help students to explore the way the poetry paints a picture. After each person is finished with their sketch, see how each picture differs from one student to the next.

Reviews

Roger Sutton wrote a review for Horn Book Magazine saying, "Though some of the poems do occasionally catch fire ("My mother is a shell / and you can always hear / the ocean"), it's usually not for more than a line or two: "Finger in a star" makes for a lovely first line, but inspiration quickly lags in the twenty more that follow. Throughout the collection it is clear that children can think about and play with words to rich effect, and there's certainly merit in encouraging them to do so; what is seldom apparent is what readers are expected to gain from these less-than-revelatory efforts."

Sutton, Roger. 2000. “Salting the Ocean (Book Review) (Undetermined).” Horn Book Magazine 76 (4): 472. https://search-ebscohost-com.ezp.twu.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=brd&AN=510107376&site=ehost-live.

Linda Zoppa with the School Library Journal wrote, "A unique and well-written collection . . . Consisting mainly of free verse, the collection is divided into four sections, each of which has approximately 25 poems. Bryan's vibrant tempera-paint illustrations open each section . . . Readers will enjoy her humor and enthusiasm, as well as the joy she expresses upon discovering that her efforts 25 years ago had, indeed, been successful."

Zoppa, Linda. 2000. “Salting the Ocean (Book Review) (Undetermined).” School Library Journal 46 (7): 120. https://search-ebscohost-com.ezp.twu.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=brd&AN=510106556&site=ehost-live.

Janeczko Poetry: Wing Nuts

Wing Nuts: Screwy Haiku
By Paul B. Janeczko and J. Patrick Lewis
Illustrated by Tricia Tusa

Janeczko, Paul B., J. Patrick Lewis, and Tricia Tusa. Wing Nuts: Screwy Haiku. New York, NY: Little, Brown, 2006. 9780316607315

Plot Summary

Senryu, a cousin to the well-known haiku, follows the traditional format with a punny twist. With a wide range of subjects, this funny form of haiku can be very diverse. It can talk about hippos that resemble potatoes, tuba players, babysitters, spoiled cats and dogs, the traveling circus, and even grandpa's underwear! No topic is too silly for this delightful twist on an already playful form of poetry.

Analysis

Paul B. Janeczko and J. Patrick Lewis come together for the first time in a haiku collaboration. The haiku that they use is called senryu, which is a variation of haiku that is punny and zany. This format still follows the traditional seventeen syllable format with a silly twist. There is no one subject in this book; Janeczko and Lewis wrote senryus about many different topics including drinking spoiled milk from a carton, pesky mosquitos, a sluggish squirrel trying to cross the road, and cats coughing up hairballs. Even the youngest of readers will recognize the subject of at least one of the poems in this book. Some subjects are multi-layered and will be best understood by older audiences, making this a delightful read for poetry lovers of all ages.

Each poem is lighthearted, high-spirited, and simple to read. They flow easily and with the help of Tricia Tusa's illustrations, they really show their character. Tusa does an excellent job of connecting the poems as well, by showing the same character moving through the pages in pursuit of his big blue ball. Readers can follow this character as he moves from poem to poem until he arrives at the giant poet-tree. There's a witty playfulness throughout this book that really shines through the expressions on Tusa's illustrations' faces. The ink and watercolor illustrations are the perfect compliment to the wacky poems, increasing the punchy impact that each one carries.

Excerpt

    Noah Webster had

    no choice except to put

    the cart before the horse

Connections

Writing a haiku can sometimes be challenging, so it might be a good exercise to clap along to the poems as they are written. This can help children to hear and visualize how the haikus should sound as they are spoken. The children don't even have to have a haiku written; they can try just saying a sentence out loud and counting the syllables until they get to seventeen. Once they say their sentence, have them write it down and put a line break after the first five syllables, then seven, then the last five. It would be fun to see how one sentence can be broken up to take the form of a haiku.

Reviews

Teresa Pfeifer wrote for the School Library Journal saying, "This book fulfills its purpose to revive and invigorate the language, and does so with humor. In her ink-and-watercolor cartoons, Tusa uses a soft palette, strong lines, and abundant white space to define the comical characters. Her artwork is a marvelous vehicle to increase children's visual literacy while complementing these zany and memorable verses. A fun choice to pair with Janeczko's A Kick in the Head."

