I poem for Winn Dixie

I poem for Winn Dixie...

I am dirty and big

I am stray

I am most happy when with Opal

I love causing trouble

I look best in my red leather collar

I am always there to help

I am loyal

I enjoy having fun and running

I was lost without a home

I am now found with love

I am Winn- Dixie

Informational Texts

Read a picture book biography (Jeanette Winter and Kathleen Krull are two noted biographers), and read an informational book of your choice. The following authors are some of the best writers of informational text:

• Steve Jenkins
  
• Seymour Simon


• Gail Gibbons
  
• Russell Freedman


• Jim Arnosky


• Aliki

Complete a Bio-Poem for “your famous person” using (or modifying) the following template:

Line 1: First name of biographical subject

Line 2: Four adjectives or phrases describing the person

Line 3: Husband/wife/sibling/child/friend of . . .

Line 4: Lover of . . . (three things, people, places, or ideas)

Line 5: Who feels . . . (three emotions)

Line 6: Who finds happiness in . . .

Line 7: Who needs . . .

Line 8: Who gives . . .

Line 9: Who fears . . . (three things)

Line 10: Who would like to see . . .

Line 11: Who enjoys . . .

Line 12: Who like to wear ______ when______

Line 13: Resident of . . . (city/state/country)

Line 14: Last name of biographical subject

If possible, try to include a visual of your famous person. Feel free to include additional biographical information about your individual.

Please post this bio-poem on our class blog by 8:00 pm Friday, October 2. Please comment on at least two of your classmates' poems by 8:00 pm Sunday, October 4.

Bring your biography and your informational text to class Monday, October 5 and be prepared to share your books. Think about the following reader response questions during/after reading your nonfiction book:

• What did you notice in the book?


• How did the book make you feel?


• What does the book remind you of from your own life?


• What interesting facts did you learn from the book?


• Explain the significance of an important quotation or passage from the book. What does it mean? How did it make you feel? What does it remind you of? What special meaning do these words have for you?

NOTE: These questions also serve as excellent reader response questions-no matter what the genre!

I Poem

Gloria Dump

I am old and weathered, lonesome and sheltered.
I speak to few but am spoken about.
I am wrongfully judged and misunderstood.
I am called the witch and feared by those who believe.
I see with my heart as my eyes no longer can.
I’m blind to all but what I feel is real.
I longed for companionship until I met Winn-Dixie.
I am visited by the dog and Opal.
I see Opal as more than a red-headed, freckle-faced girl.
I know she shares more than just that with her mother, who is gone.
I listen as she tells me about her preacher father.
I encourage her to test her green thumb over peanut butter sandwiches.
I am recovered, but the bottles on the tree are there to remind me.
I share this with Opal as I know her mother had similar ghosts.
I am reminded of all the sadness I felt but comforted by the taste of familiarity.
I enjoy listening to Opal tell me a story of the civil war.
I help Opal spread happiness to all those who have an aching heart.
We all come together over Dump Punch.

Not Alone

I am quiet and secluded

but I am not a witch

I wonder how life would be

if I were not alone

I hear the chime of my mistake tree

and think about how I’ve changed my life

I see a little girl

chasing her dog up my path

and I just want a friend

I am quiet and secluded but

I pretend I am not lonely

I feel like I could love this girl

if she will let me into her heart

I reach out and touch her

to let her know she’s not alone

I worry that I will grow old alone

living with only my mistake tree

constantly reminding me of

things I’ve done wrong

I cry thinking the same might

happen to this little girl

I am quiet and secluded

but she keeps me company

I understand what it’s like

to feel out of place

I say a prayer that she

will find companions

I dream of how my life would have been

had I met her sooner

I try to encourage her to make friends

with the kids in the neighborhood

I hope I can make a difference

in her life

I am quiet and secluded no more

I am not alone

"I am Winn-dixie"

I am just a dog
I am scruffy, dirty and smell
But that all changed when I was saved
I now have a friend named Opal
I was bathed and finally I am cleaned
I go everywhere with her
I never leave her side
I have made many new friends
I sometimes get scared of thunderstorms
But I am protected
I am comforted by my family
I have the preacher Opals father
I have a home
I am loved
I have a name
I am Winn-Dixie

Sweetie Pie Thomas

I am young and hopeful
I wonder when I can get a dog like Winn-Dixie
I hear the music Otis plays
I see all the animals out of their cages
I want a pet
I am young and hopeful

I pretend to have a dog
I feel excited for my birthday
I touch Winn-Dixie
I worry about the theme for my party
I cry for the magic man
I am young and hopeful

I understand why I can't have a dog
I say "I seen that"
I dream of my own Winn-Dixie
I try to listen to my mama
I hope to have a dog one day
I am young and hopeful

I am Winn Dixie- I Poem

I am Winn Dixie.
I was alone, but now I’m found.
I was dirty and smelly.
I was taken in and loved.
I love my new family.
I helped them learn about themselves.
I try to do what I am told.
I am very, very afraid of thunder.
I almost got lost again because of thunder.
I helped my owner meet new friends.
I even met new friends.
I love my new family.
I love having a home.
I love having friends.

I...

