I Remember: Poems and Pictures of Heritage.

Hopkins, Lee Bennet (ed.). I Remember: Poems and Pictures of Heritage.
April 16th 2019 by Lee & Low Books

E ARC from Edelweiss Plus

I have a very specific need for poetry books in my library. They need to contain 40 poems, preferably by different authors, and need to use a lot  of figurative language. I have one teacher who always assigns a poetry project in the fall, so I need about 130 poetry books. Generally, my poetry books get checked out once a year; invariably, a couple are lost or damaged, so I need to get a few new ones.

Don't get me wrong; I love poetry. I published a poem in Writer's Digest in 1985. But is it really something our students are going to use in real life? Wouldn't they be better off having a computer class? At any rate, I am also super picky about what constitutes good poetry, and aside from Timothy Steele, there's very little modern verse that I like. This was perfectly fine, and the pictures were fantastic. I also liked the multicultural focus. I need to go back and count the number of poems; if it has forty, I'll buy it.

From Goodreads.com
From the joyous to the poignant, poems by award-winning, diverse poets are paired with images by celebrated illustrators from similar backgrounds to pay homage to what is both unique and universal about growing up in the United States. Newbery Medalist Kwame Alexander takes us on a riotous ride through good times and sad spent with his extended family--a journey perfectly captured by Coretta Scott King Award winner Michele Wood's vibrant overflowing and overlapping images. Pura Belpre Award winner Margarita Engle shares happy memories of learning to embroider, accompanied by fine artist and printmaker Paula Barragan's colorful graphic representation of a granddaughter and grandmother at work. Bestselling author Nick Bruel talks about his confusion over having to define himself by a single racial label, which is brought to life by newcomer Janine Macbeth's reflective image of herself trying to figure out her own mixed ancestry. Together these heartfelt poems and captivating illustrations shine a light on the rich diversity of people in our nation as well as the timeless human connections and experiences we all share. Readers of any age and background will find much that sparks their memories and opens their eyes.

Wetzel, Dan. Lionel Messi: Epic Athletes
November 12th 2019 by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
E ARC from Edelweiss Plus

The other titles in this series have circulated well, and this is definitely one I will buy. It is especially interesting, because it covers how soccer clubs recruit and train members in other countries. Messi is Argentinian, but trained in Spain when he was very young. When he was 16, he had to decided in which country he wanted to play, because whatever country he chose was where he would have to stay! It also talked about his growth hormone disorder, and the challenges his family faced getting him training and medication. Since he retired in 2018, this is a good look at his career, but he seems to be doing a lot of other things, so students will still know who he is. There's not much out there on soccer, and a growing number of my students are interested in it, so this will circulate well.