Finding Treasure: A Collection of Collections

by Michelle Schaub, Carmen Saldaña (Illustrator)

Clever poems tell the story of one inquisitive child's quest to start just the right collection to share at school.

While everyone else is excited about presenting their treasures, one creative elementary schooler is stressed about her class's show-and-tell assignment. How is she supposed to share her collection if she doesn't collect anything? Polling her parents, visiting with Granny and Grandpa, and searching for the secret behind her siblings' obsession with baseball cards, she discovers she does, in fact, have something to share: a collection of stories and poems!

Genres: Poetry, Picture Books, Collections, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

Published September 17, 2019

About the author

Michelle Schaub is an award-winning children’s author and veteran teacher. Her book Fresh-Picked Poetry: A Day at the Farmers’ Market won the 2018 Growing Good Kids Award and 2019 Northern Lights Book Award. She is the author of Finding Treasure: A Collection of Collections and Dream Big, Little Scientists. Her poems appear in several anthologies, including The Poetry Anthology for Celebrations and Great Morning! Poems for School Leaders to Read Aloud. Michelle speaks at conferences on the power of poetry to boost literacy and shares ways to use poetry in the classroom on her blog POETRY BOOST, www.michelleschaub.blogspot.com.

Reviews

[Ariel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The main character is tasked by her teacher with bringing something she collects to school, but she doesn't collect anything. The book follows her as she finds out what her family, neighbors, and members of the community collect - from baseball cards to fish to clocks. Each page is almost its own story, told in perfect rhyme and illustrations that match the wonderfully old fashioned yet very fun feel to the story. The main character finally decides that what she loves to collect are poems - mirroring her journey throughout the book. This is perfect for inspiring kids to create their own collection, and their own poems!

[Diana Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great idea for a poetry collection! It's really well executed with a fantastic variety of poems. The license plate poem is so clever! The whole thing is written in license plate text. And the poem about buttons brought back sweet memories of my daughters' grandma. She used to have a collection of buttons that they used to love to play with. This book will definitely inspire budding collectors of all kinds, and I just love it when a book inspires activities.

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finding Treasure: A Collection of Collections by Michelle Schaub, illustrated by Carmen Saldana. PICTURE BOOK/POETRY. Charlesbridge, 2019. $17. 9781580898751

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

In class the narrator’s teacher gives her the assignment to bring in something she collects. While trying to figure out what she collects, she writes poems about the things her friends and family collect. In the end she realizes that the thing she collects is poetry.

This is a lovely collection of poems. I like the twist at the end about poems being a thing to collect. I don’t know that a lot of young readers are drawn to poetry, but this is a great introduction to the form and could be a model for writing in a classroom.

Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...

[Katey Howes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Schaub's latest poetry collection focuses on just that - collections! Poems in a variety of formats use kid-friendly language and intriguing vocabulary to explore the many kinds of treasures various people collect. Readers will find themselves inspired to start a new collection - and helpful back matter provides them with steps to choose and organize their finds. A perfect pick to read aloud, use as a model for writer's workshop, or add to your treasured picture book collection.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun word choices, good use of rhyming, and I am a bit loopy from this cold or whatever it is but I hugged this book because I liked it so much. The pictures are sweet. No, adorable. No, lovely. No. They're something good. Whatever. I can't find the word right now because my head feels stuffed up and hurty. *sigh* Just trust me when I say that you should read this and it's a good read in itself.

[Mary Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Schaub explores all kinds of ordinary (buttons) and unusual (smiles -- the postman's collection). The speaker ends the book with a great collection of...POEMS!

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

the genre for this book is poetry. the age this book is recommended for is 4-8 years old. there is a lot of good poems in this book about different people having different collections. the book is a book that tells a story with poems it starts with a teacher that tells her students to bring in what they collect. one of the kids does not knows what she collects so she asks everyone she knows what they collect. at the end she told her teacher she collects poems that what makes her happy. I give this book a five star because i like that it told a story with poems i never read a story like this before. it had great color in this book. the pictures really illustrated what the poems were saying.

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little girl has an assignment to bring a collection of hers to school soon. But she doesn't collect anything. So she goes around and observes what kinds of things her family and friends and people she knows collect. Will she find what's right for her?

A clever little book. The various collection observations are all done in excellent poems, and the book flows well with the hunt. I liked the variety of collections featured. The illustrations are cute, and the rhyming is done admirably. Pick this up as a fun rhyming story or a poetry collection, either works.

[Matt Forrest Esenwine · Rating 5 out of 5]

A poetry collection about collections - how brilliant is that? From seashells to baseball cards, from vanity license plates to lightning ugs, Schaub shares little snapshots of scenes that every reader can identify with. Her poems are at times thoughtful, fun, and introspective, and will leave you wanting to collect more of her books!

Read an interview with her here: https://mattforrest.wordpress.com/201...

[Becky Larrabee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Genre: Contemporary Realistic
Grade: K
This book was okay. I liked that the book gave all the different types of things people collect. I also like that the plot of the story is to help the little girl find something that she can collect. I also liked the illustrations in the book.

[Angie Quantrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book of poetry. I love collecting things, and the setting of a class project is perfect. A story told through different poems, wonderful!

[Desna]

Lovely wee book of poems about collections. Would be great to use in class to inspire students to write their own poems about what they collect. Or perhaps what they could imagining collecting.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this clever book, in concept and execution!