I still play my guitar….
I once was in their shoes
I was behind the iron all of my days
I sat alone scared and helpless
I ate the nasty food that thy gave me
It was the only way to survive
I still play my guitar….
I thought of escape
I thought I could bail
I thought I could end this life of despair
And be free of the prison
I have the wind in my hair
I thought of this alone in my cell

I still play my guitar….
I play my guitar awaiting my break
I sing words that make your heart break
I play tunes that make your smile full moon
I hope someone will hear
That my song would catch their ear
I want to meet these people
I’m sure we would gater under the same steeple
I still play my guitar….
I think though
I have found my people
I have found those on the outside that
I connect with on the inside
I have people that arent even people
I have a pet store for our steeple

I still play my guitar….
I have found my steeple
I have found my people
I have Friends that sliter, fly, and run
I have friends that just want to have fun
I connect with them
I was there
I give them the night
The night is theirs

I still play my guitar
I hope you listen
I see the sun starting to glisten
I hear them coming back to the sound of my tune
I am back in the cell that afternoon
I am Otis.

I am Winn Dixie

I am Winn Dixie

I love to smile

I love affection

I am very kind

I just want a good home

I just need someone to need me

I just want a good home full of loving people

I am very gentle, I won't even harm a mouse

I know I am very different but never shy

I love to smile

I love making friends with total strangers

I love when I get fed peanut butter while listening to stories

I like when everyone comes together

I am afraid of losing everything and thunderstorms

I do not like being alone but who does?

I love to smile an show my big yellow teeth.

Because I am Winn Dixie.

Assignment 4, Kayla Coleman

I've never felt so alone or mistreated.
All I wanted was a piece of something to eat, a crumb of some sort, I may even secertly wanted a home, I never thought that would happen...
..Until one day, as the grocery store manager was screaming at me..
Myself and this little girl made eye contact and I knew for a fact I had found my owner.
India Opal Buloni was her name and we were a perfect match, the best of friends.

Assignment 4. Kim MacDougall

I am India Opal Buloni

Feeling lonely in Naomi, Florida

I found my dog at Winn-Dixie

He became my first friend

I am India Opal Buloni

My mom left when I was a child

I live with the preacher man

He is a great dad

I am India Opal Buloni

My friend Miss Franny works at the library

I love to hear her great stories

She likes Winn Dixie and I

I am India Opal Buloni

Gloria Dump fixes me peanut butter sandwiches

I read Gone With The Wind to her

Some people think Gloria is a witch

I am India Opal Buloni

Those Dewberry boys are trouble

I think Stevie is a bald-headed baby

Dunlap is not very nice either

I am India Opal Buloni

Amanda Wilkinson looks real pinch-faced

I wonder why she is sad

She seems to have a perfect life

I am India Opal Buloni

Otis plays guitar for me at the pet shop

I love to hear him play

He has a lot of talent

I am India Opal Buloni

Winn Dixie means the world to me

I have so many friends

Because of Winn Dixie

Because of Winn Dixie

Winn Dixie

I have been called scruffy, scrawny, and scraggly.
I made bag boys hate me.
I found my best friend India Opal, in a super market.
I am scared of thunder storms.
I snore when I sleep.
I smile at everyone I meet.
I love peanut butter.
I like to go to church.
I can catch mice without squishing them.
I hate being left alone.
I sit on couches and sleep in beds.
I am a good friend.
I brought Opal and the preacher closer together.
I am Winn Dixie.

Assignment 4 Winn Dixie By: Lauren Ashley

Winn Dixie the Dog

I love to run around in groceries knocking over vegetables and fruit
Making the boss man mad
I smile with big yellow teeth
Causing my breath to stink
I used to have no home
Now I have love richer than gold
I like to chase Mice
But never eat or kill the innocent creatures
I love peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
While sitting with Mrs. Dump in her garden
I can make friends anywhere I go
Even with a parrot that mimics me so
I can never be left alone
If I am I howl to the moon
I hate thunderstorms
And throw fits at ever roar of thunder
I love my owner and my new home
Preacher and Opal!

Winn Dixie

Winn Dixie
I am friendly and loving
I wonder where I would be without Opal
I hear Otis’s guitar
I see the fan in the library and run to it
I want some peanut butter
I am happy and loving

I pretend I am human
I feel Gertrude on my head
I touch the comfy couch
I worry that the world is going to end
I cry when I hear thunder
I am friendly and loving

I understand what you are saying when you speak to me
I say “woof” when I’m lonely
I dream of peanut butter
I try to make everyone smile
I hope to never be alone again
I am friendly and loving

India Opal

I am caring and curious.
I wonder from where Winn Dixie came?
I hear the dog saying, "Of course I'm a mess."
I see the pain and hurt of Winn-Dixie.
I want to keep Winn Dixie.
I am caring and curious.

I pretend to be an adult in the adult trailer park.
I feel Gloria Dump listening with all of her heart.
I touch everyone I meet in a special way.
I worry that I will not be able to recognize my mama.
I cry when I think about my mama leaving me.
I am caring and curious.

I understand how it feels to lose and miss someone.
I say everyone deserves a chance.
I dream about meeting my mama again one day.
I try to learn as much about my mama as I can.
I hope to one day be reunited with my mama.
I am caring and curious.

Winn-Dixie

I am more than a pet.
I wonder why she chose me.
I hear her call my name.
I see her take care of me.
I want to be safe.
I am more than a pet.

I pretend to be brave.
I feel strong.
I touch my nose to her side.
I worry that she will leave me.
I cry when there is a storm.
I am more than a pet.

