Focus Question: How can we use Georgia Heard's work in our classrooms?

FALLING DOWN THE PAGE: A BOOK LIST OF POEMS

Edited by: GEORGIA HEARD

Falling Down the Page: A Book List of Poems is a piece that Georgia Heard compiled of several other authors' poems. Heard wrote the introduction for the book stating that poems are such a great way to express one's self and that this can happen in something as simple as a list. Many of the poems in this compilation span the time between when school begins and ends and the summer months in between. The lists are creative and fun which is important to help keep students engaged in reading.

"Lists of everyday things become the stuff of poetry in this collection of original poems. Fun to read and easy to write, list poems invite kids to see the extraordinary in the ordinary and inspire them to become poets themselves." -Inside the cover of Falling Down the Page: A Book List of Poems.

In response to the focus question, I feel that any of Georgia Heard's writing can be used in the classroom. From her instructional pieces to a compilation of poetry, her work offers several ideas for getting children interested and excited about writing! For example, Falling Down the Page: A Book List of Poems cold be used to inspire students to create their own poem which could then be turned into a book written by the class. 

A few reviews that this book received are:

“Accessibility is one of the book’s greatest strengths, since the compact verses focus on familiar aspects of daily kid life.” —Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“The poems will spark imagination.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Teachers will welcome this fine anthology.” —Booklist
“Truly wonderful.” —Katie’s Literature Lounge
“A winner.” —School Library Journal
“A thoroughly entertaining and distinctive collection.” —BookPage

References:

Prevert, Jacques. " Macmillan: Falling Down the Page: A Book of List Poems Georgia Heard: Books ." Macmillan - Distinguished & Award Winning Global Publisher in 41 countries. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Sept. 2010. <http://us.macmillan.com/fallingdownthepage>.

Falling Down the Page. New Milford: Roaring Brook Press, 2009. Print.