Books published by publisher WordSong

Glamorous, swashbuckling, daring adventurers? Pirates have had good publicity for a long time. But they were really a bunch of misfits, thugs, and ne'er-do-wells who spent most of their time bored, waiting for a few moments of excitement and rich booty that could very well get them wounded or killed, or captured and executed. Still, a pirate's life was chosen by many, and this poetry collection describes the highs and lows and everything in between for those who swore the oath of the Brotherhood.

Think of a world without problems, without cares, without...well...shoes! Have you ever stomped through leftover paper like a monster or plunged your feet into a chilly sleeping bag while camping? Maybe you've put your soles up against a Jacuzzi jet or found funny marks when you pulled off your socks. If so, you'll find company in this collection of musings about the beauties of being barefoot. In twenty-six poems, Stefi Weisburd explores where we go, what we feel, and what shouldn't be underfoot when our feet are at their freest. Lori McElrath-Eslick adds color to these contemplations with lively watercolor illustrations.

An irreverent poke at vocabulary definitions. Words such as capricious, equivocal, mitigate, and instigate can be baffling and nerve-racking to young adults, especially when they need to demonstrate their knowledge in the classroom or on an exam. Poet Michael Salinger defuses the tension by offering his own tongue-in-cheek definitions that students will surely commit to memory. Giving each word a personality all its own, Salinger creates mini story lines and amusing images, full of wit and irony, that will keep readers chuckling. Cartoonist Sam Henderson's hilarious drawings add to the fun in this Voice of Youth Advocates Nonfiction Honor List book.

Millions of years have passed, but the earth has remained a singular miracle. Poets have written of its wonders--as well as of our failure to live up to our responsibilities as caretakers of the planet. In this sweeping anthology for young readers, award-winning author Jane Yolen has collected poems of C.S. Lewis, Joseph Langland, William Stafford, Christina Rossetti, and others who have paid tribute to our fragile world. These thirty-five voices cry with joy, grief, and hope for "our Mother the Earth, our Father the Sky."

Renowned poet Eileen Spinelli celebrates the hardy creatures of the North in charming verse for younger readers. The Arctic may be a cold and unforgiving place, but it teems with wildlife—from the humble orange-golden bumblebee to the majestic beluga whale. These creatures are captured in poems full of fanciful wordplay and playful images, spanning the four seasons and the icy splendor of the Arctic environment. Eugenie Fernandes's beautiful, realistic renderings complement the word pictures. Curious facts about each creature are included in the back matter.

From her Caribbean island birthplace, a young girl carries a dream and journeys to a new land that is at once puzzling, frightening, and inspiring. In twenty-three compelling poems, Jamaican-born poet Monica Gunning tells her immigrant's story with gentle humor, grace, and a child's sense of wonder. She desribes a place where skyscrapers, rather than the moon, light the night; where people dress in woolens, ready for snow; where no one knows your name. Yet this same place offers exciting treasures: dizzying amusement park rides, stirring symphony concerts, flashy circus performers, towering cathedrals, and captivating art museums that speak to those who linger. Above all, this new land is place where "hope glows, a beacon / guiding ocean-deep dreamers / from storm surfs to shore."

Dazzling wordplay sets young imaginations spinning. Rebecca Kai Dotlich pays poetic tribute to things that shake or slap, whoosh or whirl, swirl or spill in this captivating book of verse. With charming illustrations by Karen Dugan, these twenty-three poems sparkle with clever imagery and crackle with dazzling wordplay. Here's a remarkable collection by a gifted poet.

Is the grass greener on the other side of the train window? Even a brief brush with a stranger can change our lives. It's 1970, and Perry feels adrift in turbulent times: his father is missing in action in Vietnam, his mother is studying to become a nurse in the city, his older sister has become a peacenik in college. Traveling between his hometown, where he lives with his grandmother, and his mother's house in Cincinnati, Perry notices Steve, whose farm lies on the B&O railroad line. Steve likes to race the train as it blows by his fields; Steve skillfully sends his collie after an escaped cow; Steve watches the Cincinnatian, longing for its speed, longing for adventure. In alternating voices, Michael J. Rosen's poems weave a tale of two boys—one wishing for the stability of home, the other yearning to travel—and the unexpected impact of their fleeting encounter.

A NCTE Notable Poetry BookThe perfect gift for young soccer fans, this picture book features twenty-two imaginative poems that capture all aspects of the world's most popular sport.From the coach who inspires players to fly like the wind, to the shin guard that begs to be donned, to soccer dreams that fill the night, Soccerverse celebrates soccer. Featuring a diverse cast of girls and boys, the poems in this collection cover winning, losing, teamwork, friendships, skills, good sportsmanship, and, most of all, love for the game. Elizabeth Steinglass cleverly incorporates thirteen different poetic forms throughout the book, defining each in a note at the end, and Edson Ikê's bold artwork is as creative as the poems are surprising.

Class with Miss D. gives the students at Pleasant Hill Elementary the confidence they need to move on to their new school. The third-graders are sad that this will be their last year at Pleasant Hill Elementary before their school is torn down. Poems narrated in the voices of five different students—Dawn, Kayla, Jonathan, Anthony, and Carmen—relate the events of their last year together with their teacher, Miss D. The year is busy as the students, each facing a challenge at home, prepare to put on a play, take field trips to a local farm, and do experiments in the science lab. They are studying the Civil War and key figures in the civil rights movement. When the students go to a play in a real theatre, they are kicked out for no good reason. Miss D. helps the students write letters to the theater manager, demanding to know why they weren't allowed to see the play. Is it because their skin is black?