Holly Thompson's Blog, page 14
April 19, 2016
Book Birthday! Falling into the Dragon's Mouth
Book Birthday!!!
Today is the release date for my third verse novel: Falling into the Dragon's Mouth, about insiders and outsiders, siblings and friends, aikido, community, and making peace.
I hope you'll read the story of Jason and Cora as they navigate their hopes and mishaps in their Japanese community. Here's the description:
In a Japanese seaside neighborhood lives Jason Parker: a sixth grader, one year older than his classmates, a stinking foreigner to some, an orange belt in aikido, a big brother. Jason Parker is just a boy trying to get through his days with calm and courage. If only everyone around him would let him. This is a beautifully spare novel in verse about one boy's life--a story that will resonate with anyone who has ever struggled to fit in.
The book cover and illustrations are by the amazing Matt Huynh. And huge thanks to my editors Laura Godwin and Julia Sooy at Holt/Macmillan.
You can read the entire opening chapter of Falling into the Dragon's Mouth here on the Macmillan website.
And you can read poems about the book's setting in Jason's voice in my #NoticePoems series for National Poetry Month--a poem and photo each day for the month of April--on my Hatbooks Blog.
You can order Falling into the Dragon's Mouth from your local library, your favorite local bookseller, or from Indie Bound, Amazon, Amazon Japan and many other places.
And you can enter the Falling into the Dragon's Mouth Book Giveaway on Goodreads for a chance to win one of three copies of the hardcover edition. (Sorry, this one is for U.S. mailing addresses only.)
I hope that Falling into the Dragon's Mouth and Jason's story give hope and courage to young people everywhere who are striving to make peace.
Today is the release date for my third verse novel: Falling into the Dragon's Mouth, about insiders and outsiders, siblings and friends, aikido, community, and making peace.
I hope you'll read the story of Jason and Cora as they navigate their hopes and mishaps in their Japanese community. Here's the description:
In a Japanese seaside neighborhood lives Jason Parker: a sixth grader, one year older than his classmates, a stinking foreigner to some, an orange belt in aikido, a big brother. Jason Parker is just a boy trying to get through his days with calm and courage. If only everyone around him would let him. This is a beautifully spare novel in verse about one boy's life--a story that will resonate with anyone who has ever struggled to fit in.
The book cover and illustrations are by the amazing Matt Huynh. And huge thanks to my editors Laura Godwin and Julia Sooy at Holt/Macmillan.
You can read the entire opening chapter of Falling into the Dragon's Mouth here on the Macmillan website.
And you can read poems about the book's setting in Jason's voice in my #NoticePoems series for National Poetry Month--a poem and photo each day for the month of April--on my Hatbooks Blog.
You can order Falling into the Dragon's Mouth from your local library, your favorite local bookseller, or from Indie Bound, Amazon, Amazon Japan and many other places.
And you can enter the Falling into the Dragon's Mouth Book Giveaway on Goodreads for a chance to win one of three copies of the hardcover edition. (Sorry, this one is for U.S. mailing addresses only.)
I hope that Falling into the Dragon's Mouth and Jason's story give hope and courage to young people everywhere who are striving to make peace.
April 18, 2016
Yagura
Notice Poems—A National Poetry Month poem series by author Holly Thompson relating to the verse novel Falling Into the Dragon’s Mouth, set in Kamakura, Japan. #NoticePoems
Yagura
hidden in hills around townare caves dug into cliffs
for tombs of samuraiwho died centuries ago
yet who some say still drift like mist along ridge paths
or over woodland streams as footless forest ghosts
© Holly Thompson, All Rights Reserved
Have you noticed the world in your town? Share your own Notice Poems with the hashtag #NoticePoems
Notice Poems—A National Poetry Month poem series by author Holly Thompson relating to the verse novel Falling Into the Dragon’s Mouth, set in Kamakura, Japan.
Verse novels by Holly Thompson: Falling into the Dragon’s Mouth The Language Inside Orchards
Crashing Wave image by www.johnnyautomatic.com
Yagura
hidden in hills around townare caves dug into cliffs
for tombs of samuraiwho died centuries ago
yet who some say still drift like mist along ridge paths
or over woodland streams as footless forest ghosts
© Holly Thompson, All Rights Reserved
Have you noticed the world in your town? Share your own Notice Poems with the hashtag #NoticePoems
Notice Poems—A National Poetry Month poem series by author Holly Thompson relating to the verse novel Falling Into the Dragon’s Mouth, set in Kamakura, Japan.
