2007 Nominations Poetry

The poetry committees will be looking for this year's best poetry collection for kids. The key to this category is the word "collection", because picture books that tell a single, rhyming story belong in the picture book category.  Collections need not be the work of a single author, but may be an anthology.  Collections need not be picture books -- collections for older readers are more than welcome as well. The poems can be in any form, including no real form at all (which is to say, free verse is very welcome).

--Kelly Fineman, organizer

Please leave your nomination in the comments below.

Comments

[Kelly Fineman]

Here's a Little Poem, edited by Jane Yolen, from Candlewick Press

[Marcie Atkins]

Hey You! Poems to Skyscrapers, Mosquitoes and other Fun Things selected by Paul Janeczko

[Tasha]

Comets, Stars, the Moon and Mars by Douglas Florian

[Brooke]

Hey, I have a question:

Does Stephanie Hemphill's amazing _Your Own, Sylvia_ belong here, in YA fiction, or in Middle Grade/YA Non-Fiction? (Darn boundary-breaker!) I love this book, but I don't know where it belongs!

Is there are rule saying that a book cannot be nominated for more than one category, even when the book seems to fit them well?

[Liz in Ink]

Hey Kelly,

Here's my poetry nomination:

This is Just to Say, by Joyce Sidman

[Brooke]

Okay, I just heard back from the YA Fiction committee. They say the book is being considered as poetry, so here goes: I'm officially nominating Stephanie Hemphill's YOUR OWN, SYLVIA.

[Kelly Fineman]

Thanks Brooke. It's definitely written in poetry, so I understand the nomination. If it moves, we'll sort it out, but it's definitely in the mix for the CYBILS!

[Marcus Newman]

It's free verse by its still poetry to me: Chess Rumble by G. Neri

[Ronni Davis]

Glass by Ellen Hopkins

[Kelly Fineman]

Marcus: As the intro states, free verse is of course poetry. The only question about this book is whether it belongs here in poetry or over in graphic novels, although I'm inclined to keep it here.

[Sylvia]

I noticed that GLASS by Ellen Hopkins was nominated. I wondered if we should also consider IMPULSE by Hopkins, also published this year. (How did she DO that?!)

I hope we'll also consider:
Frank, John. 2007. HOW TO CATCH A FISH. Roaring Brook.
Park, Linda Sue. 2007. TAP DANCING ON THE ROOF; SIJO POEMS. Clarion.
Wong, Janet. 2007. TWIST; YOGA POEMS. McElderry.
Zimmer, Tracie Vaughn. 2007. REACHING FOR SUN. Bloomsbury. [also a verse novel]

Can I nominate all these at one time?
Sylvia

[Elaine Magliaro]

Kelly,

Last year verse novels were placed in the fiction category. Will that be the same this year? Most verse novels are classified as fiction. Some may, however, be classied as poetry--like Jacqueline Woodson's LOCOMOTION, which is not eligible for a 2007 Cybils Award. It has a Dewey classification number of 811'.54.

[Kelly Fineman]

Verse novels go into the fiction category in which they belong. But you are correct that those with Poetry classifications with the Library of Congress, like Locomotion and Hemphill's biography, Your Own, Sylvia, go in the poetry category.

And Sylvia (and everyone else): You may only nominate ONE TITLE PER CATEGORY.

[Kelly Fineman]

At Sylvia's request, her nomination is How to Catch a Fish by John Frank. Two of the other titles she mentioned (Tapdancing and Yoga) remain unnominated thus far. And Reaching for the Sun is likewise unnominated (and belongs in a fiction category, not in poetry).

[Chris]

Sorry- I don't mean to be dense, but where would "Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices from a Medieval Village" by Laura Amy Schlitz go? Some of it is verse, not so much a novel, certainly fiction. Help?

[Kim Norman]

I'd like to nominate
GALLOP O GALLOP by Sandra Alonzo.

[Kim Norman]

That's weird. Somehow my nomination of Gallop was attributed to Chris -- while my post is blank. Sorry if I did something wrong!

[Kelly Fineman]

Kim: You're fine -- the nomination info shows up under the entry. No worries.

Chris: I'll consider the book nominated here. The coordinators regularly discuss proper placement, and some books may shift around for judging. It's a collection of monologues, some in verse and some in prose, and so it's a bit difficult to classify, but we'll manage.

[Kelly]

I nominate Birmingham, 1963 by Carole Boston Weatherford

[cloudscome]

Today And Today by Kobayashi Issa (Author), G. Brian Karas (Illustrator)

[Vijaya]

Twist: Yoga Poems by Janet Wong

[M. Rausch]

Old Elm Speaks by Kristine George

[Fuse #8]

The Owl and the Pussycat by Edward Lear, illustrated by Stephane Jorisch, published by Kids Can Press.

[Elaine Magliaro]

OLD ELM SPEAKS was published in 1998.

[Kelly Fineman]

M., Elaine is correct -- Old Elm Speaks came out in paperback this year, but it was originally out in 1998, so it's not eligible.

