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Diamond Life: Baseball Sights, Sounds, and Swings
Acclaimed poet and photographer, Charles R. Smith, Jr., brings America's favorite pastime to life in this bright, energetic ode to the game of baseball.
Sliding into first. Striking out. Hitting a home run. Playing baseball can be thrilling, heartbreaking, and always, quintessentially, American. In this celebration of the game, Charles Smith's luminous, artful photographs and rhythmic, free-flowing text create an unforgettable portrait of all the joys, frustrations, and surprises of life lived on the baseball diamond. A mix of rhyming verse and lyrical prose bring to life the myriad emotions of young baseball players, and colorful photographs of batters, balls, and, of course, diamonds, capture the essence of our nation's beloved pastime.
Sliding into first. Striking out. Hitting a home run. Playing baseball can be thrilling, heartbreaking, and always, quintessentially, American. In this celebration of the game, Charles Smith's luminous, artful photographs and rhythmic, free-flowing text create an unforgettable portrait of all the joys, frustrations, and surprises of life lived on the baseball diamond. A mix of rhyming verse and lyrical prose bring to life the myriad emotions of young baseball players, and colorful photographs of batters, balls, and, of course, diamonds, capture the essence of our nation's beloved pastime.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2004
About the author
Charles R. Smith Jr.
46 books34 followersCharles R. Smith Jr. is an award-winning author, photographer, and poet with more than thirty books to his credit. His awards include a Coretta Scott King Award for illustration for his photographs accompanying the Langston Hughes poem "My People" and a Coretta Scott King Honor for his biography of Muhammad Ali, Twelve Rounds to Glory. He is the author of Rimshots, Hoop Kings, Hoop Queens, Tall Tales, Short Takes, Diamond Life, and I Am America. A father of three himself, Charles brings his love of basketball and baseball right down to the toddler set in Let's Play Basketball! and Let's Play Baseball! His recent work celebrates subjects he's been interested in since he was a kid, such as The Mighty 12, which honors Greek gods and goddesses. He currently lives in Poughkeepsie, NY, with his wife, Gillian, and their three kids. You can visit him online at www.charlesrsmithjr.com.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 7, 2009
(advanced 4th grade - 8th grade)
Charles R Smith Jr.'s collection of baseball poems is fun and entertaining for everyone with in interest in baseball or softball. The poems in this book are mostly written in free verse, but some are just words that describe the sounds of and unique language of baseball. I recommend this book for advanced 4th graders because they probably won't understand most of the references to the game because they have not experienced them. The order of the poetry gives the book a nice flow, where longer poems are generally followed by shorter ones. Smith has a few pictures from little league games that help to illustrate the idea of each poem.
Related Content Area: P.E./Language Arts
This book would be great for a lesson on free verse poetry. This book could be part of a collection of books with free verse as the main type of poem. The lesson would be for the class to write their own poems, but the books would serve as examples of different uses of free verse.
Charles R Smith Jr.'s collection of baseball poems is fun and entertaining for everyone with in interest in baseball or softball. The poems in this book are mostly written in free verse, but some are just words that describe the sounds of and unique language of baseball. I recommend this book for advanced 4th graders because they probably won't understand most of the references to the game because they have not experienced them. The order of the poetry gives the book a nice flow, where longer poems are generally followed by shorter ones. Smith has a few pictures from little league games that help to illustrate the idea of each poem.
Related Content Area: P.E./Language Arts
This book would be great for a lesson on free verse poetry. This book could be part of a collection of books with free verse as the main type of poem. The lesson would be for the class to write their own poems, but the books would serve as examples of different uses of free verse.
December 9, 2009
Smiths poetry book Diamond Life is inspiring for baseball lovers. The book offers the readers a mix of rythmic tones. The text is very free-flowing, bold, bright and offers a variety of font choices and size. I can see the game when reading this book ... "hey batta batta .... swing!"
Ages 5-up All baseball lovers!
P.E.~play the game of baseball
L.A.~ have students make up there own poem containing there favorite sport.
Ages 5-up All baseball lovers!
P.E.~play the game of baseball
L.A.~ have students make up there own poem containing there favorite sport.
July 29, 2014
Poetry.
Themes- baseball, onomatopoeia, poetry, sensory images
Classroom uses- Do a types of poetry/baseball unit, with students working in small groups to imitate one of the different types of poetry in the book. Read it with the group to discuss sensory images, onomatopoeia, and the form/layout of a poem. Have students choose another activity to write their poem about. This would also engage a baseball-playing, reluctant reader, or help a student with a report on baseball.
Themes- baseball, onomatopoeia, poetry, sensory images
Classroom uses- Do a types of poetry/baseball unit, with students working in small groups to imitate one of the different types of poetry in the book. Read it with the group to discuss sensory images, onomatopoeia, and the form/layout of a poem. Have students choose another activity to write their poem about. This would also engage a baseball-playing, reluctant reader, or help a student with a report on baseball.
May 31, 2012
Collections like this one make me wonder sometimes about April being Poetry Month. . .I mean, we're not even out of spring training yet.
Can't miss verse for players and fans of the game. Smith captures the "diamond life."
Can't miss verse for players and fans of the game. Smith captures the "diamond life."
May 6, 2017
This secondary elementary book of poetry captures the essence of all that is baseball. Charles R. Smith Jr.'s collection of shape poems and photographs, describes the all-American pastime through creative word choice, page design and use of photography. I found this collection to be visually and rhythmically attractive, which made me think that boys could really find a strong connection to Smith's use of imagery.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews