Sports! Sports! Sports!: A Poetry Collection (An I Can Read Book, Level 2)

ISBN 10: 0060278013 ISBN 13: 9780060278014

Publisher: HarperCollins, 1999

Synopsis

A collection of poems celebrating the joy and anguish of baseball, basketball, football, ice hockey, soccer, skating, swimming, and running races

About this title

About the Author:

Lee Bennett Hopkins was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, on April 13, 1938. As a child Mr. Hopkins read little other than comic books and movie magazines until a teacher inspired in him a love of the theater and of reading. He credits this teacher with his lifelong interest in education.

Mr. Hopkins began teaching sixth grade at a public school in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, in 1960. He enjoyed his job, and in his third year at Westmoreland School in Fair Lawn, he became the school's resource teacher, providing curricular support materials for the elementary school teachers. It was while serving in this position that Mr. Hopkins first used poetry to help children with reading problems.

In 1968 Mr. Hopkins became a curriculum and editorial specialist atScholastic, Inc. His career as a writer soared. More than two dozen of his books were published during his eight-year tenure there. In 1976 Mr. Hopkins left his job at Scholastic in order to become a full-time writer and anthologist.

Mr. Hopkins is widely recognized as the nation's spokesperson for Children's Poetry. He has edited and written numerous books for children as well as several professional texts, including Pauses: Autobiographical Reflections of 101 Creators of Children's Books and Pass the Poetry, Please!, and his column, "Poetry Plus," is a regular feature in Creative Classroom magazine. Mr. Hopkins has been honored with the University of Southern Mississippi Medallion for "lasting contributions to Children's Literature."

Mr. Hopkins served on the Board of Directors of the National Council ofTeachers of English (NCTE) from 1975 to 1978; NCTE Commission on Literature(1982-1985); and NCTE Children's Literature Assembly (1984-1987); andhe twice chaired the NCTE Poetry Award Committee. He is also the donor of both the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award, presented by Penn State University, and the Lee Bennett Hopkins/International Reading Association Promising Poet Award.

The recipient of a Christopher Award and the University of Southern Mississippi's Medallion for "lasting contributions to childrens literature," Mr. Hopkins lives in Westchester County and Greenwich Village, New York.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.:

Hero

October comes with
Chill air--
Golden sun--

A football game--
A score of
Six to zero--

And my brother runs
A winning touchdown
And becomes
My instant hero.

By Tom Robert Shields

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0060278013
• ISBN 13: 9780060278014
• Binding: Library Binding
• Number of pages: 48
• Editor: Hopkins Lee Bennett
• Illustrator: Floca Brian