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Friday, January 7, 2011

Poetry Friday and Celebrating

I'm doing a happy dance this week. My new book with Libraries Unlimited arrived.

Actually it arrived two days before Christmas, but life had to slow down long enough for me to enjoy the happy dance. It was fun sharing with my children and giving the first copy to my fourth-grade grandson. I'm only just now slowed and steady enough to share it with you.

The book contains 20 scripts and 10 monologues and covers 45 explorers throughout history. It was a lot of fun and and a lot of work. I'm thrilled to hold it in my hands. I hope to schedule a virtual book tour sometime in February. I'd love to stop in at your blog and talk about my book. Let me know if you're interested.


So for good reason, I'm back to explorer poems. There's plenty more Poetry Friday to be enjoyed at my good friend Irene Latham's blog, Live. Love. Explore! What a great place for today's post to land!

Of the many books I read a lot of books on explorers, some stand out more than others.

I, Matthew Henson: Polar Explorer by Author: Carole Boston Weatherford is a favorite. I love her use of preterition. Saying what she's not talking about to draw attention to that very thing. Beautiful illustrations by Eric Velasquez bring Henson's struggles and the journey to life.

Here is the beginning:
I did not walk forty miles
from the nation’s capital
to Baltimore’s busy harbor to eye
ships from a dock. Though just thirteen
I yearned for a taste of the adventures
that I had heard old sailors speak of,
to explore the seven seas
and somehow find my calling.

I did not start as a cabin boy, climb
the ranks to able-bodied seaman,
sail five continents, and learn
trades and foreign tongues to be shunned
by white crews who thought blacks
were not seaworthy. I did not chart
this course to drift in humdrum jobs
ashore. My dreams had sails.

I hope you are holding to your New Year's goals. May all your dreams have sails.


8 comments:

  1. Doing a happy dance for you, Dori! Your book looks like one I would love to have and share. Congrats!

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  2. Dori, we should exchange our new poetry books, esp. as they both contain a little history! So excited for you! Congratulations!!

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  3. Thanks for the good wishes.

    I really like the cover, too, Toby.

    Are you a teacher, Tabatha? The book is really a teacher tool, especially for use in social studies classrooms.

    Alas, Irene, mine's not poetry, just plays. But it's not without some poetic inspiration. The first script, Leif the Lucky, features a Nordic skald who speaks in kennings. Fun to create. I would love to see your new poetry book. I do love your poems.

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  4. Hi, Dori. Carole spoke at our local SCBWI conference last spring. She was FABulous -- loved her message and her enthusiasm for poetry. Thanks for sharing this.

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  5. "My dreams had sails." Love it love it love it.

    Congratulations, Dori!

    Janet

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  6. Laura, How cool to have seen Carole. I really like this book. I'd love to meet her.

    Janet, Thanks for stopping by. It's a great line, isn't it? And a wonderful book.

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  7. Dori, Matthew Henson's story is familiar to me, but that book is not. Thanks for sharing, I can't wait to get a hold of it.

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  8. Doraine:
    Wonderful holiday gift to receive! I would love to host you in a book tour segment. I'll send the link to all the 3rd and 4th grade teachers I know oh and the media specialists so they'll know about this wonderful SS tool! Wish I had it when I was teaching explorers!

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