Pfeifer, Teresa. 2006. “[Wing Nuts].” School Library Journal 52 (5): 112–13. https://search-ebscohost-com.ezp.twu.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=brd&AN=518504498&site=ehost-live.

Ilene Cooper with Booklist wrote, "Janeczko and Lewis take the concept and turn it into funny, punny pieces that put the play in wordplay . . . Children who get the easier bits of verse may stretch themselves to understand the harder ones, but adult help will still be necessary for many. That's fine, because there's lots of fun to be had."

Cooper, Ilene. 2006. “[Wing Nuts].” Booklist 102 (14): 48. https://search-ebscohost-com.ezp.twu.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=brd&AN=518501047&site=ehost-live.

Sidman Poetry: What the Heart Knows

What the Heart Knows: Chants, Charms, and Blessings
by Joyce Sidman
Illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski

Sidman, Joyce, and Pamela Zagarenski. What the Heart Knows Chants, Charms & Blessings. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2013. 9780544106161

Plot Summary

Twenty-nine compelling poems come together to bolster courage and guard against evil, the cause something to happen, to remember, regret, or grieve, and to celebrate, thank, or express love. Chants, charms, spells, invocations, laments, remembrances, praise songs, and blessings explore the complicated parts of growing up. How do you repair a friendship, find lost things, take hold of your time, get used to a new body, and remember your own past as you move into a scary new future? All of these questions and more can be answered within the pages of this poetry book.

Analysis

Newbery Honor poet Joyce Sidman strikes gold once again in this beautifully explorative poetry book about the struggles of growing up. Finding inspiration from ancient forms of spoken word, she crafted seven poems each for chants and charms, spells and invocations, laments and remembrances, and eight poems for praise songs and blessings. To start each section of poems, she includes definitions of each main theme. Each poem takes a variety of shapes and sizes, including triolet, ubi sunt, conrete. Some poems use rhyme, some use rhythm, but each of them carries a strong emotional impact. The poems are inspirational, heartwarming, melancholy, bittersweet, and hopeful. In the poem Song in a Strange Land, she writes "Oh yes, / says my heart. / Whatever the day brings, / let it bring. / Whatever the music, / let me sing." In this poem about being in a strange land, Sidman chose to end of a hopeful note, giving readers the sense that everything will turn out well, if they just bravely stand up to whatever they may face. Readers will feel a wide range of emotions when reading the book from beginning to end. If this book is one that lives on a reader's shelf, they will have the pleasure of being able to read one poem at a time when they need to hear and understand its meaning.

Pamela Zagarenski's illustrations are the perfect accompaniment to Sidman's poetry. She used mixed media paintings on wood and computer illustrations. Each poem has one page of illustrations; some are simple but some are complex and detailed. The simple illustrations leave a lot of white space on the page with small images adding flecks of color. The complex illustrations cover the entire page and include a wide variety of colors. The illustrations aid in the whimsical feeling of this poetry book and emphasize the emotions that are present in each poem.

Excerpt

    Starting Now

    Open your eyes.

    Feel your strength.

    Bless the past.

    Greet the future.

    Join hands.

    Right here.

    Our moment:

    starting now.

Connections

After exploring these poems, either all or just a few, have each person chose a tarot card from the selection that is provided. Using the card for inspiration, have them write a poem based on the card; focus on the feelings, emotions, or message that the card might convey. Provide a piece of cardstock and scraps of paper and after each poem is written, have each person write the poem on the cardstock and create illustrations using the scraps of paper.

Reviews

Robin Smith from Horn Book Magazine wrote, "Each poem speaks directly from Sidman's heart to the reader's, addressing subjects of deep importance: forgiveness in order to repait a friendship, bravery, death, illness, moving to a new place, and even "Blessing on the Smell of Dog." . . . Zagarenski's illustrations beautifully extend the poems with her dreamy style and deft use of white space, symbolism, and images from Sidman's text."

SMITH, ROBIN L. 2014. “What the Heart Knows: Chants, Charms, & Blessings.” Horn Book Magazine 90 (1): 106. https://search-ebscohost-com.ezp.twu.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=brd&AN=93250747&site=ehost-live.

One reviewer from Publishers Weekly wrote, "Sidman gathers her verse into four sections—Chants & Charms, Spells & Incantations, Laments & Remembrances, and Praise Songs & Blessings— while Zagarenski contributes brightly painted and emotionally evocative mixed media artwork filled with the crowned figures, teapots, wheels, and lions that frequent her work . . . Poems of bravery, love, heartbreak, justice, and peace unite to offer readers of all ages solace, inspiration, and strength."

