Salting the Ocean: 100 Poems by Young Poets

retrieved from teachingbooks.net on 4/3/2013

Selected by: Naomi Shihab Nye

Illustrated by: Ashley Bryan

Published by: Greenwillow Books

Year: 2000

ISBN: 0688161936

Critical Analysis:

Collected by Naomi Shihab Nye during 25 years of teaching, this collection of poetry was written by students ranging in age from six to eighteen. It is loosely arranged in four separate categories; The Self and the Inner World; Where We Live; Anybody’s Family; and The Wide Imagination. An introduction in three parts allows the reader to share the long journey that led to the compilation of this book first by thanking a couple in Nova Scotia that Nye met before beginning her teaching journey. Secondly by speaking to the teachers, librarians, parents and friends that might read this book about the importance of finding a sense of one’s own voice and third by thanking the writers for being brave enough to share something of themselves within each poem. The suggestions for further reading is particularly useful to teachers and librarians while the index of poems at the end of the book offers further insight into the lives of some of the poets, thus adding depth and meaning to their words.

The few illustrations enhance the cultural richness of the poetry and add greater depth to the work.

While many of the poems are simplistic in nature, as is typical of young authors, others are rich in figurative language and sense imagery like the words of Rachel M. Reynolds

                                                                     Words,

                                                                      jumbled

                                                                      in my mind.

                                                                      Traffic jams

                                                                      of sentences,

                                                                      swirling,

                                                                      and bubbling,

                                                                      in the cauldron of my mind.

                                                                      All I can do

                                                                      is think

                                                                      and write.

                                                                      Breathe deeply,

                                                                      and let your feelings flow

                                                                      onto the page.

                                                                      Let your mind fill

                                                                      with ideas.

                                                                      Let them bolt

                                                                      through your pencil,

                                                                      crashing

                                                                      with enormous

                                                                      energy

                                                                      onto your paper.

                                                                      Poetry

                                                                      has her own way of living.

                                                                      Let her live

                                                                      in peace.

Still others show great depth of feeling and have a deep, emotional impact on the reader. This is the case with the poem by butch McElroy. While seemingly simplistic, the start emotion that flows through his words onto the page is unmistakable and beautiful.

One

We had a

“Most commonly misspelled word”

Spelling test

Yesterday in English,

Fourth Period.

I commonly misspelled them all.

Except one.

Loneliness

was the only one I got right.

This is definitely an anthology that invites readers to be as brave as the poets within its pages. You can practically hear it begging the reader to let free their inner poet. Well done.

                                                                               

Awards, Honors, and Prizes:

Best Children’s Books of the Year, 2000; Banks Street College of Education; United States

Capitol Choices, 2000; The Capitol Choice Committee; United States

Kaleidosope, a Multicultural Booklist for Grades K-8, Fourth Editon, 2003; National Council of Teachers of English; United States

Connections:

ELA connection: Share this book of poetry to help students believe that they are poets just like the children in this book

Introduce the poetry in this book along with the book A Kick in the Head compiled by Paul B. Janeczko. Explore the different forms of poetry and see which poems in Salting the Ocean are written in the same form as those introduced in Janeczko’s book.

Social Studies connection: share the poetry in this book. Point out the different names and cultures of the poets. Explore the idea that many thoughts and feelings are universal and that differences in culture, race, religion, and country do not change how we are the same beneath the skin. Encourage students to write and share their own poetry. Celebrate the sameness and the differentness of each individual to the other.