All My Great Excuses

By Kenn Nesbitt

I started on my homework

but my pen ran out of ink.

My hamster ate my homework.

My computer's on the blink.

I accidentally dropped it

in the soup my mom was cooking.

My brother flushed it down the toilet

when I wasn't looking.

My mother ran my homework

through the washer and the dryer.

An airplane crashed into our house.

My homework caught on fire.

Tornadoes blew my notes away.

Volcanoes struck our town.

My notes were taken hostage

by an evil killer clown.

Some aliens abducted me.

I had a shark attack.

A pirate swiped my homework

and refused to give it back.

I worked on these excuses

so darned long my teacher said,

"I think you'll find it's easier

to do the work instead."

Be Glad Your Nose is on Your Face

Be glad your nose is on your face, not pasted on some other place,

for if it were where it is not, you might dislike your nose a lot.

Imagine if your precious nose

were sandwiched in between your toes, that clearly would not be a treat,

for you'd be forced to smell your feet.

Your nose would be a source of dread were it attached atop your head,

it soon would drive you to despair, forever tickled by your hair.

Within your ear, your nose would be

an absolute catastrophe, for when you were obliged to sneeze,

your brain would rattle from the breeze.

Your nose, instead, through thick and thin, remains between your eyes and chin,

not pasted on some other place-- be glad your nose is on your face!

Jack Prelutsky

Submitted by Lee Elementary

Be Glad Your Nose is on Your Face

1. Which lines in the poem end with words that rhyme?

A. Lines 1 and 3

B. Lines 5 and 6

C. Lines 9 and 11

D. Lines 13 and 15

2. Lines 11-12 are included in the poem because they-

A. describe what your nose would look like on top of your head

B. explain why your feet smell bad

C. tell how you would be bothered if your nose were on your head

D. show how hair can tickle your nose

Camping by Steven Herrick

For years I’ve wanted to go camping – a camping vacation with a tent a sleeping bag a fishing rod (for catching dinner). I’ve wanted to build a fire tell stories late into the night go to sleep with one eye on the stars to hear the wind whistling in the trees and listen for… What’s that? that creep, and crack of dead branches as closer it comes its shadow bigger than a giant on the tent wall

its huge feet stomping outside Its belly rumbling with hunger and the ROAR its claws ripping tent walls… For years I’ve wanted to go camping – a camping vacation but you know, nothing too hard, so here we are, me and Dad

In the backyard!

Submitted by Post Elementary

Questions for Camping by Steven Herrick

1. The reader can tell the poem is written in free verse because it

A. involves a pattern with rhythm

B. tells a story

C. includes long lines

D. has no rhyming pattern

2. How is the poem organized?

A. It is divided into stanzas.

B. It is written like a letter.

C. Each section has a different speaker.

D. Each line rhymes.

3. The reader can tell from the poem that the writer A. Is experienced in outdoor activities. B. Is made uncomfortable by imagined dangers. C. Can start a fire without matches. D. Goes fishing often.

4. What type of figurative language is used in stanza 2?

A. alliteration B. simile C. Free Verse D. onomatopoeia

CAPTAIN CONNIPTION

I’m Captain Conniption,

The scourge of the sea,

No pirate alive

Is as fearsome as me,

I’m ten times as tough

As the skin of a whale,

The sharks cringe in terror

Wherever I sail.

I’m Captain Conniption,

The bane of the fleet,

I don’t wash my face,

And I don’t wash my feet,

I wear a black hat

And fly a black flag,

I’m as bad as can be,

Though I don’t like to brag.

When I’m on the deck

With the cutlass in hand,

The saltiest sailors

Start sailing for land,

They know I’m the nastiest

Nautical knave,

And bold as a brigand

Is bound to behave.

I’m Captain Conniption,

And up to no good,

You’ll soon walk the plank

If I think that you should,

I’d show you right now

How I vanquish a foe,

But I hear my mother,

So I have to go.

By Jack Prelutsky

1. You can tell that the main character in

the poem is…

a. a fearsome pirate

b. an old sailor

c. the captain of a ship

d. a young boy

2. You can tell this poem is not free

verse because it…

a. has stanzas

b. has rhyming

c. has humor

d. has short lines

Submitted by Duryea Elementary

Confession

I have a brief confession

that I would like to make.

If I don't get it off my chest

I'm sure my heart will break.

I didn't do my reading.

