Poems from Homeroom: A Writer's Place to Start

by Kathi Appelt

Overview

A collection of original poems and creative writing exercises that will inspire teens to write about their own lives.

"Since the very beginnings of the human race, we've been gathering in circles and telling stories because beyond the physical needs for food, water, clean air, and security, one of our most basic yearnings is to express ourselves, to share what we know, what we dream, what we imagine, and what we feel."

Experienced poet and teacher Kathi Appelt has written a wonderful collection of poems for young adult readers, accompanied by fascinating accounts of how and why the poems came to be, along with writing exercises to inspire readers to create their own poetry.

A perfect gift and an excellent classroom resource, this book opens up the world of poetry in a way that is accessible and appealing to teens.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780805075960
Publisher:	Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Publication date:	09/17/2010
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	128
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

About the Author

Kathi Appelt is the author of many books for young readers, including Poems from Homeroom. A graduate of Texas A&M University, she teaches writing to both children and adults. She lives in College Station, Texas, with her husband and their two sons.

Table of Contents

	Poetry Is the Home for All My Yearnings	ix
Part 1	Homeroom: The Poems
	Homeroom	3
	Lost in the Blues	4
	The Tattoo Dragon	6
	Good Job, Buddy	7
	Revelations	14
	In the Nurse's Office	15
	What He Knew	16
	Dreaming in Haiku	17
	Homecoming	18
	Elegies for Those We Lost Too Soon: Seven Acrostics	20
	The Fat Girl	23
	Cyberlove	25
	Coach's Son	26
	Cheers	27
	The Research Paper: A Sestina	28
	A Circle of Light: A Poem in Five Acts	30
	Ms. Dove and Mr. Edgars	35
	The Yearbook Photographer	36
	Dumpling	37
	Notes Passed Back and Forth/in U.S. History Class,/Seventh Period	39
	The Driver's License	41
	Apply Yourself!	43
	What He Took with Him	44
	The Science Fair	45
	The Twirling Queen of Dogwood, Texas	46
	Night Mares	53
Part 2	Study Hall: Writing What We Long for
	Homeroom	57
	Lost in the Blues	59
	The Tattoo Dragon	62
	Good Job, Buddy	64
	Revelations	66
	In the Nurse's Office	68
	What He Knew	71
	Dreaming in Haiku	72
	Homecoming	75
	Elegies for Those We Lost Too Soon: Seven Acrostics	77
	The Fat Girl	80
	Cyberlove	82
	Coach's Son	84
	Cheers	86
	The Research Paper: A Sestina	88
	A Circle of Light: A Poem in Five Acts	90
	Ms. Dove and Mr. Edgars	92
	The Yearbook Photographer	94
	Dumpling	96
	Notes Passed Back and Forth / in U.S. History Class, / Seventh Period	98
	The Driver's License	100
	Apply Yourself!	102
	What He Took with Him	104
	The Science Fair	106
	The Twirling Queen of Dogwood, Texas	108
	Night Mares	110
	Some Helpful Books on Writing Poetry	113

Editorial Reviews

Appelt, best known for her books for younger readers (Bubba and Beau, Best Friends, p. 328, etc.), has also taught poetry to children and adults. Her own poems here describe the lives and longings of high-school students. From the boy who secretly washes the name of the girl he has a crush on from the boy’s room stall to the girl who can’t get over getting her driver’s license, Appelt focuses on the large and minute dramas of teenage life, giving readers a springboard for their own writing. The 26 poems in the first section are followed by a page about each poem—describing Appelt’s inspiration and techniques, and suggesting starting points for poems about a similar longing. Though most of the poems are free verse, there are a few in standard forms, or which employ some device. There is a villanelle, a sestina, and haiku, as well as a series of acrostics, and a "poem in five acts," with a voice and imagery evocative of Shakespeare, about the two teenagers who are playing Romeo and Juliet in the school play. Occasionally, Appelt’s adult sensibility comes through too strongly (in a poem about what a boy takes with him when he leaves home, in which the nostalgia feels like the mother’s; or in a series of elegies for "those we lost too soon": Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain . . . ; but most of her poems will speak directly to her readers, who will also appreciate her suggestions, and her excellent bibliography of adult books on writing. (Nonfiction. YA)

Kirkus Reviews