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BookSpeak!: Poems about Books
A collection of wacky, whimsical poems about books and all the treasures they contain--honored with the Minnesota Book Award; NCTE Notable; Bank Street Best Books; Librarians' Choice; Honor Book - Gelett Burgess Center for Creative Expression; White Ravens book; and Nerdy Book Award.
Laura Purdie Salas, the acclaimed author of Stampede!, is back with another collection of wild and weird, wacky and winsome poems about all the magic to be found on a single bookshelf. In BookSpeak!, each poem gives voice to a group that seldom gets a voice . . . the books themselves! Characters plead for sequels, book jackets strut their stuff, and we get a sneak peek at the raucous parties in the aisles when all the lights go out at the bookstore!Illustrator Josée Bisaillon's mixture of collage, drawings, and digital montage presents page after page of richly colored spreads filled with action and charm. Together, Salas and Bisaillon deliver a unique collection brimming with ideas as much about spines and dust jackets as they are about adventure and imagination.
Laura Purdie Salas, the acclaimed author of Stampede!, is back with another collection of wild and weird, wacky and winsome poems about all the magic to be found on a single bookshelf. In BookSpeak!, each poem gives voice to a group that seldom gets a voice . . . the books themselves! Characters plead for sequels, book jackets strut their stuff, and we get a sneak peek at the raucous parties in the aisles when all the lights go out at the bookstore!Illustrator Josée Bisaillon's mixture of collage, drawings, and digital montage presents page after page of richly colored spreads filled with action and charm. Together, Salas and Bisaillon deliver a unique collection brimming with ideas as much about spines and dust jackets as they are about adventure and imagination.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published October 24, 2011
About the author
Laura Purdie Salas
124 books165 followersLaura Purdie Salas is the author of more than 130 books for kids and teens, including WATER CAN BE... (Millbrook, 2014), A LEAF CAN BE... (Millbrook, 2012), and BOOKSPEAK! POEMS ABOUT BOOKS (Clarion, 2011). She loves to introduce kids to poetry and help them find poems they can relate to, no matter what their age, mood, and personality.
Laura is a thinker, a cupcake and brownie addict, and an adventurer (as long as it doesn't involve skydiving).
Laura is a thinker, a cupcake and brownie addict, and an adventurer (as long as it doesn't involve skydiving).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 176 reviews
November 22, 2020
An interesting collection of poems, not only about books, but also about parts of books (e.g. covers, indexes, illustrations, conflicts). Some of my personal favorites include: "Hydrophobiac" (a book's greatest fear), "This Is the Book" (all the significant people involved with a book) and "Vacation Time" (where books travel to). Although this book is suitable for Grade 3 and up, I would probably read aloud only a few select poems at a time.
December 10, 2016
I had low expectations of this book, fearing it would just be another "Open a book/ Dive right in" collection. I'm happy to report it is more than that. But not much more... the poems are mostly rather simple and blander than the blurb applies, but some are interesting. And even though the illustrations are not to my taste, they are interesting too. 2.5 stars rounded down to make the community average a bit more accurate. ;)
March 13, 2013
This book of poems by Laura Purdie Salas are all about subjects relating to books. Each page has mixed media illustrations with creative use of fonts, poetry formats, and visual text presentation.
These poems are told from many different perspectives (from a book's perspective, from the perspective of the parts of a book--beginning, middle, and end, etc.) and cover many book related topics. These include: unread/unloved/unopened books, characters, using an index, cliffhangers, book covers, a book's fears, the publishing process, story endings, and overall love of books. I found the poems to be a wide mix, leaving teachers able to pull a poem about content they are studying, or to use with students of varying ages.
I think the book could be used over MANY grades--elementary through possibly middle school--given the right introduction and scaffolding for younger students. This collection could easily challenge students to think outside the box with poetry, and teachers have limitless opportunities to connect to their teaching.
These poems are told from many different perspectives (from a book's perspective, from the perspective of the parts of a book--beginning, middle, and end, etc.) and cover many book related topics. These include: unread/unloved/unopened books, characters, using an index, cliffhangers, book covers, a book's fears, the publishing process, story endings, and overall love of books. I found the poems to be a wide mix, leaving teachers able to pull a poem about content they are studying, or to use with students of varying ages.
I think the book could be used over MANY grades--elementary through possibly middle school--given the right introduction and scaffolding for younger students. This collection could easily challenge students to think outside the box with poetry, and teachers have limitless opportunities to connect to their teaching.
March 24, 2012
Loved this delightful picture book that promotes the magic of books and reading. The clever titles and subject matter of the poems create a fun, joyful romp through the experiences of reading and parts of books and stories. The illustrations by Josee Bisaillon are perfection. As I will want to read this one again and again, I now must buy a copy to cherish and share.
