Messing Around on the Monkey Bars and other School Poems for Two Voices

*Image from betterworldbooks.com

A. Bibliographic Data: Franco, Betsy. Messing Around on the Monkey Bars and other School Poems for Two Voices. Illustrated by Jessie Hartland. Somerville: Candlewick Press, 2009. ISBN 9780763631741

B. Critical Analysis: Plot Summary: What better way to share poetry than with someone you know? This collection of poems provides readers with great poems to read with one, or twenty one of their closest friends! Whether it be through two bikes chatting before their owners come back, messing around on the monkey bars, or a tapping pencil that just won’t stop- these poems are sure to intrigue and excite readers. So grab a partner or two and meet me at the monkey bars!

Appeal: There’s no doubt about it, these poems and their chant-like feel will be very appealing to young readers! Being able to share them with a friend or family member will also increase the appeal among students and readers. The different subjects of the poems reflects the targeted audience and provides them with familiar situations to connect to. And though the poems aren’t very insightful, they are sure to be fun to read and more than capable of sparking interest in poetry. The language used in this poetry is clear and will be easily understood by young and beginning readers. Lastly, readers will feel their imaginations venturing to their own classrooms and playgrounds making this book an instant favorite.

Meaning: The meaning of these poems is definitely concrete. Though they are fictional and full of imagination and creativity- the foundation of the poems are believable and possible. This enhances the reader’s ability to relate to the poems, create connections to past experiences, and provide readers with ideas to carry into the future.  

Rhythm and Sound: Franco uses alliteration, repetition, rhyme, assonance, consonance, and onomatopoeias to create her own distinct and unique sound for her poetry. Because these poems are meant to be read aloud and shared together, the sound and rhythm of the poems is very pleasing to the ear. Students will love to hear the different sound devices brought to life by each reader’s distinct tone and voice. I’m looking forward to hearing my own students read these poems in the very near future!

Language: Most often, Franco uses similes and metaphors to exercise the use of different language devices. When read the way they were intended, these poems also have obvious similarities to real dialogue. This call and response technique supports the language Franco uses and makes her word choice and diction even more important. In order to be read aloud, the poems need to use language that makes reading aloud easy and fluent…Franco masters this!

Imagery: Most often, sound is incorporated into these poems. I think this has to do, again, with the idea that these poems will be shared aloud between two people. As mentioned before, onomatopoeias are used in great numbers which adds to the readers’ ability to hear and imagine certain sounds. Secondly, I would say sight is represented consistently throughout the book. The descriptions and comparisons made by Franco will definitely help readers create their own images while reading this book.

Emotional Impact: Although there aren’t too many strong, emotions that will be provoked by reading this book- it sure is fun and good for a laugh! The entire book has a light hearted feel readers are sure to pick up on. Readers won’t be able to help feeling like they’re young again (even though they may not be) and back on the playground hanging upside down from monkey bars. This I think is the emotional impact Franco wanted to have. Not to mention the pleasure readers will gain from reading this book, but hopefully it will also spark readers' interest into reading poetry more often!

Layout and Organization: The book begins with a table of contents, followed by an author’s note. In this note, Franco provides suggestions (yes these poems can be enjoyed when read alone) and directions for reading the poems properly. She uses different types of font to signify when a different reader should read; this is also covered in the author’s note. Nineteen school poems follow. The book ends with “adventurous ways to read the poems” and acknowledgements. The length of the poems is appropriate and the complementing illustrations are great at providing just the right touch!

C. Example: Poem:

The Very Best Feeling

There’s excited,

delighted,

Scared,

and mad.

There’s happy,

embarrassed

surprised,

and sad.

But the very best feeling

That we’ve ever had,

the one that we have every day,

is the feeling we get

when the final bell rings

and there’s nothing to do but just PLAY!

Introduction: Due to the fun nature of these poems I would say there isn’t a need for a strong introduction. Instead, I think the best way to get your feet wet is to dive in! I would begin by calling two volunteers up to the front of the class (making sure they are among my “top” readers). I would briefly explain how to read the poem (when he/she reads, when the other person read, and when they read together) and get started. By seeing it, and hearing it from two different voices, students will be able to get the full effect of this type of poetry. I would ask for even more volunteers then, and continue to share poems from this book.

Ideas for Sharing: Of course, the most beneficial way of sharing these poems is with two separate people or groups. As Franco mentions in “adventurous ways to read the poems” the poems can also be read in a whole group setting. Instead of having two voices, we would then have two groups of voices. I also like Franco’s idea to actually make the sounds heard in the various poems instead of simply reading them. What a great way to get students moving!