A Home Run for HOP TO IT (Giveaway!)

Sean Winters

No one was sure it would happen this year, but here we are, two games into the 116th World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Tamba Bay Rays, tied one game a piece. While I don't have an allegiance to either team, I do love the excitement of it all!

 

It's a great opportunity to share a baseball poem, don't you think? Not any ol' baseball poem, mind you—my baseball poem, published in HOP TO IT: Poems to Get You Moving by Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong (Pomelo Books, 2020).

 

When it comes to children's poetry anthologies, one of the things Pomelo Books does best is meet the needs of educators and home schooling parents by giving them exactly what they need, exactly when they need it. HOP TO IT was originally intended as a book to get students out of their seats and moving because, let's be honest, we all have become way too sedentary. When the pandemic struck, the need for this book became even greater with the onset of remote learning. Who doesn't need occasional "brain breaks" after being stuck to a computer screen for too long? Poetry to the rescue! 

 

But COVID-19 introduced new real-world concerns, as well. Never ones to duck from a challenge, Sylvia and Janet decided to expand their anthology to include poems about life during a pandemic, wearing masks, virtual learning, staying connected with friends, and social justice issues like standing up for what you believe in. In true Vardell-Wong style, the fun, kid-friendly poems (all 100 of them) are matched with practical tips, connections across learning areas—science, social studies, language arts, etc—and supplemented with extensive back matter. For just-in-time learning or just-for-fun reading, HOP TO IT is a home run!

"Home Run at Yankee Stadium"

Which brings me back to baseball. :)

 

Are you wearing your favorite team jersey or cap? Snacks at the ready? You shouldn't need sunscreen since we'll be indoors, but here's some music from 1908 to help you get in the mood:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4-gsdLSSQ0

Now, maybe just a few arm stretches and knee bends to warm up. I wouldn't want anyone in this bookish poetry crowd to overdo it! Your role is the home team crowd.

 

Play ball!

 

Click on image to enlarge or read below.

 

 

ALL TIED, BASES LOADED

          by Michelle Heidenrich Barnes

 

The crowd is hyped. 

They do the wave.

Next batter up is looking brave.

 

But I'm brave too.

I stare him down

from here, atop my pitcher's mound.

 

He swings—a miss!

Strike one! Crowd cheers.

The roar is music to my ears.

Fast ball. He swings—

and hits a foul.

Clapping, stomping home fans howl!

Can I do this 

one more time?

He wants a hit—pride's on the line.

I throw a curve, 

then start to doubt.

He swings—

          (can't watch)

                    Strike three! YOU'RE OUT!

Nice job, y'all—I heard you howling from here! It was sure fun to write this poem with all the actions of the players and crowd. It's easy to imagine a whole classroom getting into the act. (Who doesn't like clapping, stomping, cheering, and doing the wave?) As it turns out, I will be reading my poem aloud this afternoon (Friday, 10/23) at a Pomelo Books Zoom Poetry Party and would LOVE some folks to take on the roles of the adoring home team fans. If you're available, please join us at 4 pm Eastern Time. Email me at TodaysLittleDitty (at) gmail (dot) com for the zoom link.

 

HOP TO IT: Poems to Get You Moving is available at QEP Books (currently at a discount), at Amazon.com, or . . .

 

 

WIN YOUR VERY OWN COPY RIGHT HERE! 

(Is that cheering I hear again?)

 

Janet and Sylvia have generously offered to send a copy of HOP TO IT to *FIVE* lucky Today's Little Ditty readers! (Domestic U.S. addresses only, please.) To enter, leave a comment on this blog post or send an email to the same address above with the subject "HOP TO IT giveaway." Comments and emails must be received by the end of the day on Tuesday, October 27, 2020. Winners will be selected randomly and announced on Friday, October 30th. Good luck!

 

 

 

 

Before I shuffle off to the locker room, since I haven't been around much, I'd like to take a moment to mention two other recent anthologies that I'm honored to have poems in. 

 

A World Full of Poems, also released this month, is a gorgeously illustrated introduction to children's poetry featuring a diverse selection of contemporary and historical poets. The poems, selected by Sylvia Vardell (busy lady!), are about everything from science, sports, and space, to friendship, family, and feelings. They are complemented by interesting, topical facts; prompts and activities that inspire children to create their own poetry; and introductions to poetic devices which are fun and accessible. Published by DK Children, A World Full of Poems is available for purchase at Amazon.com or an independent bookstore near you.