I watched TV instead-

while munching cookies, cakes, and chips

and cinnamon raisin bread.

I didn't wash the dishes.

I didn't clean the mess.

Now there are roaches eating crumbs-

a million, more or less.

I didn't turn the TV off.

I didn't shut the light.

Just think of all the energy

I wasted through the night.

I feel so very guilty.

I did a lousy job.

I hope my students don't find out

that I am such a slob.

-Bruce Lansky

Submitted by Wilson Elementary

Crayon Dance By: April Halprin Wayland

1 The cardboard ceiling lifts

Pickmepickmepickme, I pray

The fingers do! They chose me, Sky Blue!

Hurrah! Hooray!

5 As I am picked from the pocket

All colors whisper, “Good-bye, Pastel!

Be strong! Don’t break!

Enjoy! Farewell!”

Hi, hi! I’m scrubbing the sky!

10 Some stripes and whorls and---Whee!

Cha-cha-cha, loop-de-loop

I’m leaving bits of me!

They gave me a chance!

All of me rocks in this

15 Fine, wild dance---

The dance of me, Sky Blue!

Leaping and laughing, this message I’m leaving:

Ha ha!

Hi hi!

20 Hurrah!

Hooray!

…Goodbye!

Questions for “Crayon Dance”

1. Lines 6-8 are included in the poem because they-

A. Show that the other crayons will miss Sky Blue and

wish him well

B. Show that Sky Blue really wanted to be chosen from

the box of crayons

C. Show that Sky Blue enjoys coloring the picture

D. Show that Sky Blue can be used to make different designs on paper

2. What is the best summary of this poem?

A. The Sky Blue crayon breaks when it is used to color.

B. The Sky Blue crayon is the perfect choice for coloring the sky

C. The other crayons were jealous of Sky Blue

D. The Sky Blue crayon is excited to be chosen from the box of

crayons and enjoys coloring the picture

3. Which poetic device did the author use in this poem?

A. metaphor

B. simile

C. personification

D. rhythm

4. Which word best describes the mood the poet creates in this poem?

A. Sadness

B. Confusion

C. Joyful

D. Frustration

5. Which line from the poem suggest that Sky Blue is excited to be chosen-

A. The cardboard ceiling lifts

B. I’m leaving bits of me!

C. They gave me a chance!

D. Be strong! Don’t break!

Submitted by Lamkin Elementary

Famous

The river is famous to the fish.

The loud voice is famous to silence, which knew it would inherit the earth before anybody said so.

The cat sleeping on the fence is famous to the birds watching him from the birdhouse.

The tear is famous, briefly, to the cheek.

The idea you carry close to your bosom is famous to your bosom.

The boot is famous to the earth, more famous than the dress shoe, which is famous only to floors.

The bent photograph is famous to the one who carries it and not at all famous to the one who is pictured.

I want to be famous to shuffling men who smile while crossing streets, sticky children in grocery lines, famous as the one who smiled back.

I want to be famous in the way a pulley is famous, or a buttonhole, not because it did anything spectacular, but because it never forgot what it could do.

-Naomi Shihab Nye

Far Away

Someone shouts in Annie’s ear,

But what they’re saying, she can’t hear.

Buzzes buzz and school bells ring,

Annie doesn’t hear a thing.

Friends can jostle, tug, and pinch,

Annie doesn’t move an inch.

“Oooo, here comes a big black bug!”

Annie doesn’t even shrug.

“Fire!” “Earthquake!” “Runaway bus!”

She remains oblivious

Until, at last, with a faraway look,

Annie smiles and shuts her book.

By Carol Diggery Shields

Good Heavens

Our lawn is astronomical

with dandelion blooms.

A green sky filled

with a thousand suns

and then

a thousand moons

that with a puff

of wind become

a hundred thousand stars.

Submitted by Yeager Elementary

I Don’t Want to Do Homework!

I don’t want to do homework!

Please, I’m fed up with math!

Don’t give assignments I’ll surely botch.

Let me relax, I’ve got TV to watch!

And don’t make me study my English.

I’ve learnt it real extra good!

So please say, “No homework tonight!”

cause you know you should.

I don’t want to do homework!

I don’t want to plan maps!

Every day it is the same parade.

Think of the papers you won’t have to grade!

So let’s hear, “There’ll be no more homework.

Go home and play with your friends!”

