Sunshine Leaking: An Anthology of Student Poetry

by Annie Douglass Lima

In the mood for adventure? Step inside these pages and experience crazy coasters and soaring stunt planes, a terrifying tsunami and an atomic bomb. You’ll meet characters ranging from heroic Jedi to monsters of all varieties; sprinting soccer stars to a malicious doctor who eats his patient (who happens to be a chicken). Join us for a trip around the listen to nature singing in harmony in the peaceful countryside of Ostfriesland, Germany; run barefoot across a beach in Busan, Korea; dodge the noisy traffic of a street in Vietnam; sample a soft pineapple mooncake in Hsinchu, Taiwan; and wrap yourself in the dangers and charms of New York City. Prepare to mourn the tragic deaths of a lovely butterfly and a lonely wolf; then console yourself with music as relaxing as blankets and comforting as pillows. Along the way, watch out for wayward Frisbees and the sun about to crash into the earth. Hold your breath as you’re blasted with ash from that erupting volcano and sprayed with the seeds of an evil tomato. But who needs a shower when you have liquid sunshine leaking over you? Created by fifth-grade students, Sunshine Leaking features poetry in a variety of styles, from free verse to diamond poetry, tanka, and haiku. Proceeds from the sale of this anthology will benefit Josie’s Angels, a nonprofit organization that provides food, education, and a secure living environment for impoverished, abused, and at-risk girls in the Philippines. Learn more at

80 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2013

About the author

Annie Douglass Lima considers herself fortunate to have traveled in twenty different countries and lived in four of them. A fifth-grade teacher in her “other” life, she loves reading to her students and sparking their imaginations. Her books include science fiction, fantasy, YA action and adventure novels, a puppet script, poetry, a Bible verse coloring and activity book, and a cookbook. When she isn’t teaching or writing, Annie can often be found sipping spiced chai or pomegranate green tea in exotic locations, some of which exist in this world.

Reviews

[Ann Campanella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Look into a child's world with this collection of poems. I was impressed by Annie Douglass Lima's fifth grade students. In Sunshine Leaking, they share a plethora.of descriptions from the streets of New York City to those of Vietnam and Korea. Readers will experience ordinary days to extraordinary moments, including a child's perspective of roller coasters, trips to Disney and Hsinchu, Taiwan, the smell of bread baking, the sound of music, nature, picnics, parties, the night market, even the terror of being in a tsunami and a fire. Annie has done a wonderful job of encouraging her students to express the beautiful and the sublime, the unique and the fearful. In this small volume of poems, she has captured the amazing depth that lies within children.

[Jolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good collection of poetry written by fifth graders

Very nice collection of poetry written by fifth graders with proceeds being donated to a charity.

Many of the poems are rhyming or lyrical in nature which is the kind of poetry I personally like.

I think the kids might have had an assignment to write about a bad day/bad experience or even a natural disaster because there are some poems about floods, fires, and other things that would be very scary for kids. While these poems are well written, they are definitely not "feel-good" poems. If you want to avoid the poems with the heavier content, get the "What's That Noise?" Anthology instead. Otherwise get both.