Laura's Bookshelf: THE GIRL WHO FELL

Happy Poetry Friday. I've got a terrific YA novel and poem pairing to share with you this week.

Katya at Write. Sketch Repeat. is hosting
this week's Poetry Friday link up.

One of the best parts about being a debut novelist has been connecting with other children's authors in the class of 2016.

I loved THE GIRL WHO FELL by S.M. Parker. It’s contemporary YA about Zephyr, a star field hockey player who has her life together and her college plans in place, until she meets a boy. At first, it’s all racing heart beats and cute kissing at the playground after dark, but over time Alec goes from needy, to possessive and manipulative, to full on abusive stalker.

I have to admit that this book was difficult to read because of my own history. When I was in high school, an ex-boyfriend stalked me for several months. You can read about it here (scroll down to the UPDATE). 

I had to take it slow – a chapter or a few pages at a time. There were many times when I wrote Zephyr a note in the book: “No, Zee!” and “Wake up, Zephyr!” I was so invested in her character and in Zephyr finding her way back to herself.

Pre-order from your local indie bookstore
via Indiebound.

This contemporary YA launches on March 1, 2016. Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

His obsession.

Her fall.

In this dark kissing book, high school senior Zephyr Doyle is swept off her feet—and into an intense relationship—by the new boy in school.

Zephyr is focused. Focused on leading her team to the field hockey state championship and leaving her small town for her dream school, Boston College.

But love has a way of changing things.

Enter the new boy in school: the hockey team’s starting goaltender, Alec. He’s cute, charming, and most important, Alec doesn’t judge Zephyr. He understands her fears and insecurities—he even shares them. Soon, their relationship becomes something bigger than Zephyr, something she can’t control, something she doesn’t want to control.

Zephyr swears it must be love. Because love is powerful, and overwhelming, and…terrifying?

But love shouldn’t make you abandon your dreams, or push your friends away. And love shouldn’t make you feel guilty—or worse, ashamed.

So when Zephyr finally begins to see Alec for who he really is, she knows it’s time to take back control of her life.

If she waits any longer, it may be too late.

THE GIRL WHO FELL is appropriate for high schoolers and up.

Who will like it?

• ·         Teens who like edgy romance.
• ·         Athletes and kids who struggle to balance social life with commitments.
• ·         Readers who love first person narrators.

What will readers learn about?

• ·         Abuse is complicated. A victim can feel attracted to, and have a healthy sex life with, an abuser.
• ·         Indicators that someone has the potential to be abusive or controlling, e.g. forbidding you to spend time with other friends and family.
• ·         Especially for teens, the importance of putting your own needs first, before those of your romantic partner.

The poem I'm pairing with THE GIRL WHO FELL was published in Little Patuxent Review (the literary journal for which I edit poetry) earlier this year. It’s by Maryland poet and educator Rachel Eisler.

If I were Zephyr’s teacher, this is the poem I would hand to her, to remind her how strong she is as an athlete and as a young woman.

I shared the poem with Shannon Parker, who said, “I love how this turns objectification on its head and makes women have all the power.”

It’s Lovely to Watch Young Women

By Rachel Eisler

It’s lovely to watch young women

elbow opponents as they strive

in each others’ shining faces to make the shot.

They pound down the boards,

dribbling and swiveling, seek allies,

in the frantic five.

It’s lovely to watch young women,

so passionate and cool,

as the fouls squeak silent, the lines fade

into screens, fake-outs, and passes

to move and seize the ball.

Their pure ferocity

the urge to wrest

something from someone

because you want it more

right then and you

better best them.

Someday, it may get old or tame

headlong lose or wild win,

both such cool water to a woman

parched by politeness,

hungry for this fight.

Rachel Eisler teaches Upper School English at Garrison Forest School, working closely with colleagues in Grades Six through Twelve. She received her B.A. in English from Yale College and her M.A. in Poetry from The Writing Seminars at Johns Hopkins University.  Before joining the GFS faculty in 2010, she taught at The National Cathedral School, The Bryn Mawr School, The Writing Seminars, and The University of Baltimore. Her poems have been featured on WYPR’s The Signal, and have appeared in The Baltimore Sun, The New York Times, and The Urbanite.  Her first chapbook of poems was published in fall 2009. 

Thanks to Shannon and Rachel for their contributions to this post.

REMINDER to Poetry Friday bloggers: 

I still have a few spaces left for THE LAST FIFTH GRADE book vine. If you’d like a chance to meet Ms. Hill’s fifth grade poets before they debut, read more about it here or sign up now! I’m sending the Advanced Reader’s Copy out on Poetry Friday tour soon.

Poetry Friday: NPR's Poetry Games

It's almost week two of the 2012 Olympics. As many have stated, there was a long tradition -- sadly, now ended -- of poetry concurrent with athletics in Olympic celebrations.

National Public Radio is trying in a small, but fun, way to bring the Olympic poetic tradition back.

In honor of the 2012 Olympic Games, you can visit NPR's Poetry Games. There are five poems competing at the NPR Poetry Games site. Each one represents a different country. Each one also represents a different Olympic sport.

The U.S.'s contribution is "The Wrestler" by Kazim Ali. (My son wrestled for seven years and our family has a love-hate relationship with the sport. There were things I loved and recognized as true in this poem, but it was also painful to hear -- as the sport can be painful to watch for families.)

From 222.london2012.com

I will be voting for "Lifting" by Ouyang Yu, who is representing either his native China or Australia. But I'm an honest judge and I am looking for overall performance, not country.

