Poem Book for Children/Teens Published after 2000 - SWIMMING UPSTREAM MIDDLE SCHOOL POEMS

Bibliography: George, Kristine O’Connell. Ill. Tilley, Debbie. 2002. SWIMMING UPSTREAM MIDDLE SCHOOL POEMS. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN 0618152504

SUMMARY

This is compilation of poems by Kristine George that deal with the changes that take place as a student enters middle school. The book takes you from the first day of school with “Wake-up Call” to the last day with the “Last Day of School”. The poems cover a variety of experiences that students just entering middle school deal with. These include such things as: 1) moving from class to class as in “Changing Classes” and “Each Class” with each teacher having a different expectation 2) new friends and fitting in with poems such as “Networking”, “S N O B” and “Group” 3) learning to play an instrument in “Band” “New Flute” and “Flute Practice” and 4) discovering the opposite sex in a silly romantic way with the poems “School Dance” and “Does He or Doesn’t He?”.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

I had to look back over my list of previous work for this semester as I was certain I must have used this book already. It is one of my favorite poetry books that I have read this semester. I think that is true because I teach fifth graders and have for a number of years. Each of these poems is so poignant and stirs my heart strings for all of the emotional feelings that I know the kids will be dealing with next year. It also brings memories of my own children’s middle school years. The poems are in a variety of forms from haiku to free verse. The title of the book itself SWIMMING UPSTREAM identifies with the often overwhelming changes taking place within the middle school student emotionally, physically and socially. It is a struggle for many just as swimming upstream is a struggle for those fish that must make their way upstream to complete their journey through life. It is not only a struggle for the students, but for the parents and teachers that deal with all of these changes. This book is just as meaningful to those working with the students as it is to the students themselves. There are four double page black and white illustrations by Debbie Tilley that complement the text with band practice, gossiping and class activities. Each page also has a somewhat abstract pencil drawing of lines and circles. I imagine these would represent the streams and the students swimming up that stream. There is no table of contents for this book. I think it would be helpful to have a table to refer more quickly to a poem that you might want to share. I would recommend this book of poetry to any one that is associated with middle school age children as well as the sharing of the book with the students as well.

REVIEWS

Booklist: These tiny poems--rhymed, free verse, haiku, even an acrostic--cover the first year of junior high--sixth, seventh, and eighth grade. The unnamed female narrator sees the first "jigsaw year" as refitting and recombining old friends and new, old ideas and new.

School Library Journal: Middle school, with all its trials, tribulations, and triumphs, is portrayed humorously and poignantly through the eyes of one girl. Some of the more mundane topics include a locker that won't open, being late to homeroom, carrying around a large piece of wood as a hall pass, and deciding where to sit in the lunchroom. The book also delves into significant issues, from making new friends and a first crush to teasing, gossip, and a bully who may not be so tough after all. The selections are short, mostly filling less than a page, and get to the heart of the matter quickly. The emotions range from confusion, loneliness, and fear to being nervous and tongue-tied.

CONNECTIONS

Band Director: Read each of the poems that deal with playing the flute. Use these as an introduction into the emotions a student trying a new instrument feels. You might want to read these as you progress through the year rather than all at once, or do both. (Another personal heart string for me – as my daughter played the flute in school). Poems include: “Band”, “New Flute”, “Flute Practice”, “More Flute Practice”, “Band Practice”, “Much More Flute Practice”, and “Band Concert”.

Home Room Teacher: Use poems to review middle school rules regarding lockers, hall passes, lunch and other relevant first day overviews. “Locker”, “My Locker”, “Late”, “Homeroom”, “Changing Classes”, “Which Lunch Table?”, “School I.D. Card”, “Each Class”, “Hall Pass”, and “Due Date”,

As the teacher of the students leaving elementary and heading toward middle school have the students brainstorm their feelings and emotions about the changes about to take place. Then have them write a poem about these feelings. It would be wonderful to work with the teacher in the next grade and have them to assign a similar assignment at the end of the next year and then the students can see how their attitudes, emotions and feelings have changed. They will see they made the transfer!