Annotated Bibliography Prospectus

To supplement an 8^th grade poetry unit, I searched for trade books that average students will enjoy reading and using.  My poetry unit will include types of poetry, parts of poetry, themes, poetry vocabulary, analyzing poetry, and writing poetry.  The curriculum requires use of the textbook for most poems taught, but I fear that the material in the textbook does not meet the diverse needs of my class of 25 average 8^th grade students.  It is important to me that the students find a part of the unit that they can connect with, even if they do not fall in love with poetry as a whole; poetry is full of variety, and if I provide students with accessible and interesting options, I hope that they will find something that they can relate to and enjoy.  I chose Bronx Masquerade to represent novels in poetry form, because I think that some students will be able to relate to the urban high school characters and themes of the novel.  A Kick in the Head, will be easy for students to pick up, learn from, and enjoy; it is surprisingly informative for a thin book with pictures on every page.  It is my hope that some students will enjoy expressing themselves through poetry, and Poems from Homeroom offers examples of poems from a teenager’s point of view, as well as instruction on how to create one’s own poetry.

Appelt, K. (2002). Poems from homeroom: a writer's place to start. New York: Henry Holt.


Grimes, N. (2002). Bronx masquerade. New York: Dial Books.


Janeczko, P. B., & Raschka, C. (2005). A kick in the head. Cambridge: Candlewick Press.

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