This Book Is Made of Lava: The Secret Libraries of Avondale Logandale School

School
Avondale-Logandale Elementary School

Poet in Residence
B Sampson

Date

What a busy week! The very first of our residency is always jam packed: we’ve got to get to know each other, talk about what to expect, pass out poetry folders, and then get to the really good stuff–poems! This week the students imagined a grand library full of wild and crazy books. Instead of talking about the stories in the books, we told stories about the books–the tale of a physical object as it moves from person to person, story to story. After reading Albert Goldbarth’s , “Library” (a short excerpt, rather) I asked students to add new books to the library that this poet started. Here are a few of the excellent poems from Ms. Pease’s 4th Grade Literary Arts classes.

School
Avondale-Logandale Elementary School

Poet in Residence
B Sampson

Date

Room 216 Literary Arts

Library by Jade O.

This book tastes like pancakes
and syrup to go with.
This book wanted to eat Frank
so he caged it.
This book made Frank call it
Wizard 101.
This book tried to box me.
This book is made of our cow fur.
This book—my niece made.
This book was made by Ms. Beth.

Library by Giselle S.

This book tastes like nasty medicine
This book smells like tree medicine
This book feels like soft medicine
This book looks like real medicine
This book makes me sad
This book’s emotions make me cry
This book: adventures in the doctor

Library by Emmanuel G.

This book has a monster truck on the cover because it ran over someone in a car
This book smells like smoke because it is about a fire
This book put jelly on my face
This book pranked me!
This book caught the Ginger Bread Man
This book killed the Big Bad Wolf

Room 215 Literary Arts

Library by Desiree V.

This book is rich.
When you open it it gives you money.
This book is smart.
When you touch it you are smart forever for your life!
These kinds of books are crazy!!
This book is so creepy that you cannot even read it or touch it.
This book is invisible.
When you wet the invisible book the book talks over the library.
The librarian says to the book, be quiet.
And book forgets, always.

Library by Crystal B.

This book is about: the day I was born and my mom
This book is about: my life since I was born
This book is about: the first day of school, the best day
This book is about: the day I made a best friend
This book: is the day I was shy in school
This book is about: the first time I went to a concert and loved it

Library by Alondra A.

This book is about music
This book is about my life
This book is about when we play
This book is about dance
This book is about when I have a dog
This book is about when I went to the store
This book is about having a brother

Room 214 Literary Arts

Library by David M

This book is as light as a piece of paper
This book is as heavy as a school
This book is from the future
This book is from the past
This book is a hero
This book is dirty
This book smells like a trash can
This book feels awesome
This book is as big as the Willis Tower
This book was written by Abraham Lincoln

Library by Ashley M.

This book I bought five minutes ago
This book I used the pages as tissue paper
This book I though it was a pillow because its soft
This book is bigger than the Willis Tower
This book says my name

Library by Jovanny B.

This book is made of lava
This book tastes like pizza
This book smells like stinky feet
This book is as small as an ant
This book was written by “George Washington”
This book likes to eat garbage
This book was in jail for 50 years
This book is as big as the white house
This book drew 350 feet in a few minutes
This book is so annoying

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