Laura Purdie Salas

Small Reads for Brighters Days

You are here: Home / Poems for Kids / [15 words or less] Book Plate and PoetryMinute.org

[15 words or less] Book Plate and PoetryMinute.org

By

?15WOLs

 

Photo: Laura Purdie Salas

I’m so excited! Have you heard about PoetryMinute.org, the daily children’s poetry site started by U.S. Poet Laureate Kenn Nesbitt? Every day, a poem for kids is posted–kind of like Poetry 180 for a younger crowd! And today, starting at 7 a.m. and for 24 hours, my poem “Book Plate” from BookSpeak! Poems About Books, is featured. Woohoo!

So, I decided to do today’s post about a book plate. Here’s one I just put in my brand new copy of writer friend Lisa Bullard’s fantastic new middle-grade novel, Turn Left at the Cow.

And now, back to today’s 15 Words or Less regularly scheduled programming.

————————————————————————————————

Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines are here)!

Three things this makes me think of:

1) Toddler Property Laws
2) Genie’s bottle
3) India ink calligraphy with my big sister Patty when I was a kid

Usually I would share a first draft here, but I’m hoping you’ll head over and read my poem and say hi at PoetryMinute.org instead. But I can’t wait to read your poems! Ready, set, go!

Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Comments

  1. Unopened bottle
    Waiting for small hands
    to open it
    and unleash the magic
    hidden inside

    So cool! Glad your poem is being featured! Good for you. :):):):)

    • Thanks, Amelia–this is lovely. That first word of “unopened” just puts all the possibilities of the poem and of the book right out there. Irresistible.

    • Hi Amelia,
      Small hands unleashing magic….I think that this idea is so important for teachers to keep in mind. Kids are not just vessels to be filled with the knowledge and wisdom of the world and their elders, but kids have to use their own hands to work to unleash the magic of learning and living. I have seen you do this for years, Amelia.I just love your poem!
      Mrs. F.

  2. Unopened bottle
    Waiting for small hands
    to open it
    and unleash the magic
    hidden inside

    So cool! Glad your poem is being featured! Good for you. :):):):)

    • Thanks, Amelia–this is lovely. That first word of “unopened” just puts all the possibilities of the poem and of the book right out there. Irresistible.

    • Hi Amelia,
      Small hands unleashing magic….I think that this idea is so important for teachers to keep in mind. Kids are not just vessels to be filled with the knowledge and wisdom of the world and their elders, but kids have to use their own hands to work to unleash the magic of learning and living. I have seen you do this for years, Amelia.I just love your poem!
      Mrs. F.

  3. Laura, I did not know about this poetry site. I’m so glad you brought it to our attention. And congrats on having your poem spot-lighted! Yay!

    Now, back to our regularly scheduled program:

    I am confused-
    You say Grandpa used…?
    It’s not for blush?
    What’s a shaving brush?

  4. Laura, I did not know about this poetry site. I’m so glad you brought it to our attention. And congrats on having your poem spot-lighted! Yay!

    Now, back to our regularly scheduled program:

    I am confused-
    You say Grandpa used…?
    It’s not for blush?
    What’s a shaving brush?

  5. Congratulations, Laura! Your poem wasn’t up at 7:15, so I’ll check back later!

    This Book Belongs To…

    The book
    can belong to you
    but the thoughts
    stay behind
    with me.

    Diane Mayr, all rights reserved

  6. Congratulations, Laura! Your poem wasn’t up at 7:15, so I’ll check back later!

    This Book Belongs To…

    The book
    can belong to you
    but the thoughts
    stay behind
    with me.

    Diane Mayr, all rights reserved

  7. Laura, great site, good pick! I do own BookSpeak! and would have had trouble choosing just one poem.

    So, it’s hard to describe true book love, but I tried.

    Book

    is there someplace
    deeper than the heart
    because that?s
    where this book belongs

    ?Kate Coombs

  8. Laura, great site, good pick! I do own BookSpeak! and would have had trouble choosing just one poem.

    So, it’s hard to describe true book love, but I tried.

    Book

    is there someplace
    deeper than the heart
    because that?s
    where this book belongs

    ?Kate Coombs

  9. How exciting Laura! Not the first time I’ve read your book plate poem… it speaks so perfectly to children and “paper love tattoo” is delightful!

    What’s mine is mine
    …except for you.
    I’d gladly share a book or two!

    (c) Michelle Heidenrich Barnes

  10. How exciting Laura! Not the first time I’ve read your book plate poem… it speaks so perfectly to children and “paper love tattoo” is delightful!

    What’s mine is mine
    …except for you.
    I’d gladly share a book or two!

    (c) Michelle Heidenrich Barnes

  11. Congratulatlions on your poem, great new site that Poetry Minute!

    Bottled

    Patiently, words –
    liquid and flowing,
    astonishing and beautiful –
    wait for writers
    to arrange them
    permanently.
    Linda Baie

  12. Congratulatlions on your poem, great new site that Poetry Minute!

    Bottled

    Patiently, words –
    liquid and flowing,
    astonishing and beautiful –
    wait for writers
    to arrange them
    permanently.
    Linda Baie

  13. brain
    prods
    pen
    onto
    paper
    pairing
    words
    into
    pictures

    Oh, looks like I had the same idea as Linda Baie. I love the flow of hers, but will post mine anyway because it might be interesting to see how the same idea can be presented in such different ways.

    Congratulations on having your poem featured, Laura. I have already shared the link with a teacher friend.

    • I am drawn to poems that are in a list form, or tall and skinny as I say to kids! I like how the words march along sometimes or flow and form an idea at the end. Ideas to the pen to the paper and voila.
      Does anyone know if you can sign up to have Kenn’s site send you his poems via email? I have been looking but haven’t found it yet. Maybe at the poetryfoundation site. Again, congratulations. A fabulous choice and I love Kenn’s idea.

    • It may be a similar idea, but the poems are each unique and special. 🙂 I, too, like all of your “p” words, especially “prods”.

    • Thanks, ellie. I like the totally different feel from Linda’s that you did. Her writer is in the zone. Your poem reflects the kind of stilted work process that is more the reality of my own writing!

  14. brain
    prods
    pen
    onto
    paper
    pairing
    words
    into
    pictures

    Oh, looks like I had the same idea as Linda Baie. I love the flow of hers, but will post mine anyway because it might be interesting to see how the same idea can be presented in such different ways.

    Congratulations on having your poem featured, Laura. I have already shared the link with a teacher friend.

    • I am drawn to poems that are in a list form, or tall and skinny as I say to kids! I like how the words march along sometimes or flow and form an idea at the end. Ideas to the pen to the paper and voila.
      Does anyone know if you can sign up to have Kenn’s site send you his poems via email? I have been looking but haven’t found it yet. Maybe at the poetryfoundation site. Again, congratulations. A fabulous choice and I love Kenn’s idea.

    • It may be a similar idea, but the poems are each unique and special. 🙂 I, too, like all of your “p” words, especially “prods”.

    • Thanks, ellie. I like the totally different feel from Linda’s that you did. Her writer is in the zone. Your poem reflects the kind of stilted work process that is more the reality of my own writing!

  15. Thank you for sharing the new site and thanks for YOUR site, Laura.
    Congrats on having your poem featured. I like it, and I like its shape.
    After retiring from teaching young children for many years, this picture took me back to the classroom.

    Writing Lesson

    Hold your pencil,
    sit up straight.
    Now we’ll learn
    to write an eight.

    • Oops. Here’s another that popped up in my head.

      Story Time

      Go choose a book, a favorite one
      Then we’ll have some reading fun.