I understand her loneliness.
I think we were meant to find each other.
I dream that she will be happy.
I try to protect her.
I hope to comfort her.
I am her best friend.

grocery shopping

i looked so ruff,
like bark on a tree
mangled and hard.
i was lost and found.
but inside there is this heart
that runs when thunder claps,
and howls when it misses
anything.
a smile that shows all teeth;
that brings friendship
and a sneeze.
i saved a summer
or summer saved me.

Assignment 4.Cameron Kluttz

Winn-Dixie

I live in Naomi
I met my best friend at the Winn-Dixie grocery store
I made a big mess there, the employees were angry
But I met my best friend Opal that day
I was her first friend in Naomi
I am Winn-Dixie

I did not have a home
I was an orphan
But I was found by Opal
I was known as a “less fortunate”
I am Winn-Dixie

I am a big, ugly dog
But I am happy
I love to smile and wag my tail
I love new friends and my new home
I am Winn-Dixie

Assignment. 4 Mary Marshall

The Preacher

I am a man of God
I am a turtle in my shell
I am a father
I am a broken hearted man

I have a congregation
I have a daughter
I have a cheerful mutt
I have a hole in my chest

I try to be detached
I try to raise her right
I try to be honest
I try to keep the truth from her
I never try to forget my grief

She needed more than a daughter
She needed more than a preacher
She needed more than me
She needed away from the congregation
She needed away from us

My daughter and her feelings were secret
She wouldn’t ask me the tough questions
The mutt helped her come out of her bubble
She asked me, I answered
We are closer, because of Winn-dixie

My daughter has made our town our home
She has helped people others avoid
She has helped me stay out of my shell
She knows sorrow, I know melancholy
She now needs me, not just Winn-dixie

Assignment.4 Chelsea Bussey

Winn Dixie

I am a stray mutt.

I have a dirty coat, missing fur, and smell.

I cause havoc in the grocery store produce department.

I am rescued by a girl, whom calls me her dog.

I am named Winn Dixie.

I smile.

I get taken to her home.

I have a home.

I have an owner who cleans and feeds me.

I help my new owner ask her father questions about her mother.

I help her father answer those painful questions.

I am afraid to be left alone.

I am taken everywhere.

I am tied to a tree outside of church.

I am allowed in church after hollowing.

I catch a mouse at church.

I pick out a nice red collar and leash.

I make friends with a bird which hates dogs.

I scare a librarian because she thinks I am a bear.

I help my owner make many friends with troubled pasts.

I am scared off by a thunder storm during a party.

I scare my owner because she thinks I am lost.

I am found and have a loving home.

I am not a stray.

I smile.

I am Opal

I am nervous yet kind
I wonder where my mama is
I hear Otis' music and it makes me smile
I imagine memories of my mother
I want to fill the void in my heart
I am nervous yet kind

I pretend to be Winn Dixie's mother
I feel as if I have missed out on certain childhood things
I hold my mamas hand as we walk to the library
I worry that daddy is sad about mama leaving
I cry when i see other little girls having fun with their mothers
I am nervous yet kind

I understand more than my daddy thinks I do
I tell my stories so that people can enjoy them the way my mama would
I dream about having a full family again
I try to make friends but it is hard being a new girl in town
I hope that one day daddy will come out of his turtle shell for good
I am nervous yet kind

Nicolette Lovell, Assignment 4

India Opal Buloni

I went to the grocery store
For a box of macaroni, rice, and tomatoes.
I went to the grocery store
And came back with a dog.
I called him Winn-Dixie.

Winn Dixie was big, ugly, and smelly.
He ran all over that store.
I loved him from the moment he smiled at me.
I had never met a dog that could smile
Until I met Winn-Dixie.

I brought him home to my daddy.
He said he could stay.
He fell in love with that dog the same way I did.
I don’t feel so alone now.
Now that I have Winn-Dixie.

I go all over town to visit my friends.
Winn-Dixie is at my side.
We visit Miss Franny Block and Gloria Dump,
And we work at the pet shop with Otis.
All my friends love Winn-Dixie.

I have learned a lot this summer.
I have made lots of new friends.
I have dealt with the demons my daddy and I share.
I have grown a lot this summer.
Because of Winn-Dixie.

Assignment 4: MeganCotterman

I am Winn Dixie
I was alone
I didn’t have a home
But when I saw her I knew right away
That she needed me just as much as I needed her
I think it was fate
To bring two lost souls together
I healed her and she healed me
I loved her and she loved me
I couldn’t have asked for anything else
I was not alone
She gave me a home

I Poem: Because of Winn-Dixie

As you read Kate DiCamillo's Because of Winn-Dixie, choose a character on which to base an I Poem.
Note facts of interest about your character.
Use these facts and your imagination to compose an I Poem in which you become the character.
Include precise and interesting words to reveal facets of your character's personality.
Explain the world as your character sees it.
Share your poem in class on Monday, September 28.
After class, please post your poem to the blog.
Comments are welcome, but not required, this week.
Please label your post with your name and Assignment.4 (separated by commas).
Enjoy!

Assignment 3.Cameron Kluttz

Moses Poem
My mind is made up, Tomorrow I flee.
Running through the swamp, her heart pounding.
Lord, I can’t make it out alone
Harriett walks till her legs ache,
Lord I miss my folks..

Harriet, your father taught you well,
use his lessons to be free.
You will meet again.

