What I'm Reading, and the Giveaway Winner!

Happy Poetry Friday all! (Matt Forrest Esenwine is hosting! Check out his post here!) What poetry marvels are you reading this week? I'll go first!

Star Child: A Biographical Constellation of Octavia Estelle Butler by Ibi Zoboi. Why do I love it? The poetry is gripping, the book design is fabulous, and the variety is exciting! I love books that mix ways of telling stories, and Star Child has it all: a large variety of poetic forms, photos of Octavia Estelle's childhood writing, quotes, prose sections that give context... this book is a braiding of storytelling techniques into one fascinating, beautiful, and inspiring creation. It's wonderful.

This Same Sky: A Collection of Poems from Around the World selected by Naomi Shihab Nye. I'm partway through reading this beauty... but I just can't wait to shout about it. The poets in this collection are from all over the world-- except the US. Most of the poems are in translation, and some are even translated by the poets themselves. This is a truly expansive, fascinating, and moving collection with a wide array of topics and perspectives. Do you know why I haven't finished it yet? Because This Same Sky needs to be savored. This is a book to linger over with a cup of tea while words weave around your heart. It's also the perfect book for a daily poetry read-aloud to a class, especially (in my opinion) for tweens and teens.

And, finally, it's time to announce the winner of last week's giveaway! The random number generator has chosen... drumroll please... CAROL LABUZZETTA! Carol, I'll be reaching our via your website today to connect.

Happy Poetry Friday everyone!