JANECZKO COLLECTION

Janeczko, Paul B.  Seeing the Blue Between:  Advice and Inspiration for Young Poets.  Cambridge, Massachusetts:  Candlewick Press.  2002.  ISBN  0763608815

SUMMARY:  This book of poetry focuses on 32 poets who offer words of encouragement along with poems of their own.  In each section, the author writes a letter to the reader, and includes a sampling of their poetry. The poems are humorous as well as serious.  The book’s purpose is to encourage young writers that are just beginning, and also to help more experienced writers shape their writing style later on.  The idea of encouraging writing while also demonstrating different poetry styles will motivate many young people to try their hand at writing poetry.  The years of experience these writers possess should give young writers the advice and encouragement they need to begin writing or for the experienced, to improve.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:  This book of poetry contains letters of advice from 32 of today's best poets for children and teens.  Each author includes samples of their poems. The letters include encouragement for students to read to increase their creativity and knowledge.  The authors also heavily recommend revision.  They also stress that students should look at the world with a fresh outlook and write from that perspective. Some of the poetry is humorous and some serious. The poetry covers a variety of styles, moods, and subjects. Some of the poetry is free verse and some use rhyme. The authors use descriptive and figurative language in their poetry examples. They include some concrete poems as well. Janeczko said that he tried to create a book that he wished he had when he was a kid.  

To work up enthusiasm about writing one could hardly do better for young people than the advice included in this collection.  The book includes a Table of Contents, a letter to poets from Janeczko, and finally, Notes on Contributors. The author biographies in the “Notes to Contributors” section are always fun to read. Some of the featured authors include:  Douglas Florian, Nikki Grimes, J. Patrick Lewis, Jack Prelutsky, and Lee Bennett Hopkins.  Students grades 6-12 should enjoy the poetry and take the advice of these seasoned authors.

POEM EXCERPT:

Smile

By Adam Ford

“I was hypnotized

By a smile

At the tram stop.

This girl was kissing

This boy

And she was smiling.

She was smiling

Even when she was

Kissing him.

I couldn’t see his face—

He was turned away

From me.

But I could see her

I could see her smile.

And her smile

Made me smile

As I hunkered down in my coat,

Put my shoulders up

Against the wind

And pretended that

I wasn’t looking.”

EXTENTION ACTIVITY:  I think after reading the introduction and some of the poetry, students could group together and pick one of the authors to research.  Each group could do a presentation including a short biography of their poet, the poet’s advice from the book, and finally read or dramatize one of their poems.  Students could then work together and try and write a poem in the style of the featured poet.

RESOURCES:

Janeczko, Paul B.  Seeing the Blue Between:  Advice and Inspiration for Young Poets.  Cambridge, Massachusetts:  Candlewick Press.  2002. 

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