A Burst of Firsts: Doers, Shakers, and Record Breakers

by J. Patrick Lewis, Brian Ajhar (Illustrator)

Provides a bold and colorfully illustrated tale about a diverse group of people who became "firsts" in their field, such as a Pulitzer Prize winner, a blue jeans maker, a daredevil, and more.

Genres: Poetry, Picture Books

40 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2001

About the author

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.

Reviews

[Melki · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I was a huge fan of Brian Ajhar's artwork, I wasn't equally wild about the author's poems describing each record-breaking event. An illustrated book of "firsts" for kids is a great idea . . . I'm just not sure it needs to rhyme.

[Marilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ryan said: I didn’t know any of that.
Mimi said: we read about the
first parachute wedding on 8.25.1940 between Ann Hayward and Arno Rudolphi;
First men on the moon Armstrong & Aldrin 7.20.1969;
First king of rock and roll Elvis Presley 1935-1977;
First Lady of 20th century sports Babe Didrikson Zaharias 1914-1956;
First man to win heavyweight boxing title Muhammad Ali b 1942;
First recorded 6,000 year old tree in America “The Eon Tree” 250’ tall;
First child to integrate an all-white school Ruby Bridges 1960;
First girls in Little League Baseball 12.26.1974;
First African American Female to win Nobel Prize for Literature Toni Morrison (born Chloe Anthony Wofford in 1931);
First person to breast the color barrier in baseball Jackie Robinson in 1947;
First man to win springboard and platform diving gold medals in two Olympics Greg Louganis 1984 and 1988;
First house of cards with more than 500 decks Bryan Berg from 2.24.1995 until 3.3.1995;
First man to run a four-minute mile Roger Bannister 05.06.1954;
First person who jumped rope more than 14,000 times in 1 hours Park Bong Tae on 07.02.1989;
First man to lead the NBA in scoring for 10 years Michael Jordan b. 1963;
First woman in space Sally K. Ride on June 18, 1983

[Hailey Corman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book makes poetry fun! Each page focuses on a different first of something and rhymes. The rhythmic pages make it fun for kids to read. And each page has an illustration that correlates to the poem.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book has many different poetry and the way it is written it like stories.
Interesting!

[Jessica Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interest Level

Grades 2 - 6
Reading Level

Grade level Equivalent: Not Available

Lexile Measure®: Not Available

DRA: Not Available

Guided Reading: Not Available
Genre

Comedy and Humor
General Poetry
Theme/Subject

American History


A poetry and historical fiction book goes over both actuall historical events like the "First American Woman in Space," and some cool and zany events. This book is filled with cool facts and subjects for example, "The Biggest Bubble-Gum Bubble Ever Blown." Children at any age level will enjoy this book and learning all the cool facts that are inside. This would be a good booktouse as a hook for histyory lesson about inventions orjust asa book for your class library.

[Samantha Yoder · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was very interesting! I, even as an adult, learned a few things while reading this! It does a great job of keeping a person's interest with the bright and colorful illustrations along with teaching new knowledge! So, not only is it fun and entertaining, but it's also informative!

[Lisa Newhouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a collection of poems that are stories about people who broke records, did something first, or just did something crazy. Entries include the biggest bubble ever blown, the first men on the moon, first girls in little league baseball, and more. The test of the story is both informative and humorous. The illustrations are quite funny as well, making this a fun book to read. I think this book would be great in a poetry unit. It would also be a great alternative to world record books for younger students. It would allow them to learn about the record breakers without all the graphic junk that is found in Guinness, Ripleys, and the like.

[Kara Buck · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very informative. It is not like your typical biography book. It goes over many different people and what they have accomplished and does it in a poetic and colorful way. It touches on many different aspects and activities, like Jackie Robinson and the first American woman in space. This book is very creative and informative and I think students of all ages would throughly enjoy this book.

[June Pecchia · Rating 5 out of 5]

fun! first person to go over niagara falls in a barrel and survive... a 43-year-old woman... true!? poems for fun...