Poetry Anthology

Book Title: Hip Hop Speaks to Children- A Celebration of Poetry with a Beat

Edited by: Nikki Giovanni with the help of additional Editors, Illustrators and Contributors

Grade Level: Elementary and Early Middle School

Summary: This book takes different poems, stories and songs and sets them all to a beat to enhance the presentation and enjoyment of the piece. The main premise of the book is "A celebration of poetry with a beat." The poems rang from topics of Hip Hop, to Love, to Death and everything in between. Most of the poems are set to a beat and music which make for an easy to read and follow story as well as a fun and exciting experience. Whether the music and book are used together or separate, each puts a new spin on poetry and makes for a refreshing way to not only listen to and read poetry, but also a fun way to enjoy it and learn!

Strategies for the Classroom: This book would make for an amazing interactive Poetry Lesson. With the songs being set to a beat and music, it makes for a very interactive experience for the students that would definitely keep their attention and make them intrigued and excited about poetry. The topics that are covered in this book could cover so many different subjects and be a great way to integrate other learning tools into the lessons. This is definitely a more modern take on such a classic subject as poetry, but it is presenting the information in a way that is more fitting with the students of today. It would definitely be a great addition to any poetry lesson or basic subject lesson that is covered in one of the poems. 

ESOL Applications: The actual vocabulary and information may be difficult for an ESOL student to comprehend, depending on their level of proficiency of course. The great feature of this poetry book is that for each poem, their is an illustration which is extremely helpful for ESOL students and their ability to comprehend the text. The fact that these poems are interactive and can be played from a CD as well can be beneficial for auditory learners, but for an ESOL student who is just learning to read the language, it could be somewhat difficult to follow. It would be beneficial for the ESOL students to either have their own book so they could follow along, or have a copy of the poems to follow.

Read Aloud: Specific poems that work with the lesson or topic being taught.

Personal Opinions: I really enjoyed this book and thought it was such a great asset to any learning environment, especially a literacy and poetry lesson. The use of the music and songs along with the speaking and reading of the poems would make for an extremely interactive and fun activity.