Thought I know that’s only a dream

until college ends!

Alan Katz

1. How is the poem organized?

a. All stanzas end in an exclamation point.

b. It is written with dialogue

c. It is divided into stanzas

d. Each line rhymes

2. The poet most likely titled this poem “ I Don’t Want to Do Homework! Because -

a. the poem described different homework assignments

b. the speaker doesn’t enjoy doing homework

c. he speaker likes to play with his friends

d. the speaker explains that the teacher wouldn’t have to grade papers

Cypress Street

By Todd-Michael St. Pierre

I took a stroll down Cypress Street

The hot sidewalk beneath my feet.

The one thing that stood out the most

Where trees once stood there were lamppost.

I’d never seen so much concrete

No Cypress left on Cypress Street.

According to my Great Aunt Gem

There used to be a lot of them.

They cut them down. They took their wood

A treeless street is plum no good!

Just like a treeless neighborhood

So tell the Mayor next time they meet...

To change the name to Lamppost Street!

Submitted by Bang Elementary

LOUDER THAN A CLAP OF THUNDER

By Jack Prelutsky

from THE NEW KID ON THE BLOCK

Louder than a clap of thunder, louder than an eagle screams, louder than a dragon blunders, or a dozen football teams, louder than a four-alarmer, or a rushing waterfall, louder than a knight in armor jumping from a ten-foot wall.

Louder than an earthquake rumbles, louder than a tidal wave, louder than an ogre grumbles as he stumbles through his cave, louder than stampeding cattle, louder than a cannon roars louder than a giant’s rattle, that’s how loud my father SNORES!

1. The reader can tell this poem is not free verse, because A. it has repetition C. it has rhyming B. it has onomatopoeias D. it has imagery 2. The imagery in the above poem appeals to which of the following senses? A. touch C. sight B. taste D. sound 3. The father’s snoring can be compared to all of the following EXCEPT A. a clap of thunder C. a baby’s rattle B. an ogre’s grumble D. a rushing waterfall

My Brother’s Not a Werewolf

By Kenn Nesbitt

My brother’s not a werewolf

though it often looks that way.

He has to shave his whiskers

almost every single day.

His feet are getting furry

and his hands are sprouting hair.

His voice is deep and growling

like a grumpy grizzly bear.

He often sleeps throughout the day

and stays up half the night.

And if you saw the way he eats

you’d surely scream in fright.

His clothes are ripped and dirty

like the stuff a werewolf wears.

His socks and shirts are shredded

and his pants have countless tears.

If you should ever meet him

you’ll discover what I mean.

My brother’s not a werewolf;

he’s just turning seventeen.

Submitted by Francone Elementary

Read this line from the poem.

+

What does the word sprouting mean?

a. a plant

b. growing

c. a young child

d. shrinking

2. Which poetic structure is found in this poem?

a. free verse

b. rhyme

c. lyrical

d. couplets

3. What is the main message of this poem?

a. The brother is a werewolf.

b. You should wear torn clothing.

c. A brother is getting older.

d. A werewolf wears torn clothing.

and his hands are sprouting hair

My Dog Lives On The Sofa

By Kenn Nesbitt

My dog lives on the sofa.

That’s where he wants to be.

He likes to sit there night and day

and watch what’s on TV.

He surfs the channels constantly

by chewing the remote,

then watches what he wants to watch; I never get a vote.

He’s fond of films with animals.

He takes in nature shows.

Whenever cat cartoons come on

he always watches those.

He loves the pet commercials, too,

and anything with food.

Whenever there’s a tennis match,

he nearly comes unglued.

I got him from the dog pound.

He didn’t cost a cent.

I asked them for a “watch dog”’

but this isn’t what I meant.

Submitted by Robison Elementary

STAAR-like questions for “My Dog Lives on the Sofa”

1. Which word best describes the feeling that the poet

creates in this poem?

a. Unhappy

b. Humorous

c. Excited

d. Bored

2. The reader can tell that the poem is NOT written in free

verse form because it has

a. A common theme

b. A serious subject

c. A rhyming pattern

d. A conflict

3. What is the main message in the poem?

a. Don’t buy dogs from a dog pound.

b. Dogs love to watch TV all day.

c. This dog wasn’t exactly the “watch dog” the author

wanted.

d. Dogs like to watch tennis matches on TV.

My First Best Friend By Jack Prelutsky

My first best friend is Awful Ann-

she socked me in the eye.