Behind the mask: haiku in the time of Covid-19, edited by Margaret Dornaus, is a collection of more than 250 pandemic-themed haiku from more than 140 internationally acclaimed haiku poets. Published last July by Singing Moon Press, at the present time it is only available for purchase at lulu.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jama Rattigan is known for her excellent batters—in the kitchen, that is, not on the baseball field. ;) Give a cheer for Jama and this week's Poetry Friday roundup at Jama's Alphabet Soup.

 

 

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!

 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

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.

Back to School: GREAT MORNING! (Giveaway!)

Can you find six year old me? At the end of this post I'll let you know if you're right.

How I adored my first grade teacher, Miss Liles—Dori, as she invited us to call her. She was progressive, creative, nurturing, fun, and she instilled a love of learning that I never outgrew.

You may have guessed, I was one of those children—the kind who treated each school year as an exciting new adventure, the kind who liked to hold my teacher's hand, the kind who lived for storytime and painting at the easel (but not so much for climbing the rope in gym class), the kind who enjoyed playing school and completing worksheets at home just for fun. 

"Playing School" Boston Public Library

Those were the days before too much homework and standardized testing, mind you. But my kids, before the jaded teen phase set in, felt the same. The eagerness may have worn off some, but the anticipation of a new school year is pretty darn compelling, even for them. As adults, I think many of us still crave that feeling of a fresh start, whether it comes in the form of a New Year's resolution, a new job, a new creative project... a new ditty challenge perhaps (wink).

Kenn Nesbitt's delightful poem to welcome the new year can be found in Sylvia Vardell's and Janet Wong's most recent gift to educators, GREAT MORNING! Poems for School Leaders to Read Aloud (Pomelo Books, 2018). 

GREAT MORNING! Poems for School Leaders to Read Aloud
Pomelo Books, 2018
ISBN: 978-1937057282
Available for purchase at Amazon.com

As is the case with all of the Pomelo Books offerings, the concept of this anthology is brilliant in its simplicity and effectiveness.

Sylvia and Janet have made it easy for principals, parent volunteers, student news crews, or a rotation of teachers and staff, to bring poetry into the lives of young people on Poetry Fridays or any other day of the week. To start with, they've chosen nearly 40 short poems relevant to the school year that can be read to students as part of morning announcements. I'm so pleased and honored to have my own "Look for the Helpers" included among them!

To make it even easier, they've also provided an attention grabbing introductory ("Did you know?") paragraph for each poem and a "Follow up" paragraph to help students personalize and carry the poem's positive message into their day. Watch the video of principal Steven Wilfing on Poetry for Children to see just how simple it is!

from GREAT Morning! Poems for School Leaders to Read Aloud
by Sylvia Vardell & Janet Wong ©2018 Pomelo Books

You'll also notice a third section titled CONNECT. Here, you'll find a poem recommendation to partner with the original poem as a reinforcing set. The recommended poem might be read and discussed in the classroom by a teacher or librarian, for example, to expand upon the theme, or to discuss the hidden language skills that are regularly used in writing poetry.

"New Year is Here" connects with "What We're Learning" by Janet Wong.

This poem makes me think of my son, who we recently delivered to his new temporary home on the campus of the Florida Institute of Technology.  He's not only building new skill sets having to do with aerospace engineering, but also time management, money management, roommate management, laundry management, and other such college survival skills. I, too, am learning new skills as I struggle to adapt to the empty chair at the dining table. But I digress.

What makes GREAT MORNING! so incredibly user-friendly is that Janet and Sylvia have done all the preparation—they supply the instructions, poem topics, connections to more poems and poetry resources, teaching tips, follow up activities, mini lessons, and even a sample letter to send home to parents to get them involved. It's all there. The only thing you need to supply is your enthusiasm and an understanding of the value poetry brings to students' lives.

I recently ran across a 250 year old quote that applies well when it comes to Janet and Sylvia, and the role Pomelo Books plays in the teaching lives of educators:

"Instruction does much, but encouragement everything."

– Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (Letter to A.F. Oeser, Nov. 9, 1768)

I cannot overstate the impact Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong have made, and continue to make, when it comes to poetry advocacy in the schools. I was lucky enough to see them in action at ILA last year in Orlando. As excellent as the instruction was, what won the audience of teachers over was Janet and Sylvia's enthusiastic and encouraging approach to delivering that instruction. They make poetry seem simple and doable—which it is.

An interactive poetry session with Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong at ILA, July 2017.

