There's nothing like curling up with a good book, but you have to be careful. Before you know it, a minute turns into an hour, an hour turns into a day, and a day may turn into . . . eternity.
Inspired by the likes of Edward Lear, X. J. Kennedy, and Lewis Carroll, the author of Arithme-Tickle and Scien-Trickery has created a collection of original poems about books and reading that range from sweet to silly to laugh-out-loud funny. Newcomer Kyle M. Stone's clever, witty, and endearing paintings make this the perfect treat for book lovers of all ages.
J. Patrick Lewis is the current Children's Poet Laureate. He has written more than seventy children's books, including Once Upon a Tomb: Gravely Humorous Verses. J. Patrick Lewis lives in Ohio.
Fun poems related to books. I wasn't crazy about them, but that's just poetry in general. I really liked the Acknowledgments though - in a poem. It was probably my favorite. Going to put it here, just for fun:
Acknowledgements
Whose book this is I hardly know, Considering the debt I owe
To Lewis Carroll and Edward Lear To X. J. K. - A toast (root beer)!
To Shel and Jack, and Myra Cohn, Who always gave this pup a bone.
To those word wizards I've left out, The only thing to do is shout:
Whose book is this? The bottom line... It's partly theirs. It's partly mine.
This is not a story but a collection of book and reading themed poems paired with illustrations. As a whole it did not do much for me -- especially the art -- but there were a couple lines I quite liked:
Libraries are necessary gardens
A bad book owes to many trees/A forest of apologies.
Please bury me in the library in the clean- lighted stacks Of Novels, History,Poetry Right next to the Paperbacks
Way back by a rack of Magazines I won't be sad too often If they bury me in the library With Book worms in my coffin
These best summarizes my feelings towards the book. The poem really stuck out to me cause it is exactly how I feel about reading novels. The title of this book is what prompted me to read it, cause I am a tremendous book nerd! I have to be honest, I had no idea that this was a Children's book, thus it took me by surprise at the collection of poems. The cover of the book should have gave it away, but I was mainly intrigued with the title of the book.
I really enjoyed the book, it bought me back to my childhood. Ironically I did not read as much when I was a child, it started when I was in college. Nevertheless, this was a fantastic book for children and even adults!
Though the poems in Please Bury Me in the Library generally follow a structure, the surprise comes from Lewis' skill at playing with words (Ottobiography, p.6), his use of the absurd (book shovels, p. 24), and his way of juxtaposing unrelated items (a bowl of soup to a lagoon, p. 8). Combined with humorous situations (a girl reading a dictionary at the movies, p. 17) and Stone's surrealistic, cheeky illustrations (a lamb wearing a Red Lobster bib, p. 5), this work presents libraries, books, and words in an imaginative, joyous way. The poems are so smartly penned that they should appeal to both children and the adults who read the verses to them. With this book, Lewis, winner of an ALA Notable Children's Book Award, has certainly created many poems worthy of quoting, not to mention the perfect epitaph for a bibliophile: “Thank you for the plot” (p. 23).
I love to read to kids, particularly my own, but I also love the opportunity to read to the kids that come into the library. I try (with varying success in the middle of drama rehearsals, karate classes, piano lessons, etc) to read to my kids every night. It doesn’t matter that they are 11 and 16 and perfectly able to read by themselves, there is something about sharing a story aloud and sharing it as a family. Sometimes it’s a picture book, sometimes a classic, sometimes a new juvenile or young adult chapter book that has appeared on the library shelves, but we all enjoy the time in the evening, curled up on the couch, sharing a story.
Children’s books are no less engrossing than those written for adults. Whether they are teaching a moral lesson, taking you on an adventure, or just plain silly, these books really can be enjoyed by people of any age, and are always best when they are shared.
I have a special affinity for picture books. I can get lost in the illustrations which can add so much to a story, taking you to different times and places, making you laugh, or just awing you with the works of art contained within the pages of a children’s book. As a self-admitted bibliophile, what could be better than picture books about books?
This is a book of poems, about books, written for children. Again, the illustrations are fantastic, a little on the dark side, but definitely engrossing. Little kids seem to love the poems - some are silly, some offer great plays on words, some are touching, and some are even a little sad. My favorite is definitely the title poem:
“Please bury me in the library In the clean, well-lighted stacks Of Novels, History, Poetry, Right next to the Paperbacks, Where the Kids’ Books dance With True Romance And the Dictionary dozes. Please bury me in the library With a dozen long-stemmed proses. Way back by a rack of Magazines, I won’t be sad too often, If the bury me in the library With Bookworms in my coffin."
Such a wonderful (children's) book! But hey, adults can enjoy it too!
I just use one of the poems to sum up about this book:
A good book is a kind Of person with a mind Of her own, Who lives alone, Standing on a shelf By herself. She has a spine, A heart, a soul, And a goal - To capture, to amuse To light a fire (You're the fuse), Or else, joyfully, Just to be. From beginning To end. Need a friend?