My second best friend is Sneaky Sam-

he tried to swipe my pie.

My third best friend is Max the Rat-

he trampled on my toes.

My fourth best friend is Nasty Nell-

she almost broke my nose.

My fifth best friend is Ted the Toad-

he kicked me in the knee.

My sixth best friend is Grumpy Gail-

she’s always mean to me.

My seventh best friend is Monster Moe-

he often plays too rough.

That’s all the friends I’ve got right now-

I think I’ve got enough.

Submitted by Lowery Elementary

My Teacher took My Ipod

My teacher took my iPod.

She said they had a rule;

I couldn't bring it into class

or even to the school.

She said she would return it;

I'd have it back that day.

But then she tried my headphones on

and gave a click on Play.

She looked a little startled,

but after just a while

she made sure we were occupied

and cracked a wicked smile.

Her body started swaying.

Her toes began to tap.

She started grooving in her seat

and rocking to the rap.

My teacher said she changed her mind.

She thinks it's now okay

to bring my iPod into class.

She takes it every day.

--Kenn Nesbitt

Submitted by Tipps Elementary

My Tooth Ith Loothe!

George Ulrich

My tooth ith loothe! My tooth ith loothe!

I can’t go to thcool, that’th my excuthe.

I wath fine latht night when I went to bed,

But today it’th hanging by a thread!

My tooth ith loothe! My tooth ith loothe!

I’m telling you the honetht truth.

It maketh me want to jump and thouth!

My tooth ith loothe…

Oopth! Now it’th out!

Submitted by Adam Elementary

Poetry:

No One Else By Elaine Laron

STAAR like questions

1. The reader can tell that the poem is written in lyrical form because it-

a. has no rhyming pattern b. involves a pattern with rhythm c. includes long lines d. tells a story

2. How is the poem organized? a. It is divided into stanzas. b. All stanzas end with a question. c. It is written like a letter. d. Each section has a different speaker.

3. What is the main message in the poem? a. Listen to what other people ask you to do. b. Your family knows you better than anyone else. c. You are loved by many. d. You know yourself better than anyone else.

Submitted by Lieder Elementary

Old Doctor Wango Tango

by Nancy Van Laan

Old Doctor Wango Tango

had a long, red nose;

a rosy, blowsy, noisy, nosey,

long, red nose.

Dirty Doctor Wango Tango

sometimes wore a vest.

and a tie full of fleas

hung down to his knees,

that is, when he bothered to dress.

Mean Doctor Wango Tango

had a lumpy, lazy cat;

a leapy, creepy, weepy cat

who sleepied in his hat.

Dreadful Doctor Wango Tango

kept a dog that wouldn’t grow,

and a wimbly, bimbly, lamey tamey,

coal black crow.

Wicked Doctor Wango Tango

called his poor horse Sam.

His dog was Towser, his cat was Mouser,

his crow, Fool Flippety Flam.

Stingy Doctor Wango Tango

gave his animals nothing to eat.

not a bit nor a bite,

not a crust nor a crumb,

just pebbles and grass as a treat.

Foolish Doctor Wango Tango

went out one day to ride,

with Mouser asleep in the hat

on his head

and Towser and Flam by his side.

Old Doctor Wango Tango

rode to the trip of a hill,

high up where the trees were bare,

and the wahooing wind brought a chill,

as it whirled and it hurled

and it hailed and it wailed

And it shrieked with a screech that was

shrill.

AAAAAAAAHHHH-WHOOOOOOOOOO!

Away blew Wango Tango!

Away blew Sam!

Away blew Towser

And mean little Mouser!

Away blew Flippety Flam!

Our Hero

By Frances E. W. Harper

While the flames were madly roaring,

With a courage grand and high,

Forth he rushed unto our rescue,

Strong to suffer, brave to die.

Helplessly the boat was drifting,

Death was staring in each face,

When he grasped the fallen rudder,

Took the pilot’s vacant place.

Could he save us? Would he save us?

All his hope of life give o’er?

Could he hold that fated vessel

‘Till she reached the nearer shore?

All our hopes and fears were centered

‘Round his strong, unfaltering hand;

If he failed us we must perish,

Perish just in sight of land.

Breathlessly we watched and waited

While the flames were raging fast;

When our anguish changed to rapture-

We were saved, yes, saved at last.