I honestly think that many (most?) teachers see the importance of incorporating poetry into their classroom routines, but they're just not sure how to go about it. They need tools, resources, and, maybe most of all, confidence. Pomelo Books supplies all three. But don't just take my word for it! Paul Hankins knows what an asset Sylvia and Janet are to the educational community. Don't miss his comprehensive (and glowing) review of GREAT MORNING! from a teacher's perspective on Goodreads. 

Click HERE to learn more about Sylvia and Janet in my spotlight interview from 2014.

If you'd like to win a copy of GREAT MORNING!, leave a comment below or send an email with the subject "Great Morning Giveaway" to TodaysLittleDitty (at) gmail (dot) com by Tuesday, August 28th. Three winners will be chosen at random and announced next Friday. Many thanks to Pomelo Books for providing these copies!

So, did you figure out which one of those adorable and well-behaved children at the top of this post is me? I'm in the second row on the far right wearing an orange turtleneck that my mom ordered from the Sears catalog. You can't see it in the photo, but it had a small Winnie the Pooh embroidered on it. Sigh. I miss that shirt.

Mike Mozart

Who's ready for a ditty challenge?

It's great to be back! And I am SO excited about TLD's featured author for September! While I usually post interviews on the first Friday of the month, I've decided to move this one up by a week to make sure I can share as many daily ditties as possible. I'm keeping the author's name a surprise for now, but do be sure to come back next week to find out who is in the spotlight.

Join teacher and poet Margaret Simon for this week's Poetry Friday roundup at Reflections on the Teche. She introduces a fun poetry project called a zeno zine.

Get Your Wiggle On: PET CRAZY (Giveaway!)

"Introducing ROSIE!" by Sangudo

Each time Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong come out with a new Poetry Friday Power Book, I jump at the opportunity to feature it. 

"Super Puppy!" by ktbuffy

That's because I believe so strongly in what they are accomplishing with these fun DIY poetry journals—slipping poetry into children's lives in a way that not only entertains, but helps young people explore their surroundings, think about themselves in relation to others, and express themselves through the power of words. The superpower of words, really.

YOU JUST WAIT, the first book in the series, explores questions that tweens and teens think about, like identity, belonging, and dreams for the future.

HERE WE GO is the next book in the series. Targeted at a slightly younger crowd, this book also grapples with questions of belonging, but within the context of community and social responsibility/activism.

PET CRAZY: A Poetry Friday Power Book
Pomelo Books, 2017
ISBN: 978-1937057718
Available for purchase at Amazon.com.

The newest book in the series, PET CRAZY, is geared toward our youngest writers-in-training (grades K-3). The cover (illustrated by Franzi Paetzold) is friendly and inviting, the larger size is great for little hands and big handwriting, but most importantly, anyone who's ever had kids, worked with kids, or has been a kid knows the magnetic draw of pets at that age. Ask any scout leader. When it comes to community service, animal rescue comes up again and again. That's because kids are crazy about their furry, scaly, and feathered friends. And who can complain about that? Pets provide a training ground for empathy, unconditional love, and responsibility, and ultimately teach children how to be compassionate and trustworthy grown-ups.

Like the previous books, PET CRAZY boasts the contributions of twelve outstanding children's poets. They provide the "anchor poems" from which Janet Wong weaves a story-in-poems, intertwining the lives of three pet-loving characters: Kristy, Ben, and Daniel. Add to that, Sylvia Vardell's game-like writing activities, creative prompts, and a wide array of interesting resources for readers, writers, and pet lovers (pet poetry books, anyone?), and you've got the award-winning formula that has made all of the Poetry Friday Power Books so doggone successful.

At their core, these books are about making connections—

WSPA International

allowing children the choice of what they read, think, write, and respond, and giving them a "behind the scenes" look at how poems work and how poets write and think. Wouldn't you know, PET CRAZY even comes with a bonus section about hidden language skills that readers can search for throughout the book! Of course you don't have to tell them it's educational, just let them have fun.


And speaking of having fun . . .

Since Carole Boston Weatherford was in the TLD spotlight last week, I thought I would showcase PowerPack 3 of PET CRAZY which includes her poem "Loose Tooth, Whose Tooth?"

(Click image to enlarge.)

Each PowerPack opens with a PowerPlay activity—a simple, yet engaging pre-writing activity to get readers thinking. For PowerPack 3, readers are given a list of words and asked to circle their favorites and/or cross out ones they don't like.

(Click image to enlarge.)

