A Visit to William Blake's Inn: Poems for Innocent and Experienced Travelers by Nancy Willard

Willard, Nancy. A Visit to William Blake’s Inn: Poems for Innocent and Experienced Travelers. Illustrated by Alice and Martin Provensen. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishers, 1982. 48 pages. pap. $7.00. ISBN 978-0-15-293823-9.

Annotation: A collection of poems describing the unusual guests visiting an imaginary inn run by the poet William Blake.

Summary: A menagerie of guests visits the imaginary inn run by the well-beloved poet William Blake. Nancy Willard, inspired by Blake’s work, created a cast of characters that would feel right at home in the inn. Among the whimsical guests is the Man in the Marmalade Hat, the King of Cats, two sunflowers, a wise Cow, and a Tiger. They all have an excellent time participating in and telling of their adventures.

Evaluation: The fanciful verse and the London-inspired illustrations complement each other. The artwork is drawn with detail in shades of yellow, gray, and brown. It is a short but pleasant read. Recommended for ages 6 to 12.

Genre / Subject: Juvenile Non-Fiction, Poetry, William Blake, Imagination

Awards: 1981 Golden Kite Honors Award - Fiction, 1982 Newbery Medal Award Winner, 1982 Boston Globe-Horn Award Winner, 1982 Caldecott Honor Award

Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices form a Medieval Village by Laura Amy Schlitz

Schlitz, Laura Amy. Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices from a Medieval Village. Illustrated by Robert Byrd. Candlewick Press, 2008. 96 pages. pap. $9.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-4332-4.

Annotation: A collection of monologues from a variety of children living in and around an English manor in 1255.

Summary: In this collection of twenty-two monologues, English medieval children from all classes and backgrounds, describe their daily life. From a plowboy to a shepherdess and from a knight’s son to a half-wit, children accurately and realistically portray their life style and culture. The portrait of life in the Middle Ages is revealed as each child describes his or her vocation, class, attitude, family life, religion, and social practices. Relevant essays are scattered throughout the monologues to give extra background information.

Evaluation: The text is in both prose and verse. The interconnected monologues are written in varying poetic styles from a medieval child’s perspective and the essays in prose contain interesting historical background information. The ink drawings fused with watercolors works well with the text and give a sense of medieval art. Historical notes are added in the vertical margins. Recommended for ages 6 to 13.

Genre / Subject: Juvenile Non-Fiction, History, Plays, Poetry, Medieval England, Middle Ages

Awards: 2008 Newbery Medal Award Winner, 2008 ALA Notable Children’s Book

Love That Dog by Sharon Creech

Creech, Sharon. Love That Dog. HarperCollins Publishers, 2003. 112 pages. pap. $5.99. ISBN 978-0-06-440959-9.

Annotation: A boy learns to find his own voice while writing a poetry journal with the help of his caring teacher, Ms. Stretchberry.

Summary: A little boy named Jack hates writing poetry. With gentle encouragement from his teacher, Ms. Stretchberry, Jack slowly opens up and sees the enjoyment in reading, understanding, and then writing his own poems. With a little understanding and some subjects that spark his creativity like his pet dog, Jack starts to find his voice. Jack gets really excited about poetry when a wonderful and famous poet, Walter Dean Myers visits his classroom.

Evaluation: The extremely simple prose and easy free verse style make it an excellent combination for children who do not like to read. When Jack finally starts making personal connections with the poems his teacher has him study, he starts to understand the power of poetry. The theme of love and loss of a pet will resonate with young readers. Recommended for ages 6 to 12.

Genre / Subject: Juvenile Fiction, Poetry, Dogs, Teachers

Awards: 2002 Christopher Award- Ages 8-10, 2002 American Booksellers Award – Children’s Literature Honor Book, 2002 ALA Notable Children’s Book

The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba's Struggle for Freedom by Margarita Engle

Engle, Margarita. The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba’s Struggle for Freedom. Henry Holt & Company, 2008. 176 pages. Tr. $16.95. ISBN 978-0-8050-8674-4.

Annotation: This book, written in free verse prose, sheds a personal light on Cuba’s three wars for independence from Spain between the years 1850-1899. The story in verse follows alternating voices including Rosa, a healer, Jose, a freed slave, Silvia, a refugee child, and Lieutenant Death, a slave hunter and soldier.

Summary: This novel in verse alternately follows four central characters as they are involved in various struggles with Cuba’s three wars for independence from Spain between the years 1850-1899. The most prominent voice is Rosa, a traditional healer, who nurses all people- blacks, whites, Cuban, and Spanish back to health during the fifty year struggle. Despite living her life on the lam, she uses herbal medicine she makes from the native plants and sets up hospitals in caves and other hidden places. The second voice is Rosa’s husband, Jose, who is a freed slave that assists Rosa in tending to the sick and dying. The third voice is that of Silvia, a refugee child who Rosa teaches the art of healing. The final voice is that of Lieutenant Death, a slave hunter and callous soldier who is obsessed with hunting down slaves and trying to kill the heroine Rosa. The story follows the struggle of slavery and the sadness involved with the concentration camps that bring starvation, disease, and death. But the story also shows the hope in Cuba’s quest for freedom. The healing kindness that Rose, Jose, and Silvia show to others touches people and changes lives.

Evaluation: With simple, short lines of prose the story is easy to follow and well-written. There is a Cuban flavor to the language with a sprinkling of Spanish words. The free verse poems vary in length and style and together construct a compelling narrative that offers an authentic-feeling glance into the Cuban history. Recommended for ages 10-17.

Genre / Subject: Juvenile Non-Fiction, Poetry, Cuba, History, Independence, Racism, Survival

Awards: 2009 Pura Belpre Award Winner, 2009 Newbery Medal Honor Book, 2009 ALA Notable Books for Children, 2009 Jane Addams Children’s Book Award Winner – Books for Older Children, 2009 ALA Best Books for Young Adults

Jazz by Walter Dean Myers

Myers, Walter Dean. Jazz. Illustrated by Christopher Myers. Holiday House, 2006. 44 pages. Tr. $18.95. ISBN 978-0-82-341545-8.

Myers, Walter Dean. Jazz. Narrated by James “D-Train” Williams and Vaneese Thomas. Live Oak Media, 2007. Cd with Hardback book, 43 minutes. $28.95. ISBN 978-1-43-010022-5.

Annotation: The history and feel of jazz music is presented beautifully in both poetry and picture.

Summary: An introduction to American jazz music is given through both pictures and words. Through varied poetic forms, the history, technical background, major musicians, styles, and influences are presented. The pulsating acrylic illustrations compliment the upbeat text. A jazz glossary and historical timeline add to the exploration of this important musical style.

Evaluation: Word and picture combine wonderfully to give the feeling and rhythm of American jazz music. The deeply rich and expressionistic illustrations flow like melodic music over the pages. The poems read like jazz music is played. Recommended for ages 4 to 9.

Genre / Subject: Juvenile Non-Fiction, Music, Jazz, Musicians, Stories in Verse, Poetry

Awards: 2007 ALA Notable Books for Children, 2007 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Award, 2007 Golden Kite Award Winner – Picture Book Text, 2008 Odyssey Award Winner for Excellence in Audiobook Production