Swimming Upstream: Middle School Poems

by Kristine O'Connell George, Debbie Tilley (Illustrator)

Award-winning poet Kristine O’Connell George, author of several successful picture books, now turns her attention to the middle school experience. The first year brings an array of challenges: making new friends, moving from class to class, tests and homework, changing for PE, gossip, school dances, and, of course, budding romance. Short, accessible poems in a variety of forms, but all in a single voice—that of a new middle schooler—evoke the memorable moments of the school year, exploring situations and emotions that will resonate with preteens. Lively illustrations complement this perceptive, humorous, poignant record of an important transitional year.

Genres: Poetry, Childrens, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Picture Books, School, Education

79 pages, Hardcover

First published September 24, 2002

About the author

Kristine O'Connell George is one of the principal voices in contemporary children's poetry. Since her first highly-acclaimed book, The Great Frog Race was published in 1997, Kristine O'Connell George's poetry has generated excitement and earned honors and praise. Awards for her books include the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award, International Reading Association / Lee Bennett Hopkins Promising Poet Award, the Golden Kite, Myra Cohn Livingston Poetry Awards, Claudia Lewis Poetry Awards, ALA notables, NCTE notables, School Library Journal Best Books, Hornbook Fanfare, Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award, and IRA-CBC Children's Choice.

Reviews

[(NS) Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Swimming Upstream is a collection of poems that captures the trials and tribulations of beginning in middle school. Starting middle school for many students can be exciting and scary all at the same time. Everything is different, you have to move from class to class, you have a locker and a combination that never seems to work, friends have changed, tests are tough and now you have to change for PE class.
This collection of poems written in a variety of forms captures all the memorable moments of a school year as seen through the eyes of a middle schooler. Through gentle humor and a few passing anxieties, the school year brings a sense of self confidence and success.

Appropriate for students in fifth through seventh grads.

[Kelly Robertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Through short, cute poems, Swimming Upstream: Middle School Poems by Kristine O'Connell tells the story of a young girl's first year of middle school. This includes homeroom, lockers, old friendships, new friendships, new crushes, band, and the lunchroom. She has some funny experiences, and some kind of bittersweet, but they are very much just like our own middle school experience. The rhymes are simple and creative and are a great model for kids to use for their own writing. I know everybody hates the world "relatable" in English classes but this is exactly what this book is. To everybody.
If I were to choose, I would do Gallagher's A Watermark Event poetry activity at the end of the school year. I would have the students look back on their year in middle school (which ever grade that might be) and pick the one event that has made the biggest impact on them. It can be a happy moment, funny moment, or sad moment. Rhyming in poetry is more challenging, but I think our students can embrace this fun challenge. This activity could also lead to a lot of great stories shared in class.

[Kyleigh M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book. Poetry isn't my favorite because I like to know the full detail of the story. I recommend to people who don't really care for poetry. I read it in 20 minutes so it's a very easy read for most.

[Shelby]

This book of poems by Kristine O’Connell George truly describes “the middle school experience.” Her poems are creative and humorous, while still often emotional. This book of poetry that encompasses what it means to be in middle school would be so perfect for those who are actually still in it. I could definitely see using this book as a tool while teaching a unit on poetry. I would use it to discuss and examine what kind of patterns are present in poems. Those patterns could include rhyme, repetition, or structure. Then, using this book as a mentor text, I would assign students to write a poem of their own about their “middle school experience.” I would ask them to incorporate at atleast one of the patterns we had discussed in that poem. Once you - the teacher - have everyone's poems, you could compile them into book!

[(NS) Panagiota Angelos · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book takes the reader on an emotional and realistic journey of a student’s first year of middle school. It deals with students new anxieties of starting at a new school such as where to sit at lunch, getting lost, dressing for PE, what to wear, and attending school dances. The author uses a variety of poetry forms including free verse, haiku and acrostic poems.

Swimming upstream in Middle School is a book every middle school and last year elementary school teacher should own. I was able to relive all my fears and anxieties of going to middle school and connect with the main character. The author does an amazing job conveying the main characters feelings and covering a variety of situations. Teachers can prepare students for changing schools and can help to put their minds at ease. It’s a nice tool for teachers to let students know that other students have and do feel the same way when faced with the same change.

[L13_Meghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this book of poems. All of the poems included in this book capture the many memorable moments of middle school. This book consists of poems that touch on the transition to middle school, the idea of finding new friends, and new expectations in middle school. The illustrations included with all of the poems only further the the connections that the reader is able to make to these poems. I would definitely use this book in my middle school classroom with my students who have just started 6th grade and are making that difficult transition. There are so many opportunities for discussion with these poems as well as opportunities for students to journal and relate to these poems. I would highly recommend this book for middle school classrooms!

[Andrew Kiley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book because the poems in the book are sometimes true, and it was funny and creative. It seemed like it was real. I think you should read because it is humorous and create. It might be right up your ally

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about Kristine O'Connell George and others experience in middle school. She writes in various shapes with the poems and even illustrates some pictures in the book. The book talks about your typical struggles as you progress through your first year of middle school. For example, school dances, gossip, homework, PE, moving from class to class, and of course.......puberty.

