Lives: Poems About Famous Americans

by Lee Bennett Hopkins, Leslie Staub (Illustrator)

Poetry that makes us appreciate the magnitude of lives
filled with courage, enthusiasm, inspiration. Poems About Famous Americans is the ideal introduction to sixteen American personalities who have changed the course of history. Favorite anthologist Lee Bennett Hopkins has brought together the work of a number of accomplished writers and poets, among them Jane Yolen, Nikki Grimes, and X. J. Kennedy, to portray such figures as Sacagawea, Babe Ruth, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Leslie Staubs portraits contain a poetry of their own, capturing a bit of history in the glint of smile or the reach of a hand. Lives is a book for all readers to savor. Notable Children's Trade Books in the Field of Social Studies 2000, National Council for SS & Child. Book Council

Genres: Poetry

Hardcover

First published April 7, 1999

About the author

Lee Bennett Hopkins was inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame in 2017. He holds a Guinness Book of Records citation for compiling the most anthologies for children. He has also received the Christopher Award, the Regina Medal, and the National Council of Teachers of English Excellence in Poetry for Children Award. He lives in Florida.

For more information, please see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Ben...

Reviews

[Rebeca Sanchez · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book has a collection of poems that are of many notable and achievable Americans. In each poem, there is information about the person in a poetic form. To mention a few, the book includes poems about Paul Revere, Abe Lincoln, Babe Ruth, Rosa Parks, and other famous people in American society. At the end of the book, there is are brief biographies of the individuals highlighted and more emphasis on the person's achievements of their lifetime. The illustrations are little compared to other books since they are on one page. Even though it's a portrait, these important people and figures are seen in watercolored portraits and painted pictures. As stated, this collection of poems are ideal with the sixteen poems that introduce several American personalities that changed history. From anthologist Lee Hopkins are brought together through the accomplished writers and poets that are written from different writers. In these portraits, these poems capture the bit of history when reading their section. In these poems, these poets have a variety of styles through free-verse poems and different poetic styles and languages from them.

I liked the book because of the way these poets write and gathering a collection for each person in history. Through poetry, students are able to read historical figures through different mediums and get to know how the person was in a different light. Through the brief introductions, students may choose to read more about their historical figure and understand the poetic forms of the book. Reading a single poem can provide a great way to introduce a history lesson about their accomplishments.

[Jillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection of poems introduces young students to sixteen important figures in American history. Each person has a poem and illustration to accompany the poem itself. The range of historical figures selected is fairly diverse. There are both important women and men included as well as significant people of color. The poems themselves tell a piece of that person’s story in short and easy-to-read verses. There is also an index in the back of the book that gives more background on the historical figures selected. This book would be great in a classroom accompanying a Social Studies lesson. It is intended for grades 3-6.

[Stacey M · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the diverse selection of this book. But the poems left much to be desired. But it's not a bad book to introduce kids to a variety of people.

[Evelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading this. Now how can I use it in class?

[Taylor Welch · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is great because it talks about people the students may learn about in their social studies class! This book is recommended for students aged 2-6.

[Travis Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book, because each poem tells the story of the lives of famous people most of us know. With this, the poems span from famous people throughout history and do not focus on a partiular timeframe. I feel that this is important in catching the reader's interest and keeping them engaged. This would be a great book to use when introducing a poetry unit. The poems in this book are easy reads, and the students will be able to comprehend them and understand the elements of peotry when discussing them as a class.

[John Sperry · Rating 5 out of 5]

The LIVES - Poems About Famous Americans discusses famous American figures throughout history through the use of poetry. This not only helps to demonstrate the importance of poetry to students (as it can be used to discuss vital topics such as this), but is a fun way to teach the topic to students. Each poem is a different length and the focus is not on a certain style of poetry; instead the focus is the introduction of poetry to students.

[Laura Sims · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a collection of poems about famous Americans ranging from early pioneers to contemporary politicians and astronauts. The poems cover 16 different people, a combination of men and women and are written by a variety of authors including Jane Yolen and Nikki Grimes.

[Miriam Garcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contains poems of important people in American history. It's a good introduction to a lesson when you are talking about Rosa Parks for example. The poems are easy to read and nice.

[Michelle]

Read it with my daughter for her poetry reading month. Lovely poetry for children.

[Christina Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Key Words: Informative, Historic, and Poems.