March 27, 2018
Text-to Teaching Connection: Self-awareness
After reading this book, I recommend it to all teachers who have noticed a drop in their students' interest in reading. This book has a witty way of encouraging the reader to read. It takes the different parts of a book and brings them alive, giving them voices. This book can be used to teach students that we are just like books. We desire to be read, treasured, and loved. The parts that make us up are our minds, hearts, and soul. Teachers would be able to share that reading educates our minds, strengthen our hearts, and delight our soul with stories that can take us places that we may never go on our own. That each student is the author of their book, better known as their life. It is up to them to make the most of it. To take the time and make a mark in each aspect of their own life.
One activity would be to create a book since this book is made up of poems the assignment would consist of creating a book with poetry in it. It could be left up to the student if they want to make it entirely with poems or just parts. Their story should be a complete story of how they see their life. With a beginning, middle, and end.
After reading this book, I recommend it to all teachers who have noticed a drop in their students' interest in reading. This book has a witty way of encouraging the reader to read. It takes the different parts of a book and brings them alive, giving them voices. This book can be used to teach students that we are just like books. We desire to be read, treasured, and loved. The parts that make us up are our minds, hearts, and soul. Teachers would be able to share that reading educates our minds, strengthen our hearts, and delight our soul with stories that can take us places that we may never go on our own. That each student is the author of their book, better known as their life. It is up to them to make the most of it. To take the time and make a mark in each aspect of their own life.
One activity would be to create a book since this book is made up of poems the assignment would consist of creating a book with poetry in it. It could be left up to the student if they want to make it entirely with poems or just parts. Their story should be a complete story of how they see their life. With a beginning, middle, and end.
October 5, 2018
Perfect for the book nerd in you!
July 24, 2017
Gorgeous fun fabulous poems which are even more delightful when a seven-year-old reads them to you.
October 31, 2011
Finally, books get their due--with a themed book of 21 poems dedicated to them. This collection is filled with wonderful tributes to readers and reading, and will certainly deserve a place on teacher's desks as they foster a love for reading in their students. The first poem, "Calling All Readers," reminds readers that books can be good friends, something which I have long found to be true. While I loved the eloquence of "Skywriting," which extolls the beauty of print, I also laughed in delight when reading "A Character Pleads for His Life" in which a book character begs for liberation from the closed book. "The Middle's Lament: A Poem for Three Voices" pits the beginning, the middle, and the ending of the story against each other, with each one vying for a preeminent position. The mixed media illustrations depict reading as engaging, social, imaginative, and yes, downright fun. The bibliophiles among us may smile smugly at having our deepest emotions about reading expressed so perfectly and nod sagely, but these verses just may entice a reader or two to join our literacy club and fall in love with the wonderful world of words.
February 19, 2014
As a reading teacher who absolutely adores books and loves to share my love for reading with my students, I was ecstatic to stumble across this book. Every single poem in this collection is about the journey that is reading. Not only are the poems so well written, while still containing excellent rhythmic language and fun word play, but the illustrations are incredible as well. The illustrations seem to be collages, made from several different materials. The best part about this book is that it can be used to incorporate poetry into any reading unit. There is one poem in particular entitled “A Character Pleads for His Life” in which the speaker is begging the reader to turn the page and let the story unfold in order to save his life. What a cool way to begin a character study unit! There is also another poem entitled “Index” that would be an awesome poem to use when introducing nonfiction text features. This is one of the most interesting and useful poetry books that I have ever read - I will definitely be using this in my classroom.
July 31, 2012
Delightful! I have always love any book-about-book. And now, a poetry book about books - double delight! There are poems about 'index', 'cliffhanger', 'book plate', 'hydrophobiac' (fear of getting wet, a book always is), 'conflict' and in fact, there are a poems about writing.
My personal favourite is called : "The Middle's Lament-A Poem of Three Voices". It is about the 'middle part' of the story who is trying to negotiate with 'the beginning' and 'the end'. The 'middle part' wanted to be at the beginning of a story which of course, 'the beginning' vehemently disagree. How cute!
Let me share with you a poem entitled "The End"
You race
toward me,
checking page numbers
and calculating their distance.
You
sprint skip skim
to win
the reader's race
to cross me - the book's finish line.
But then
you
smile, cry, sigh,
flip to chapter one
and start again.
I am not so much
The End
as I am an
invitation back
to the beginning.
My personal favourite is called : "The Middle's Lament-A Poem of Three Voices". It is about the 'middle part' of the story who is trying to negotiate with 'the beginning' and 'the end'. The 'middle part' wanted to be at the beginning of a story which of course, 'the beginning' vehemently disagree. How cute!