Never strains of sweetest music

Brought to us more welcome sound

Than the grating of that steamer

When her keel had touched the ground.

But our faithful martyr hero

Through a fiery pathway trod,

Till he laid his valiant spirit

On the bosom of his God.

Fame has never crowned a hero

On the crimson fields of strife,

Grander, nobler, than that pilot

Yielding up for us his life

Submitted by Holmsley

Question

Without the selfless actions of the “hero” -

A) Someone else would probably have

saved the ship

B) The passengers and the boat would

have been lost

C) Another boat would have come

along to save them

D) The ship would probably have run

aground eventually

Submitted by Danish Elementary

Please Don't Read This Poem by Kenn Nesbit

Please don't read this poem. It's only meant for me. That's it. Just move along now. There's nothing here to see. Besides, I'm sure you'd rather just go outside and play. So put the poem down now and slowly back away. Hey, why are you still reading? That isn't very nice. I've asked you once politely. Don't make me ask you twice. I'm telling you, it's private. Do not read one more line. Hey! That's one more. Now stop it. This isn't yours; it's mine. You're not allowed to read this. You really have to stop. If you don't quit this instant, I swear I'll call a cop.

He'll drag you off in handcuffs. He'll lock you up in jail, and leave you there forever until you're old and frail. Your friends will all forget you. You won't be even missed. Your family, too, will likely forget that you exist. And all because you read this instead of having fun. It's too late now, amigo; the poem's nearly done. There's only one solution. Here's what you'll have to do: Tell all your friends and family they shouldn't read it too.

The teacher passed out and fell right off her chair.

My classmates are crying and gasping for air.

The hamster is howling and hiding his head.

The plants by the window are practically dead.

There’s gas in the class; it’s completely my fault,

and smells like a chemical weapons assault.

So try to remember this lesson from me:

Don’t take off your shoes in class after P.E.

Kenn Nesbitt

Thought Questions

This poem is written from the point of view of- A. The classroom teacher B. The P.E. teacher C. A student in the classroom D. The class pet

What probably happened just before this poem was written?

A. The boy was playing basketball in P.E. B. The boy said he was sorry he took off his

stinky shoes C. The boy got in trouble for not using his

stinky feet pass D. The boy took his shoes off because his feet

were hot and needed to cool off

Sick

1 “I cannot go to school today,”

said little Peggy Ann McKay.

“I have the measles and the mumps,

a gash a rash and purple bumps.

5 My mouth is wet, my throat is dry,

I’m going blind in my right eye.

My tonsils are as big as rocks,

I’ve counted sixteen chicken pox

And there’s one more-that’s seventeen,

10 And don’t you think my face looks green?

My leg is cut, my eyes are blue-

It might be instamatic flu.

I cough and sneeze and gasp and choke,

I’m sure that my left leg is broke-

15 My hip hurts when I move my chin,

My belly button’s caving in,

My back is wrenched, my ankle’s sprained,

My ’pendix pains each time it rains.

My nose is cold, my toes are numb,

20 I have a sliver in my thumb.

My neck is stiff, my voice is weak,

I hardly whisper when I speak.

My tongue is filling up my mouth,

I think my hair is falling out.

25 My elbow’s bent, my spine ain’t straight,

My temperature is one-o-eight.

My brain is shrunk, I cannot hear,

There is a hole inside my ear.

I have a hangnail, and my heart is – what?

30 What’s that? What’s that you say?

You say today is …Saturday?

G’bye, I’m going out to play!”

By: Shel Silverstein

Submitted by Robinson Elementary

1. Line 7 from the poem was included because it -

A. tells how Peggy claims her tonsils are really swollen

B. explains that Peggy has rocks in her throat

C. tells the reader that Peggy has chicken pox

D. explains that Peggy’s tonsils have gotten smaller

2. Read line 26 from the poem.

The poet includes this line in the poem most likely to show that –

A. Peggy is having a test today

B. Peggy likes to play outside

C. Peggy’s mom is sick

D. Peggy does not want to go to school

3. What evidence from the selection shows that Peggy Ann McKay is not sick?

A. lines 26 and 27

B. lines 17 and 18

C. lines 31 and 32

D. lines 29 and 30

My temperature is one-o-eight.

Takeoff?

by Kristine O’Connell George

Tousled and rumpled,

scruffy, half finished,

he perches, flutters,

stumbles, falls out-

remembering wings

too late-

crash-lands

on a thin twig.

