Terrible Tongue-Twisting Trolls!

Today, Poetry on Parade discovers four terrible trolls lurking in the library shelves.  They are collecting tolls from gruff goats-- and sharing brilliant rhymes and bouncing rhythms with all who pass through the Lafayette LMC.

Terrible Troll's Tollbridge is written by New Jersey poet X.J. Kennedy and performed by Aidan, Tyler, Matt, and John:

Terrible Troll's Tollbridge

"Aw, enough is enough!"

Said the Billygoats Gruff,

     And their neighbor the Terrible Troll

Said, "You're welcome to pass

To the hill to crop grass

     If you'll pay me a reasonable toll."

Now they screech to a stop

At his toll bridge and drop

     Goatsmilk cheeses between the troll's choppers.

Old Troll charges a cheese

For a little goat, please--

    Two for mediums, three for big whoppers.

--X.J. Kennedy

Lafayette Originals

Sparkle

A sparkle a shimmer a glow from above,

In the shining snow I find a single glove.

Among the ceiling we look at the past,

You see a play you know the cast.

The rest of it we do not know,

The rest of it is unknown.

by Emma S.

Fifth-grade poet Nishika A. composed a Lafayette original celebrating A Change in Seasons.  Here, she and friend Emily B. perform the poem:

In honor of our upcoming visit from the Mayhem Poets, fifth-grader Tamer L. tried her hand at slam poetry:

Purple = Everyone
Red = Girls
Blue = Boys

We're Sick

Our stomachs are
TURNING
My head is
BURNING
My forehead's on
FIRE
Don't call me a
LIAR
DIZZY
TURNING
I think it's from
LEARNING
I think chairs are
TALKING
We're having trouble
WALKING
HELP
PLEASE
Let us
LEAVE!
Take us
AWAY
Beep!  School's out, TIME TO PLAY.

Being Me

I stare at the oceans and think to myself,

I wish I was the sea because it does everything itself.

I could move mountains and tsunamis too,

I could watch people swim in my ocean blue.

People would love me and my waves,

But only the ones who are brave

I could feel special at the most,

For the fish I'd be the host.

I think again,

Why would I be something or somebody who is not me.

by Olivia C.

Yum, Yum! Chocolate-Covered Poetry!

We’re celebrating National Poetry Month with poems that are great for reading and sharing, poems that invite us to look at the world in new and exciting ways. Here’s a sweet selection written by Brod Bagert, a poet who visited Lafayette School on Author's Day 2011:

Chocolate Maniac is performed by Mia, Layla, and Moira: 

Chocolate Maniac is from Giant Children, a humongous collection of humorous poetry.  In poems like Stinky Boys, Dinosaur Canary, and There’s a Goblin in My Throat, Brod Bagert examines the world from a kid's point of view.  Let's look for the book in the LMC at 811BAG!

A Rhyming Royal Romp with Shel Silverstein

Poetry is all about wonderful words, creative thought, and getting together to share poems that capture our imaginations and send our spirits soaring.  Take a look at You’ll Never Be King, written by Lafayette School favorite Shel Silverstein and performed by Poetry Paraders Ella, Emily, Katherine, Grace, and Katie:

After our visit to the castle...

Shel Silverstein takes us to an unusual auction. 

Sister for Sale is performed by

Taylor K., Tamer L., and Mikayla M., Julia L., and Gabriella C.



Next up, Hannah, Riley, and Claire sort things out with

Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me, Too:

Excuses, Excuses! Lily, with a little help from Shel Silverstein, explains why she won't be in school today:

Poetry on Parade found You’ll Never Be King in Every Thing On It: Poems and Drawings, a collection of never-before-published poetry by Shel Silverstein.  Collect your crowns and tiaras, round up your royal robes and magic sceptres, and check out more majestic poetry in the LMC at 811 SIL!

Dragons and Doodles, Rhythm and Rhyme!

In 1996, the Academy of American Poets declared April National Poetry Month—a thirty day opportunity each year for Poetry Paraders to celebrate poetry and its important place in our lives.  Let’s get the parade started with I Chased a Dragon through the Woods, written by Jack Prelutsky and performed by two poetic puppeteers, Thomas D. and Nick S. 