Here's my list of favorite words. (I didn't find any that I wanted to cross out.)

play, puppy, kitten, wings, lizard, crickets,
smile, happy, wonder, share, words, book,
friends, feelings, wiggle, clever, home,
promise, hug, gift, please, tickle, wander

Carole's anchor poem comes next in the PowerPack, followed by a response poem (by Janet Wong) in the voice of Daniel.

(Click image to enlarge.)

After that, a mentor poem (also by Janet Wong) in the voice of Ben, and then a Power2You writing prompt. In this case, readers are encouraged to write a poem that uses repetition.

(Click image to enlarge.)

I decided to focus my poem on two words from my list: "puppy" and "wiggle."


PUPPY GLEE

There's a wiggle in my belly.
There's a wiggle in my toes.
There's a wiggle bouncing up my legs
and tickling my nose.

There's a wiggle in my bottom
and a drumbeat in my tail.
A silly dance is coming on...
I think I'm gonna wail!

The wiggle's getting stronger now—
please, no SIT or STAY—
My wiggle's just excited
that we're going out to play!!!

© 2017 Michelle Heidenrich Barnes. All rights reserved.

"Freedom" by Chris Ballard

Are you wiggling yet?

You might be when I tell you that I have five copies of PET CRAZY to give away!

Leave a comment below, or email me at TodaysLittleDitty (at) gmail (dot) com no later than Tuesday, September 12, 2017 to be entered into the drawing. Winners will be chosen randomly and announced next Friday, September 15th. Yips of appreciation to Janet and Sylvia for providing me with these giveaway copies!

 See you here next week for the Poetry Friday Roundup!

Carole Boston Weatherford's abecedarian challenge is already resulting in some terrific poems! To add yours, post it on our September 2017 padlet. Featured daily ditties this week included poems by Damon Dean, Rebekah Hoeft, and Brenda Davis Harsham.

Matt Forrest Esenwine is hosting this week's Poetry Friday roundup at Radio, Rhythm & Rhyme.

Planting the seeds: HERE WE GO (Giveaway!)

Pasco County Schools

Last week I talked a lot about "here we are"—bracing for and embracing change. Judging by your comments and several other Poetry Friday posts, I am not the only one who has been grappling with uncertainty, looking for answers, or turning to poetry to soothe and settle mind and heart.

Today I'm sharing something that might help...

Available for purchase at Amazon and QEP.

A "hot off the press" Children's Book Council selection for 2017, this may not be the first time you've heard about HERE WE GO, released by Pomelo Books earlier this month. It wouldn't be difficult to write my whole post by borrowing bits and pieces from others: I thought Mary Lee Hahn was spot on when she called it "the right book at the right time," Irene Latham was her usual perceptive self when she said it "invites questions and doesn't demand answers," and Margaret Simon did a great job writing about the "grit" and determination it takes to put yourself out there—something required of every activist. But since this is my internet podium, allow me tell you what this book means to me (aside from the fact that I'm pleased as all get out to be a part of it!) . . .

HERE WE GO is a harbinger of hope.

Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong impress the heck out of me.
They're always right on the pulse of where we are as a poetry
and teaching community, and ready to urge us one step further.

From its introduction:

Why is this a "Poetry Friday Power Book"? Because we believe in the power of poetry to express our deepest feelings, and our most powerful experiences, and to inspire us to use our words to create change in the world.

Like its predecessor, YOU JUST WAIT (reviewed here last September), HERE WE GO is a mash-up between an anthology, a verse novella, and a poetry workbook. It also comes with an abundance of useful back matter. But what I love most is the interactive "PowerPack" format that guides readers through the process of reading, thinking, writing, and responding. It's a winning formula for writers of any age and ability to spur creativity, make connections, and get their own words and ideas flowing.

Aimed at slightly younger readers than YOU JUST WAIT, Janet hopes that HERE WE GO "will find its way into the hands of 3rd graders who have been confused or fearful since the election and that it will give them comfort and security to read about kids like themselves." (Read more at Live Your Poem.)

Perfect for home or classroom, I like to think of HERE WE GO as the little engine that could. Without being preachy, it helps young readers recognize that they have a voice and gives them the confidence to make a difference, to make to the world a better place.

The story centers on four young friends—Ameera, David, Jack, and Jenna. They come from diverse backgrounds and each face unique challenges at home, but together they discover that kindness, gardening, and activism go hand-in-hand as they strive to make an impact in their community. Young readers will see that no matter their family situation or the socio-political climate, they are not alone. We all have struggles, yet it's our differences that make us stronger when we work together.

Pasco County Schools

I love with what Janet and Sylvia did with PowerPack 8.
It opens with a PowerPlay activity that asks the reader to circle every third word in a passage and then, using some of those words, come up with a three-line poem—a tercet.

