This is the third year that I've had the privilege of sitting on the judging panel — and it is still a huge thrill. The 2005 contest brought a blizzard of more than 10,000 entries in English and Spanish. There were so many poems, in fact, that we required a team of word-loving editors and a conference room large enough to accommodate us and our overflowing mail tubs! We also enlisted the help of bilingual poet Alexis Romay, who selected and translated the Spanish finalists. Together, we spent days carefully reading to winnow the winners' circle to the grand-prize winners and runners-up.

In this age of high-stakes testing, it's gratifying that so many educators make time to spread the joy of poetry. These behind-the-scenes mentors inspired and guided the authors of each masterpiece that we so relished. Mentors like Tamara Alexander of Esperanza Elementary School in Farmington, New Mexico. She coached our youngest finalist, first-grader Robby Maes, and provided him with the tools to craft his tiny gem on the topic of Mount Fuji. How did she do it? By inviting Robby to draw a picture of his idea, then use it as a visual springboard to ignite his writing. In addition, she makes certain that all her students are exposed to a steady stream of popular poetry, classic verse, and good old nursery rhymes. “In first grade, it's so important to play with sound and build phonemic awareness. We do poetry every day,” she says.
 
“Lots of poetry is key,” concurs Lois Huber. A teacher at Village Elementary School in Princeton Junction, New Jersey, Huber served as poetry coach to fifth-grade finalist, Michael Liu. Her dedication and practical approach helped bring about his moving memoir about Chinese tradition. “I love poetry!” she says enthusiastically. But she is also quick to point out that creative writing is a serious endeavor. Her students take their poems through every step in the writing process and sometimes create up to ten drafts to get them in tip-top form. “I tell kids, 'You've got to write something that has meaning. You've got to reach out and grab the reader by the lapels,'” she laughs.
 
Now, let's take a look at the grand-prize winning poems.

Don't Worry!
The bear sees Mount Fuji erupting.
The ladybug tells the bear not to worry.
“We're safe.”
 
Like an intricate painting on the head of a pin, this haiku by first-grader Robby Maes is a small wonder! In it, Japan's Mount Fuji volcano erupts and a ladybug comforts a bear by telling him “we're safe.” That little ladybug is surprisingly mighty — as is this 16-word poem, which paints a vivid picture in the reader's minds eye. Although Robby chose to forgo the traditional 5-7-5 syllabification of a standard haiku, “Don't Worry” still qualifies because it contains two important attributes of the form: The story unfolds in a mere three lines and focuses on an instantaneous event in nature.

Try this: To boost writing skills, challenge students to write a “sequel haiku” that makes use of Robby's two terrific characters.

Honor of My Ancestors
A fire
       shines deep red,
                            dark orange
in a bright,
       stone
                     China courtyard.
Will I get burned?
I wonder
       as I toss
                     the blue
                            and green
                                   paper money
                                          into the blaze.
The money crinkles and burns,
       but my spirit glows bright.
And I bow
       for honor
                     knowing that
                            my ancestors are watching.
 
In this compelling memoir poem, fifth-grader Michael Liu describes the Chinese tradition of burning money to honor departed family members. But just because the poem was pulled from a personal memory bank doesn't mean it was easy to write. “Honor of My Ancestors” succeeds due to careful craftsmanship, clear storytelling, and spot-on word choice such as the fire that “shines deep red/dark orange.” It also succeeds due to artful line breaks — the powerful words waft across the page like the burning paper money described in the poem.

Try this: To help students understand line breaks, write each word of the poem on a separate index card. Then, invite students to “play” with the cards and re-break the poem.

Vaciones de Invierno
El clima lluvioso de este invierno
Hizo mis vacaciones diferentes.
El día en casa se hace eterno.
Afuera el agua moja a las gentes.
 
El ruido de las goteras me arrulla
En las noches frías y oscuras.
Me despierto con esa alarma tuya,
Al darme los buenos días.
 
Winter Vacations
The rainy weather of this winter
Made my vacations different.
The day at home becomes endless.
Outside the water pours on everyone.
 
The sound of the leaks lulls me
In the dark and cold nights.
I wake up with that alarm of yours
As you say "Good morning."
 
This spirited poem by third-grader Rose Jimenez is a stunner in English and Spanish! If you don't speak Spanish, invite any native speakers to help you read the Spanish version aloud. You'll hear that lines A and C end in rhyme (invierno/eterno) as do lines B and D (diferentes/gentes), which will no doubt be music to your students' ears. Then take a look at the English translation to discuss the poem's "story." During winter vacation, the speaker is housebound due to rain, rain, and more rain. Still she manages to keep her sense of humor, describing her parents' greeting of "Good morning!" as an "alarm clock." Tell students that metaphor is a staple of many memorable poems.

Try this:  Build oral fluency by asking teams of students to prepare a choral reading of "Winter Vacations" in both languages. For the reading, partner Spanish speakers with non-Spanish speakers, if possible.

 
Liza Charlesworth is a poet and the author of several books, including 25 Reproducible Mini-Books That Give Kids a Great Start in Reading (Scholastic, 2005). Each Spanish poetry entry was translated by Alexis Romay, a poet and novelist in both English and Spanish. This article was originally published in the April 2005 issue of Instructor.