Poetry Review

Hi Everyone,

I wrote this review for Bluebell Books, but thought I'd share it here. Falling Hard is suitable for older teens, so you may like to have a read through to share what you feel is appropriate as a range of issues are represented by the poets. Other than that, enjoy :) ............

Today I am sharing Falling Hard - 100 Love Poems by Teens edited by Betsy Franco with you.

When I picked up this book of adolescent poetry I was ready to find plenty of intense emotion and declarations of undying love. Instead I found an intriguing mix of vulnerability, honesty, obsession, humour, emotional awakenings and quirky tales. The poems Franco has chosen deal with the complexity of teenage life without weighing the reader down with intensity. The stories strike a palatable balance by dealing with topics such as new love, being stood up, fitting in, crime, acknowledgement of loved ones and lost love in a variety of styles and emotional approaches.

One of my favourite poems from the book is Pledge of Affection to a Nerd (page 23). Written by 16 year old Laura Tabor, the humour is so mature that I found myself laughing aloud at the affection and subtlety of the verse, just beautiful.

Pledge of Affection to a Nerd
I...
...drift, lazy, on the comforting breeze
as you rhythmically speak
computer jargon.
...can't get over how blue your eyes are:
talking about Star Wars.
...couldn't be prouder of you as you recite:
forty-seven digits of pi.
...will listen, though I may never understand:
you beat the final level of Escape from Modor!
...want to stay in your arms all evening while you talk about:
ancient war strategy, lunar eclipses, molecules...

whispering sweet algorithms in my ear.

LAURA TABOR

And the short and sweet Love Poem (page 22) by Juan Nunez, age 15...

Love Poem

I am
the flour
to your tortilla,
baby.

JUAN NUNEZ

Personally I felt privileged to get this glimpse into the lives and hearts of these talented individuals. The sensitivity, awareness and humour of so many of these young poets is apparent and blasts many stereotypes surrounding teenagers out of the water.

A rewarding read that I highly recommend.

Talk Soon, Cynthia x

Free Range Learning
by Laura Grace Weldon

Hi Everyone,

As promised, here's my review of Free Range Learning, written by Laura Grace Weldon. Free Range Learning is a refreshing, up to date collection of homeschooling ideas, stories and suggestions based on the philosophy of natural learning.

In this book, Grace Weldon essentially encourages parents to trust that their children are wanting to learn and to facilitate this wherever possible. Sections of the book deal with topics such as social learning, slowing down, homeschooling within the wider community, mentors, homeschooling and technology and the life change that homeschooling inevitably brings to your family.

I found this book to be accessible and full of information about individual subject areas and how to make them engaging to children. It was easy to pick up and read during the day because of its informality, easy language and attractive style (A4 with plenty of gorgeous pictures). It inspires me to view homeschooling as a larger philosophy of everyday mindfulness and to interact with my children in a natural way, picking up on their individual areas of interest and investing some energy into facilitating their passions as well as introducing them to new topics where appropriate.

Personally, I loved the input by homeschooling parents throughout the book, and Grace Weldon has generously shared their stories. I was pleasantly reminded that as homeschoolers we are connected by shared experiences all over the world. The joys and struggles that accompany homeschooling are universal and we can learn from the experience and wisdom of those on the same journey .

Talk Soon, Cynthia x

Free Range Learning by Laura Grace Weldon (2010) is published by Hohm Press.