Harriett’s feet bleed & her gut churns.
Mosquitoes buzz in her ear, she rises & moves on.
Lord, make me strong, help me fight.
How far, Lord?

Harriett about to drop, on the last leg of her journey.
She reaches the Promised Land, Philadelphia.
Where slavery is a sin.
Is this heaven, Lord?

Harriett, be the Moses of your People.
I have blessed you with a strong body and a clever mind.
Save all you can daughter.

Found Poem, Taryn Gill

Moses Found Poem

On a summer night

The dust settles as she stops sweeping and all is as it was.

"Lord, send my a sign

Please Lord, don't let them catch me and take me back to face my masters whip."

Trust me to protect you, child.

I set the North Star in the heavens and I mean for you to be free.

Don't let my journey end here.

Fly, Harriet. Your faith has wings.

She rises and moves on.

By moonlight, she marches on,

She makes a station along the Underground Railroad that slaves travel to freedom

And Harriet goes to church

The Lord says Harriet, be the Moses of your people

Risking her own life, Harriet returns to the dreaded South to rescues her family.

Clear to Canada.

Found Poem

The Thief Lord

It doesn't matter,
He skipped off toward the cake shop
And pressed his nose against the window

It was a fantasy after all, nothing more.
He blinked into the sun, and strolled, whistling.
The cushions of the gondola were soft.
The gentle rocking made him wonderfully sleepy.

It looks beautiful
The wing of an angel
Grinning from ear to ear,
He threw his carelessness to the ground.

Magical things were happening
As snowflakes whirled through the alley.
The children wandered off.
They only had eyes for the snow.

Anatole and the cat Poem

He could not go home last night
He may be forced to give it up
He scratched his head, deeply troubled

She blew him a kiss
There must be a way
For She was the only one

Pacing up and down
He hung his head in despair

She turned pale
She asked if he felt quite right

Now or never
It was the night

He began to shiver and shake and quiver and quake,
He begged for another chance

Quick as a wink
she grinned,
She was not at all surprised
'
And he thought 'I can go home'

Found Poem

Ramona Quimby Age 8



Remember kid, we're counting on you
thump, thump, thump


Have you seen my eraser?
Liar!


Squeak, squeak, squeak
Try and get it, Bigfoot.


I know it isn't easy
sustained silent reading


We are going to have a wedding party
Hm-m, Hm-m


The corn bread was done, but flat
Grit, grit, grit

Grinding growl of a car
Grr-rrr-rrr

Dear Superfoot,
get well or I will eat your eraser

Ramona
Clean up your room

Rainy Sunday afternoons
in November

Her parents
seemed tired and discouraged

Whopperburger
Well, young lady, have you been good to your mother?

That man paying for our dinner
A happy ending for today.

Free Poem "Finding God"

I hear a voice from a far
I turn to my mother’s side
I ask her if she hears it too
Simply she replies

God speaks in a whip-poor will's song
And God whispers back in the breeze
God Speak through a babbling brook
And can be seen in all the trees

He says he will make a way for you
To prepare for the journey ahead
But now it’s his turn to speak
You must listen to what he says

I have blessed you with what you need
Strong body and clever mind
I will arm you against your enemies
And no harm will come to you dear child

Go to my house, where fear washes away
So she races as fast as she can
The hour has come, her own heart pounding
Her new life now lies ahead

God opened her eyes, and cradled her
Clearly now she sees Gods face
Holding Gods hand all the While
She finally found him this day

Free Soil

Lord, I can't make it alone
I am going to see you through, Child.

Don't let my journey end here,
Make me strong.
And God whispers back in the breeze,
Not far now, Child, Not far now.

She rises and moves on.

Your faith has wings,
Fly Harriet

Is this heaven, Lord?
Not Heaven, Harriet, Free Soil.

Found Poem

Talks with God

On a summer night, Harriet gazes at the sky and talks with God.

I set the North Star in the Heavens and I mean for you to be free.
My mind is made up. Tomorrow, I flee.

Lord, I'm going to hold steady on to you.
I'm going to see you through, child.

Lord, send me a sign.
The hour has come.

Lord, I can't make it alone.
Harriet, you dreamed that saints saved you, but mortals will give you refuge.

Don't let them catch me and take me back, don't let my journey end here.

I don't know who to trust, Lord.
Search my face in theirs, and for my hands in their work.
What have you in your hands?

I will arm you against your enemies, but you will not harm a soul, and no harm will come to you.

Should I leap, Lord?
Trust me to protect you, child.
Swing low, sweet chariot.

Lord, I miss my folks.
Harriet, your father taught you to read the stars, predict the weather, gather wild berries, and make cures from roots.
Use his lessons to be free, you will meet again.


Lord, I can't outrun them.
Shed your shoes and wade in the water to trick the dogs.

Thank you, Lord.

Lord, don't let nobody turn me 'round. I'd rather die than be a slave.
Harriet, keep going. You have already glimpsed the future.


Fly, Harriet. Your faith has wings.

Have you deserted me, Lord?
Harriet, when you were a girl, you hid in a pigpen to shun the whip. You fought hogs for table scraps, almost starved before you faced the lash. I am with you now as I was then.

Lord, make me strong. Help me fight.

How far, Lord?
As far as you can walk with me, my child, and I can carry you.

Not far now, child, not far now.

Is this heaven, Lord?
Not heaven, Harriet, free soil.