[Viviane Elbee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun poetry book about collections. Kids may enjoy sharing their own collections after reading this one.

[Emily Downs · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good story about a child who is learning about how to handle grief

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely poems tied together in a perfect way. The art is adorable. Great collection of poems!

[Chana Stiefel · Rating 5 out of 5]

How brilliant! A poetry collection about collections! Michelle Schaub’s protagonist begins with a “Collection Conundrum,” in which the teacher has asks the class to bring in their favorite collection. “It seems that everyone BUT ME knows just the thing to share. ‘My jar of marbles.’ ‘Arrowheads’ ‘My favorite teddy bears.’” Readers will enjoy the wide variety of collections, from mom’s button box (whose mom doesn’t have one of those?) to dad’s trains to brother’s baseball cards. Schaub plays with poetry and delightful collections throughout (one of my favorites is Auntie Kate’s Vanity PL8Ts!), with a wonderful surprise twist at the end. Gorgeous illustrations by Carmen Saldana blend perfectly with the text. FINDING TREASURE is a terrific read-aloud that kids will want to explore again and again. Backmatter offers readers inspiration on how to start their own collections. You just might want to start collecting books by Michelle Schaub!

[Eileen Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I ADORE this new title from author Michelle Schaub. The new poetry collection, FINDING TREASURE speaks to every kid and grown-up who has a special collection of items that are very important! From rumbling trains, colorful fish, snow globes with tiny scenes, to vintage coins and more . . . Schaub's beautiful and lyrical poems help us reflect upon what makes these things we hold dear so very special. As a coin-collector in my youth, I remember the thrill of finding a unique and rare buffalo nickel and inserting it into a place of honor in one of my collection books! The joy is found in the journey of collecting . . . Carmen Saldana's vibrant illustrations showcase these treasured poems. This book will make the perfect gift for any child (or grown-up) collector!

[Maria Marshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Within the story of a young girl searching for a collection to bring to school, as part of an assignment, Michelle Schaub highlights many of the items people collect. Like buttons, trains, snow globes, baseball cards, coins, teapots, old keys, birdhouses, and clocks. She also introduces the reader to forms of poetry - such as haiku, rondeau, double dactyl, two-voice, list, free verse, and counting poems. Each collection and poem are featured on their own brightly colored spread, with the illustrations enhancing the humor of the poems. This is an excellent book for highlighting forms of poetry and the variety of collections people have. It will make a wonderful addition to libraries and classrooms and is sure to encourage some to start collections of their own.

[Jenna Grodzicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book takes the reader through one girl's journey to find the perfect collection. Her teacher has asked the students to bring in something they collect, but she isn's sure what to bring. Told in poetry, the main character learns about buttons, trains, baseball cards, vanity plates, and many other types of collections. But none of them seem to resonate with her. The story ends with a sweet surprise, as the main character finds a collection that's unique to her. The lyrical language and gorgeous illustrations make this a perfect book for a read aloud. A must-have for any classroom, library, or personal collection.

[Jodi McKay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a treasure itself! Each poem cleverly describes the collection of a person in the narrator's life. From trains and tea pots to buttons and bird houses, the love of collecting is emphasized with a nice sense of rhythm and perfectly placed words that will inspire anyone to take up a collection of their own. My personal favorite was the poem, Auntie Kate's Vanity Plates- so smart and funny! A great book to read at home and in the classroom with helpful tips to start one's own collection.

[Gina Perry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This ingenious collection of poems about collecting really has something for everyone. I love how our narrator explores the collections of all the people in her world, making the book a bit of a journey that circles back to the narrator's interest. The license plate poem is so inventive! I especially enjoyed the backmatter with tips on being a collector. As a young child I was really fascinated with collections and dabbled in my own so I can see this being a great resource and inspiration for other kids.

[Gretchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

We worry with the speaker of the first poem in this collection--will she find something to collect for her school project? We follow as she visits family's, friends' and neighbors' collections, wondering--will she collect this too, only to be surprised and delighted at the end when she finds something to collect all of her own--poetry of course.

Schaub writes with warmth and wit--an inspirational collection of poems!

[Melissa Stoller · Rating 5 out of 5]

When a teacher asks the class to bring in their something they collect, one child looks at different collections from friends, family, and community helpers, including: baseball cards, teapots, trains, and even smiles. Until finally, the student discovers a collection that's perfect for her. Told in rhyming text with beautiful complementary illustrations, this picture book is perfect for home, school, and libraries.

[Andria Rosenbaum · Rating 5 out of 5]

When a teacher asks a class to share things they like to collect, they write poems about specific objects they, or people in their families treasure. Some collect baseball cards, fish, trains, snow globes or teapots. One person collects smiles. But in the end, there's one extraordinary thing one child begins to collect because the assignment. A lovely addition to classroom libraries!

[Ariel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A homework assignment to bring to class something the students collect has one girl on a mission to start her own. Told in rhyme with classically rendered illustrations, the main character's observations of other's collections will surely inspire readers with ideas for perhaps starting their own collections, with helpful and fun tips at the end.

[Andréa]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.

[Yoo Kyung Sung · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great way to engage readers with fun language arts!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely illustrations, interesting poems that would be a great read-aloud intro to show and tell.

[Kristen Thorp · Rating 3 out of 5]

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