Opening a Door

Just ordered this book over the summer, and plan to use it with my 7th grade students this school year. I like the focus on exploring meaning in poetry, not actually having students write poems (though that could easily be amended to these lessons). There is a nice variety of work here, from Gary Soto to Edgar Allen Poe. I think this book will help teachers read and discuss poetry with middle school students. The resources in the back of the book, including online sites and lists of anthologies, are especially helpful.

An interesting selection of poems each accompanied by a lesson. Lessons easily expanded upon and adapted for various ability levels. I especially appreciate the variety of poems and the fact that they are not typical.