Next up: a happy birthday dragon poem by Shel Silverstein, celebrated by fourth graders Emma and Laura:

There’s more poetry fun to be found on the LMC shelves! Make your way to 811.54 PRE.  In It’s Raining Pigs and Noodles, Jack Prelutsky presents a parade of good-for-a-giggle poems: The Dancing Hippopotami, You Can’t Make Me Eat That, My Father’s Name is Sasquatch, and Dear Wumbledeedumble.

An Invitation to Join the Parade of Poetry!

April is National Poetry Month, and Lafayette students are joining the celebration with another hand-clapping, foot-stomping, rhythm-jamming, rhyme-slamming Parade of Poetry!  We are reading poems, writing poems, performing poems, and sharing poetry with family and friends.

During National Poetry Month, we’re spending time with some of our favorite poets, including American poet/cartoonist Shel Silverstein.  His imaginative books, translated into more than thirty languages, have sold millions of copies and are read around the world.  We can learn all about Shel Silverstein and his creative genius. Click on the red-highlighted words!

April brings poetry... and plenty of showers.  While we wait for May flowers, composing a poem sounds like a brilliant idea:

by Haley M.

The Sun

The sun is a shiny thing,

a beautiful thing.

It is like an angel 

coming down from the sky

to give me a wish.

The sun is like a flower growing.

The sun is light,

a beautiful light.

I love the sun.


-- Haley M. in fourth grade

A pencil and paper can inspire an awesome poetry doodle!

by Liam D. in fifth grade

Drawing

This is what happened to me:

I drew a figure,

Then it started to linger.

I couldn't believe my eyes

When he started to fly.

I let him borrow my pencil,

Then he took another utensil.

He jumped back on the paper,

It was a mysterious caper.

I hope he'll come back another day

To stay.

-- James O. and Ryan M. in fifth grade

Bubble gum: sometimes it's nothing but trouble.  After we watch fourth graders perform a poem, we can learn more about author/artist Douglas Florian.  Click on the red-highlighted words to get started!

Speaking of trouble... did you ever wake up on the wrong side of the bed?

Overloaded

My fragile brain is breaking

All my insides are shaking

My face is really hot

Without the scorching tater tot

My brain is really overloaded

My eyes are really red-- coated

My face is getting really red

I just want to get back in bed

-- Dennis and Jack in fifth grade

Sounds like a rough start to the day.  Maybe it's time for an original rap poem:



Candy: An Original Rap Poem by Connor C.

It's cafeteria magic, magic, magic

It's cafeteria magic, magic, magic

They just gave us candy

OMG I love this candy

I can't tell you how good it is

I can only tell you what it tastes like

and right now it tastes like

apples, apples, apples

It tastes like apples, apples

This candy's awesome 'cause it tastes like apples

There are so many different flavors of this candy

and right now it tastes like

grape, grape, grape

It tastes like grape, grape

This candy's so good and it tastes like grape

I really hope they give us candy tomorrow

because I never had candy this good

Well, that put us in a better mood!

Let's go outside and celebrate the season with another original poem:

Spring: An Original Poem by Victoria, Ava, and Lucy

Spring is here,

Have no fear,

Birds will sing,

Bells will ring.

Come one, come all,

We'll have a ball.

School is almost out,

Give it a shout!

Summer is almost here,

Time to cheer!

Pollen: An Original Poem by Matthew



Pollen, Pollen, oh that evil dust,

Pollen, Pollen, go away you must!

You're on the trees, on the bees,

and even on my knees!

Pollen, Pollen, oh that evil dust,

Pollen, Pollen, go away you must!

It's in the house, on the mouse,

It's not nice,

It's on all the mice!

Pollen, Pollen, oh that evil dust,

Pollen, Pollen, go away you must!

You're on the trees, on the bees,

even on my knees!

Pollen,

It's all over me!

Lafayette students enjoy performing poems by a favorite visiting author, Brod Bagert.  His collection of humorous poems, Giant Children, looks at the world from a kid’s point of view and features titles like Stinky Boys, Dinosaur Canary, There’s a Goblin in My Throat and, of course, Giant Children:



Laugh-eteria: Poems and Drawings by Douglas Florian serves up funny poems about ogres, pizza, fear, school, dragons, trees, hair and, as Lafayette Poetry Paraders discovered… the Class Clown: