Laura Purdie Salas

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You are here: Home / Poems for Teachers / One Book I Love: Countdown to Summer

One Book I Love: Countdown to Summer

September 8, 2009 By Laura

During summer, I’m counting the days until school begins again, but for most kids, it’s the opposite. Prolific, wonderful poet J. Patrick Lewis knows that and has created a new collection called Countdown to Summer: A Poem for Every Day of the School Year (Little, Brown 2009).

This collection has a poem for every single school day. Most of the poems are funny/silly, but they do cover a wide range. Here are a few of my favorites:

180

A Sixth Grader
Sees the Future

In a billion years, A.D.,
Our sun will shine for none to see.
The sea will miss each passing ship;
The sky will hover over zip.
Those blazing stars will start to cool,
And I won’t have to go to school.

In a billion years from now–
Or maybe more, but anyhow,
The earth may shrivel up and die.
The universe? Pi in the sky.
The future, spinning, may have spun,
And I might have my homeword done.

–J. Patrick Lewis, all rights reserved

143

Proposed
Amendment
to the Constitution

The President and Vice-President
of the United States shall be required
to take the Fourth Grade Standardized
Achievement Test so that
No President or Vice-President
shall be left behind.

–J. Patrick Lewis, all rights reserved

43

April Fool’s

They say you’re the picture of pretty,
You’re as warm as the heat from the sun,
You’re the lock and the key to the city,
You’re the beef in the hamburger bun!

They say you’re the pick of the litter,
They say that you’re such a good egg!
But, kid, have you stopped to consider
Someone might be pulling your leg?!

–J. Patrick Lewis, all rights reserved

  

This fun collection (with its sometimes adult in-jokes, like the NCLB poem) doesn’t talk down to kids and offers an irreverent take on a ton of different topics. How fun to read one poem a day in any elementary or even middle school classroom. And a teacher could pair this with Days to Celebrate, a terrific anthology created by Lee Bennett Hopkins, for a double dose of daily fun!

For a few full reviews on this book, see Elaine Magliaro’s Wild Rose Reader , Kelly Fineman’s Writing and Ruminating (We both picked 143 to share–I swear I had Post-It noted that one long before reading your review, Kelly!), and Sylvia Vardell’s Poetry for Children.

And on a side note, SCHOOL STARTS TODAY! HALLELUJAH!!!

Tagged With: J. Patrick Lewis, poems

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Related

« Countdown to School: Poem #4 (I Don’t Know Why)
One Book I Love: Lunch Money and Other Poems About School »

JANUARY NEWS

I loved the holidays! And I'm so glad they're over. A quiet, snowy January is just what I need. This month, I'm working on two board book manuscripts, and I'm making materials to go with my 3 spring 2023 books.

I'm also busy prepping for upcoming author visits and setting my goals and priorities for 2023. Wishing you a lovely start to your own new year!

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