MY AMERICA: A POETRY ATLAS OF THE UNITED STATES

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Hopkins, Lee Bennett. 2000. MY AMERICA: A POETRY ATLAS OF THE UNITED STATES. Ill. by Stephen Alcorn. New York: Scholastic. ISBN 0439372909.

REVIEW
This is a collection of poems that pays tribute to our country. As the title of the book states, it is about “my” America and uses the map of the United States as a format. The book is separated into eight sections that cover the entire country. Each section begins with interesting facts about each state in that section. One particularly engaging point is the great fact included about each state. There is also a color map at the beginning of each section. The book has a table of contents listing the poems and authors in each section. The end of the book features indexes of authors, titles, and first lines.

The purpose of this book is to celebrate America. Each individual poem supports this purpose while independently focusing on a myriad of topics, places, and people. The poets included are both familiar and new to this reviewer. The outstanding poems range from humorous to serious with a plethora of moods sandwiched between. This book would enhance a social studies curriculum by adding not only the map pieces and bits of factual state information but adding a depth and feeling to each area or state being studied.

Both traditional and contemporary poets are included in this anthology. Some of the poets included Lee Bennett Hopkins, Nikki Giovanni, Langston Hughes, Frank Asch, Carl Sandburg, Myra Cohn Livingston, and Tom Robert Shields.
The illustrations by Stephen Alcorn add depth and meaning to the poems. Many of the illustrations show minute details that require close examination while enhancing the poem.

This anthology has short and long, urban and country, simple and complex poems allowing readers to find just the right fit. The poems invoke images children both know and can visualize as well as introducing new, unknown places, ideas, and activities that encourage thought and growth by them. A child from the southwest will not have the experience of gulls and lighthouses or lobsters and ocean waves, just as a child from New England will not know the experience of living with cactus, lonely long distance roads, and New Mexico dust.

The rich language in this broad collection of poems will allow readers to feel a variety of emotions and use the full range of senses. Many of the poems invoke images of the earth. Conjuring up the smells of a growing garden full of fresh vegetables and freshly worked soil, Nikki Giovanni’s “Knoxville, Tennessee” poem reminds this reviewer vividly of trips to visit her grandparents on the farm. This short poem, “Farmer” by Prince Redcloud brings immediate memories of a father coming home late after a long hard day of work.

Farmer

The farmer, worn from
long field-days, trods home to a
welcome, warm supper.

This anthology of poems offers a welcoming glance at America and is an engaging and enjoyable addition to any collection.