Poem in Your Pocket Day: National Poetry Month

Today's the day! Poem in Your Pocket Day! If you need one, here is the original by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers, ready to cut out and put in your pocket and hand to someone who needs one. I have participated and been surprised at how happy people have been to receive a poem for their pockets! 

I hope you enjoyed Emily Arrow's "Poem in Your Pocket" video above. I got to meet her last fall at the Plum Creek Children's Literacy Festival, and she is just as much fun as you would expect. She signed my copy of her first CD, and she recently released "Storytime Singalong, V.2."

What poem is in your pocket today? Did you share it with someone? What was the reaction? Let me know in the comments below.

What Book Chose You?

photo by Becky Meyer

Carmen Agra Deedy, a master storyteller and award-winning author, held her audience of upper elementary school boys and girls rapt as she told a scary, funny story from her Cuban heritage--one of the Juan Bobo stories. One boy laughed so hard he rolled on the floor next to Carmen's chair. Kids (and adults), whose usual attention spans max out at 10 minutes, sat captivated by the story for 45. No batteries, videos, flashing lights or noises other than Carmen's voice held our attention at the Plum Creek Children's Literacy Festival. Such is the power of story.

At the luncheon, Carmen told her personal story. We laughed and cried as she told how her older sister, needing to be rid of 6-year-old Carmen for awhile, shoved her into the public library for the first time. Carmen was not a reader. The library lady interrogated Carmen, unsure whether this little Cuban girl transplanted to Georgia could be entrusted with the library's books. The library lady gave stern directions to the children's room and strict orders about what to do there. She told properly terrified Carmen that the right book would choose her. What did that mean? Carmen wondered.

Carmen entered the room and ran her fingers along the spines of the books on the shelves. One book was not flush on the shelf, and when Carmen tried to right it, it fell onto the floor. Is this the book? The one that's choosing me?

Turns out it was. Charlotte's Web, usually not checked out to those so young, grabbed Carmen's heart, mind, and imagination. She was hooked on reading, stories, and libraries. (Hear Carmen tell her growing up stories in her recording, Growing Up Cuban.)

November is National Family Literacy Month. Enjoy reading and telling stories with family and friends! And tell me, what book chose you?

A Publishing Prodigy

Gordon Korman is a favorite author among upper elementary and middle school students. His road to publishing is unique. At age 12, he wrote his first novel. He knew that to be published, he had to send it to a publisher. The only one he knew was Scholastic, because he was the Scholastic book sale captain for his class. So he sent off his manuscript, and they liked it! Scholastic released the book when he was 14 and a high school freshman. "I don't know what my friends were thinking inside," he said, "but they didn't make any big deal of it. It was just what I did."

Now age 46, he has written over 60 books--all still published by Scholastic--and won many awards. He told his Plum Creek Children's Literacy Festival audience that his humorous school and family stories are inspired by his own experience. He takes a trait of someone he knows and gives that trait to a character, exaggerating it to make it more humorous. His adventure books come from research. He told about learning about the science behind deep sea diving, including shark behavior, and using that information in his plots for his Dive series. Korman is also one of the authors of the popular 39 Clues series.

See an author interview and learn more about his books here.

Footloose! (Or The Library to the Rescue)

photo by the Nebraska Library Commission on flickr

Last Thursday night, I drove to the Plum Creek Children's Literacy Festival on Concordia University's campus in Seward, Nebraska, where I would present on Saturday. It was, as they say, a dark and stormy night and it had been a hectic week. I threw professional clothes in my suitcase and took off.

One hundred miles down the road, my memory clicked. I had forgotten my dress shoes! What to do? I could drive into Lincoln on my way to Seward and see what I could find. I could cut out of Friday's activities to drive to Lincoln to buy shoes. Neither of those options appealed. Then I literally saw a sign--Fremont, Nebraska, was coming up. Fremont was big enough to at least have a Walmart. (You now sense my desperation. White sneakers wouldn't do!) Maybe I could get shoes there and get it taken care of.

The highway went right by the public library. It was 8:20. The lights were still on! I pulled around the corner and into the parking lot. "Yes," the reference librarian said, "we have a Walmart," and she gave me excellent directions. Backtracking, I turned onto another highway. Before I got to Walmart, I encountered--even better!--a Payless Shoes.

I sped into the parking lot with 20 minutes to spare before they closed. I yanked the door open and held up 5 fingers as the clerk asked,"May I help you?" He could tell I was desperate.

"Size 5 Women's." I strode toward the area where he pointed. "Jackpot!" I called. Not only did I find the pair I needed, at their special rate, I got another pair, too.

Once again, the public library came to the rescue. From research to programming to apparel, they know their stuff, and it's there for everyone. Thanks, Keene Memorial! (And Payless.)