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Messing Around on the Monkey Bars: and Other School Poems for Two Voices Hardcover – Picture Book, July 28, 2009

by Betsy Franco (Author), Jessie Hartland (Illustrator)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 22 ratings
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Grab a partner (or many more) and read these playful poems for multiple voices aloud — evoking all the high spirits and hijinks of a day at school.

Out on the playground, kids are skipping rope and making trades. In the library, they’re whispering, fi dgeting, and giggling. In the classroom, they’re learning their lessons....or spinning tales about why they haven’t turned in their homework. Throughout this collection of nineteen poems — ideal for reading aloud in pairs, but just as much fun with one or many — words, pictures, and voices erupt in an irresistible invitation to join an exhilarating ride around school. So hop on the bus! The pencils are tapping, the clock is ticking, and reports are due...tomorrow?
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  1. Reading age
    8 - 12 years
  2. Print length
    48 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    3 - 7
  5. Dimensions
    7.88 x 0.45 x 10.13 inches
  6. Publisher
    Candlewick
  7. Publication date
    July 28, 2009
  8. ISBN-10
    0763631744
  9. ISBN-13
    978-0763631741
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Betsy Franco starts every weekday with a visit to her local elementary school, where she chats with students, listens to what they’re saying, and observes what they’re doing. What she has learned informs many of her more than eighty books, including several picture-book poetry collections. She lives in California.

Jessie Hartland has illustrated numerous picture books for children, including two she authored. Her fine artwork has been exhibited in New York, Venice, Tokyo, and elsewhere. She lives and works in New York City.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Candlewick; Illustrated edition (July 28, 2009)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 48 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0763631744
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0763631741
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 8 - 12 years
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 3 - 7
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 14.4 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.88 x 0.45 x 10.13 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 22 ratings

About the author

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Betsy Franco

Betsy Franco

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Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Award winning author Betsy Franco has written over 80 books. These include two novels illustrated by her son Tom Franco, Naked and Metamorphosis, Junior Year; picture books; and poetry collections. She also writes graphic novels and screenplays and compiled award-winning anthologies of teen poetry.

Her screenplay for The Art of Love, filmed in Palo Alto and San Francisco, is currently in post-production.

Betsy acted in The Deuce and her son James' films (Broken Tower) and played James' mother on General Hospital. She teaches Acting on Film to teens at the Palo Alto Children's Theatre.

Betsy graduated from Stanford in Studio Art, got her masters at Lesley University in education. Her sons inspire her with their fearless creativity.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
22 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Kristin Crouch
5.0 out of 5 stars Messing Around on the Monkey Bars is wonderful! My kids were all drawn to it
Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2018
Verified Purchase
I bought this book as an additional resource for a two-voice poetry project. In previous years I've used exclusively Paul Fleischman's books for this project. Messing Around on the Monkey Bars is wonderful! My kids were all drawn to it! It is formatted much friendlier than Joyful Noise, with the different parts being boldface and not. This is not at all a jab to Joyful Noise, but Monkey Bars was much easier for my below level readers. Kids could choose their poem, and many chose from Monkey Bars. A couple poems introduce a sort of rhythm that kids really enjoyed (Jenny's Pencil).
Wonderful book for a classroom, or for a really fun bedtime read aloud?
One person found this helpful
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Chon_Lee
5.0 out of 5 stars Fun Reading
Reviewed in the United States on December 23, 2018
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Very fun book to read with your child.
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Shannon Hintz
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
Reviewed in the United States on December 17, 2018
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Love this
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Jennifer K.
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on March 29, 2015
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Great book!! Our children love it!!
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Gracie
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on July 4, 2014
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My students love these poems.
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Laura
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book to be read aloud!
Reviewed in the United States on April 8, 2011
What a fun book! This collection of nineteen poems tells about a kid's day at school. Ranging from the classroom to the bus ride, the poems highlight the daily activities of school in an energetic way. Students will enjoy reading this whole book of performance poetry. Broken up into "voices", students are assigned a part to read and some lines require both to read aloud. Each part is a different font (normal, bold, bolder) to make each reader's lines clear. While the poems could be read solo, the words are clearly meant to be squealed and shouted by students performing for their peers or parents. The words are simple enough for elementary students to read with ease yet share the feeling of a kid who forgot the report was due ("Animal Reports") and another who is racing to the front of the line after recess ("Me and Joe Lining up after Recess"). The idea of having students read together builds a cadence to reading as the struggling readers can be imitate the more fluent reader. The rhyming words are not sing-songy, but they help the nervous reader quickly find the beat of the poem. The bright pictures only add to the feeling of excitement about school.
The whole book should be shared with students. The brevity of the poem allows for many different groups to participate in the performance, and more than one poem could be performed in a day without taking too much time. "Anatomy Class" is a must-share for an ESL or bilingual class. English is a HARD language to learn, especially with its idioms, homophones, and colloquialisms. This poem is a great springboard for a lesson about figurative and literal language.
"Anatomy Class" (I don't know how to make the words bold on here.)
The chair has
arms.
The clock,
a face.
The kits have
long and twirly tails.
The tacks have
heads.
The books have
spines.
The toolbox has
a set of nails.
Our shoes have
tongues,
the marbles,
eyes.
The wooden desk has
legs and seat.
The cups have
lips.
My watch has
hands.
The classroom rulers all have
feet.
Heads, arms, hands, nails, spines, legs, feet, tails, face, lips, tongues, eyes.
What a surprise!
Is our classroom alive?

I reviewed this book for my poetry class at Texas Woman's University. [...]
5 people found this helpful
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Janet Squires Books
5.0 out of 5 stars This would be a fun resource for readers theater or to use as an ...
Reviewed in the United States on September 23, 2015
Franco explores life in elementary school in this humorous collection of poems designed for reading aloud. Students will identify with experiences that include losing lunch money, new classmates, bus rides, schoolwork, and lost and found. Variations in typeface indicate different or combined voices and there are notes with presentation suggestions about "adventurous ways to read the poems."

Hartland's whimsical artwork features a colorful, kid-friendly style that will delight the book's audience.
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