Good Books, Good Times!: An Illustrated Poetry Collection by Acclaimed Authors for Children (Ages 4-8) (Trophy Picture Books

by Lee Bennett Hopkins, Harvey Stevenson (Illustrator)

Lee Bennet Hopkins, noted anthologist and educator, has collected a group of witty and whimsical poems that celebrate the joy of reading. Karla Kuskin, Jack Prelutsky, and Arnold Lobel are just a few of the acclaimed children's book authors whose poems are joined into this delightful ode to the world of words.  Wonderfully wacky illustrations by Harvey Stevenson help make this a rollicking good book--and a rollicking good time.

Genres: Poetry, Picture Books, Childrens

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

About the author

Lee Bennett Hopkins was inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame in 2017. He holds a Guinness Book of Records citation for compiling the most anthologies for children. He has also received the Christopher Award, the Regina Medal, and the National Council of Teachers of English Excellence in Poetry for Children Award. He lives in Florida.

For more information, please see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Ben...

Reviews

[Malina Skrobosinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect for book lovers of any age! 🥰

[Gigi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone who loves books will love this collection.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I read it on the bus with my teammates and they all loved the poems! They were very unique and the pages were very well designed. Great book to teach the joys of poetry to young children.

[Shelby Heikkinen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the poetry in the book. It's a quick read.

[Christine Kallner · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely collection of poetry about books and reading!

[Addie Lauver · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hopkins, L. B. Good Books, Good Times! Harper Collins Publisher, 1990. 31 pg. Gr. K-3.
The title of this poetry book says it all! It is a book of poems in which someone or a few people are having a good time! It is a very happy book and it is good for children of a wide array of ages. Each poem has a different theme that is appropriate for all ages of readers and many are engaging enough to keep the students wanting more and excited about reading!

The poems in this book are good to use when teaching children the mechanics of rhyming. Although some of them have words that are difficult to pick out for the younger children’s ears it is good practice for those that are more advanced. To connect it I would pick I met a Dragon Face to Face and I would read it to the students in the younger grades and take the two words that rhyme and point out that they rhyme. The students that are in the grades slightly older I would give them the poems and they would circle the words that rhyme each set in a different color. This allows the students to connect to the learning by practicing and actively participating. Another connection would be to write their own poem. Those that are in the younger grade we could do it as a group where I say a word and as a class we come up with a word that rhymes, middle comprehension level students that can read I would give them one line and they would come up with the second line of that poem set, and those that are advanced or older grades I would have them write a poem on their own.

[Michael Schleicher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Books, Good Times!

Citation
Hopkins, L.B. Good Books, Good Times! Illus. by H. Stevenson. 1990. 32p. Trumpet.

Genre
Poetry

Type of Book
Picture Book

Approximate Developmental/Grade Level
Grades K-2

Synopsis
Good Books, Good Times! is a collection of poems from various authors. Hopkins selected a variety of poems that focus around the common theme – grab a book and read!

Themes
• Grab a Book and Read!

Personal Response
Hopkin’s poem, “Good Books, Good Times!”, is a brilliant work of art that highlights many of the common characteristics found in books of which children (and adults) are enthusiastic about. This collection would be a phenomenal read-aloud for students that are opposed to reading. Many of the poems within this anthology are a great foundation for creating a passion of books. As a child, I viewed reading as a chore because I wasn’t given a choice in what books I read. The poems in this book may not have been the savior for my outlook on books, but would have been a notable source.

[Harley Stine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good Books, Good Times is a book collection of silly, light, and carefree poems. The poems are about books or favorite places to read books like the beach, woods, or library. My favorite poem was "Give Me a Book" by Myra C. Livingston. The illustrations are very whimsical and colorful to match the tone of the poems. I really liked this book because it promotes a love of reading that I wish for all of my future students.