“What the Heart Knows: Chants, Charms, and Blessings.” 2013. Publishers Weekly, November, 133. https://search-ebscohost-com.ezp.twu.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=brd&AN=92555234&site=ehost-live.

Performance Poetry: You Read to Me, I'll Read to You

You Read to Me, I'll Read to You: Very Short Scary Stories to read together
by Mary Ann Hoberman
Illustrated by michael emberley

Hoberman, Mary Ann, and Michael Emberley. You Read to Me, I'll Read to You Very Short Scary Stories to Read Together. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Co., 2007. 9780316017336

Plot Summary

In the fourth book of the series, two voices can be heard, talking back and forth and sometimes together at the same time. Using alliteration, rhyme, and repetition, readers can pretend to be monsters, ghosts, and ghouls in thirteen original poems, with an introduction and an end. Expressive illustrations help give each character plenty of personality, including the sassy witch, the nasty ogre and giant, and tricky trick-or-treaters looking for a snack.

Analysis

Mary Ann Hoberman has once again written a book of poetry that is sure to delight readers of all ages as they say the poem aloud to each other. This style of poetry is best suited for reluctant readers who can rely on the rhyme, rhythm, and alliteration to help them along. Each poem ends with both participants saying some variation of "You read to me! / I'll read to you!". This repetition gives readers the chance to learn the flow of the poem and they will come to expect the ending of each one as they read through the book. One reader's text is colored blue and the other reader's text is colored purple. When both readers are expected to speak together, the text is colored orange. The theme of this poetry book is all creatures spooky and scary, but not too spooky or scary for young readers. A witch, a skeleton, an ogre, a giant, a ghost, a dinosaur, and more will all be characters that readers will easily recognize. The familiarity of the characters will help readers feel comfortable as they put their reading skills to the test.

Michael Emberley's illustrations are expressive and whimsical. Each page spread has one poem and the illustrations travel around the page and reflect the contents of the poems. In the poem "Scaredy Cats", the only illustrations are the eyes of the scared bugs before they turn their flashlights on and realize that there wasn't anything to be afraid of after all. The eyes looked up and down, left and right as they searched for something scary hiding in the dark. These details give each character a unique personality. 

Excerpt

Introduction

    I'll read here

    And you'll read there.

                        Both sides give you

                        Quite a scare.

            Then, with middle

            Words before us,

            Read together

            In a chorus.

            Now we know

            Just what to do:

You'll read to me!

                        I'll read to you!

Connections

The nature of this poetry book would work well with playing dress up. Children could use simple props to represent each character and say the lines of the poems back and forth between each other. The props could be masks made from paper plates. Children could design and color their own masks using crayons, markers, white streamers for "mummy wrappings", and felt for other features of their creature's face. This could be performed in front of a group or just by themselves as a fun exercise in practicing reading aloud. 

Reviews

One reviewer for Kirkus Reviews wrote, "These stories, ideal for reading aloud, use spooky settings to express the joys of reading. Each poem spans two facing pages and, at 9”x12”, the book is large enough to accommodate multiple small illustrations that retell each story pictorially . . . Text throughout comes in multiple pastel shades, nicely matching Emberley’s impish illustrations, in pencil, watercolor and pastels."

Hoberman, Mary Ann. “You Read to Me, I'll Read to You,” August 1, 2007. https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/mary-ann-hoberman/you-read-to-me-ill-read-to-you-3/.

One reviewer for Booklist Online wrote, "The fourth uproarious poetry picture book in Hoberman and Emberley's popular You Read to Me, I'll Read to You series continues the pattern of simple, rhyming, illustrated stories for two voices. This time, though, the stories are not playful, fractured versions of old rhymes and tales; they are new shivery tales to read together. The clear words with gorgeously gruesome, comic-style pictures tell of wild action and monster characters as lurid as they come--ghouls, ogres, zombies, skeletons, phantoms--all of them readers."

“You Read to Me, I'll Read to You: Very Short Scary Tales to Read Together.” You Read to Me, I'll Read to You: Very Short Scary Tales to Read Together, by Mary Ann Hoberman | Booklist Online, 2007. https://www.booklistonline.com/You-Read-to-Me-I-ll-Read-to-You-Very-Short-Scary-Tales-to-Read-Together-Mary-Ann-Hoberman/pid=1976068. 