Let me share with you a poem entitled "The End"
You race
toward me,
checking page numbers
and calculating their distance.
You
sprint skip skim
to win
the reader's race
to cross me - the book's finish line.
But then
you
smile, cry, sigh,
flip to chapter one
and start again.
I am not so much
The End
as I am an
invitation back
to the beginning.
May 6, 2015
For children who already adore books, this is a brilliant introduction to poetry. Bisaillon’s whimsical illustrations are the perfect complement to Salas’ embodied poems. For children who are still unsure if books can really be that fun, Bookspeak! is a wonderful way to draw them in. Words soar across the page like “inky black birds,” an unloved book mourns its loneliness, a bookplate is a “paper love tattoo,” and a characters plead for their stories to continue. Throughout each poem, one theme is clear: The written word creates worlds. Not only a great introduction to poetry, the book pushes the reader to think philosophically about the nature of fiction. Echoing the “tree in a forest” dilemma, Salas writes, “If a book remains unopened and no reader turns its page, does it still embrace a story…?”
December 3, 2011
What a great book! Fun illustrations and poems about books. What a great addition to the "Books about Books" shelf in my library! Here's a sample:
Calling All Readers
I'll tell you a story,
I'll spin you a rhyme.
I'll spill some ideas -
and we'll travel through time.
Put down the controller.
Switch off the TV.
Abandon the mouse and
just hang out with me.
I promise adventure.
Come on, take a look!
On a day like today,
there's no friend like a book.
Calling All Readers
I'll tell you a story,
I'll spin you a rhyme.
I'll spill some ideas -
and we'll travel through time.
Put down the controller.
Switch off the TV.
Abandon the mouse and
just hang out with me.
I promise adventure.
Come on, take a look!
On a day like today,
there's no friend like a book.
February 27, 2015
This book has different poems about books. There are poems about the parts of a book (index, characters, cover) as well as poems about who the people are who create books (writer, editor, designer, etc.) I was not expecting these type of poems in this story, but I was pleasantly surprised!
March 2, 2017
Many of these poems follow the same pattern. I mean, you've got a book of poems here - let's liven this sucker up and put in some pretty amazing poems, right?
Alas, not a single limerick.
Or sonnet.
Or ode.
...
Alas, not a single limerick.
Or sonnet.
Or ode.
...
October 30, 2011
This one is going in my poetry collection. I really loved the book/writing poems including in this book. Can't wait to share it with students and teachers.
December 3, 2012
A whimsically illustrated, delightful collection of bibliocentric verse.
February 14, 2017
This is a delightful book full of poems about books and reading. My particular favorites were the poems about The End and the Index. The illustrations are also well done.
July 1, 2014
Cute, but I can't see using it with 8th graders.
February 25, 2015
This was a great book to introduce parts of texts (table of contents, etc.)
December 8, 2019
Book Title: "BookSpeak! Poems about Books"
Author/Illustrator: Laura Purdie Salas/ Josee Bisaillon
Reading Level: 3.4
Book Level: 3rd - 6th Grade
Book Summary: "BookSpeak! Poems about Books" is a book of poems about books.. what could be better?
Bookshelf Genre:
Poems
Bookshelf Mentor Writing Traits
Organization: "BookSpeak! Poems about Books" written by Laura Purdie Salas and illustrated by Josee Bisaillon would make a great mentor text for teaching students about how important "Organization" is to their writing. This collection of poems utilizes organization by organizing the book and poems into different characteristics/parts of books, such as "Cliffhanger" and "I've got this Covered". After exposing my students to this book and having them read it, I would task them with choosing a theme, then trying to come up with different topics/titles of poems that they could organize around it. For example, they could organize a collection of poems around sports, or different activities to do in different seasons.
Other Suggestions: This book could also be used to help teach students about different aspect of books and how wildly different books can be, from their cover to the topic they are written about.
Author/Illustrator: Laura Purdie Salas/ Josee Bisaillon
Reading Level: 3.4
Book Level: 3rd - 6th Grade
Book Summary: "BookSpeak! Poems about Books" is a book of poems about books.. what could be better?
Bookshelf Genre:
Poems
Bookshelf Mentor Writing Traits
Organization: "BookSpeak! Poems about Books" written by Laura Purdie Salas and illustrated by Josee Bisaillon would make a great mentor text for teaching students about how important "Organization" is to their writing. This collection of poems utilizes organization by organizing the book and poems into different characteristics/parts of books, such as "Cliffhanger" and "I've got this Covered". After exposing my students to this book and having them read it, I would task them with choosing a theme, then trying to come up with different topics/titles of poems that they could organize around it. For example, they could organize a collection of poems around sports, or different activities to do in different seasons.
