Monday, May 27, 2019

Spring Reading 2019 In the Middle of the Night: Poems from a Wide-Awake House


Laura Purdie Salas (A Rock Can Be, Lion of the Sky), has a way of looking at things that makes readers see them in a new light. In this case that might be a nightlight or moonlight, but definitely a unique view of ordinary things. Once the humans are all asleep, the objects in the house come to life. Stuffed animals have a talent show. Pencils race down the stairs. A necktie roams the house, untethered. The "Toy Story" type adventures seem to have no limits, much like the author's imagination.

My favorite poem is probably "Overdue-Book Hide-and-Seek." The naughty library book gleefully shares, "I burrow. I sneak. I LOVE to play overdue-book hide-and-seek!" After reading that, I will have to take students more seriously when they tell me their books hide from them on library day. 

Perfect for examples of personification, or for mentor texts in a poetry unit. Highly recommended for elementary school classrooms and libraries.

I read a copy provided by the publisher for review purposes.

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