Hopkins Award Poetry: Behold the Bold Umbrellaphant

Behold the bold umbrellaphant: and other poems
by Jack prelutsky
illustrated by carin berger

Prelutsky, Jack, and Carin Berger. Behold the Bold Umbrellaphant: and Other Poems. New York, NY: Greenwillow Books, 2006. 9780060543181

Plot Summary

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to mix an elephant with an umbrella, a hornet with a shoe horn, hats with chickens, or tweezers with weasels? Seventeen poems tell the tales of eighteen zany creatures that are combined with everyday items. A toad meets a toaster, a panther meets a thermometer, a boa meets a bulb, an ocelot meets a lock, and more. Big and small, this book has it all.

Analysis

Jack Prelutsky has once again proven that he is a master of whimsy. Combining eighteen animals with eighteen well-known objects, he crafter a book of poetry that is sure to delight readers of any age. Instead of writing thought-provoking poetry, Prelutsky chose to write humorous poetry that will have readers giggling by the second stanza of the first poem, Behold the Bold Umbrellaphant. Rhythm and rhyme are the strongest of the poetic elements; they help readers follow along and make reading these poems out loud very easy and fun. Some of the names for the newly created creatures may be hard to pronounce, so Prelutsky has included the pronunciation for each one, similar to the way that words are written out in a dictionary. Each time the name is written in the poem, the letters are captalized giving them greater emphasis. Choosing animals and objects that are easily recognized will help younger readers to understand the humor of each new creature.

Carin Berger's illustrations are collages of bits of paper, with old-fashioned papers, bold colors, and interesting textures. They are the perfect match for Prelutsky's whimsical and zany style of poetry. The poems are humorous enough on their own, but when paired with Berger's illustrations they are perfectly expressed. A good example of this match is in the poem Hatchickens, "Hatchickens are odd, / And the reason is that / Instead of a head, / They have only a hat." Berger has included an illustration for each of the hatchickens present in the poem ,giving readers a chance to see how ridiculous these ridiculous fowls really are.

Excerpt

Shoehornets

    SHOEHORNETS make it easier

    For you to put on shoes.

    They quickly slide

    Your feet inside.

    You can, of course, refuse.

Connections

After reading through this poetry book, give each person a chance to select one animal and one object from a list of each. After their selections, instruct them on how to create a poem using this new combination. Some animals could be a dog, cat, horse, pig, or even insects like a spider or a fly. Some objects could be a marker, some tape, a teapot, a phone, or something silly like food. Unlike Prelutsky's poems, these animals and objects do not necessarily have to combine to form a new name like "umbrellaphant" or "toadsters". Everyone can focus on creating a poem about their new creature. If it is helpful, they can draw and color a picture of their creature first, so that they have a visual of the character for their poem.

Reviews

Susan Lempke with the Horn Book Magazine wrote, "Berger's sophisticated visual wit pairs with Prelutsky's verbal ingenuity to create unconventional animals--the Ocelock, the Clocktopus, and the Tubaboons, to name a few. In each of the seventeen poems, Prelutsky combines an animal with an inanimate object and then evokes the purpose of the object in the animal's behavior . . . The clever collage art uses reproductions of old-fashioned illustrations of objects--e.g., the Toadsters are vintage toasters with eyes and toad legs, the Alarmadillos' bodies are round analog clocks with bells, and the Panthermometer's tail is a glass mercury thermometer."

Lempke, Susan Dove. 2006. “[Behold the Bold Umbrellaphant and Other Poems].” Horn Book Magazine 82 (6): 730–31. https://search-ebscohost-com.ezp.twu.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=brd&AN=518448676&site=ehost-live.

Donna Cardon writing for the School Library Journal wrote, "Prelutsky is one of the best word crafters in the business, and this collection does not disappoint . . . The poems are full of fun and wit, with wordplay and meter that never miss a beat. The whimsical illustrations use cut-print media, old-fashioned print images, and a variety of paper textures to create a rich visual treat well suited to the poetry. The detail in the mixed-media pictures makes this a good choice for individual or lap reading, but the poetry begs to be read aloud."

Cardon, Donna. 2006. “[Behold the Bold Umbrellaphant and Other Poems].” School Library Journal 52 (10): 142. https://search-ebscohost-com.ezp.twu.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=brd&AN=518443932&site=ehost-live.

