It's a GREAT MORNING! to Announce Winners and Share a Poem

Last week, I shared my poem from GREAT MORNING! Poems for School Leaders to Read Aloud. You can read more about Janet and Sylvia's wonderful new poetry resource here and my poem here.

One of the things I love about GREAT MORNING! is that the poems are linked thematically to a second poem.  This allows teachers an easy way to add another layer to the morning poem. The poem linked to my "What Does a Reading Specialist Do" is "Secret Worlds" written by the Young People's Poetry Laureate, Margarita Engle!   Her poem has a magical feel that will inspire readers young and old!


Secret Worlds

Please don't worry or fret today.
Just enjoy one page at a time.
Read a story, or poems that rhyme.
Write if you have something to say.

Each book is like a passageway
to secret worlds where you can play.

Reading will take you far away
to mountain peaks that you can climb
or dark swamps filled with thick green slime.
(Read backwards if you lose your way!)

Poem copyright © 2018 by Margarita Engle from GREAT Morning! Poems for School Leaders to Read Aloud by Sylvia Vardell & Janet Wong (Pomelo Books)

Did you know that the poetic form Margarita used is a Cuban  décima mirror, or that E is the most frequently used letter in the English language?  These are just two of the many interesting facts I learned from reading  GREAT MORNING!  There is so much to love about this anthology!  You really need to see it for yourself.

Also, be sure to check out the Pomelo Books Pinterest page for lots of beautiful digital postcards like this one.

Congratulations to Christie Wyman, Donna Smith, and Linda Mitchell , winners of a copy of GREAT MORNING! Please send your address to me at: lindakulptrout@gmail.com.

A big thank you to Christie at Wondering and Wandering for hosting today.

It's a GREAT MORNING for a Giveaway!

I’m excited to share GREAT MORNING! Poems for School Leaders to Read Aloud by Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong.  If you haven't heard about this wonderful resource, check out Catherine Flynn's very informative post on her blog Reading to the Core  and on Sylvia's blog Poetry for  Children.  

I love the idea behind this book.  Imagine an entire school starting off the day by sharing a poem! Research has shown that morning announcements set the tone for the day and help build a sense of community.  The poems in GREAT MORNING! are perfect for the building bridges that lead to deeper connections and understanding.  Poetry is a powerful way to start the day!

I am honored to have a poem included in GREAT MORNING!  I spent the last five years of my teaching career as a reading intervention specialist so it means a lot to me to contribute this poem.

What a thrill it was to see the video with Sylvia and Janet reading the book excerpt and my poem at the ILA conference! You can check out the video starring these two fabulous ladies here.   

Now to the giveaway! Thanks to the generosity of Janet and Sylvia (who are two of the most generous people on the planet), 3 lucky readers will win a copy of  GREAT MORNING!. If you would like to be entered in the giveaway, please leave a comment by August 15.  If you would like to increase your chances of winning, become a follower of my blog, and you will be entered twice!   Good luck and have a GREAT MORNING!

A big thank you to Molly at Nix the Comfort Zone for hosting today. Be sure to stop by and read her lovely sonnet.