![Hip Hop Speaks to Children: A Celebration of Poetry with a Beat [With CD]](http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255881579m/3743168.jpg "Hip Hop Speaks to Children: A Celebration of Poetry with a Beat [With CD]")
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Our consensus is Hip Hop Speaks to Children is the... read full description
reviews
Jan 13, 2009
Ginger
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The best of this poetry, imho, is Hip Hop; but most of it isn't, and a lot of it isn't particularly beat driven. The performances on the accompanying CD also vary greatly in their resemblance to HipHop.
I have nothing against the poetry here, some of it is quite good. But kids know what is and isn't hip hop. Hip Hop deserves respect in its own right and shouldn't be used as a shill to get kids to read poetry.
I have nothing against the poetry here, some of it is quite good. But kids know what is and isn't hip hop. Hip Hop deserves respect in its own right and shouldn't be used as a shill to get kids to read poetry.
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Feb 11, 2012
Amanda
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Summary:
This book of poetry consisted of many different poems that all had some kind of message to teach your or make you think about. Most of the poems if not all were focused around African American culture however they had a lot of really good messages that could be shared with any culture.
Sounds: This book of poetry had a very mixture of many different sounds. Some poems were focused on rap and hip hop music and others rhymed and has a specific rhymes. There was More...
This book of poetry consisted of many different poems that all had some kind of message to teach your or make you think about. Most of the poems if not all were focused around African American culture however they had a lot of really good messages that could be shared with any culture.
Sounds: This book of poetry had a very mixture of many different sounds. Some poems were focused on rap and hip hop music and others rhymed and has a specific rhymes. There was More...
Sep 12, 2011
Joe
rated it:
I spent weeks looking for quality contemporary poetry for children that was both appealing and appropriate; many childrens' collections and anthologies I encountered contained a lot of "classic" poetry that - while certainly of good quality - became difficult to read and explain to young students considering their often-dated language and cumbersome turns of phrase. "Poetry should be felt, not simply heard," I'd thought, but this is lost on many children who are still acquiri
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Jan 25, 2010
Nicki
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This audio/visual book can be appealing to a large range of children. The CD itself is great to listen to as a variety of voices such as Langston Hughes, Queen Latifiah, Tupac and A Tribe Called Quest, all positive African American artists, contribute to the success and excitement of the CD. The actual book is filled with a variety of artistic illustrations, as each poem has been illustrated by someone different.
The majority of poems found within this book use language that is commo More...
The majority of poems found within this book use language that is commo More...
Feb 02, 2012
Kacie
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Hip Hop Speaks to Children With Audio CD: A Celebration of Poetry with a Beat, edited by Nikki Giovanni is a poetry collection that I am sure I will be using in my classroom. While it is interesting, visually and linguistically, to all ages, I would most use it for reading in the kindergarten through grade two age group. The repetitive sounds help enforce lessons on root words. For example, in the first stanza of W.E.B. Du Bois's "The Song of the Smoke" rhymes mills, kills, and rill
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Aug 01, 2010
S10_Jessica
rated it:
format: picture book with audio CD
age: grades 3-8
protagonist: n/a
Giovanni, N. (2008). Hip hop speaks to children: A celebration of poetry with a beat. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky.
This creative collection includes poems from many well known African American musical artists, poets, and civil rights leaders. Also included is an audio CD in which many of the poems are performed by their original artists, and some tracks even offer a bit of historical or bac More...
age: grades 3-8
protagonist: n/a
Giovanni, N. (2008). Hip hop speaks to children: A celebration of poetry with a beat. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky.
This creative collection includes poems from many well known African American musical artists, poets, and civil rights leaders. Also included is an audio CD in which many of the poems are performed by their original artists, and some tracks even offer a bit of historical or bac More...
