Stampede!

By Laura Purdie Salas

This book of poems had such a funny take on how students act at school. The book goes from before school starts to after school. For instance, the first poem is called "swarm" and relates to how students are like bees in the morning that swarm in the doors. During the day they act like monkeys on the playground and when the final school bell rings, they create a stampede of animals to get out the door. I felt that a few of the poems like "Turtleneck"(about how a boy hides inside his shirt like a turtle because he didn't want to be called on) does a good job portraying how students are often very nervous of what their peers think, even at an early age. It would be a great way to introduce personification in literature as well. I would love to read these poems to my students; I think they would enjoy them all!