This book would work in a Preschool classroom all the way up to 2nd grade, maybe even 3rd. The book is great because the poems are short and simple. This would be perfect for beginning readers or maybe for guided reading. I could also use this book to read to my students at the beginning and end of the school day. I could also use this book in my classroom in a lesson about poetry and the elements of poetry. I could have my students write their own poems.

[Siskiyou-Suzy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I quite liked Creatures and Elves, Fairies & Gnomes, two other collections by Lee Bennett Hopkins, so I assumed I'd enjoy Good Books, Good Times quite a bit! Especially considering how much I love reading. But I found the collection uninspiring -- there's a sort of generic way people talk about reading sometimes that makes me feel like perhaps they aren't really much of a reader.

[Beverly Kennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is full of fun poems about books and reading. Several of the poems describe getting lost in stories, one is about the invention of poetry itself. I would share these poems with any elementary grade classroom wither just for the fun of sharing poems or for study. "Surprise," "On a Day in Summer" and especially the very short poem "And Then" would be great discussion starters for writing lessons. The colorful illustrations look like watercolors and are drawn in a cartoon style.

[Lindsey Dowler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is great! It takes kids into different places and situation where you can read. EVERYWHERE! At the beach, under the stairs, in the woods and so many more places. There are also several poems that talk about places reading takes you. These poems are a simple and short way to engage students to read and encourage them enter another world with a book!

[Morgan Rawson · Rating 3 out of 5]

These poems are cute, fun, and easy to understand poetry for readers who are just getting into poetry or, who are Reluctant readers of poetry. The poems are accompanied by fun artistic picture of people reading books. one of the picture that a acompanise the poems that talks about losing time while reading the guys reading has a long beard that he grow while reading his book

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely one of the better poetry collections that I've ever read. I was truly impressed with every piece selected in this book. Very well done. I like one of the poems so much, I think I'm going to have it painted on my wall of my library. Wonderful.

[Gabriel Valdivias · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book! It encourages children to read while sharing poems from different authors. It is aimed at students but i did have fun reading poems out of this book and encourage anyone that is interested to read it!

[Shelby · Rating 5 out of 5]

um..... i dont really remember this book because i read it a long time ago but what i do remember about this book is that it was an amazing book and i would recommend this book to any one

[Marianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun collection of reading related poems. Like most Bennett Hopkins compilations this is a very accessible book of poetry.

[Lexy]

mentor text

[Carole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poetry focusing on books and reading.

[Diana Pettis · Rating 4 out of 5]

poem book. Great vocabulary and interest for what students can do with books over the summer.

[Katie Carlisle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the illustrations in this book! They really connect to the poems and help paint a picture in your head as you read.

[Hannah Thomas]

A great assortment of poems, easy for young students to read.

[Hollee Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book of poems. I think it would be a good book to use to introduce poems in a poetry lesson.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

A "good" book for emergent readers to practice fluency. Can easily be a classroom favorite.

[Mother Goose Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm always pulling out this little anthology that is filled with book love. Perfect reread for Poetry Month and school library Month! I love this little paperback gem! It's another old poetry friend that I love to revisit often. The poem that I share most often from this little anthology ~ its namesake.

[Alexis · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good variety of poems

[Cws]

J811.5Goo

[Katy Pitrucha · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of poems written by a variety of famous children’s book authors.

[Sammy Lei · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book includes short poems by various authors. It starts with a poem about being lost and then moves onto a poem getting into books. The next few poems are about summer and then poems of fictional fantasy. The last two poems are about endless books and the library. The poems in this book are sentimental. They basically say good things about books and good things about poems. Since there was not really a plot, just a selection of poems, there was no conflict. Although, I feel like there was a small line the author was getting at and selected good poems to end the book. The language and vocabulary in these poems create great images in my mind. I liked how each poem selected went together with the main flow of the book. The illustrations of characters are all white, no other cultures represented. It is clear that the setting is in a book rich environment, like a library, and the imaginary poems have a different setting illustration. The theme of the book is about reading and how it takes you places and you live different experiences through them. The poems all have a positive mood and tone. The poems are all different in length and they all go together.