“maples
trade green
for gold,
treasure
drops,
floats…”
So begins “Tenth Month,” a poem about October by Irene Latham in the just-published 10-10 POETRY ANTHOLOGY. I found so many poems that would be perfect for a middle-grade English Language Arts classroom. In Irene’s poem, for instance, there is both playfulness and reverence for nature; plus it’s packed with great verbs!
Science teachers will find wonderful content in Janice Scully’s brief yet descriptive poem “The Floating Water Strider,” about how an insect manages to skate across the surface of water.
Poet Moe Phillip’s description of a tug-of-war competition will have children laughing in recognition– “Heels dig in, teeth are bared, toes to temples taut.” It’s brimming with juicy language that will inspire young writers!
Bridget Magee created THE 10-10 POETRY ANTHOLOGY around ten themes or prompts, including the words tentative, tenderness, and tenacity.
My poem, “Necessary In-Tent,” is included in this collection. It’s inspired by a memory of going camping for the very first time as a 12-year old (tentative!). I was used to city living and city sounds, and the nighttime woods were a bit scary for me! Many of the poets who I follow on Poetry Fridays and elsewhere are included in this collection, including Jay Brazeau, Linda Baie, Janet Fagal, Marilyn Garcia, Mary Lee Hahn, Michelle Kogan, Carmela Martino, Linda Mitchell, Aixa Perez-Prado, Laura Purdie Salas, Buffy Silverman, Eileen Spinelli, Linda Kulp Trout, Janet Wong, Tabatha Yeatts, and more!
There are many riches to explore in this anthology– and it would make a great gift for the teacher in your life.
On Fridays, I love taking part in Poetry Friday when I can, where writers share resources about children’s poetry. This week, Bridget Magee (editor of the 10-10 Anthology!) hosts the Poetry Friday Roundup today at her blog Wee Words for Wee Ones. Check out the celebration of poetry there today!
Thank you so much for highlighting these amazing poems and the 10.10 Anthology, Mary! I especially love your ‘Necessary In-Tent’ poem – it resonates with my camping experiences from back in the day. 🙂
Haha! So glad to find another “tentative” camper. And I love the title you suggested. It really works, Bridget. Thank you again!
Mary, thank you for sharing the beginning of Irene’s lovely poem. I can’t wait to get my copy of the anthology!
Thank you! I think you’ll really enjoy it!
I’m sure your poem about first-time camping will help a lot of kids, Mary. I’ve camped forever, but as a teacher, my school did lots of trips & a few kids had their first time with me. I have not read all the anthology, taking it slow, & like Irene’s fall poem, the ones read so far are terrific. I scrolled through your posts & saw that you had a poem in the Times. Congratulations for the poem in this anthology & that one, too. Happy Friday!
Thank you, Linda! It’s a joy to be part of this poetry community, and I’m glad to be in it with you!
Mary, this is a lovely review of the new 10.10 Poetry Anthology. Congratulations for having your poem included in the book. I’ll look forward to reading it and your poem about the tentative young camper.
Denise, thank you so much! Hopefully I will validate the feelings of other tentative campers! 🙂
Ha! Your poem about camping gives me a giggle. I’m from far out in the country. The first time I went camping was in my girl scout leader’s farm field. It didn’t feel all that different from being in the house. I love that this anthology has come out into the world and proud of Bridget for putting it together. It was really nice to see you in the Anthologies 101 workshop. I will be sure to look out for you on social media now that I’ve met you.
Thanks, Linda! It was great to connect faces to names during that class. Just wonderful. See you soon!
Lovely review of Bridget’s brand new 10 • 10 Poetry Anthology, I look forward to reading your camping endeavors poem, and many more of the poems. Like Linda, it was fun to place your face with your name at the Anthologies 101 workshop on Saturday. Also, congrats on your additional poem publication too!
Thank you, Michelle! It was great seeing you in the Anthologies class, too. Like you, I teach full-time and struggle to find “enough” time to write (there’s never enough!). Doing the #5amwritersclub has been a lifesaver for me. I’m having trouble commenting on your blog (a glitch on my end I need to fix). Congratulation on your art show… badassery, indeed!
Oh, can I relate. Unfortunately I never truly got over the ten-ta-tiveness. We camped all over the US. Moved up from two kinds of tents to a camper trailer, then a better one, then a pop-up, finally and I was married, a motorhome (swanky but not huge)……let me tell you….having to go to the bathroom in the Great Smokey Mtn campground …Shenendoah, and Yosemite and Yellowstone at night were not high on my list. I did not like the bears. And it goes on. BUT the traveling and all I saw make up for it. And then there was Girl Scout Camp…..you brought me right back. So happy to be together in these two new anthologies! I am still pinching myself.
Janet Clare F.