"A freewheeling romp through the world of imagery and metaphor, this quietly startling collection of thirty poems, framed by the four elements, is about art and reality, fact and fancy. Look around: what do you see? A clown balancing a pie in a tree, or an empty nest perched on a leafless branch? As poet Connie Wanek alludes to in her afterword--a lively dialogue with former US Poet Laureate Ted Kooser--sometimes the simplest sights and sounds "summon our imaginations" and cry out to be clothed in the alchemical language of poetry. This compendium of the fleeting and unexpected turns the everyday--turtles, trees, and tadpoles; cow pies, lazy afternoons, and pillowy white marshmallows--into poetic gold." -- Amazon.com.

Toast a marshmallow, be a tree in winter, read braille — Paul B. Janeczko and Richard Jones invite you to enjoy an assortment of poems that inform and inspire. Today I walked outside and spied a hedgehog on the hill. When she and I met eye to eye, she raised up straight and still. Be they practical (how to mix a pancake or how to bird-watch) or fanciful (how to scare monsters or how to be a snowflake), the poems in this book boast a flair and joy that you won’t find in any instruction manual. Poets from Kwame Alexander to Pat Mora to Allan Wolf share the way to play hard, to love nature, and to be grateful. Soft, evocative illustrations will encourage readers to look at the world with an eye to its countless possibilities. Contributors include: Kwame Alexander Calef Brown Rebecca Kai Dotlich Margarita Engle Ralph Fletcher Douglas Florian Helen Frost Martin Gardner Charles Ghigna Nikki Grimes Anna E. Jordan Karla Kuskin Irene Latham J. Patrick Lewis Marjorie Maddox Elaine Magliaro Pat Mora Christina Rossetti Monica Shannon Marilyn Singer Robert Louis Stevenson Charles Waters April Halprin Wayland Steven Withrow Allan Wolf

Eleven-year-old Marcus is forced to train and fight as a gladiator in this fast-paced action-adventure set in Ancient Rome.

"A collection of poems that conjure the quiet wisdom and spirit of the Midwest and the everyday"--

The book has three sections but all are significant to nurture and nature in life. It is a journey of love, pain and acceptance in society and in all relationships. There are hints of feminism, racism and body positivity discussions. The entire book is an expression of life and the beauty of it. To embrace of differences and our pain so that we can grow and evolve. There are essences of pain throughout because we all suffer. It is to show that as a species we can all relate to one another in some ways. If that is through low self-esteem or trauma. The experiences are apart of us and it is the way that we overcome them and help one another. Communities and individuals bring others down and spread hatred but my poetry is to spread love and open the minds.