Lord, I am a stranger here; all my kin are down south.
I would make a home for them here. I would give my own life to free them.
Then go back for them, daughter. But first, go to my house to prepare for the journey.

I am ready, Lord. Lead me.
Harriet, I will make a way for you.

Harriet, be the Moses of your people.
But I am a lowly woman, Lord.

Harriet, I have blessed you with a strong body, a clever mind. You heal the sick and see the future. Use your gifts to break the chains.
I will do as you say, Lord. I will show others the way to freedom that you have shown me.

Save all you can, daughter.

It wasn't me. It was the Lord.
I always trust Him to lead me and He always does.

Well done, Moses, well done.

On a summer night, Harriet gazes at the sky and talks with God.

Found poems

The book Moses: When Harriet Tubman Lead her People to Freedom, talks a lot about trust and having faith in yourself and your Lord. Harriet Tubman faces many tribulations and still through her faith and trust manages to save her people and in the author’s note it says she never lost a person. These lines show her trust and anxiety about the trip. This book does not have page numbers so they are not marked.


I set the north star in the heavens,

Lord I am going to hold steady to you.

I am going to see you through.

The hour has come,

Mortals will give you refuge.

I don’t know who to trust, Lord.

I will arm you against your enemies,

Trust me to protect you child.

Use his lessons to be free.

Thank you lord.

Your faith has wings,

I can carry you.

Is this heaven Lord?

Be the Moses of your people.

Save all you can.

Well Done.

hot supper

wolf suit makes mischief; eats nothing.
and the walls became the world around.

in and out of weeks he sailed
to the terrible terrible.

be still, yellow eyes.
i am the king of all wild things.

i will eat you up.

Assignment 3....Megan Cotterman

I was listening for a sound, a sound my friend told me I would never hear
The sound of hissing steam
The sound of squeaking metal
The snowflakes fell lightly around it
“All Aboard” the conductor cried
And I took his outreached hand and he pulled me aboard
It was a magical sound like nothing I’d ever heard
The sound of bells
But you know only believers can hear the sound
The sound of bells

-The Polar Express (Caldecott Award)

Assignment 3 Kim MacDougall

Moses

I am Your child Lord
I’m going to hold steady on to You.

And I mean for you to be free
I’m going to see you through child.

How far Lord?

Trust Me to protect you, child.

She rises and moves on

Shed your shoes
Wade in the water
As far as you can walk with Me My child, and I can carry you.

God cradles her
And day breaks

I will make a way for you.
Break the chains.
Search for My face in theirs,
and for My hands in their work.
What have you in your hands?

Give glory where glory is due.

It wasn’t me.
It was the Lord.
I always trust Him to lead me.
and He always does.

Your faith has wings.
I am with you now as I was then.
Well done, child, well done.

Found Poems

The Thief Lord

Children are like caterpillars,
while adults are butterflies.

No butterfly ever remembers
what it felt like being a caterpillar.

But does that make an adult more beautiful,
Or does that mean adults are the result of their childhood?

Do you ever wish you were grown-up?
Just skip ahead and forget all that's in between.

Scipio had the stature of a child,
but could express himself like an adult.

He liked to act grown up,
even if he wasn't the oldest or the tallest.

Wouldn't it be easier to be teased by your teachers,
than acting grown-up when you're only twelve?

Would you ride the merry-go-round?
If it changed your life, took you where you want to go?

It makes adults out of children and children out of adults.
It can take you back or move you forward.

Prosper wanted to go back, to get back what was stolen from him.
But now he found playing with all this quite boring.

Scipio wanted to be grown-up.
How different dreams could be.

He wished that out there, on that island, there really was something
that could turn the small and weak into the big and strong.

Peter Pan was a boy, who was a boy forever.
Someone adults could push around and laugh at.

But what do adults do all day?
Work, eat, shop, pay bills, use the phone,

read newspapers, drink coffee, sleep...
Not all that exciting.

So which way is really better?
Growing up or going back to childhood?

You wouldn't want to miss everything in between,
but you wouldn't want to re-do your whole childhood again.

I don't think I would go back or forward.
Life's about the journey, not the destination.

Assignment.3 Chelsea Bussey

The Thief Lord

Where shall I start?

In the orphanges?

The hospitals?

What are you doing?

What do you think?
Why?
What can we do?
So what are we going to do?
There you see?
Can't you understand that?
Should I go now?
Children on general?
Is he going to come with us?
Do you know this boy?
have you forgotten?
How could this happen?
Were they on their own?
What's in the bag?
Your reward?
Fake money?
Don't I know you?
Were thet searching for you?
Because of the thefts?
You told your uncle everything?
What should we do?
Will you come with me?
And how are we going to get ashore?
Can you see it?
Does he know about the merry-go-round?
Was it always here?
Does it matter which figure you sit on?
Which one do you want?
The sea horse?
Or the mermaid?
What are you waiting for, Prop?
You really can't wait, can you?
Are you sure you won't change your mind?
I've got to decide?
If I did want to, could I change back again, ride in the other direction?
Do you want to feel it?
How do I look Prop?
Different?
Do I look like my father?
Is she rich?
Is there anything else I can do?
Your aunt?
That's her?
How are you going to get by?
Are you going to start stealing again?

