ALMOST LATE TO SCHOOL AND MORE SCHOOL POEMS

ALMOST LATE TO SCHOOL AND MORE SCHOOL POEMS

by Carol Diggory Shields

Illustrated by Paul Meisel

Image credit: www.scholastic.com

Bibliography
Shields, Carol Diggory.  2009. Almost Late to School and More School Poems.  New York: Puffin Books. ISBN 9780142403288

Review and Critical Analysis
In this follow up to Lunch Money and Other Poems About School, Carol Diggory Shields writes another school-themed poetry collection.  Almost Late to School and More School Poems is a twenty-two poem collection that is a lighthearted take on topics such as the first day of school, show and tell, and recess.  Shields also writes poems about the negative aspects of school such as jealousy, detention, and name calling.  Most students will be able to relate to these familiar topics and appreciate the humor in Shields's writing.

Almost Late to School and More School Poems has rhyming text throughout, but the poems vary in length and the final poem, "Poem for Two Voices", is formatted for two readers.  This collection features poetic elements such as rhythm and personification in "Old Blue".

Meisel's lively illustrations are colorful and feel kid-drawn.  The style of drawing nicely complements Shields's fun poems.  Almost Late to School and More School Poems also features a table of contents.


Spotlight Poem 

SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT
by Carol Diggory Shields

PURPOSE:
The purpose of my project this year
Is to make my brother disappear

HYPOTHESIS:
The world would be a better place
If my brother vanished without a trace

MATERIALS:
3 erasers
White-out
Disappearing ink
1 younger brother
1 kitchen sink

PROCEDURE:
Chop up the erasers
Add the white-out and the ink
Rub it on the brother
While he's standing in the sink

RESULTS:
The kid was disappearing!
I had almost proved my theorem!
When all at once my mom camp home
And made me re-appear him.

CONCLUSION:
Experiment a failure
My brother is still here
But I'm already planning
For the science fair next year

I chose this as the spotlight poem because of its tongue-in-cheek hilarity.  Children love humorous poetry and this poem fits the bill and has some science content intertwined as well.

I would use this poem as a Poetry Break before a science lesson.  Most grades learn about the scientific process each year and this poem could be a silly icebreaker for such a lesson.  Even though the premise is meant to be funny, the scientific process terms are accurate.  A noted benefit of poetry is to expand student's vocabularies.  This poem has words like "theorem", "disappear", and "re-appear" that would be introduced to students.