Poetry Program Ideas

National Poetry Month is almost upon us. A recent ALSC blog post has some great ideas to try with the kids and youth you work with..

She writes: "April is National Poetry Month! Many people find poetry intimidating. Between meter, rhyme scheme, teachers overly focused on anything written prior to 1900, and words like “troche” and “anaphora,” the language of poetry can seem complex. But it is not too late – or too hard – to unlock your inner poet. Consider adding one of the following poetry programs to your calendar. They all use common library or household supplies, take no special knowledge or skill to lead, and can be put together in an hour or less. Gather ye thine quills and parchment!"

Stop here to read the full post with ideas. [Poetry Programs for the Reluctant Poet. Roos, Chelsea. ALSC blog. March 12, 2023]

Poem for 2011 SLP from Judy Farrow Busack

Judy Farrow Busack was a children's librarian in public libraries for many years, and often wrote a poem to go with the summer reading program. For 2011, she re-worked a poem published in the Wisconsin Summer Library Program manual, "Go Global Read!" If you think your librarians would be interested, please forward it to them.

Be mobile, be global, be always on the look
For something new and different;
We will travel by the book!
Get your passbook; be ready to fly
'N see the world from way up high.
It's green, brown, small and grand
Let's celebrate the Earth and...

Land: Upon the frozen tundra, not a tree in sight,
With polar bears and artic hares at home in frozen white.
We'll need a parka and snowshoes on our feet
But the best part, that makes this trip complete:
We won't have to go to bed in the land of midnight sun,
"Just wait till it is dark" is what we'll tell our mom.

Be mobile, be global, be always on the look
For something new and different;
We will travel by the book!
Get your passbook; be ready to fly
'N see the world from way up high.
It's green, brown, small and grand
Let's celebrate the Earth and...

Land: Where the trees look different and there's never snow or sleet
Life is mostly barefoot, with sand beneath our feet.
The ocean waves a welcome and tosses us a shell
We run out to greet her and she tosses us as well.
We don't mind, it's hot, we're wet; it's fun we grinned
And pay a sand dollar to ride waves like the wind.

Be mobile, be global, be always on the look
For something new and different;
We will travel by the book!
Get your passbook; be ready to fly
'N see the world from way up high.
It's green, brown, small and grand
Let's celebrate the Earth and...

Land: In a rain forest jungle where monkeys swing from vine to vine
And see exotic butterflies glow in the dark and shine-
This is the home of our oxygen supply...
We've got to preserve it; we can't let it die.
Walk carefully in this fragile forest clime
Don't upset the balance-uh-oh, we slipped in slime!

Be mobile, be global, be always on the look
For something new and different;
We will travel by the book!
Get your passbook; be ready to fly
'N see the world from way up high.
It's green, brown, small and grand
Let's celebrate the Earth and...

Land: On the savanna, where the lions are at home,
Where zebras and hippos and elephants roam,
Watching, protecting their cubs and their calves:
Cubs of cheetahs and calves of giraffes.
See that vulture circling its prey?
Stay
Away from that bird
And follow the herd.

Be mobile, be global, be always on the look
For something new and different;
We will travel by the book!
Get your passbook; be ready to fly
'N see the world from way up high.
It's green, brown, small and grand
We celebrate the Earth and now we land.

© Judy Farrow Busack for use of Wisconsin libraries summer of 2011