Module 6: Book Review 17- Poetry by Kids

This is Just to Say: Poems of Apology and Forgiveness

Bibliography

Sidman, J. & Zagarenski, P. (2007) This is Just to Say: Poems of Apology and Forgiveness. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company ISBN 9780618616800

Summary

We know how difficult it can be to say we are sorry, but then again, we know how we feel after we do so.  That is what the students of Mrs. Merz’s sixth grade class does in this fantastic collection of apology and forgiveness poems and the responses from these poems.  From poetry written about the loss of a pet to sibling rivalry, each poem also uncovers the relationships between each other.  These poems are the sincerest and sweetest poems you will read and possibly lead you to writing an apology of your own.

Analysis

This is Just to Say is a wonderful collection of poems written for everyone composed by children.  In this collection by sixth grade students, there are a variety of poems from haikus, rhymes, and pantoums that express heartfelt words of pain, sorrow, glee, and acceptance to name a few.  Inspired by the poem “This is Just to Say,” by William Carlos Williams, these poems are great examples to show that poetry can be accessible to all students.  For example, the poem The Black Spot is written as an apology to an older sister for leaving a black spot in her hand from the stab of a pencil.  The little sister feels guilty for what she did and shared that guilt with words through this poem.  In response, the older sister writes her own poem included in the book, sharing her feelings and how she is still upset with her.  These two examples are very fitting to the book and goes to show that anyone can write a poem. 

This book is packed filled with personal response and is ideal for grades 4^th through 7^th.  It is a wonderful example to encourage kids to try their hand at writing not just poetry, but even an apologetic piece.  It is a visual motivation and relatable to everyone; even the illustrations are fun and edgy.  Illustrator, Pamela Zagarenski shares at the back of the book, that she made her sketches on the kinds of paper kids might have such as, notebook pages, newspaper, or graph paper.  The sketches resemble artwork that a typical middle schooler might possibly draw.

With little touches like those throughout the book, This is Just to Say is a superb addition to any library.  Readers of all ages can understand deep down how the writers felt when expressing their emotions in each poem and the relief they got when doing so.  You won’t want to miss out on this magical book!

Excerpt

Sparkling Deer

Mom, I’m so sorry for breaking
your precious glass deer
all those years ago.
The scent of Christmas was in the air,
and your little snow scene drew me like a magnet.
The deer’s slim pink legs
and arching neck:
I could almost feel their smooth, delicate surface.
In my head, I heard you say, “Don’t touch!”
but my fingers had a mind of their own.
I plucked it from the rough cotton snow
by its tiny antlers.
Then
it dropped!
Later, when I heard you crying,
I felt small.
Please forgive me.

Use

With poems of apology and their responses included in the book, the poem chosen is a great example to use to allow students to try their hand at writing an apologetic poem of their own.  The apology poems can be collected and used to create a class anthology.  Just like in the book, you can also get responses from the people students were writing to and include them in the class book.