Poetry (even for people who don't like poetry)

Not all poems are made the same.  Some rhyme, some don't.  Some are funny, some are serious.  Some are very long, some are really short.  Others, like concrete poems, use words or letters to create shapes and pictures.  Today's review looks at an entire book of concrete poems.

Grandits, John (2004).  Technically, It's Not My Fault (Gr. 4-8)

A school bus that eats children, the autobiography of a fart, an annotated thank you letter for a hideous sweater, and the best excuse for not mowing the lawn are just a few of the poems in this collection.  Each concrete poem is told from the perspective of Robert, an 11-year-old boy who likes skateboards, video games, and tricking the class bully.  The poems are funny, gross, goofy, sarcastic, and insightful--much like a pre-teen boy.  Even readers who don't like poetry can get into these poems.