Mar 13, 2011
Q_Barb
rated it: 
Incredible compilation of poetry by over 40 poets and authors. Giovanni provides a lengthy history of stories told in rhythm from opera to blues to hamboning to hip hop - or poetry with a beat. A wide range of styles, eras and poets, with several dozen performances or readings on the accompanying cd, some by the poets themselves. (I got to hear Langston Hughes read his poem, "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" !!) This book can help get students into the beauty and the range of poetry. Beside
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Oct 26, 2011
Melanie
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If it is one thing that marjority of the kids listen to now a days is hip hop and some doesn't know that it is a form of poetry. Hip hop speaks to children is a wonderful book that comes with a cd that helps them understand that peotry can also be an upbeat not just something that they just read and they could really relate to it. Some of the poetries that are in the book comes from rappers from the 80's to now like Queen Latifah, A Tribe Called Quest,Tupac Shakur, Lauryn Hill, The Sugar Hill Ga
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Dec 03, 2011
Monica
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This book/cd is a must-have! Children will be encouraged to put their words to poetry and beats. Teachers will be encouraged to allow the artists to speak to children. I highly recommend this book, especially for children who are reluctant poetry readers. (I should know, I used to be one of them!) Hip Hop Speaks to Children makes poetry fun, incredibly accessible, and meaningful for children.
Age Level: 8 and up Grade Level: 3 and up
SUMMARY/SPECIFICS:
Thi More...
Age Level: 8 and up Grade Level: 3 and up
SUMMARY/SPECIFICS:
Thi More...
Sep 20, 2009
Brooke
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My students are loving this book! (And I really like it, too!) We started out the year listening to a poem about dreams, written by a high schooler, and Martin Luther King, Jr.'s speech, "I have a dream," both of which are included in the book. We picked out sentences, then phrases, and finally words that stood out to us in the poem. After listening to it so many times, we tried to read the poem along with the CD. The students instinctually wanted to read expressively, even adding
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Jun 11, 2010
Dannye
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Both myself and my seven year old expected so much more from both the book and audio. Overall I felt it was a disappointing, mass-market whitewash that would be most well-received by children's parents from upper middle class white suburban America who are desperate to be hip enough to touch a culture they can never be a part of. :( There is so much left out here that would have been far more engaging and affirming of the poetry of inspiring rap. This didn't speak to either myself or my ch
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Sep 17, 2011
Kimberly
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Poetry - 2008 Last year, I went to see Nikki Giovanni speak at WSU. I was amazed by listening to her read her poetry. I think the act of reading poetry is such an art that I don't feel I have mastered! I was excited to order this book - a compilation of poetry that includes a CD of the poems read or sang by the poet (in most cases). Exploring this book, and listening to the CD, reminded me of the different perspectives you may have of the poems, depending on how it is read. In my classroom, we d
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Oct 13, 2008
Serena
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I received Hip Hop Speaks to Children edited by Nikki Giovanni from Danielle at Sourcebooks, and Giovanni continues to make television and radio experiences about the book.
Poetry often has an internal rhythm like everyday speech does, and Hip Hop has taken that rhythm and modified it to create a modern day form of poetry, which engages younger generations and children by making poetry fun.
This book came with an audio CD, which you can use to read along with the book or sk More...
Poetry often has an internal rhythm like everyday speech does, and Hip Hop has taken that rhythm and modified it to create a modern day form of poetry, which engages younger generations and children by making poetry fun.
This book came with an audio CD, which you can use to read along with the book or sk More...
Oct 05, 2008
Elizabeth
rated it:
Credit Sourcebooks Jabberwocky with knowing a good thing when they see it. When Poetry Speaks to Children came out it was a brilliant collection of poems for kids with an accompanying CD of poets, both alive and deceased, reading their poetry straight out. And in this day and age if you put out a book of poems for kids then it shouldn’t be that much more difficult to put out a book of hip hop and rap as well. Or, as the new collection Hip Hop Speaks to Children calls it, “poetry with a beat.
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Sep 26, 2008
April
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Hip Hop Speaks to Children is a delightful and enlightening collection of poetry from various Poets, several performed by the authors themselves, on the included audio CD. With beautiful pictures depicting the poems and the contagious beat that the words pound out, this is a collection sure to capture the interest of all ages. Geared toward the 9 - 12 age group, this easily goes beyond that. As an adult, I greatly enjoyed each poem and as I read them out loud to my 6 year old daughter, she boppe
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Nov 12, 2011
Chii
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This is a great book that has numerous works of art by various artists, poets and intellectuals.The accompanying CD allows the reader(s) to hear many of the pieces spoken or performed by the artists which is extremely engaging for the student. This book will have the works of rappers students are familiar with such as Kanye West and Tupac (in a kid friendly form of course) as well as speeches by Dr. Martin Luther King and works of Nikki Giovanni and Lauryn Hill. A great addition to any library.