Harriets Journey to Freedom

I set the North Star in the Heavens
I mean for you to be free
You dreamed that saints saved you
But mortals will give refuge
I’m going to see you through

The hour has come
While the plantation sleeps
Harriet slips into the night
Lord, I’m going to hold steady onto you
I can’t make it alone

Running through the swamp
She hears frogs croaking
She creeps through the woods
Owls screech
Her heart flutters

Hush: Hoof beats!
I can’t outrun them
Lord, don’t let them catch me
And take me back
Don’t let my journey end here

God cradles her
The safe haven
The men on horseback have passed
Thank you, Lord
For watching over me

I don’t know who to trust, Lord
Most strangers would turn her in,
Not help her
Lord, don’t let nobody turn me round’
I’d rather die than be a slave

Trust me to protect you child
I will arm you against your enemies
Harriet, I will make a way for you
Your faith has wings
No harm will come to you

Harriet climbs into a wagon
The farmer covers her with blankets
The wagon stops at dawn
Harriet walks ‘til her legs ache
Harriet’s feet bleed and her gut churns

By moonlight, she marches on
Making her way mile after rugged mile
Hiding in haystacks, attics, and barns
Holding God’s hand
All the while

In the Promised Land, Philadelphia
The sun shines gold in the trees
Harriet feels light as a cloud
Is this Heaven, Lord?
Not Heaven, Harriet, FREE SOIL

Bo

I'm really small, I can squeeze into little holes!
Bo is too small...
He started to laugh and looked so happy,
Come and catch me!

The city has welcomed Bo
like a great and gentle animal.
I'm not scared!
This world is full of wonders...

Bo didn't seem particularly bothered by the whole thing.
He was quite happy to touch the lion's head by the fountain
and to dip his hands in the cold water.
It's much nicer here...

Bo's the least noticeable isn't he?
Two hops on his right leg and two on the left
Bo never walked- he ran or bounced.

found poem

We don't belong to her you know.
Do you belong to someone?
I know nothing about that.
Would you like to be my mother?
I hear you don't hit children,

And you have lots of money.

You want to end up in the orphanage?

The snow looked strange in the moonlight,
Like icing sugar on a model city.
What do you think of the snow?
But the moon did not answer.
I'll say it again.

Its got nothing to do with the moon!

What an opportunity!
Nobody told us about the merry-go round.
Do you know how to start it?
Definitely not!
Maybe we should put an ad in the paper.

The money is for bad times.

Get your hands off of me!
Who do you think you are?
Once I'm big again!
Grown up?

Your still alone.

Assignment 3 Moses by Lauren Ashley

Moses: Found Poems

I set the North Star in the
heavens and I mean for
you to be free tomorrow I flee
owl screeches the hour has come

She creeps through the woods her heart flutters.
hush: hoof beats God cradles her in a dust cloud
she sees the broom become a staff, then a rifle
Lord i'm going to hold steady on to you


Harriet climbs into a wagon
A heart song lulls her to sleep
Swing low, sweet chariot

She walks until her legs ache
Lord I miss my folks
Use his lessons to be free

She races as fast as she can
A boatman rows her upriver
Upstream the barking ceases and fear washes away

She recalls dreams where she flew like a bird, sank
and was lifted by ladies in white who pulled her
north fly Harriet your father has wings
Lord make me strong help me fight

Harriet rises from the hole like a sapling reaches
for the sun as if to touch Gods hand
making her way mile after rugged mile
holding Gods hand all the while

In the promised land Philadelphia
the sun shines gold in the trees and
Harriet feels light as a cloud
Not heaven Harriet, free Soil

Lord I am a stranger here
All my kin are down south
I would make a home for them here
I would give my own life to free them

Harriet be the moses of your people
Save all you can Daughter
It wasn't me It was the Lord
I always trust him to lead me and
he always does

Well done Moses, well done
You will meet again

Moses

I mean for you to be free.
So tomorrow you will flee.
She sings a song.
A farewell to all that she loves.

The Lord sends here a sign.
The hour has finally come.
Saints saved her before.
Now the mortals will be there for her.

Men ride by her in the night.
However, God is always with her.
She must find someone that she can trust.
This objective is a must.

The broom becomes a staff.
She is startled when it becomes a rifle.
She hides under blankets in a wagon.
She sings, swing low, sweet chariot.

She tells the Lord she misses her folks.
The Lord says to use the lessons learned.
She can't outrun the people after her.
So she sheds her shoes to trick the dogs.

She remembers dreams where she flew as a bird.
The Lord says fly your faith now has wings.
She had to hide inside a potato pit.
Seven days pass and then she marches onward.

A wagon ride takes her to freedom.
Now in the Promised Land, Philadelphia.
She asks, is this heaven Lord?
No, Harriet, free soil.

Now she faces a new danger.
She is now a complete stranger.
Risking her own life,
She goes back to the dreaded south.

She hears thier groans, and sees their tears.
Harriet, be the MOSES of your people.
And when free souls sing her praises,
She gives glory where it is due.

Assignment 3, Nicolette Lovell

A Magical Sound

“There is no Santa”
I knew he was wrong.
On Christmas Eve,
I was listening,
Listening for a sound:
The ringing bells of Santa’s sleigh.

Silver sleigh bells,
A magical sound.

I breathed slowly and silently.
Sounds!
Not of ringing bells…
Hissing steam and squeaking metal.