      • Patricia,
        I love it when kids can choose the books THEY want to read. Sure we have to nudge them on to other books some times and if we read aloud to them and have book sharing, well, the world is their book oyster. I love sharing books and poetry with kids and your poem sums it up perfectly.

  16. Thank you for sharing the new site and thanks for YOUR site, Laura.
    Congrats on having your poem featured. I like it, and I like its shape.
    After retiring from teaching young children for many years, this picture took me back to the classroom.

    Writing Lesson

    Hold your pencil,
    sit up straight.
    Now we’ll learn
    to write an eight.

    • Oops. Here’s another that popped up in my head.

      Story Time

      Go choose a book, a favorite one
      Then we’ll have some reading fun.

      • Patricia,
        I love it when kids can choose the books THEY want to read. Sure we have to nudge them on to other books some times and if we read aloud to them and have book sharing, well, the world is their book oyster. I love sharing books and poetry with kids and your poem sums it up perfectly.

  17. Tucked inside the covers
    a treasure lies and waits
    tiny flecks of golden words
    tantalize.

    Haven’t been here in a while! Hello everyone! Hope I will be joining in more this fall.
    Just told my third graders on Tues. about Kenn’s site and will share it today when I visit.

      • Hi Catherine,
        Already revising this one! May post later but off to help at school with a math class and then hopefully some poetry time!!
        Glad to reconnect with you here. I have been busy on other things this summer.

    • Hi Janet–I haven’t been here for a while, either! Good to see you. I love all the T words. I’m a sucker for alliteration. And tucked gives it such a cozy feel…

    • A revision:

      Tucked inside the covers
      hidden treasure lies
      tiny flecks of golden words
      tantalize.

  18. Tucked inside the covers
    a treasure lies and waits
    tiny flecks of golden words
    tantalize.

    Haven’t been here in a while! Hello everyone! Hope I will be joining in more this fall.
    Just told my third graders on Tues. about Kenn’s site and will share it today when I visit.

      • Hi Catherine,
        Already revising this one! May post later but off to help at school with a math class and then hopefully some poetry time!!
        Glad to reconnect with you here. I have been busy on other things this summer.

    • Hi Janet–I haven’t been here for a while, either! Good to see you. I love all the T words. I’m a sucker for alliteration. And tucked gives it such a cozy feel…

    • A revision:

      Tucked inside the covers
      hidden treasure lies
      tiny flecks of golden words
      tantalize.

  19. I heard about that yesterday, what fun! So exciting that Bookspeak gets a mention.

    Ink stamp
    marks the spot
    scalliwag pirates
    scratchin their heads.

  20. I heard about that yesterday, what fun! So exciting that Bookspeak gets a mention.

    Ink stamp
    marks the spot
    scalliwag pirates
    scratchin their heads.

  21. Don’t take my book
    I’ll lend it free
    And we’ll share it’s adventures
    Endlessly.

  22. Don’t take my book
    I’ll lend it free
    And we’ll share it’s adventures
    Endlessly.

  23. Laura, I’ve loved your “paper love tattoo” poem ever since I first read it a year or so ago — and all the other poems in your book, too! 🙂 I didn’t know about that website before. I’ll be visiting it often!

    One bottle
    of black ink
    and
    one sheet
    of white paper:

    endless possibilities.

  24. Laura, I’ve loved your “paper love tattoo” poem ever since I first read it a year or so ago — and all the other poems in your book, too! 🙂 I didn’t know about that website before. I’ll be visiting it often!

    One bottle
    of black ink
    and
    one sheet
    of white paper:

    endless possibilities.

    • I’m a bit of a book tightwad, I’ll admit it. I’d rather lend someone $ than one of my books, and I worry about it until it’s back in my hot little hands. So your poem definitely spoke to me!

    • I’m a bit of a book tightwad, I’ll admit it. I’d rather lend someone $ than one of my books, and I worry about it until it’s back in my hot little hands. So your poem definitely spoke to me!

%d bloggers like this: