Writers in the Schools is a wonderful organization down in Houston, TX. They believe that reading and writing are essential skills that one should learn early on and so, they set up numerous Writer in Residency programs where an author will go into a specific school, and teach 2 or 3 classes, one day per week, for the entire school year. This program is a widely copied one, with mentoring from the fine folks at WITS, and is one Dzanc Books hopes to replicate in as many schools as possible. I'd heartily recommend visiting their website and considering a donation, or if you're an author in the Houston area, an email suggesting you'd be interested in being one of their Writers in Residence.
Many of the writers they employ in these residencies are poets and WITS is celebrating National Poetry Month by posting a student work each weekday of the month. I plan on linking to these poems each day to keep the awareness level up for the five of you visiting each day!
Dream Poem by Gavi (who happens to be a FIRST GRADER):
A long time ago
kids could walk on the ceiling
and birds went to school
and cats chased dogs,
dogs chased mice,
and they could fly.
One day the kids grew wings.
The sun fell onto the ground,
and the kids flew up to the moon and
told the moon
that she was the shiniest
planet in the sky.
I love the imagination this poet shows, and once the imagination is established, being remarkably consistent with the ideas - cats chase dogs, so dogs must chase mice. The sun drops so the moon is the shiniest planet in the sky.
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