Everyone else: TAP DANCING ON THE ROOF by Linda Sue Park was nominated by EM, and ANIMAL POEMS by Valerie Worth was nominated by Kirsten over at the Panel screen by mistake.

EM and Kirsten, that means your picks have been registered. Everyone else, that means those books are already nominated.

[Katie]

Here's a Little Poem by Jane Yolen and Andrew Fusek Peters

[Kelly Fineman]

Katie: Here's a Little Poem has already been nominated. Is there another book you'd like to put forward?

[Carrie Jones]

Dirty Laundry Pile: Poems in Different Voices, ed. by Paul Janeczko.

[Carrie Jones]

Dirty Laundry Pile: Poems in Different Voices, ed. by Paul Janeczko.

[Carrie Jones]

Dirty Laundry Pile: Poems in Different Voices, ed. by Paul Janeczko.

[Elaine Magliaro]

Carrie,

"Dirty Laundry Pile" Was published in 2001.

[Liz Jones]

Dog Poems, by Dave Crawley
:D

[Emma]

Behind the Museum Door; Poems to Celebrate the Wonders of Museums
Abrams 2007

[Emma]

Left out authors name for Behind the Museum
Door; Poems to Celebrate the Wonders of Museums:

Lee Bennett Hopkins

[Colleen]

I'm happy to nominate Tough Boy Sonatas, by Curtis L. Crisler. I reviewed it in one of my columns at Bookslut this year and was mightily impressed. It's great work for teen boys (and how often does anyone address poetry in their direction?)

[Anne]

Poems in Black & White by Kate Miller

[Charline]

I nominate the delighful:

I HEARD IT FROM ALICE ZUCCHINI: Poems about the Garden, by Juanita Havill, ISBN-100-8118-3962-1.

Charline

[Elaine Magliaro]

Charline,

I HEARD IT FROM ALICE ZUCCHINI was published in 2006. It was nominated for a Cybils last year.

[Tricia]

Okay, I'm finally in and nominating Blue Lipstick by John Grandits.

[Kelly Fineman]

Here's a summary of the nominations so far, alphabetical by title:

Animal Poems, by Valerie Worth
Behind the Museum Door, ed. by Lee Bennett Hopkins
Birmingham, 1963, Carole Boston Weatherford
Blue Lipstick: Concrete Poems by John Grandits
Comets, Stars, the Moon & Mars, by Douglas Florian
Dog Poems by David Crawley
Gallop O Gallop by Sandra Alonzo
Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village by Laura Amy Schlitz
Here's a Little Poem, ed. by Jane Yolen
Hey You! Poems to Skyscrapers, etc., ed. by Paul Janeczko
How to Catch a Fish by John Frank
Poems in Black and White by Kate Miller
Tap Dancing on the Roof: Sijo by Linda Sue Park
The Owl and the Pussycat by Edward Lear
This is Just to Say by Joyce Sidman
Today and Today by Kobayashi Issa
Tough Boy Sonatas by Curtis L. Crisler
Twelve Rounds to Glory: The Story of Muhammad Ali by Charles R. Smith, Jr.
Twist: Yoga Poems by Janet S. Wong
Your Own, Sylvia by Stephanie Hemphill

[Kelly]

Collected Poems of Ted Hughes! Best poetry book of the decade, imo :)

[Mary Cronin]

Moving Day by Ralph Fletcher

[LaTonya M. Baldwin]

I nominate Miss Crandall's School for Young Ladies & Little Misses of Color (Hardcover)
by Elizabeth Alexander (Author), Marilyn Nelson (Author), Floyd Cooper.

I've read other works by Ms. Nelson. I'm wasn't a big sonnet fan, but Ms. Nelson has motivated me to take another look.

[Jeannine Atkins]

I'd like to nominate Faith and Doubt: An Anthology of Poems edited by Patrice Vecchione (Holt, 2007).

Thanks for your good work nudging us to read more poems!

[Miriam]

I'd like to nominate
YUM! ¡MMMM! ¡QUE RICO!
by Pat Mora.

[R. O'Connor]

I'd like to nominate a wonderful collection of humor poetry for 8-12 year old children. It's called, Coolhead Luke and Other Stories. It was written by Jennifer White and illustrated by her son, Colin, when he was ten years old. It is published by Booksurge.com

I love the fact that it was written as a mother-son collaboration. The poems are really quite clever and the illustrations are wild! It's a funny book that my 6th grade students truly enjoy.

R. O'Connor
Middle School English teacher

[Robin]

TODAY AT THE BLUEBIRD CAFE
by Deborah Ruddell

[Sheryl]

Big Poppa E's Greatest Hits: Poems to Read Aloud

[Kevin Slattery]

"Shape Me a Rhyme: Natures Form in Poetry" by Jane Yolen

[Mary Cummings]

I nominate "In AUnt Giraffe's Green Garden" by Jack Prelutsky. Funny, great rhythms, "travel" poems.