Poems from Homeroom: A Writer's Place to Start [Paperback]

Kathi Appelt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 14, 2010

A collection of original poems and creative writing exercises that will inspire teens to write about their own lives.

"Since the very beginnings of the human race, we've been gathering in circles and telling stories because beyond the physical needs for food, water, clean air, and security, one of our most basic yearnings is to express ourselves, to share what we know, what we dream, what we imagine, and what we feel."

Experienced poet and teacher Kathi Appelt has written a wonderful collection of poems for young adult readers, accompanied by fascinating accounts of how and why the poems came to be, along with writing exercises to inspire readers to create their own poetry.

A perfect gift and an excellent classroom resource, this book opens up the world of poetry in a way that is accessible and appealing to teens.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

"Poetry is the home for all my yearnings
each poem a separate room
where wandering words
find a cool bed, a bowl of soup..."

Using her own adolescent-appealing poems, Kathi Appelt has created a poetry guide that teens can turn to when they are having trouble corralling those "wandering words." In "Part I: Homeroom: The Poems," Appelt showcases her own poetry, mostly whimsical in tone, about such teen-pleasing topics as tattoos, first crushes, and homecoming dances. In "Part II: Study Hall: Writing What We Long For," Appelt describes the inspiration for each of the previous 26 poems, and provides questions to stir the imaginations and pens of young writers. She identifies the specific motivation behind each of the poems, (some examples include longing for attention, justice, or respect) and then asks readers through a series of open-ended questions to examine that motivation in their own writing. And while most of her poetry is free verse, she also throws in a few forms for young readers to challenge themselves with, such as the sestina, villanelle, and haiku.

Young adult author Kathi Appelt's lighthearted take on crafting poetry will have teens scratching down sonnets in no time. Full of practical advice, poetry-provoking questions, and thin enough to fit in the back pocket of a binder, Poems from Homeroom is sure to be popular with wannabe young Maya Angelous and Walt Whitmans. And for further guidance, aspiring bards may also want to try Seeing the Blue Between: Advice and Inspiration for Young Poets, edited by Paul B. Janeczko. (Ages 13 to 18) --Jennifer Hubert --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

Finally, "In the Nurse's Office," "The Fat Girl" and "Notes Passed Back and Forth in United States History, Seventh Period" are just three of the more than 20 original offerings included in Poems from Homeroom: A Writer's Place to Start by Kathi Appelt. Divided in two, the book offers free verse in the first half; Part II uses the work to spark adolescent's own writing. Ages 14-up.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Owlet Paperbacks; First Edition edition (September 14, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805075968
• ISBN-13: 978-0805075960
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #407,837 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Better than it first seems., August 23, 2005

By 

Robert P. Beveridge "xterminal" (Lakewood, OH) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Poems from Homeroom: A Writer's Place to Start (Hardcover)

Kathi Appelt, Poems from Homeroom: A Writer's Place to Start (Henry Holt, 2002)

I'm still not quite sure how I feel about this book. I love the second section of it, where Appelt goes into the ideas behind the poems and provides exercises for young readers to get to writing (even if she does make the usual mistake of calling 5-7-5 an established form, rather than a guideline, in English haiku). As for the poems themselves, the jury's still kind of out. Attention is paid to the crafting of them, which in itself makes them rise to above average in today's world of published poetry; if there is a problem, it's that the narrative structure of much of the poetry tends to get away from the image, and so some of it sounds like prose broken up into lines rather than poetry. Appelt is very good at using form, though, and when she does this collection shines.

Overall, there's more good than bad here. Worth checking out. ***

5.0 out of 5 stars Poems from Homeroom: A Writer's Place to Start, January 11, 2009

By 

K. Stiffler "katethegreyt" (NY State) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Poems from Homeroom: A Writer's Place to Start (Hardcover)

I love this book! Kathi Appelt presents some of her own poetry with the inspirations behind each poem and suggestions for students trying to write their own. There are many good writing prompts, and she explores different styles of poetry. I found this to be a very useful resource as a middle school ELA teacher.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great gift for your high school poet, January 21, 2007

By 

Joanne B. Silverstein "Jo" - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Poems from Homeroom: A Writer's Place to Start (Hardcover)

My daughter enjoys writing poems and really enjoyed these age appropriate poems written by her peers