Social Studies Poetry: The Watch That Ends The Night

The Watch That Ends The Night: Voices From the Titanic
By Allan Wolf

Wolf, Allan. The Watch That Ends the Night: Voices from the Titanic. Somerville, MA: Candlewick, 2012. 9780763637033

Plot Summary

Twenty-four voices come together to tell their stories of their time on the wonderous Titanic. The immigrant, shipbuilder, millionaire, navigator, gambler, spark, socialite, bagpiper, lookout, dragon hunter, stoker, tailor, tailor's son, second violin, businessman, baker, junior officer, entrée cook, refugee, captain, undertaker, postman, Carpathia's wireless man, the ship rat, and the iceberg give their first hand account of that fateful journey. Some are journeying to freedom, opportunity, a new life, or are searching for a promising future. All throughout this book, the undertaker's voice can be heard, foreshadowing the tragedy that is destined to occur. The story begins on April 1st as the ship prepares to sail and the passengers begin boarding. Setting out on April 10th, the Titanic traveled to one last port in Queenstown, Ireland on April 11th before sailing out to open sea on April 12th. The passengers and crew enjoyed several days of traveling before disaster struck on the night of April 14th, when the Titanic met its match in the form of the iceberg. 

Analysis

Allan Wolf has carefully sifted through the stories of over two thousand passengers to expertly craft this novel-in-verse; a story that is well-known but still highly intriguing to millions around the globe. Everyone knows about the tragedy of the Titanic, yet Wolf was able to write a book of poems that brought fresh and new perspectives. Readers will find themselves connecting with each of the twenty-four voices despite knowing that some will not have a happy ending. Its heartbreaking to read, knowing how the story ends and yet readers will feel compelled to continue reading. Wolf titled each poem with the name and title of each character to avoid any confusion. Choosing to write each poem in first-person (or rat-person and iceberg-person), gives this book a greater emotional impact.

Wolf gives each character in this novel their own unique voice, and reflects this in the style of poetry that he uses. For example, the ship rat's poems are in the concrete style and give readers the feeling of sneaking around like a rat might do. The language reflects the class of character as well. Frederick Fleet, a lookout on the ship, speaks speaks as a sailor would saying, “You might say the crow’s nest / is me own special room. Ha. / Although there’s no place t’ sit” while the well-spoken millionaire John Jacob Astor says, “We wished to linger longer in the Valley of the Kings, / but it just wasn't meant to be. A private matter had come up.” Wolf changed his tone to make each character feel more authentic and true to their nature.

Because some of this novel is based in fact, Wolf has included an extensive Notes section that includes a note from the author himself, notes on each of the characters, Morse code messages with a translation, notes about the RMS Titanic, and a lengthy bibliography of each of the sources that he used. The notes are just as interesting to read as the novel itself and readers will enjoy finding out more about the characters, the ship, and trying their hand at decoding Harold Bride's Morse code messages.

Excerpt

Watch how the water licks Titanic's hull.

Hear how the water makes her rivets creak.

See how, before her trip even begins,

the water is obsessed with getting in.

Connections

There are many resources and videos on the internet about the Titanic, including a video that shows the sinking in real time and many recordings of the wreckage after her discovery. After finishing this novel, it would be interesting to explore the wreckage footage as a group. If the audience is older, it may be appropriate to view James Cameron's 1994 Titanic.

Reviews

Melinda Adams from the Library Media Connection wrote "This is a well-detailed and historically accurate portrayal of the events and brings the feelings and emotions of the characters alive . . . This book will make a wonderful addition to any library, as well as the high school English Language Arts or History curriculum."

Adams, Melinda A.1. 2012. “The Watch That Ends the Night: Voices from the Titanic.” Library Media Connection 30 (5): 74. https://search-ebscohost-com.ezp.twu.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=brd&AN=73798547&site=ehost-live.

John Peters wrote for the School Library Journal saying, "Wolf gives another watershed historical event a fictional, strongly internalized, obsessively researched treatment . . . Rounded off with more than 30 pages of published references, summary biographies, and factual material condensed from the "sea of information" compiled about the disaster's course and victims, this doorstopper will likely overwhelm younger audiences, but will be meat and drink to "Titaniacs" (as the author dubs them) of the more rabid sort."

Peters, John. 2011. “The Watch That Ends the Night: Voices from the Titanic.” School Library Journal 57 (10): 152. https://search-ebscohost-com.ezp.twu.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=brd&AN=525514847&site=ehost-live.