Perfectly still, wrapped in steam:
A train,
Standing in front of my house,
Snowflakes fell lightly.
Slippers, robe, I tiptoed downstairs,
And out the door…

“All Aboard!” the conductor cried,
“Where?” I asked,
“Why to the North Pole of course,”
He pulled me aboard the Polar Express.

We travelled through cold,
Through the quiet wilderness,
We climbed mountains,
Faster and faster
We crossed the Polar Ice Cap.
Lights in the distance.

The North Pole,

A huge city at the top of the world.
Santa will give the first gift of Christmas,
“He will choose one of you.”

Silver sleigh bells,
A magical sound.

Santa Claus appeared,
He marched over to us,
“Let’s have this fellow here.”
I sat on Santa’s knee,
“Now what would you like for Christmas?”
When I asked, Santa smiled.

A silver sleigh bell,
The first gift of Christmas.

We were back inside the Polar Express,
I reached in my pocket,
I had last the silver bell.
We were on our way home.

It broke my heart to lose the bell.
The train reached my house,
I waved good-bye.
Christmas morning,
One last small box,
Inside was the silver bell!

I shook the bell,
The most beautiful sound.

“It’s broken,” said father,
“That’s too bad,” said mother.
My parents had not heard a sound.
It fell silent as the years passed.

I’ve grown old.
The bell still rings.
It does for all,
Who truly believe.

Found Poems

Found poems are arrangements of words that have been selected from, or "found" in a reading selection.

After reading, return to the text to identify words and phrases that are appealing, important, or meaningful. Arrange these words and phrases to form a poem. Try several arrangements until you find the one that satisfies you.

Here is a sample of a found poem, based on The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke.

How Different Dreams Can Be

A stolen childhood...

Where I had to work like an adult

Although I was small and weak.

Nobody cared about that.

A joyless childhood...

I'm going to find that merry-go-round

So nobody can treat me

Like a stupid pet animal ever again.

The failings, the pains of age...

You wouldn't understand.

Children don't feel the chill.

They skip around in the puddles

and don't even get a cold.

The boredoms of age...

What do adults do all day?

Work,

Eat,

Shop,

Pay bills,

Use the phone,

Read newspapers,

Drink coffee,

Sleep.

Not really very exciting.

The boredoms of youth...

This is just how I wanted it.

I got back

What had been stolen from me

All those years ago.

And now

I find playing with all this

Quite boring.

Strange, isn't it?

He wished that out there,

On that island,

There really was something

That could turn the small and weak

Into the big and strong.

How different dreams can be.

Please compose a found poem based on The Thief Lord, Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom, or your Caldecott book.

Please post your poem by 8:00 pm on Friday, September 18. You need to label your post with two labels: Assignment.3, your name. The two labels should be separated by a comma. Please comment on two of your classmates' poems by 8:00 pm on Sunday, September 20. I hope you enjoy this assignment.

A Good Book

After our discussion in class on what makes a book a "good" book, one that continuously came to mind was S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders. Although some may not consider this a children's book, it is one that I enjoyed reading in fifth grade. S.E. Hinton wrote this book when she was only sixteen so her target audience was probably readers of her own age. This was a book that my mom, brother, and I read and all loved for different reasons. I liked it for the suspenseful storyline and the closeness shared between the Greasers, and most of all, for Ponyboy. I had crush on Ponyboy's character and I think the main reason I liked it so much was because although he wasn't much older than me, his life was so different from mine and it was a life that I could only experience through this book. I still read this book at least once a year and I still cry every time at the end.

A Good Book

A good children's book, in my opinion, is one that does not talk down to its height-deficient audience. Sugar-coated realism is in reality pure fantasy, but worse for its lack of dragons, magic, and epic quests. Of course, children can't appreciate or understand Dostoyevsky or Camus because the themes are in fact too harsh, nevermind the vocabulary.

In my opinion, Roald Dahl always did a great job of balancing the fantastic with the real and his books are thus enjoyed by children and adults alike. One example is his well known book, "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." The book is about as strange and fantastical as they come, but the themes and lessons being taught are very honest. Charlie is ridiculously poor, the other three children are disgustingly spoiled in their respective ways, and the things that happen to them as a consequence for their greed are frightening at times. Veruca Salt and her parents may end up in the incinerator should it be the day that waste is burned, for example.

I enjoyed the fun wallpaper flavors as a kid but I also gained a respect for eccentric candy geniuses and their chocolate rivers.

Think Back...

I have always enjoyed reading. I always had book with me when I was a kid. The free personal pizzas and good grades were just icing, really. I would have read those books anyway.

My earliest memories of reading were bedtime stories with my mom and dad. They both took turns reading with me at night, and each had their own style. Mom would read things like the Berenstain Bears--the entire series is still somewhere in the attic--and I would fall to sleep at a reasonable hour, probably out of boredom. Dad, on the other hand, read the stranger things like Dr. Seuss, Lewis Carroll, Roald Dahl, and others. We would stay up often past midnight, on school nights no less. I (secretly) enjoyed those stories much more and still do now.

My absolute favorite book as a kid was "Where the Wild Things Are". I had such a wild imagination as a kid that my mom would sometimes call me "Max". I think that book also resulted in my not being scared of boogie-men or closet-monsters growing up... I would rather build a Lego spaceship with them.