Hold on.

(Are his eyes

tightly shut?)

An hour later,

a long-distance flight:

six inches higher.

Little hunch of bird,

perches on a branch,

waiting, hoping,

that Mom shows up

with lunch.

Submitted by Horne Elementary

The poet titled this poem “Takeoff?” most likely

because-

A. It describes a young birds attempt to fly

off and away from its nest.

B. The speaker in the poem tells about

having to remove his feathers.

C. The setting of the poem is near an

airport with many airplanes.

D. It tells about a bird taking off and flying

long –distance around in the sky for an

hour.

Lines 15-19 are important to the poem because

they show that-

A. The mother tells the bird to open his

eyes so he can see the small twig.

B. The young bird wasn’t able to fly away

to find his own food and must wait on

his other to return.

C. The bird forgot to open his wings to

help him fly.

D. The bird had just woken up and was

about to leave the nest.

The Cutest Thing By: William Schoff

1 When weekends fall and relatives call

My Sundays turn quite bleak.

They rave, “He’s just the cutest thing!”

As they pinch and tweak my cheeks.

5 I squirm in my skin when they start in

With their nauseating rants.

What I’d rather do is flee the room

Or stuff spaghetti down their pants!

If I behaved the way I crave

10 They’d be offended and appalled.

I’d let slip how Uncle’s teeth are false

And how Aunt Martha’s really bald!

I’d secretly swipe my grandpa’s pipe

And stuff it full of cayenne pepper,

15 So when he sneezed he’d blast a hole

In Aunt Gertrude’s favorite sweater!

With pranks like these they’d be quick to see

I’m quite a little brute.

With luck they’ll change their minds and think,

20 “Perhaps he’s NOT so cute!”

Submitted by Moore Elementary

1. Which word means the opposite of brute as used in line

18 of the poem?

a) creature c) gentleman

b) beast d) animal

2. Which word best describes the feeling that the poet

creates in this poem?

a) boredom c) excitement

b) frustration d) patience

3. Which poetic structure is found in the poem?

a) stanzas c) repetition

b) rhyme d) short line length

The Loser

from the book "Where the Sidewalk Ends" (1974)

Shel Silverstein

Mama said I'd lose my head

if it wasn't fastened on.

Today I guess it wasn't

'cause while playing with my cousin

it fell off and rolled away

and now it's gone.

And I can't look for it

'cause my eyes are in it,

and I can't call to it

'cause my mouth is on it

(couldn't hear me anyway

'cause my ears are on it),

can't even think about it

'cause my brain is in it.

So I guess I'll sit down

on this rock

and rest for just a minute...

The Marvelous Homework and Housework Machine

Attention all students! Attention all kids!

Hold onto your horses! Hold onto your lids!

We have just exactly the thing that you need

whenever you've way too much homework to read.

The Marvelous Homework & Housework Machine

will always make sure that your bedroom is clean.

It loves to write book reports ten pages long,

then put all your toys away where they belong.

This wonderful gadget will do all your math,

then mop up your messes and go take your bath.

The Marvelous Homework & Housework Machine

is truly like no other gizmo you've seen.

It hangs up your clothes on their hangers and hooks,

then reads all your boring geography books.

It brings you a pillow to give you a rest,

then brushes your teeth and prepares for your test.

This thing is amazing. I'm sure you'll agree.

It feeds you dessert while you're watching T.V.

There's only one thing this device will not do.

It won't eat your Brussels sprouts; they're, like, P.U.

--Kenn Nesbitt

Submitted by Ault Elementary

The Reason for Sorry

By Em i Ka n a ga wa

It ’s h a rd for s om e to a pologize.

Th ey s qu irm a n d ca u s e a fu s s .

Bu t wh en you m a ke a b lu n der ,

a pologize, you m u s t .

Lit t le, t in y ch oices

a n d n ot -s o-b ig decis ion s

res u lt in gia n t ch a n ges

a n d m u lt ip le d ivis ion s .

So be a wa re of oth ers :

With th eir feelin gs , be s in cere.

An d lon g in to you r fu tu re,

you r con s cien ce will be clea r .

Su bm it ted by Ha m ilton Elem en ta ry

There’s a Cobra in the

Bathroom By Kalli Dakos

There’s a cobra in the bathroom,

Mrs. Kay.

What did you say?

