Citation: George, Kristine O'Connell. Swimming Upstream Middle School Poems. Clarion Books, 2002.
Plot:
This is a collection of poems about and for middle school students. The poems are about things that middle school students can specifically relate to. I was actually surprised at how accurate the poems were, such as the one about forgetting your locker combination, or being the last person to turn in a piece of work in class. My favorite poem might be the one about how your ID card picture never really looks how you think you look in your head.
Review:
I really loved this book. It isn't a tongue in cheek poetry collection at all; these are serious poems about middle school. The poems are short, and I think they would make for great lessons in a middle school. Also, the poems would be a great way to open up communication about tough topics and emotions, allowing tweens to understand that they aren't alone in their feelings at all. I definitely see myself keeping this book on hand while teaching middle school. Usually your lesson leaves you with an awkward five minutes left in class; it's too early to pack up, but too late to start something new. I think it'd be a great time to pull out the book, read a short poem, and talk about it.
Age: 10 and up
Similar Titles:
Paint Me Like I Am
You Hear Me?
Poetry for Young People
