This book IS CRAZY GOOD: The Secret Libraries of Darwin Elementary

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. I’m so pleased to be working with the 2nd & 3rd Graders at Darwin elementary. Here are a few of the great poems each class wrote this week:

3rd Grade

Library by Mario

This book IS! fine.
This book is from SANTA!
This book IS CRAZY GOOD!
This book tastes like ICE CREAM!
This book saved my cheerios! AND
my jello.
This book is a SHEEP!
This book is a puffer fish.

Library by Jacinda

This book is funny,
This book smells like cheese,
This book tastes like dust,
This book is kind of sad
This book feels like shark skin,
This book has a fever.

Library by Marian M.

This book smells like French super fries
This book tastes like toothpaste
This book feels fuzzy like a dead bee
This book’s actions are crazy lazy
This book at the back smells like dead bugs
This book tastes like boogers
This book is like a funny recipe book
with lots of recipes

2nd & Class 3rd Grade

Library by Diego A.

This book deflected a rocket launcher bullet
This book blew up a helicopter
This book smells like bubble gum
This book smells like avocados

Library by Janelle R.

This book smells like a stinky sock
This book feels like a slimy slug
This book tastes like a burnt porkchop
This book rubs my mom’s head
This book smells like my brother
This book feels like a puppy

Library by Curtis W.

This book looks like a cat
This book smells like a rat
This book has living aliens on the cover
This book tastes like rotten eggs
This book smells like a skunk
This book looks like a beaver
This book feels slimy
This book smells like catfish
This book has alien eyes

Ms. Arango 2nd Grade

Library by Jocelyn D.

This book is a fairy tale
This book is fun
This book smells like bubblegum
This book is awesome

Library by Amner L.

This book is fun
This book is broken
This book is 113 pages
This book is a box

Library by Isaac A.

This book smells like chicken taken out of the garbage
This books feels like shampoo
This book is scary
This book tastes like ham