A book that made a huge difference in my life was "The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. Of course, the metaphors are beautiful in it and the story was perfect, but what grabbed me so much as a kid was the space travel aspect. I wanted so much to be an astronaut so that I could find a planet of my own some day. Eventually I decided I liked writing more than I liked science. However, if they ever need volunteers (guinea pigs) to colonize Mars, I am first on board!

A "Good" Book

The book I chose in class was The Rainbow Fish. I think it was a "good" book because it helps kids learn how to be individuals and not follow the crowd. It also teaches them to share. It gives them a great story line of how he is the most beautiful fish in the sea and how everyone wants just one of his scales. He doesn't want to share his scales so everyone stops talking to him and leaves him to play by himself. The same as any kid would do if someone wasn't sharing with them. It teaches kids that sharing is one of the greatest things you can do with your friends. 

In the end he gave all his scales away so that he would have friends and no one would think he was being selfish, which in turn made him happy again. 

I think a "good" book should be able to teach kids life lessons without just going straight to the point. Good books should lean them in the right direction and get their thought processes going to try and figure out what they would do in a situation like that. 

I remember the books I read as a child. I loved for them to be about real things that taught me something useful but didn't make it a boring read. 

thinking back

My earliest memory of reading was when i read the book the three little pigs, and i only remember this because i got a new toy for reading the book the whole way through. Before i could read on my own my mom would read a different Dr. Seuss book to me every weekend, i loved the way Dr. Seuss wrote books and became inspired by his words, though confusing and strange they were full of meaning. In fact I was so into Dr. Seuss that i have read nearly all of his books. My favorite book though is the one my mom gave me when she found out she had cancer, its another Dr. Seuss book, "Did i ever tell you how lucky you are?" this is my favorite because it was the right words at the right time.
Like any kid i would rather have been playing outside or watching tv than reading, yet i was good at reading so often enjoyed a good book. My teachers have always read to my classes from what i remember, my favorite year though was when we had Mrs. Yount, she read us the Goosebumps books.Besides the Dr. Seuss book the only book that has made a difference in my life would be a squires tale, it gave me hope that any one can do anything. sadly now i dont read for pleasure, in fact i cant remember the last book i sat down and just started to read.

A Good Book

The first thing I think of when the term 'good book' comes to mind is the diversity that comes with it. There are so many books that some consider good while others find them terrible, this diversity is what I adore about books! There is so much room for conversation while discussing a book that some people like and others despise. As a child I hated to read, mostly because I was and still am a bit of a slower reader, this hindered me a lot as a young student. One Christmas my fathers partner gave me a book that was a bit out of the ordinary, he had read it one day in a book store just killing time and thought I would enjoy its colorful story. "A City in Winter" was its title and it was about a little girl who was heir to the throne of this little kingdom. It was a bitter sweet tale as she tried to regain her throne with her tutor to help her along the way. I remember so vividly sobbing at the end of the story because the girls tutor had sacrificed himself as the sign from God that she was the rightful heir. I loved this story because the only times I would read it was when I was right by the fire cuddled under my favorite afghan my grandmother had made me and I truly felt as if I could be that little girl sneaking about the castle trying to regain my rightful place. Oh to have that imagination again!

A Good Book: Megan Cotterman

One book to which I view as a "good book" is the book Sounder by Willian H. Armstrong. Sounder is a Newbery award winning book. It is about a young African American boy in the 19th century south who relies on his old coon dog Sounder to get his families meals. The book is a heart warming story and provides children a glimpse of the hard times that were faced in the south during a time of racisism and slavery. It is an historical fiction classic that teachers could have their children read in social studies when they talk about African American history.

A Good Book

As a child, I was always one of those who could make up games at the top of my head, or be completely content playing with action figures. My imagination was definitely my best friend when we would move around a lot. When I began to lose my self in books, it was just another way for me to escape. In my opinion, that is the epitome of a good book. An easy escape. I loved to imagine fairy tales so any happy ending story was perfect for me. I loved holding a book knowing that everything was going to be okay. That the prince was going to find the princess in time, that Stuart was going to find a home with the Little's, or that James is finally freed from his abusive aunts! The best stories are ones that you can become the hero or heroine.

For a children's book to be considered 'good' it must be easy to understand. The writing needs to be simpler, and the plot obvious. I never realized how much changed when transitioning for children to adult literature. There are no flash backs or plot twists. The things that are so thrilling in novels today would have been difficult for me to grasp years ago. For children to become passionate about a story or a book they must be able to relate to it. I never had trouble becoming involved in any story I read. To this day when I pick up a book my parents joke about me being in my 'reading zone'. If it is a truly good book I will block out the world around me until I finish the book or it is forced from my hands.

A Good Book

What I consider a good book is a book that has interest, developing characters, a problem and solution, and that lovable quality. A good book can draw readers in and keep them interested. I've read so many books that you start reading and you just can't put it down because it's just so great. A good book has a problem and solution within it's text. If the book doesn't have a problem, the books plot can't go up or down. It's like your just coasting along. With a problem, the plot builds. Within a good book, it has developing characters; characters that learn from mistakes or grow a person.

The book I chose to check out the other day for class was The Devil's Arithmetic. I would consider this a good book because it draws interest because the main character is a girl about the same age of the readers and they can relate to her. The book keeps the readers interest by increasing suspense. Throughout the book, the main character learns new things about her relatives she didn't know before and changes her opinions about her boring family gatherings. She learns that you have to get to know about the past to actually appreciate the future.