Another Jar of Tiny Stars- NCTE Award Poetry-MODULE 2

Cullinan, Bernice E. and Deborah Wooten, (Ed.) (2009) Another Tiny Jar
of Stars. Portraits by Marc Nadel. Honesdale, Pennsylvania: Boyds
Mills Press. ISBN-13: 978-1-59078-726-7
REVIEW
Another Jar of Tiny Stars is a wonderful book that consists of several collections of poems from a wide variety of poets.  There are a total of 15 different poets including Lee Bennett Hopkins, Nikki Grimes, and Eve Merriam.  The book is divided into sections which introduces a new
poet and gives a brief collection of their work.  All of the poets featured in this book have received the award: The National Council of Teachers of English Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children.  At the end of the book is a biographical section titled About the Poets,
which gives a little information on the poet.  There is such a wide variety of poems in this book with very different types of rhyming styles.  Some of the books are serious, some are hilarious and each poem has a different theme and meaning behind it which will make
children love this entire collection. The illustrations in this book are very unique and different.  At the beginning of each section that introduces a new poet their portrait appears to be in a gray watercolor painting format. Each portrait is followed by a brief quotation from the poet.
Each poem was so different from one another that I wanted to share so many poems with you however; I think I selected my favorite poem titled Big Sister because it reminded me so much of my sister. 

Big Sister

I have a big sister;

She's taller and older;

On tiptoe I only

Reach up to her shoulder;

But I have a secret

But I haven't told her. 

            (It's how to grow faster

             Until I grow past her.)

I watch what she's eating;

I watch what she's drinking;

I don't let her notice

Or see what I'm thinking;

But each time that she

Takes a bite, I take two;

And that way she only

Eats half what I do.

I have a big sister;

She's taller and older;

On tiptoe I only

Reach up to her shoulder;

But I have a secret

That I haven't told her.

            (The way I will beat her

            Is just to outeat her!)  
Classroom/Library Connection

 Recommended audience:  Ages 8-12

Due to the importance of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children I would use this book in an English lesson.  I had never heard of this award before this class and I wish I would have.  Children are still learning about poetry and how wonderful is it to be able to teach them about an award through poetry.  I like this to because children get such a mix of styles and rhyming that there is a poem in here that will appeal to everyone.    

Before reading:  I would read several poems to the children from Another Jar of Tiny Stars collection of poetry.  I would make sure to tell them to listen carefully because they are very important poems. 
During reading:  I would read a group of selected poems slowly so they can visualize all the content that each poem has. 
Reread the poem:   Before rereading the poems I would as a class do some research on the NCTE award so the children were familiar with the award and what it means.  Then I would reread the poems that I had previously and have the children think about why these poems won this award. 
After reading:  I would have the children write their own poems and encourage them to do their very best work and pretend that they are going to submit them to win this award.  They could all share their poetry with the class and something that they learned about this award.