I gave this book a three out of five stars because it was a little boring, and I am not who likes poems. It was good because I could relate to it a lot. I recommend this book to the upcoming classes in middle school. It could give you some pointers.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I read it to my 5th graders to help them feel better about going to middle school next year, and this book was a great platform for some of our discussions. We also had plenty of good literary discussions about the poems that were included. I thought the poems were funny and insightful. My students enjoyed the book as well.

[Savion Stfleur · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was amazing. All the sort poems were completely relatable being in the middle school. Also another reason why I liked this book was becuse of the funny poems that are in there my favorite one is “Final Exams.” I would definitely recommend this book to a 5th grader nervous about going to middle school.

[Whitney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book of poems for one of my grad school classes. It was a sweet little book of poetry. It is from the perspective of one student from the beginning of her first year of middle school through the end. It definitely gave me the feels and reminded me of so many emotions from that time in my life. ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was a good book but for me it would have been better if the book had more rhyming poems. But I did like how most of the poems are realistic and that made me connect with the book and/or author.

[Isaac Castilla · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was not good at all. This book’s poems were short and did not make that much sense, to a point that I was thinking not even this book. The best part were the little drawings. The author makes the plot simple by keeping it strictly middle school.

[Elise · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very short collection of poems in the perspective of a middle schooler. Some made me laugh and some were sad. The poems don't have a lot of structure or complexity. It would be a good introduction for middle schoolers to start writing poetry.

[Kevin Hodgson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this collection ... perfect for reading aloud during transition time

[Annabelle.H · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a good and easy book I would recommend it if you need a quick and easy book to read

[Janelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect for middle schoolers, grades 5-7.

[Brendan D. · Rating 3 out of 5]

The poem were a little to basic.

[C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute set of poems about the first year of middle school.

[Sawyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was a good poetry book if you are just starting to read poetry

[Klyon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fully relatable for middle school. 5th, 6th and maybe early 7th grade.

[Krista · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simple

[Denay S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is for kids that are about to go to Middle School to know what to expect. like in one of the poems that you have friends from elementary school and you have no periods at all together and you can't find them during school. this is a whole bunch of poems about what could happen in middle school like forgetting your lock combination, not being able to see your friends until after or before school, or classes and what you should do and shouldn't do in Middle School. This is about a group of newly middle school kids that have an adventure even though they don't have any classes and don't sit next to each other they somehow find out how they can stay together thought the school differences and new friends they all meet

[Emily Hamstra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although, I am going to be an elementary school teacher, I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book. Every person who has gone through middle school or a change in a school can relate to these poems in one way or another. What a way to introduce your students to changes and what difficulties you may encounter, but how you can overcome them. It's definitely something that every student can take away a piece of and I would highly recommend teachers of older students to have this book in their classrooms! It brings me back to when I was in middle school...how scared, nervous, and embarrassed I was.

[Brenda Kahn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first year of middle school documented in poems. How I adore middle schoolers; yet I must admit that I find it amazing that they learn anything at all in the haze of angst, anxiety, hormones and befuddlement. That's what makes them so challenging and so endearing. Really, you must find it endearing or you will be sticking needles in your eyes. These poems are short, some very short, but they capture the ups and downs of the first year of middle school. Some are laugh-out-loud funny, others poignant. Great addition to the collection. Great book to read aloud at the beginning of the year.

[Caitlin Thorpe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Title: Swimming Upstream Middle School Poems
Author: Kristine O'Connell George
Rating: 3/5
Paragraph #1: I liked the book a lot. I liked the book a lot because it was poems about middle school.
Paragraph #2: My favorite part/story/stories was the stories about the flute, because they just kept coming up with a good poem for the flute.
My least favorite part/story/stories was the stories about people being mean to the girl, because people were bullying her and bullying isn't nice. I recommend this book to people who like to read poetry about Middle School.

[Mara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Through a series of poems the author goes through the life of a middle school girl as they adjusts to the middle school life. dealing with changing classrooms new friends and losing old friends. I would suggest this book for 6th grade maybe 7th. For those who are struggling readers however this might be interesting for 8th graders to read and reflect on the struggles they went through when entering middle school.

[Amanda Northrup · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poems from the perspective of a sixth grade girl. They follow her from through the school year including starting-middle-school jitters, learning to play an instrument, I wish my appearance was different, my friends are changing, and Ah! I have a crush.
A pretty accurate read on middle school for my fifth graders and I LOVE the frequent use of haiku.

[Karen Bessin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Students really enjoyed this collection--it helped them to see their own situations in a new light and led to some interesting discussions. I will definitely be sharing more of these poems with my classes and will add this title to my "wish list."

[Kerri · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best poem in this whole book is about the hallways during passing periods. Great one for teaching writing. I use these quite often for Quickwrites.