Jumping Off Library Shelves

by Lee Bennett Hopkins, Jane Manning (Illustrator)

Overview

Here is the library, not just as a place that houses books, but as an experience. Fifteen poems celebrate the thrill of getting your first library card, the excitement of story hour, the fun of using the computer, the pride of reading to the dog, and the joy of discovering that the librarian understands you and knows exactly which books you'll love. The poems, compiled by noted poet and anthologist Lee Bennett Hopkins, pay homage to the marvels of books and reading. Accompanied by Jane Manning's colorful, imaginative illustrations, this collection lyrically celebrates the magic of libraries.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781590789247
Publisher:	Highlights
Publication date:	09/08/2015
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	287,175
Product dimensions:	8.90(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	NP (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 9 Years

About the Author

Lee Bennett Hopkins is a poet and anthologist and has been honored with the Christopher Award, the University of Southern Mississippi's Medallion for "lasting contributions to children's literature," and the NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children. He lives in Cape Coral, Florida. leebennetthopkins.com.

Jane Manning is the illustrator of dozens of children's books, including the I Can Read Book Baa-Choo! by Sarah Weeks and the New York Times bestselling The Witch Who Was Afraid of Witches by Alice Low. She lives in Deep River, Connecticut.

Editorial Reviews

09/21/2015
Fifteen poems by writers including Nikki Grimes, J. Patrick Lewis, Alice Schertle, and Jane Yolen sing the praises of libraries and reading. In Cynthia S. Cotton’s “My Card,” a child brags about the power of his library card: “This may look/ like a plain,/ pocket-size/ piece of plastic,/ but it’s really/ a super-card,” says the boy, who Manning envisions as a cape-clad, larger-than-life superhero, triumphantly wielding his library card as he stands atop the world. Later, Hopkins pays lovely tribute to the storytelling prowess of esteemed librarian Augusta Baker: “And as her voice/ reaches/ the highest/ rafter—/ I believe in/ once-upon-a-time,/ I believe in/ happily ever after.” It’s a quiet, focused collection, one that will certainly find a home in libraries and in the homes of those who love them. Ages 5–up. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

"The title of this book of 15 poems will immediately grab the attention of teachers and librarians. All together, the listing of titles in the table of contents forges a lyrical look at what libraries mean to individuals. Many of the poets are well-known in children's literature, and the poems are personal and heartfelt.... The page composition and text placement add playfulness, while the gouache-and-pencil illustrations are buoyant and imaginative. Wispy backgrounds and splotches of color add ebullience. Hopkins, a master anthologist, has compiled an excellent collection... The overall effect is an endearing accolade for fellow book and library mavens." —Kirkus Reviews

"This delightful illustrated collection celebrates libraries and their diverse offerings and opportunities... (e)nchanting gouache-and-pencil illustrations range from whimsical... to sweet, like cozily sharing a book à deux, snow falling outside. Honoring libraries as places and resources that can inspire joy, learning, and imagination, this is charming all around." —Booklist

"Fifteen poems by writers including Nikki Grimes, J. Patrick Lewis, Alice Schertle, and Jane Yolen sing the praises of libraries and reading.... [A] quiet, focused collection, one that will certainly find a home in libraries and in the homes of those who love them." —Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

Ah, libraries! They are luscious refuges of story, intellect, and community, tech-infused lily pads for learning, and launch pads to the universe. Every kid needs and needs to love a library. So it’s no small matter that this collection of poems will both tickle and inspire even the youngest card-carrying bibliophile to appreciate the small things, singular people, and collective fabulosity housed in a library. Readers will find free verse espousing the power of a plastic card to unlock the world. There are rhymes scheming about print and online adventures. A simple haiku on the shelter of book pages nestles up with odes to dictionaries and anthologies. And of course, there is a confetti shower of verse about storytellers and librarians who magically know just what each patron needs. This book speaks volumes about volumes, in voices familiar and cheering. It deserves heavy circulation among all library lovers. Reviewer: Katie Engen; Ages 4 to 8.

Children's Literature - Katie Engen

2015-06-29
The title of this book of 15 poems will immediately grab the attention of teachers and librarians. All together, the listing of titles in the table of contents forges a lyrical look at what libraries mean to individuals. Many of the poets are well-known in children's literature, and the poems are personal and heartfelt. "Enchantment," by Jane Yolen, revels in the power of a library card; "Internet Explorer," by J. Patrick Lewis, makes a metaphorical nod at the integration of computers into library services; "The Poetry Section" by Alice Schertle, celebrates "that poetry sound"; "I'd Like a Story," by X.J. Kennedy, consists of the energetic plea of an eager reader to a helpful librarian. The page composition and text placement add playfulness, while the gouache-and-pencil illustrations are buoyant and imaginative. Wispy backgrounds and splotches of color add ebullience. Hopkins, a master anthologist, has compiled an excellent collection and includes one of his own poems, a tribute to distinguished librarian and storyteller Augusta Baker (whom he knew personally). The overall effect is an endearing accolade for fellow book and library mavens. The final stanza of Cynthia S. Cotten's "My Card" says it all: "My library card / unlocks the world / and more / with a single / scan." Amen. (Picture book/poetry 5-12)

Kirkus Reviews