Hamsters, Shells, and Spelling Bees: School Poems

Each year children are anxious to get back to school and everyone is very excited, leastways for the first week or so! For children who are just starting school for the first time it can be a nervous, but very exciting venture. In this book are twenty fun and exciting poems all about an assortment of school related activities, events and people. Jane Yolen, Linda Kulp, J. Patrick Lewis and many other well known poets have contributed to this youthful poetry anthology. Do you like the rhythmical sounds of poetry being recited? Perhaps you can find a poem in here you can memorize before the first day of school! My Teacher My teacher loves reading books aloud putting up new bulletin boards taking vacations by the sea but- best of all my teacher loves ME. -Lee Bennett Hopkins This beautifully illustrated, very colorful book is a level two "I can Read Book." The poems are alluring and this will be a quick read for some children. Many children need to be nudged toward poetry, but this one is a lot of fun. It would be perfect as a read aloud book in a homeschool or classroom setting. There is an index of authors and titles in the back of the book. You will even learn about Hamster Math. Hmmmmm, I wonder what that could be?

Reviewed by Sophia McElroy (age 5.5) for Reader Views (8/08) This book is full of great poems that make me laugh. Most of the poems are about school, but there is one about "True Love," a nice poem about a girl and her kitty. Some of my favorite poems are "Spelling Bee" and "Measles." The "Spelling Bee" poem taught me how to spell "TARANTULA!" It also made me get up and jump like the girl in the poem. This was kind of easy for me to read. I have already read this book two times this week! Parent Comment: Initially I wasn't sure if my youngest would enjoy this book of poems. To my surprise she enjoyed reading them and had fun with the varying tempos and subject matter in "Hamsters, Shells, and Spelling Bees School Poems."