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Guyku: A Year of Haiku for Boys
By: Bob Raczka
Illustrator: Peter Reynolds
Publisher: Houghton Mufflin Harcourt Publishing Company
Copyright: 2010
Genre: Poetry, Nature
Grade Level: 3rd, 4th, or 5th
Brief Synopsis: This book is full of Haikus to peak a young boy's interest. It takes the reader from season to season describing nature around us, directing its attention on things young boys like to do. Each page contains a simple illustration that perfectly fits along with the haiku it is drawn for.
When you’re a guy, nature is one big playground—no matter what the season. There are puddles to splash in the spring, pine trees to climb in the summer, maple seeds to catch in the fall, and icicles to swordfight with in the winter. Nature also has a way of making a guy appreciate important stuff—like how many rocks it takes to dam up a stream, or how much snow equals a day off from school. So what kind of poetry best captures these special moments, at a length that lets guys get right back to tree-climbing and kite-flying? Why, guyku, of course!About the Author:
Bob Raczka- He was born in Chicago, Illinois and is the oldest of four guys. He is the father of two guys, Robert and Carl. The smart and beautiful girls who put up with his guyness are his wife, Amy, and daughter, Emma. He has written a nonfiction series, books about seasons, and books of poetry. He was inspired by what he loved to do in his childhood when writing this book. This video is of Bob describing what Guyku is to him.
Peter Reynolds- He is a professional writer, storyteller, and illustrator. He has always loved to draw and has written books to really inspire people to keep their dreams alive to becoming great artists. He has a twin brother who is also creative, and when they were little they would use their dad's photocopier to "publish" their own books. He owns a bookstore, The Blue Bunny, and company, Fablevision, both located in Massachusetts. This video is Peter describing his experience with illustrating for Guyku.Themes: Beauty can be found in all of nature
Little boys sense of adventure outside
How to write a Haiku
Nature's weather through the seasons
Pre-Reading Activities:
- Lesson on writing a haiku. Three lines of poetry themed around nature with; first line being 5 syllables, second line being 7 syllables, and third line being 5 syllables. Clap out the syllables together, so that the students know what they are counting out. Once you teach the lesson give the student a practice sheet where they have to count out the syllables in a sentence on their own.
- Review the 4 seasons with the class and what type of weather happens in each season. Have them fill in a graphic organizer for each season. In each of the 4 boxes there will be the name of the season and they will either write in or draw what happens in each season including; activities, weather, or clothing worn.
- Write out their favorite memories of playing outside. Have them choose one season and then write one memory that they have of playing outside during that season. With their memory they will create an illustration to display their images from their memory.
Post Reading Activities:
- Choose one haiku from the book and draw out the syllables from each line with their own illustration of the description in the haiku. This will reiterate the 5,7,5 pattern of the haiku, and these can be displayed around the room.
- Take a field trip to a local park. Before you go have a review lesson on adjectives, and how to describe things around them with adjectives. When you go to the park model some descriptions and adjectives of things around the park. Then tell them to let the nature inspire them. They will take these adjectives they have written on their index cards, and use them to write their own haiku when you get back to the classroom. These will proudly be displayed in the hallway for the school to see the class haikus.
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Reflection: This book is great for those boys in your classroom that are very hesitant to explore poetry. This author really wanted to write haikus for boys and caters to topics that that they, in particular, might be interested in. The format of the book being broken into the 4 seasons also lends a lot to the lessons that can be taught using Guyku. Besides adjectives, students could also explore their senses that are triggered by going ouside. The playful illustrations also help to bring each haiku alive in this story. This book can provide great inspiration to all students to try their hand in writing haiku.
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I remember this book from our Literature Book Club group. I think this book is so great for boys. I think that they are already hesitant about expressing their feelings and writing about poetry. I liked the video that you found from the author. You could show this video to the class even. I like that he gave information on how to write a haiku. I also liked that he made poetry/haikus relatable to boys. He talks about how each poem is a reflection of what he did as a boy or what his boys do. I think this book can be used in a poetry unit to get boys motivated to write poetry, it could be used in a unit about the seasons, and it could be used to show students how to express emotion or even just to show how we have a connection with nature. Awesome book for boys!
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