Verse novels by Holly Thompson: Falling into the Dragon’s Mouth The Language Inside Orchards
Crashing Wave image by www.johnnyautomatic.com
April 17, 2016
Snail Food
Notice Poems—A National Poetry Month poem series by author Holly Thompson relating to the verse novel Falling Into the Dragon’s Mouth, set in Kamakura, Japan. #NoticePoems
Snail Food
Ken shows us how to gather big pond snails
collect them in a clear tankwatch their feet
creep, their waving horns reach, but then
Ken shows us how to gather rocks, use them to
bash the shellsto get the meat inside, then lie
flat on wide rocksat pond’s edgearms outstretched
to feed koi fishmashed snailsfrom fingertips—
which is cool but not to Cora who makes me swear
we will only evermake snail food this one time, ever
© Holly Thompson, All Rights Reserved
Have you noticed the world in your town? Share your own Notice Poems with the hashtag #NoticePoems
Notice Poems—A National Poetry Month poem series by author Holly Thompson relating to the verse novel Falling Into the Dragon’s Mouth, set in Kamakura, Japan.
Verse novels by Holly Thompson: Falling into the Dragon’s Mouth The Language Inside Orchards
Crashing Wave image by www.johnnyautomatic.com
Snail Food
Ken shows us how to gather big pond snails
collect them in a clear tankwatch their feet
creep, their waving horns reach, but then
Ken shows us how to gather rocks, use them to
bash the shellsto get the meat inside, then lie
flat on wide rocksat pond’s edgearms outstretched
to feed koi fishmashed snailsfrom fingertips—
which is cool but not to Cora who makes me swear
we will only evermake snail food this one time, ever
© Holly Thompson, All Rights Reserved
Have you noticed the world in your town? Share your own Notice Poems with the hashtag #NoticePoems
Notice Poems—A National Poetry Month poem series by author Holly Thompson relating to the verse novel Falling Into the Dragon’s Mouth, set in Kamakura, Japan.
Verse novels by Holly Thompson: Falling into the Dragon’s Mouth The Language Inside Orchards
Crashing Wave image by www.johnnyautomatic.com
April 16, 2016
Wave Roofs
Notice Poems—A National Poetry Month poem series by author Holly Thompson relating to the verse novel Falling Into the Dragon’s Mouth, set in Kamakura, Japan. #NoticePoems
Wave Roofs
light glints and rolls off tilesthat crest and undulate like an inland extension of the sea
© Holly Thompson, All Rights Reserved
Have you noticed the world in your town? Share your own Notice Poems with the hashtag #NoticePoems
Notice Poems—A National Poetry Month poem series by author Holly Thompson relating to the verse novel Falling Into the Dragon’s Mouth, set in Kamakura, Japan.
Verse novels by Holly Thompson: Falling into theDragon’s Mouth The Language Inside Orchards
Crashing Wave image by www.johnnyautomatic.com
Wave Roofs
light glints and rolls off tilesthat crest and undulate like an inland extension of the sea
© Holly Thompson, All Rights Reserved
Have you noticed the world in your town? Share your own Notice Poems with the hashtag #NoticePoems
Notice Poems—A National Poetry Month poem series by author Holly Thompson relating to the verse novel Falling Into the Dragon’s Mouth, set in Kamakura, Japan.
Verse novels by Holly Thompson: Falling into theDragon’s Mouth The Language Inside Orchards
Crashing Wave image by www.johnnyautomatic.com
April 15, 2016
Bell
Notice Poems—A National Poetry Month poem series by author Holly Thompson relating to the verse novel Falling Into the Dragon’s Mouth, set in Kamakura, Japan. #NoticePoems
Bell
one by one we sound this bronzebell on New Year’s after midnightwith classmates and neighbors
and strangers all lined upin the cold to draw back the strikingbeam then ram the bell and feel
the tone swell then fall to less and less then nearly none until the next person steps up
to draw back the beam again while the crowd swells then thins tonearly none until it’s time
to ride home on our bikesto sleep and hope for Mount Fujihawk and eggplant dreams
[Note: In Japan it is considered lucky to dream of Mount Fuji, a hawk, and eggplants in your first dream of the New Year.]
© Holly Thompson, All Rights Reserved
Have you noticed the world in your town? Share your own Notice Poems with the hashtag #NoticePoems
Notice Poems—A National Poetry Month poem series by author Holly Thompson relating to the verse novel Falling Into the Dragon’s Mouth, set in Kamakura, Japan.
