Latest news, reviews, and honors:

Library Media Connection features a review of JonArno Lawson's Black Stars in a White Night Sky in its April/May 2008 issue:

"Lawson has compiled a collection of poetry that spans many topics about life and includes a variety of writing techniques. There is something for everyone from the young to the old in this brilliant work. ... The imagery and language used in many of the poems bring them to life. The illustrations complement Lawson's text beautifully."

The April/May 2008 issue of Library Media Connection features a starred review of Sue Van Wassenhove's The Seldom-Ever-Shady Glades:

"[V]isits to the Florida Everglades inspired the author to describe its unusual beauty in poetic form. ... The result is breathtaking... This book would serve well as a read-aloud for any unit of poetry. Learners of all ages will enjoy the factual notes accompanying several poems...this book can be easily integrated in the science, language, and art curriculums. Librarians should recommend this to teachers looking for a book that can inspire young imaginations and creativity in their course of study. Highly Recommended."

Library Media Connection reviews Marjorie Maddox's A Crossing of Zebras in its April/May 2008 issue:

"If you love to hear words dance, or can envision language in motion, you must pick up this book and read it aloud to someone who adores listening to fun and imaginative poetry. ... The words come alive by the rhythm they keep as they are read. The poetry is animated with rich language and is full of life. Recommended."

The April/May 2008 issue of Library Media Connection features a review of Stefi Weisburd's Barefoot: Poems for Naked Feet:

"This quirky collection of 32 poems, all loosely connected by the theme of feet, shows a poet exercising her craft and unique perspectives on familiar experiences. Whether rhymed and metered or free verse, the language pleases the ear. ...[T]his is an appealing book with enough variety to speak to many readers. Recommended."

Publishers Weekly awards Andrea Cheng's Where the Steps Were with a starred review in its March 3, 2008 issue:

"In a spare, eloquent novel in verse illustrated with her own bold block prints, Cheng (Marika) captures the moods of five inner-city third-graders as they prepare themselves for their school's impending demolition. ... Mixing sad and uplifting images occurring between the fall and spring of a school year, these poems pay tribute to hard-working educators and children learning to overcome obstacles and accept unwelcome changes."

This review of The Seldom-Ever-Shady Glades can be found in the February 15, 2008 issue of Booklist:

"Through exuberant poems and quilted illustrations, first-time author and illustrator Van Wassenhove offers an unusual tour of the delicate Everglades habitat. ... The best entries, however, need no commentary, as in this vivid verse: “The Florida Keys / grow canopies / of mangrove trees / for manatees.” Van Wassenhove’s creative application of quilting techniques to depict the rippled surfaces and shifting hues of a wetland environment will draw fascinated gazes."

In the February 15, 2008 issue of Booklist, reviewer Carolyn Phelan writes of Avis Harley's The Monarch's Progress:

"Cleverly written with obvious attention to craft, the poetry varies in form from rhymed couplets to acrostic verse to haiku and explores topics such as the physical differences between the larval and adult stages, the way monarch wings look when magnified, and the usefulness of having taste sensors in one’s feet. Accompanying each poem is a color-pencil drawing, often featuring precise lines and intense hues. ... This attractive poetry collection could be useful in either the science or language-arts curriculum."