Earthshake: Poems from the Ground Up [Hardcover]

Lisa Westberg Peters (Author), Cathie Felstead (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

Maybe that plain old rock has gleaming jewels inside.

Maybe Africa and South America used to be best friends.

Maybe a clam that died 300 million years ago is in your backyard.

What secrets is Earth hiding? These twenty-two poems leave no stone unturned in exploring the world’s natural wonders.

Crack this book open and watch geology sparkle.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-6-Twenty-two delightful poems with a geological theme, including pieces on tectonic plates, lava, strata, and fossils. Exuberant, silly, and serious by turns, the selections engage imagination with often-humorous wordplay. The simple yet clever collages, many of which incorporate clip-art elements, deepen the intellectual and emotional content, yet keep a light tone. The large images and uncomplicated layouts enhance the read-aloud potential. This book offers a great jumping-off point for earth science, geology/geography, and even math classes. Three pages of endnotes provide additional factual and background details.
Cris Riedel, Ellis B. Hyde Elementary School, Dansville, NY
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 2-4. Inspired by a broad range of topics, from the earth spinning in space to a rock at the side of the road, the 22 short poems in this large-format book all pertain to geology. Peters often interprets solid facts in imaginative flights of fancy, tethered to science mainly by the endnotes, which briefly explain the geology behind the poetry. The result is a book of light poetry with a unifying theme rather than a series of lessons set to verse. In "Continental Promises," South America and Africa write short notes to one another promising undying affection ("Dear / Africa, / Stay close!"), but the unspoken message (confirmed in the endnotes) is that continental drift will take its toll. The illustration personifies the nearly touching continents with faint, amiable faces. Well tuned to the verse in tone and inventive imagination, the mixed-media collage artwork includes paintings and drawings on textured and printed papers. Individual pictures differ widely from one another, yet the overall effect is unified. A creative addition to earth science units. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Greenwillow Books; 1 edition (August 5, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060292652
• ISBN-13: 978-0060292652
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 10.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,332,328 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lisa Peters has loved to write since she was a child. She majored in journalism at the University of Minnesota and went on to write nineteen children's books, including the Minnesota Book Award-winner, Our Family Tree: An Evolution Story. She loves to travel and has a strong interest in earth science. She lives in historic southeast Minneapolis with her husband, Dave.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a book!, September 4, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Earthshake: Poems from the Ground Up (Library Binding)

I am SO impressed with this book. Each poem looks at geology (yes, geology) in a slightly different way and evokes a different perspective on tales that can be millions of years old. Peters' inventive word play depicts the movement of glaciers ... she dares them to get a speeding ticket. In "Instructions for the Earth's Dishwasher," the continental plates get warned, "Remember, if anything breaks, it's your fault." This book is sure to get heavy use in classrooms because of its approach to geology and the lively discussions that will follow. As examples of poetry, it'll be useful in all the grades, inspiring inventiveness and word play. Felstead's illustrations are right on the mark, adding to the energetic nature of the poetry, making use of predominant blues and greens to portray earthly elements. And what a terrific read-aloud at home: imagine the parent-child talks this will engender, making science a hot topic around the house. (It's fun for adults, too--all the better.) A must-have.