Verse novels by Holly Thompson: Falling into the Dragon’s Mouth The Language Inside Orchards
Crashing Wave image by www.johnnyautomatic.com
Bell
one by one we sound this bronzebell on New Year’s after midnightwith classmates and neighbors
and strangers all lined upin the cold to draw back the strikingbeam then ram the bell and feel
the tone swell then fall to less and less then nearly none until the next person steps up
to draw back the beam again while the crowd swells then thins tonearly none until it’s time
to ride home on our bikesto sleep and hope for Mount Fujihawk and eggplant dreams
[Note: In Japan it is considered lucky to dream of Mount Fuji, a hawk, and eggplants in your first dream of the New Year.]
© Holly Thompson, All Rights Reserved
Have you noticed the world in your town? Share your own Notice Poems with the hashtag #NoticePoems
Notice Poems—A National Poetry Month poem series by author Holly Thompson relating to the verse novel Falling Into the Dragon’s Mouth, set in Kamakura, Japan.
Verse novels by Holly Thompson: Falling into the Dragon’s Mouth The Language Inside Orchards
Crashing Wave image by www.johnnyautomatic.com
April 14, 2016
Tonbi
Notice Poems—A National Poetry Month poem series by author Holly Thompson relating to the verse novel Falling Into the Dragon’s Mouth, set in Kamakura, Japan. #NoticePoems
Tonbi
don’t expect to see them like this—raucous gang of raptors tearing apartsome washed up fish carcass—they’re
usually solo, circling overheadcatching drafts, waiting, watching, whistling then dropping into a plunging dive
not so much for a fish or rodentbut for that onigiri or donut or dorayakiyou’ve just pulled from the wrapper . . .
punishment for eating in public
© Holly Thompson, All Rights Reserved
Have you noticed the world in your town? Share your own Notice Poems with the hashtag #NoticePoems
Notice Poems—A National Poetry Month poem series by author Holly Thompson relating to the verse novel Falling Into the Dragon’s Mouth, set in Kamakura, Japan.
Verse novels by Holly Thompson: Falling into the Dragon’s Mouth The Language Inside Orchards
Crashing Wave image by www.johnnyautomatic.com
Tonbi
don’t expect to see them like this—raucous gang of raptors tearing apartsome washed up fish carcass—they’re
usually solo, circling overheadcatching drafts, waiting, watching, whistling then dropping into a plunging dive
not so much for a fish or rodentbut for that onigiri or donut or dorayakiyou’ve just pulled from the wrapper . . .
punishment for eating in public
© Holly Thompson, All Rights Reserved
Have you noticed the world in your town? Share your own Notice Poems with the hashtag #NoticePoems
Notice Poems—A National Poetry Month poem series by author Holly Thompson relating to the verse novel Falling Into the Dragon’s Mouth, set in Kamakura, Japan.
Verse novels by Holly Thompson: Falling into the Dragon’s Mouth The Language Inside Orchards
Crashing Wave image by www.johnnyautomatic.com
April 13, 2016
Digs
Notice Poems—A National Poetry Month poem series by author Holly Thompson relating to the verse novel Falling Into the Dragon’s Mouth, set in Kamakura, Japan. #NoticePoems
Digs
our town is nicknamed the homeof the samurai, and under some shops and houses are ancient capital siteswhere sometimes there are digs after the tear-down of a house
before the building of a new oneand we can observe week after weekthe exposing and mapping of the sitethen careful, slow removal of dirt with the archeological team noting finds
and discoveries on a signboard—post holes, cornerstones, shards of pottery—and we can peer down from our bikes to layers of earth holding remnants of objects and structures formed and touched in medieval times
© Holly Thompson, All Rights Reserved
Have you noticed the world in your town? Share your own Notice Poems with the hashtag #NoticePoems
Notice Poems—A National Poetry Month poem series by author Holly Thompson relating to the verse novel Falling Into the Dragon’s Mouth, set in Kamakura, Japan.
