There's a Zoo in Room 22

Author:  Judy Sierra, 2000, Scholastic
Illustrator:  Barney Saltzberg

There's a Zoo in Room 22 is a book of poems about animals that each begin with a different letter of the alphabet.  Room 22's teacher promises her students that they may make a "pet alphabet," so they create a poetry book about Amanda Anaconda, Boring Beetle Bill, Claude the Cat, and others.  This is a great way to introduce young children to poetry, especially with the alphabet being the guiding force behind the poems.  Not only do children reinforce their knowledge about the alphabet; they learn rhythm, rhyme, and detail.  I thought this was a neat book of poems, and I would highly recommend it to other teachers.  

Almost Late to School And More School Poems

Author:  Carol Diggory Shields, 2003, Puffin Books
Illustrator:  Paul Meisel

Almost Late to School is a compilation of several poems, all of them having to do with school.  There are traditional rhymes, haikus, and other forms of poetry.  One poem was about a snake that a student had brought to show-and-tell, and the poem was written in the shape of a snake.  I really liked this book of short poems, and I think children would love them also.  If I were a student in elementary school, I would especially like the fact that each poem has a different focus, but they all reflect the same common theme.  Overall, I would give this book a "thumbs up."

Hoover's Bride

Author:  David Small, 1995, Scholastic

Don't get too distracted by the title of this book.  At first, I thought it was a story about our 31st president:  Herbert Hoover.  As someone who loves history, I was excited to read a poem about a historical figure. 

But this has nothing to do with Herbert Hoover.

Hoover's Bride is a silly rhyming story about a man who marries his vacuum cleaner.  Hoover, the main character, lives alone and never cleans his house.  It acquires so much dust and dirt that one day, all the dust falls on Hoover.  His neighbors introduce him to a vacuum cleaner named Elektra, and instead of merely cleaning his house, he falls in love with it.  Somehow, they are able to get married, and while they are on their honeymoon, the people in the hotel room next door have a loud noise in their room.  When Hoover inquires about the racket, he finds a woman and her "husband", a lawn mower.  She, too, fell in love with her appliance and married it.  Long story short--she and Hoover end up legitimately married, and the two ex-spouses end up rusting together in the dump.  After all, a lawn mower can only go so far without gas and a vacuum cleaner needs someone to plug it in!

This story, while humorous, is absolutely ridiculous.  I understand the humor behind it, but what child will accept the idea that a man can marry a vacuum?  I would not use this story in my classroom, but again, it is what I like to call a "mindless read."  If it is one you have on your bookshelf, go ahead and leave it there, but if not, leave it in the dust.