There’s a cobra in the bathroom,

Mrs. Kay,

And he won’t go away!

Sandra, nine times five is forty-five,

Rick, check your spelling.

A cobra in the bathroom, Renee?

Why don’t you clean it away?

I can’t touch him, Mrs. Kay,

I’m too scared to even blink.

I have goosebumps everywhere, and

Now he’s crawling on the sink.

Robert, eight times five is not

thirty-five,

Mary, please stop talking,

Our spelling test is Friday.

Did that cobra go away?

No, Mrs. Kay, I see him

Slithering on the floor,

And I don’t want to stay here

Even one second more.

Jim, put the gum in the garbage,

Joe, your work’s so neat.

Please sit at your desk, Renee,

This is not the time to play.

I can’t move, Mrs. Kay,

He’s quite dangerous, you see,

And if I even budge an inch,

He’ll spread his poison over me.

Class, line up for music,

John, pick up your shoes.

You look scared to death, Renee,

I’ll check that bathroom now, okay?

(Slam!)

AH! AH! AH! AH!

THERE’S…A…COBRA…IN…THERE…!

I told you, Mrs. Kay,

That he wouldn’t go away.

Venus Flytrap Rap

By Ralph Fletcher

Venus Fly,

yeah that’s my name,

munching houseflies,

that’s my game.

I like moisture

and full sunlight;

distilled water

tastes all right

But not as tasty

as a common fly;

I’ll wait for days

‘till one comes by

Some call me

a carnivore;

in fact I’m an

insectivore.

I got green leaves,

got a little bitty flower,

but that’s not where

I get my power.

All my traps

get set with care;

if a fly comes by

he’d best beware.

My fangs clang shut

like a prison cell,

and soon that fly

won’t feel so well.

My enzymes

dissolve him slow,

‘till a few more days

there ain’t no mo’.

Venus Fly,

yeah that’s my name;

munching houseflies,

that’s my game.

COPELAND ELEMENTARY

What To Do About Grandma? By

Arden Davidson

When grandma goes to sleep at night, I shut all the windows and doors. I put cotton in my ears because, well, my grandma snores. She snores so loud it jiggles the house and makes the shutters shake. One time our neighbors ran out screaming - they thought there was an earthquake. Another time she snored so loud our ears and noses bled. Now everyone runs for cover when my grandma goes to bed. Yes, grandma's known for snoring. She's known all over town. Even power saws and freight trains tell my grandma to pipe down. She's louder than a motor bike or a great big thunder clap. Oh dear! Oh no! I've got to go! It's time for grandma's nap!

What To Do About Grandma By Arden Davidson

What does it mean in stanza four when it states “even power saws and freight trains tell my grandma to pipe down.”? a.To be as loud as they are b.To try to be louder than they are c.To stop being as loud as they are

What causes the shutters to shake in stanza 2? a.An earthquake b.A freight train going by town c.Grandma’s snoring

When Frankenstein was Just a Kid

When Frankenstein was just a kid,

he ate his greens. It's true. He did!

He ate his spinach, salads, peas,

asparagus, and foods like these,

and with each leaf and lima bean

his skin became a bit more green.

On chives and chard he loved to chew,

and Brussels sprouts and peppers too,

until he ate that fateful bean

that turned his skin completely green.

He turned all green, and stayed that way,

and now he frightens folks away.

Poor Frankenstein, his tale is sad,

but things need not have been so bad.

It's fair to say, if only he

had eaten much less celery,

avoided cabbage, ate no kale,

why, then, we'd have a different tale.

So, mom and dad, I'm here to say

please take these vegetables away

or my fate could be just as grim.

Yes, I could end up green like him.

So, mom and dad, before we dine,

please give a thought to Frankenstein.

- Kenn Nesbitt

When Frankenstein was Just a Kid

1. What is the speaker doing in the poem?

A. eating spinach, salad, and peas and chewing on chives and chard

B. turning green from too many vegetables

C. crying because he had a sad tale

D. persuading his parents that he should not have to eat vegetables

2. The reader can tell that the poem is written not free verse because –

A. it has complete sentences in it

B. it has a rhyming pattern

C. it has the first line of each stanza rhyming

D. it has alliteration

3. The reader can infer that since Frankenstein turned green –

A. he was popular

B. he was an outcast

C. he was rich and famous

D. he was happy

Submitted by Black Elementary