Lifting

by Ouyang Yu

For years
I have been dreaming
of turning
writing into a sport
in the Olympic Games
that is called, tentatively
Wordlifting
in which I'd give
my simplest performance
by lifting
the lightest and the liveliest
word: Love

Read the rest at NPR's Poetry Games. Then, read the other four entries and vote. You will find poems about wrestling, swimming, tae kwon do, and diving, as well as the lifting poem by Ouyang Yu.

Although I think we've seen enough competition lately, I love the idea of the Poetry Games. Through NPR's program, I've been reading poets from other cultures who are new to me, and also experiencing sport, not through a commentator's banter, but through the rich language of poetry.

Writing Exercise: take an Olympic sport and change its name to suggest the atheticism of writing. Write a poem about it. Water Polo (what's up with NBC's huge amount of coverage) = Word Polo, Volleyball = Verbyball, the long jumper could be going for a leap over longer and longer sentences. It's a stretch, but something to have fun with.

This week's Poetry Friday host is Rena at On the Way to Somewhere.

P.S. For those of you who wanted to vote in the Fascination Awards, voting is now open. Author Amok is in the running for a "Best Creative Writing Teacher Blog." The nominated post features Poetry Friday's Robyn Hood Black!

Teaching Voice, Part Two

Open a children's novel and you'll know by the end of the first page whether the narrator hooks you or not. (For a great example, read the opening of Shiloh.)

Creating a narrative voice is a difficult skill to teach kids. There are elements to consider such as diction, tone, word choice. You could make yourself crazy with character-building worksheets.

When I'm working with school-age kids, jumping right in works better. I do some modeling (my full workshop description is here), the kids choose a photo or art-print featuring a person, and we get writing.

Yesterday, I posted two third grade poems. One was in the voice of Lady Gaga. The other described a girl caught in a fantasy phenomenon.

In honor of Saturday, when a lot of my students play sports, I'm sharing two poems in the voice of professional athletes.

There is a detail about the setting that Joey does not reveal until the end of his poem. Read "The Shot" and see how he times this information to add impact to the storyline.

The Shot

by Joey S.

Grade 3

I am watching if I make the shot or not.

I have a perfect release. I know it will spin a lot.

This shot is for the win for the  NBA championship.

If I make it, my team wins, or if I don't

I will let my team down.

I am terrified. I am not a great three

Point shooter. The crowd is roaring.

They hope I miss the shot in the end.

I make the shot and I silence the crowd.

Chase's poem vividly captures an athlete obsessed with winning. Listen for the rhythm and repeated phrases in this poem. Those elements build the voice of "The Boxer."

The Boxer

by Chase T.

Grade 3

I am warming up for my fight.

I put on my boxing gloves. 10 minutes until the fight.

I will practice and practice. I will not stop.

Two minutes left. I will win this thing. I will

Not back out. I will  not stop.

I will jump rope. I will punch a punching bag.

The fight is now. I will be fighting

The world’s best boxer. He won twenty

Medals in a row.

It is now. I will fight and fight until I

Win. I will  not stop until I win.

Maybe I win or I will lose. It is your

Choice. Do you think I will win or I will lose?

“He wins!”

More portrait poems coming soon, followed by a guest post with my high school intern, Alissa Bennett of St. Paul's School.

Teaching Stanzas Part 2

On Monday, I posted a lesson in teaching stanzas to elementary schoolers.

Using Elizabeth Coatsworth's "Swift Things Are Beautiful" as a model, my Northfield third graders chose a pair of opposites with which they could explore a particular theme. Since opposites have two distinct parts, it's easy for young writers to figure out their two distinct stanzas.

John offered the opposite "Extreme/Boring." I expected him to write about extreme sports, and ho-hum activities. Instead, he wrote two small character sketches. Look at the level of observation John uses in the details that describe his Extreme guy and Boring girl.

Poet:    John F.

Grade: 3

Teacher: Hilliard

Extreme and Boring

He is extreme since he has

All the video game systems known

To man. He can do a pop-a-wheelie

On his motorcycle, and can

Jump a moat that is filled with

Sharks, and also wears leather.

She is boring since she

Only listens to classical music,

Only reads. She also watches

Only educational TV, and she

Doesn’t eat any candy or

Soda, and wears sweater vests.

 

Ere connected the opposites to herself and something she enjoys -- sports. Her opposites were Win/Lose. I love how the taste of the snacks reveal the emotions our speaker feels.

Poet: Ere O.

Grade 3

Teacher: Taliano

Win

When I win,

I go crazy.

I slap my friends on the back,

Cry with joy,

And the snacks are so yummy.

Dad is going to be sooo happy!

I just won a championship game.

When I lose,

I’m frustrated.

My head’s down low.

I’m crying.

My snacks have no taste.

My dad is mad.

I feel like I lost championship game.

Wonderful third grade educator Karen Hoge stopped by Leyla's desk during writing time. Leyla is new to the United States. She and Ms. Hoge decided a natural opposite for Leyla to write about would be her country of origin and her new home.

Poet: Leyla S.

Grade 3

Teacher: Hoge

Russia and America

Russia and America are

really different, you know.

Russia is very old and has

a lot of history.

America is new and

shiny and full of funny

things, and the one school

I like most of all.

It’s Northfield, the best

school in the world.

It's fascinating that one prompt had such varied responses from the kids. One of the best things about working as a visiting poet is seeing how young writers take the prompts and turn them into expressions of what's on their minds and in their hearts.

Great job to these poets! Thank you for giving me permission to post your work.

Tomorrow is Poetry Friday. I've got some delicious Northfield food poems to share. See you then.