Classroom Connections with Janet Wong

TODAY'S READ

A Suitcase of Seaweed & MORE

Janet Wong, Author

YUZU, an imprint of Pomelo Books
(February 28, 2019)

ISBN: 978-1937057336

For ages 10 and up

Purchase at Amazon.com






SYNOPSIS

A Suitcase of Seaweed was published in 1996 by Margaret K. McElderry Books (Simon and Schuster) as thirty-six poems plus three prose pieces. In A Suitcase of Seaweed & MORE, you’ll find 50 new pages containing snippets of story about the inspiration behind the poems, extensions of the themes, and prompts to get readers thinking about their own identities. Wong’s “Advice for Writers” will inspire them to write their own books, too!


A PEEK INSIDE

Click on images to enlarge.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Read Janet Wong’s spotlight interview
on Today's Little Ditty HERE.

Janet Wong is a graduate of Yale Law School and a former lawyer who switched careers to become a children’s author. Her dramatic career change has been featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN’s Paula Zahn Show, and Radical Sabbatical. She is the author of more than 30 books for children and teens on a wide variety of subjects, including writing and revision (You Have to Write), diversity and community (Apple Pie 4th of July), peer pressure (Me and Rolly Maloo), chess (Alex and the Wednesday Chess Club), and yoga (Twist: Yoga Poems). A frequent featured speaker at literacy conferences, Wong has served as a member of several national committees, including the NCTE Poetry Committee and the ILA Notable Books for a Global Society committee. Her current focus is encouraging children to publish their own writing using affordable new technologies.

CLASSROOM CONNECTIONS

Why is bringing poetry into the classroom important?

Why is it important to have snacks? They're a quick pick-me-up for instant energy—and they make us happy. Poems are the same way!

How might your book be incorporated into an educational curriculum?

The prose pieces and writing prompts that go with each poem make it easy, I hope, to share a poem—and use it in a lesson—anytime a moment presents itself.

Can you suggest a specific classroom exercise related to your book?

For each of the poems in the book, including the two shared above, you'll find prompts to get students thinking and talking—or even writing. (Click on the images for easier reading.)

What is a simple, practical tip for teachers when it comes to incorporating poetry in the classroom?

Don’t wait for pre-planned time slots to share poetry. If you’re teaching a subject and you suddenly remember that there’s a poem for that, jump up, grab the poem, and read it aloud. You can even use a poem for an impromptu 30-second indoor recess!

Can you recount a specific instance of when poetry impacted a student or group of students in a positive way?

When I’m at schools, very often a kid will come up to me and give me a poem. Just shove it into my hand or put it in my suitcase without saying much (if anything). Usually these are very serious poems about the death of a family member or feeling alone. I'll scribble a quick note on the poem and return it to the student as a way to say, “Yes, you are right: poems are here for all your thoughts and feelings. Keep it up!” I think we’d make progress in our national mental health if every student wrote a poem each day that they immediately tore to shreds—a poem of release. Knowing that we’d have to tear it up would make us feel safe to say the things we really need to say.


CONNECT WITH JANET WONG

Website: https://www.janetwong.com

Twitter: @janetwongauthor

Many thanks to Janet for participating in our Classroom Connections series for National Poetry Month, and for providing me with TWO copies of A Suitcase of Seaweed & MORE for randomly selected TLD readers!

To enter, leave a comment below or send an email with the subject "Seaweed Giveaway" to TodaysLittleDitty (at) gmail (dot) com by Tuesday, April 30, 2019. Winners will be announced on Thursday, May 2nd, so be sure to check back to see if you've won!

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Check out the other Classroom Connections posts and giveaways on offer this month by clicking the names below!

• Eric Ode (Otters, Snails and Tadpole Tails: Poems from the Wetlands)
• Kip Wilson (White Rose) 
• Carole Boston Weatherford (The Roots of Rap: 16 Bars on the 4 Pillars of Hip-Hop)
• Skila Brown (Clackety Track: Poems About Trains) 

Digital art © 2018 by Miranda Barnes,
based on a line from "Ghazal" by Tracy K. Smith.

TO FOLLOW:

The best way to keep up with the Classroom Connections series is by subscribing to Today's Little Ditty via email, which you can do in the sidebar. I will also be announcing the posts on social media. Like me on Facebook and/or follow me on Twitter (also in the sidebar) to stay informed that way. Catch up with Classroom Connections posts you may have missed by clicking on the "It's time to INSPIRE" icon in the sidebar, or by visiting my "Poetry in the Classroom" board on Pinterest.

Jama Rattigan has rounded up a rousing collection of National Poetry Month activities, projects, and Kidlitosphere celebrations at Jama's Alphabet Soup.

Please join Karen Edmisten for this week's Poetry Friday roundup.