Hi everyone,
I just learned that my book with LYNNE KULICH and TIM RASINSKI is coming out sooner than I thought. The Fluency Development Lesson: Closing the Reading Gap, a Professional Development Book published by Benchmark Education, is set for a July 15 pub date. The cover is posted on Amazon.
Hi everyone,
I recently started work on a new collection of poems, even though I have no reason to think it will find a home in today’s publishing world. Why? Because the poems are funny. Traditionally, poems for children tended to be rather serious and didactic. Along came Silverstein and Prelutsky and changed all that. They gave poets permission to be funny, even silly, because children want, need, and delight in be tickled. I owe both of those poets my gratitude. I began my career with a number of collections of humorous poems. The first one, Somebody Catch My Homework, sold the first printing in weeks and was into its third printing in months.
I followed Somebody Catch My Homework with The Boy Who Counted Stars, A Thousand Cousins, and The Alligator in the Closet, all filled with funny poems. During the years since then, I’ve seen a swing back toward poems that teach. These days we tend to write to fit into classroom lessons, to advance a child’s education. The poetry can be well done and much of it is, but I’d guess that the number of books written mostly to amuse and encourage a desire to read more books is a smaller percentage of the whole than it was for a while.
LIFE’S NOT FAIR!
(from Alligator in the Closet)
I changed the roll
An hour ago
So there’d be plenty there.
I’m telling you
The roll was new,
We even had a spare.
So now I go,
And don’t you know,
The roll’s completely bare.
I have to yelp
And cry for help!
Life just isn’t fair!
THE TROUBLE WITH MY HOUSE
(from The Boy Who Counted Stars)
I haven’t any windows
And I haven’t any doors,
I haven’t any ceilings
And I haven’t any floors,
I haven’t got an attic
And I haven’t any halls,
I haven’t got a basement
And I haven’t any walls,
I haven’t got a roof
And that’s the reason, I suppose,
Why rain keeps falling on my head
And dripping off my nose.
WHAT MAKES IT ALL WORTHWHILE
(from A Thousand Cousins)
I do my homework every night,
I climb in bed by nine,
I say, “Yes, ma’am” and “No, sir,”
And I never beg or whine.
I make my bed
And clean my room
And hang my clothes away.
I shine my shoes
And wash my hair
And shower every day.
Mama says that I’m as good
As any son could be,
And Daddy tells my brother
To try to be more like me.
Which makes my brother crazy,
Which makes me sweetly smile,
Which makes him scream,
“I’ll get you for this!”
Which makes being good worthwhile.
I miss those days and want to be funny again, if I remember how, even though it may be harder to find an editor who can find a place for it. Even if I can’t, I will still love writing funny poems for an audience of children who may or may not ever hear them.
Hi everyone,
Our thanks to ROBIN and TIM for having us over for Mother’s Day dinner last night. Wonderful food and loving company. Before and after the meal, we sat on their porch around their fire pit. Grandson KRIS was there and grandson TYLER with JOSIE came by for a visit. A delightful evening. And next weekend we get to do it again when JEFF will be here to join us.
Hi everyone,
I’m pleased to provide the link to this week’s featured guest on Poetry from Daily Life, ELLEN HOPKINS. My thanks to Ellen for provided so much thoughtful and helpful advice on our theme subject. As each week passes, I am enjoying the conversation more and more.
Hi everyone,
Yesterday I learned that the first review of my upcoming book with Holiday House, A Tree is a Community, is a starred review from Kirkus. “Writing in animated free verse that calls urgently to be read aloud…An effervescent appreciation of all that trees do and are.” “And best of all, the poem ends, when spring comes round again, new seeds will drop so that ‘very soon / we will have / a fine new tree. / OH YES!’”
KATE COSGROVE illustrated the book, our third title together, and Kirkus loves her work too. “As small creatures crawl or flit through leafy boughs above in Cosgrove’s bustling, populous illustrations, two brown-skinned children below blow bubbles or peaceably share a rope swing in the cool shade.” Kate is the #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator of A Day With No Words by TIFFANY HAMMOND.
A Tree is a Community will be released on September 17, ten days after Charlesbridge publishes Wild Brunch, illustrated by GILES LAROCHE. Both books are on Amazon and can now be pre-ordered. Come on September!
Children's Author David L. Harrison's Blog 