—from Here We Go: A Poetry Friday Power Book
by Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong ©2017 Pomelo Books

Next is my poem, "Look for the Helpers," which originally appeared in THE POETRY FRIDAY ANTHOLOGY FOR CELEBRATIONS.

—from Here We Go: A Poetry Friday Power Book
by Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong ©2017 Pomelo Books

After that, we have two original poems by Janet Wong—
a response poem...

—from Here We Go: A Poetry Friday Power Book
by Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong ©2017 Pomelo Books

  

Don't you love that ending?

and a mentor poem—

—from Here We Go: A Poetry Friday Power Book
by Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong ©2017 Pomelo Books

"There's only room for kindness here"—YES!

followed by a Power2You writing prompt.
Now it's your turn to write a poem using rhyming or non-rhyming tercets.

—from Here We Go: A Poetry Friday Power Book
by Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong ©2017 Pomelo Books

If you accept this Power2You challenge . . .

Write a short poem about HOPE or HELPING using tercets (one or two stanzas is plenty) and I will share it here. Leave your poem in the comments below or email it to TodaysLittleDitty (at) gmail (dot) com. Since you've already read my poem about helping, I'll start us off with a tercet about hope.

dawn chill

lack of will

still the moon smiles

© Michelle Heidenrich Barnes

each morning
the sun behind clouds
I choose hope

© Jone Rush MacCulloch

the snow
falls in silence but
the wind listens

© Brenda Davis Harsham

It’s hard to see hope in the headlines,
but then at the playground
I find children smiling.

© Linda Baie

rocks propped
each surface jigsawed together
a tower of hope

© Bridget Magee

in my mind
I can see past the clouds
to the sun

© Elizabeth Steinglass

We're growing spinach, lettuce, beans,
we're planting hope with every seed,
our garden swells with pride and leaves.

© Buffy Silverman

one kind word
wields more action
and ignites more change!

© Michelle Kogan

Gray paints the sky.
Silence quietly enters.
Hope pushes through the solitude.

© Carol Varsalona 


when I'm ready to quit
my daughter's smile
renews my hope.

 © Maria Marshall


I look to nature
A wild heron sees me
What are you doing here?

© Margaret G. Simon

The job is boring.

Time goes slow.

Tomorrow is Saturday!

© Cindy Breedlove

Winter wind sings
a song that gently chimes
through falling snow

© Kay McGriff

there are no alternative facts;
the sky IS blue
and a smile changes the world

© Sally Murphy

I remind myself
every single day:
to teach is to hope.

© Mary Lee Hahn

Urgent call: Attention, attention!
Volunteer your kindness, love, and care
for a global hatred decontamination.

© vezenimost

the volunteer stretches
stretches beyond to reach out to another
another less strong

© Donna JT Smith

Rain has cleared
sunshine here
world full of rainbow

© Joy Acey

When my legs grow too tired to stand,
I can still pull myself up
with my arms.

© David McMullin

Helpers here, helpers there
Multiply like bunnies
Erase the fear

© Jan Godown Annino

Janet and Sylvia are two of the most generous people I know, and not surprisingly, they have provided me with several copies of HERE WE GO to give away to readers of this blog post. 

This is the perfect book to share with a a young person in your life—a child, grandchild, niece or nephew, your students, a scouting troop, an after-school group...? Or maybe you'd like a copy just for yourself. That's okay too! As we did last time, you may request 1, 2, or 3 copies, but you must leave a comment on this post no later than Tuesday, January 31st, in order to be entered. You do NOT have to write a tercet poem in order to be entered—that's just for fun—though I am curious about how you plan to use the books. (For those who have trouble leaving comments, email me at TodaysLittleDitty (at) gmail (dot) com and I will post your comment for you.) Winners will be chosen randomly until all the copies are gone, and announced next Friday, February 3rd.


One last thought . . .

Sometimes it's hard to see beyond the daily news and our own busy lives, but just to put things in perspective, today (January 27) is Holocaust Remembrance Day. My mother-in-law was an Auschwitz survivor and a remarkable woman in so many ways. I'd love to share some of her inspiring personal stories with you, but that's a post for another day. In the meantime, let's be grateful for having learned from mistakes of the past and unite in our determination not to let them happen again.

Plant seeds of love, not hate.

Pasco County Schools

Carol Varsalona is all about planting seeds of love and gratitude. Join her for today's Poetry Friday roundup at Beyond LiteracyLink.