May 10, 2010
Crystal
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I bought this book yesterday in Chicago (a lot of the poets have Chicago connections), because we are doing a poetry unit in my eighth grade class right now, and some of the poems we already study anyway are in the book, but the CD was the biggest attraction and it is AWESOME. Many of the poets perform their own poetry - I heard Langston Hughes's voice for the first time; it was different from what I had imagined. I will definitely be sharing the book and CD with my students and my kids.
Sep 09, 2010
Ruth
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Nikki Giovanni, editor and poet, has compiled a very rich anthology of poetry with a beat. Include is an audio CD of 30 performances of the poems, read by the various authors, from Queen Latifah to more traditional poets like Langston Hughes and Martin Luther King Jr.. The illustrations make use of a variety of media and are done by five different artists. A wide variety of ethnicity is displayed as well as fanciful and imaginative elements.
May 07, 2011
Beth
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Poetry is alive, but sometimes younger students need help in hearing the rhythm. This book with amazing illustrations and great audio tracks helps do this. There are classical poets like Langston Hughes and Gwendolyn Brooks, but there are some that you might not expect like Sugarhill Gang, Young MC, and Tupac Shakur.
"Hams 'n' Eggs" is perfect for pairing with Dr. Seuss and his tale of Green Eggs and Ham.
"Hams 'n' Eggs" is perfect for pairing with Dr. Seuss and his tale of Green Eggs and Ham.
Feb 16, 2009
Mary
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This book is AMAZING. It has everything from Langston Hughes and Nikki Giovanni to Rapper's Delight and A Tribe Called Quest. My students LOVEEEE it and always ask for "the hip hop book." The CD is great and the poems and illustrations are even better. It is a great way to integrate African American culture into a mainstream classroom while making connections to the kids every day lives.
Oct 10, 2010
Simone
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Nikki Giovanni put together a collection of 51 poems. The poems are written by various authors and include various kinds and forms. This book comes with a CD and some of the poems are presented through hip-hop. It is a great way for students to hear and read different interpretations and forms of poetry. Gary Soto, Nikki Giovanni (also editor), and Langston Hues are a few of the many talented authors presented in this book.
Dec 09, 2009
Benita
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Classic poems from contemporary and legendary poets American poets, ranging from Queen Latifah, Lauryn Hill and Jill Scott, to Langston Hughes, Maya Angelou, Oscar Brown, and Nikki Giovanni to name a few.
I would use this in my classroom to model poetry and recite poetry, before students write their own.
I would use this in my classroom to model poetry and recite poetry, before students write their own.
Feb 26, 2011
Kelly
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Amazing poets and rappers (Maya Angelou, Langston Hughes, Queen Latifah) contribute to his beautifully illustrated book that includes a CD of the poets and song writers reading/singing their works. Might be a way to help students appreciate the beauty of poetry in a new way.
Mar 28, 2009
Ebony
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This is a spectacular collection of poetry from Langston Hughes to Common. The illustrations are beautiful. And I love the audio cd that includes original recordings of Maya Angelou, Langston Hughes, Nikki Giovanni and many more. This book is fun and inspiring.
Dec 07, 2008
Amy
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Hip Hop and poetry come to life in this artistic compilation of classic and modern poets' works. The illustrations are beatiful and varied and the Audio CD provides a unique experience that brings the poetry and artwork even more to life!
Apr 12, 2009
Temoca
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There are great poems in here for your classroom. I like the tie to music my students can relate to. I have also used the CD that comes with the book and it gives the students a break from listening to me read.
Oct 26, 2010
Laurie
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Nice book, but the text is difficult to read because the images behing the text overpower, and the font choices are often difficult to read. I was very frustrated by the design and layout.
Oct 21, 2008
Rand
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hip hop was the bain of my relationship with my son throughout high school. what little i listened too was coarse, ugly, misogynistic, violent, criminal, etc. i thought he was simply too sympathetic with a brutal, high-decibel, heavy woofer subculture. but i couldn't forget the sincerity of his defense. well, i don't know if this qualifies as hip hop, maybe 'children's hip hop' is an oxymoron, but the book comes with a CD with recordings of Maya and Langston reading their own material, and some
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Jan 15, 2012
Elizabeth
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My students love listening to the audio version of this book. Some of the poems are put to music. A good example of how some songs are poetry if you take away the beat.
Apr 09, 2009
Nicole
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The Playtime kids absolutely love this book, and have a great time dancing along and learning the poems. Great book for any family/school/daycare setting.
