The Expansive World Of Poetry.

 

    Poetry is one of my favorite ways to engage with young patrons. The rhythmic quality of poetry makes it easy to understand and engages with patrons. Although we think poetry is just putting rhyming words together, it is more than that. Every word choice is deliberate, which is why I love reading poetry in different formats. For both of my selections, I decided to pick different formats. I wanted to see how reading it on the page is different from listening to it. 

Gorman, A. (2021). Change Sings. Viking Books for Young Readers.

Change Sings by Amanda Gorman 

      For poetry, I try to listen to the audiobook. I want to hear how the author reads their work, and how the work is supposed to be read. Change Sings by Amanda Gorman is fantastic to read, and Gorman does an exceptional job of drawing the reader in. Each word is deliberate and conveys a strong message about the importance of using your voice. Gorman encourages readers to not only expect change but to welcome it. She aims to empower her audience and inspire them to be activists. My favorite part about experiencing this book was listening to her read each line. It was fascinating to notice which words she emphasized and which lines she left open-ended. Change Sings was an immersive audiobook that will motivate a potential reader to get involved in their community

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Raczka, B. (2016). Wet Cement: A Mix of Concrete Poems. Roaring Brook Press.

Wet Cement by Bob Raczka 

    Raczka's novel, Wet Cement: A Mix of Concrete Poems shocked me. It was completely different than the poems that I have usually read.  Raczka plays with the idea of experimenting with the words themselves. Some of the words in his novel were hanging off the page, while some were put together in a maze. Each poem is like a puzzle, and it is the reader's job to solve it. Raczka's wordplay and his poetry are a work of genius, and the idea of using words as a form of art is a great idea. I can say for sure that I have never seen a poetry book like this one. Racka's collection will be great for readers who want to read and solve puzzles. 

Wet Cement by Bob Raczka