Been to Yesterdays: Poems of a Life

by Lee Bennett Hopkins, Charlene Rendeiro (Illustrator)

Overview

Growing up in the 1950s, young Lee Bennett Hopkins faced the painful events of his parents' divorce, an unstable homelife, and a hand-to-mouth existence. Through it all, he clung to the memory of his beloved grandmother and his hope of becoming a writer. In these emotionally charged autobiographical poems, the author captures a boy's feelings, experiences, and aspirations in the tumultuous period of his life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781563978081
Publisher:	Astra Publishing House
Publication date:	09/01/1999
Edition description:	1ST BOYDS
Pages:	64
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.24(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Lee Bennett Hopkins was a poet and anthologist who was honored with the Christopher Award, the University of Southern Mississippi's Medallion for "lasting contributions to children's literature," and the NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children.

Editorial Reviews

Winner of the Christopher Award
School Library Journal Best Books of the Year
New York Public Library Best Books for the Teen Age
ALA/YALSA Best Books for Young Adults
NCSS–CBC Notable Trade Book
Golden Kite Honor Book

"This autobiographical cycle of poems is a rare gift, a careful exploration of one life that illumines the lives of all who read it." —School Library Journal, starred review

From the Publisher

Gr 5 Up-This autobiographical cycle of poems is a rare gift, a careful exploration of one life that illumines the lives of all who read it. Been to Yesterdays chronicles Hopkins's 13th year, the year he moved from Pennsylvania to New Jersey, the year his parents divorced, the year his grandmother died, the year he knew he'd be a writer. Each poem is a model of emotional economy. The author writes of seeing packing boxes and knowing the family must leave a too-expensive apartment (``Stowed in cardboard/corners/memories rest/quietly/in paper chests''); he reflects on his grandmother's death and his growing up (``no more/sitting on/Grandma's knee/no more/smiles/or kisses/or joy/no more/darling/no more boy.'') The spare elegance of the poems is matched by a spare, clean book design-the words are surrounded by white space and a few pen-and-ink sketches. Like Cynthia Rylant's Waiting to Waltz (Bradbury, 1984), this book offers rich biography in a clear, poetic form. Readers will rejoice that Hopkins decided ``To/make/this world/a whole lot/brighter/when/I grow up/I'll/be/a/writer.''-Kathleen Whalin, Greenwich Country Day School, CT

School Library Journal