Have You Read These Yet? Poetry Mentor Texts to Check Out! #IMWAYR #kidlit #mentortexts
I read a TON over the holiday. Here are a few poetry books I am looking forward to sharing with K-3 students:
This is a beautiful book in verse. It is a love letter, a how-to, an all about and a poem all rolled into one text. This is a mentor text you can keep by your side all year long to study craft, genre, and structure. Don’t miss the author’s note in the back where he shares his inspiration for this book – great to share when you are launching writing workshop at the beginning of the year.
This is a poetry book that needs to be added to classroom libraries and bookrooms. The poem topics range from Instructions For the Field to Dribbling to Apology. These poems will connect with students who play this sport or any sport. They are accessible and fun! Don’t miss the author’s note about the different types of poem forms in this anthology ~ students will love trying to figure out which forms the poet used.
This is a great title to add to your series section with Step Gently Out and Sweep Up the Sun. I don’t think our young readers think about poetry when they are thinking about choosing a series. The visual and poetic images are gorgeous. Students will immediately notice the word choice and comparative language used. Don’t miss the author’s note to learn more information about fireflies and why they are important in our world.
This book was introduced to me by a second-grade class. They were studying these poems initially to think about their own bodies. They shared which was the best part of them and were invited to write their own poem. This is a lovely way to inspire conversations about similarities and differences, to build community, and to encourage students to discuss how they perceive themselves. I love the idea of letting students use photography as a medium in poetry and this will be a great mentor text to study.