Other Suggestions: This book could also be used to help teach students about different aspect of books and how wildly different books can be, from their cover to the topic they are written about.
June 14, 2023
This is my favorite poetry book. It is great for any book-lover and would even make a great gift! It showcases poems of all sorts, even acrostic ones! There are poems titled Index, Cliffhanger, Picture This, Lights Out At the Bookstore, The End, and so many more! I can definitely relate to the one called Cliffhanger. One of my favorite authors, Shannon Messenger, is the QUEEN of cliffhangers 😂 One completely broke me and I had to wait over a year to un-break my heart. It was a rough year lol. The illustrations in this book are BEAUTIFUL! They really capture the whimsy side of the poems and are all in all amazing. I know you're not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but, I mean, look how gorgeous this cover is! 🤩 These poems are sure to make your day! I hope that you enjoy this book as much as I do! Follow @bronteandwilder on Instagram for more fun book recommendations!
April 10, 2019
Excellent poems with the voice of literature. Some of my favorites included Calling All Readers, A Character Pleads for his Life, and I've Got this Covered. Very creative titles and easy to comprehend.
Lessons in Point of view- use "The Middle's Lament"
Lessons in play on words- use "Vacation Time"- I've checked out line is great
Cliffhanger is a poetic explanation for that exact story element.
"If a Tree falls" can be used as an example of traditional literature with a modern twist.
Use "A Character Pleads for his Life"- cut out characters from old book pages. (Embrace Between the Lines by JP)
Highly Recommend.
Lessons in Point of view- use "The Middle's Lament"
Lessons in play on words- use "Vacation Time"- I've checked out line is great
Cliffhanger is a poetic explanation for that exact story element.
"If a Tree falls" can be used as an example of traditional literature with a modern twist.
Use "A Character Pleads for his Life"- cut out characters from old book pages. (Embrace Between the Lines by JP)
Highly Recommend.
September 12, 2021
Engaging collections of poetry for young listeners and readers are rare...and discovering "BookSpeak" felt like finding buried treasure! The eclectic illustrations (a mixture of collage, drawings, and digital montages by illustrator Josée Bisaillon) are as equally impactful as the text. Sometimes told in rhyme--and in varying lengths--the personification of books and their characters help audiences consider stories in entirely new ways.
Publication Date: 2011
Publication Date: 2011
June 16, 2017
This book is a book full of poems about books and reading. There are all styles of poetry included in this book.
I thought this book was ok. Some of the poems were cute and some of them were boring. I did enjoy how there were all types of poems in this book, though. From Haikus to regular rhyming patterns, this book did have a little bit of everything poetry.
I thought this book was ok. Some of the poems were cute and some of them were boring. I did enjoy how there were all types of poems in this book, though. From Haikus to regular rhyming patterns, this book did have a little bit of everything poetry.
November 14, 2017
Absolutely hands down an amazing piece! The author does a marvelous job at describing books in a fun and crafty way through poetry! This would be the perfect book to read to children when teaching them about all kinds of aspects about books. Read the poem then explain it to them. The illustrations are astonishing as well! This is a book for all to read!
September 25, 2021
This book is filled with wonderful poems about the essence of a book. It includes poems about the build of a book itself (spine, index, etc.), proper use of a book, and what goes into creating a book. The poems are simple yet very well written. The art work is colorful and engaging, making good to read to a whole classroom. Good for young students learning to read.
May 11, 2022
The title of this book caught my attention because I love books and I love poems. I even bought it, sight unseen. I had never heard of Laura Purdie Salas, but now I have some fun poems by her that I really like. I also discovered another illustrator I like, Josee Bisalllon, the illustrator of this book.
May 26, 2023
I thought the poems throughout this book were not only very well written, but also very diverse considering how centralized the topic was. My favorite poems in this book were "Skywriting," "Hydrophobiac," "This Is the Book," and "Cliffhanger," because of their unique styles and different on reading through the creative usage of literary devices as themes. Very interesting and unique poetry.
April 12, 2018
This 32-ish page picture book covers every part of a book, where books are made, where books "live", and what happens to the books when we take them on vacations. What a great collection of poems and illustrations. Haiku, free verse, acrostic poems, limericks and more fill the pages.
July 2, 2018
I loved this! Book Speak is the perfect title as many poems are told from the perspective of the books: the conflict, the end, the illustrations, the index. I can’t wait to share these poems with my students and will definitely be purchasing a copy of this one for my own shelves.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 176 reviews