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288 Reading: The Sport of Champions!
Length of Program
75 minutes
Program Description
Poetry in Motion
Teens love poetry, especially when it is not required for a school assignment. Teens will enjoy
combining poetry and sports, especially poetry that shows movement and action such as
concrete poetry. Invite the teens to share a favorite poem from one of the books displayed or to
create their own poetry using one or more of the suggested activities. Invite them to “publish”
their poetry by displaying it in the library or on the library’s web site. Give teens a small prize
or memento for participating.
Preparation
Provide inspiration by displaying poetry, especially poetry written by teens, around the library.
Consult books like Outside the Lines: Poetry at Play by Brad Burg or A Poke in the I: A
Collection of Concrete Poems by Paul B. Janeczko for examples of concrete poetry. Ask a few
teen volunteers to prepare to read aloud from some of the suggested books or another source of
their choosing. If possible, set up the program room or teen area like a coffee shop. Cover the
bulletin board or a wall with long sheets of craft or butcher paper. Provide paper and pencils for
teens to write their own poetry.
Books to Display
For the Love of the Game: Michael Jordan and Me by Eloise Greenfield.
Hoop Queens: Poems by Charles R. Smith, Jr.
Opening Days: Sports Poems by Lee Bennett Hopkins.
Sports Pages by Arnold Adoff.
Books to Booktalk
The Basket Counts by Arnold Adoff.
Becoming Joe DiMaggio by Maria Testa.
Jump Ball: A Basketball Season in Poems by Mel Glenn.
Rimshots: Basketball Pix, Rolls, and Rhythms by Charles R. Smith, Jr.
Shakespeare Bats Cleanup by Ron Koertge.