Es gibt doch nichts so schön, wie sich mit einem guten Buch einzukuscheln, aber du musst vorsichtig sein. Bevor du es merkst wird aus einer Minute eine Stunde, aus einer Stunde wird ein Tag, und aus einem Tag wird vielleicht.... Ewigkeit.
Kurzmeinung
Wundervoll. Zauberhaft. Herzerwärmend. Kunstvoll. Ein Gedichtband, eine Graphic Novel, eine Hommage an Bücher.
Fast wünsche man sich ein Kind, um mit ihm gemeinsam zu schmökern. Aber nur fast
I picked this book up while I was waiting for my daughter to get some books at the local children's library. The cover was inviting and the title absolutely captivating. It is very short but the poems express so simply things that I might think but could never put into words like this author did. My favorite poem-Great, Good, Bad A great book is a homing device For navigating Paradise.
A good book makes you care About the comfort of a chair.
A bad book owes to many trees A forest of apologies.
As one can tell. I am easily amused.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This is a solid book of poetry for children. My favorite poem is the title poem, “Please Bury Me in the Library.” It resonates deeply with this lifelong bookworm, now librarian.
None of the other poems felt quite as strong to me, though I also enjoyed “Are You a Book Person?” and “Ab-so-lu-tas-ti-cal.” However, I think the book as a whole would appeal to young readers.
As a final note, I appreciated how the author wrote the acknowledgments as a poem thanking other poets.
Please Bury Me in the Library is a collection of poems about books and reading. There are many different types of short poems, but their brevity is not indicative of an absence of depth. Although this book is bound and geared for young children, the deep meaning behind the poems can certainly be appreciated by older audiences. I would use these poems in a middle school classroom as small activities or bell ringers. These would be good pieces to practice interpreting meaning and analyzing allusions. I willingly admit that I have never been into poetry, but this book was fun even for me. The short, humorous poems would also help in keeping the attention of a reluctant middle school student when playing with poetry. There is something I it for everyone. My favorite poem was a simple couplet that reads:
Great, Good, Bad A great book is a homing device For navigating paradise.
A good book somehow makes you care About the comfort of your chair.
A bad book owes to many trees A forest of apologies.
The poems in this book by J. Patrick Lewis celebrate the marvelous world of books and language. Through many different types of poetry the reader is made to understand what makes language and books so amazing. In one poem called What If Books Had Different Names? the reader is shown how powerful the use of a certain word can be, and what happens if you change just one word. My favorite poem in the book is titled A Classic: "A children's book is a classic If at six, excitedly You read it to another kid Who just turned sixty-three" How true this is that a good book is loved by children, as well as children at heart. Each poem in this book is matched with an illustration that draws the reader into the world of that particular poem. I would use this book with young students to introduce them to the wonderful world of reading and poetry. With older children, I would use it to introduce different types of poetry.
A poetry collection for the bookworm in all of us! Every poem (15 in all) appeals to our language senses: words, books, haiku, classics, and summer reading, just to name a few. These cleverly written verses are illustrated with the most giggle-inducing, colorful and poetically linking acrylic paintings. Each page makes us laugh-out-loud and rejoice in the wonder of the letters-that-become-words, words-that-become-phrases, and phrases-that-become-sentences. Children will connect with the silliness and most assuredly, will want more! Lewis pays homage to all silly poets that have come before him in his poems and in his acknowledgments. Kids of all ages will love the words, especially those who love books (and what kid doesn’t?).
This is a wonderful collection of short poems for children about books and the library. The wordplay is very funny, although I had to explain some of them to our girls. We loved the poem, "What If Books Had Different Names," and I loved the variety of styles and types of poems. Overall, it was a quick read and I hope that our girls are developing an appreciation, if not love, for poetry.
This little book is very close to my heart for very personal and obvious reasons (obvious to those who know me): I adore libraries and it is my deepest wish/greatest aspiration to one day become a Youth Services Librarian. I am currently on the path that'll take me in that direction as I pursue my Master's degree in Library Science. This collection of charming poems pays homage not only to the incredible institutions that are libraries, but to books and their admirers the world over.
These are wonderful poems for all book lovers of any age. Some are funny, some wise, some cute, some lovely, and all are enjoyable. There are several memorable poems in this collection. The illustrations are fabulous. And even the acknowledgment section is a poem!
Humorous rhymes and poems make up the book. For example, Otto the flea has the courage to write his "ottobiography. Another funny line is below. "A bad book owes to many trees A forest of apologies." It does not feel funny though to imagine bookworms in a coffin.
Great collection of poems revolving around books and libraries! What's not to love? Flagged several that I want to share with students and some I want to find a place to hang in my room!