Verse novels by Holly Thompson: Falling into the Dragon’s Mouth The Language Inside Orchards
Crashing Wave image by www.johnnyautomatic.com
Digs
our town is nicknamed the homeof the samurai, and under some shops and houses are ancient capital siteswhere sometimes there are digs after the tear-down of a house
before the building of a new oneand we can observe week after weekthe exposing and mapping of the sitethen careful, slow removal of dirt with the archeological team noting finds
and discoveries on a signboard—post holes, cornerstones, shards of pottery—and we can peer down from our bikes to layers of earth holding remnants of objects and structures formed and touched in medieval times
© Holly Thompson, All Rights Reserved
Have you noticed the world in your town? Share your own Notice Poems with the hashtag #NoticePoems
Notice Poems—A National Poetry Month poem series by author Holly Thompson relating to the verse novel Falling Into the Dragon’s Mouth, set in Kamakura, Japan.
Verse novels by Holly Thompson: Falling into the Dragon’s Mouth The Language Inside Orchards
Crashing Wave image by www.johnnyautomatic.com
April 12, 2016
Questions for a Squid
Notice Poems—A National Poetry Month poem series by author Holly Thompson relating to the verse novel Falling Into the Dragon’s Mouth, set in Kamakura, Japan. #NoticePoems
Questions for a Squid
Where do you come from?How old are you?How many brothers and sisters do you have?What is your favorite food?What sport do you play?Do you like dogs or cats?What time is it?What is your blood type?Can you eat with chopsticks?Do you like nattō?Do you know me?Why are you here?
© Holly Thompson, All Rights Reserved
Have you noticed the world in your town? Share your own Notice Poems with the hashtag #NoticePoems
Notice Poems—A National Poetry Month poem series by author Holly Thompson relating to the verse novel Falling Into the Dragon’s Mouth, set in Kamakura, Japan.
Verse novels by Holly Thompson: Falling into theDragon’s Mouth The Language Inside Orchards
Crashing Wave image by www.johnnyautomatic.com
Questions for a Squid
Where do you come from?How old are you?How many brothers and sisters do you have?What is your favorite food?What sport do you play?Do you like dogs or cats?What time is it?What is your blood type?Can you eat with chopsticks?Do you like nattō?Do you know me?Why are you here?
© Holly Thompson, All Rights Reserved
Have you noticed the world in your town? Share your own Notice Poems with the hashtag #NoticePoems
Notice Poems—A National Poetry Month poem series by author Holly Thompson relating to the verse novel Falling Into the Dragon’s Mouth, set in Kamakura, Japan.
Verse novels by Holly Thompson: Falling into theDragon’s Mouth The Language Inside Orchards
Crashing Wave image by www.johnnyautomatic.com
April 11, 2016
Station
Notice Poems—A National Poetry Month poem series by author Holly Thompson relating to the verse novel Falling Into the Dragon’s Mouth, set in Kamakura, Japan. #NoticePoems
Station
downhill from our house
is an old electric train line
that doesn’t travel far but runs
for a stretch alongside the sea
rickshaw drivers tried to block
the line’s construction, but lost,
so for over a hundred years
this train has connected our town
with the next town even though
it runs so slow and pauses so often
that it’s faster just to get on your
bike and ride to your destination
but everyone loves this line—
the locals and the trainspotters
who wait at key locations to snap
shots of the approaching train
curving around a rail bend,
framed with sea and sky behind,
paused at a double-track section
or creaking down the main street
our station is so short the trains
don’t fit the platform, and to disembark
you use the front or back rail cars—
it just depends on your direction
© Holly Thompson, All Rights Reserved
Have you noticed the world in your town? Share your own Notice Poems with the hashtag #NoticePoems
Notice Poems—A National Poetry Month poem series by author Holly Thompson relating to the verse novel Falling Into the Dragon’s Mouth, set in Kamakura, Japan.
Verse novels by Holly Thompson: Falling into theDragon’s Mouth The Language Inside Orchards
Crashing Wave image by www.johnnyautomatic.com
Station
downhill from our house
is an old electric train line
that doesn’t travel far but runs
for a stretch alongside the sea
rickshaw drivers tried to block
the line’s construction, but lost,
so for over a hundred years
this train has connected our town
with the next town even though
it runs so slow and pauses so often
that it’s faster just to get on your
bike and ride to your destination
but everyone loves this line—
the locals and the trainspotters
who wait at key locations to snap
shots of the approaching train
curving around a rail bend,
framed with sea and sky behind,
paused at a double-track section
or creaking down the main street
our station is so short the trains
don’t fit the platform, and to disembark
you use the front or back rail cars—
it just depends on your direction
© Holly Thompson, All Rights Reserved
Have you noticed the world in your town? Share your own Notice Poems with the hashtag #NoticePoems
Notice Poems—A National Poetry Month poem series by author Holly Thompson relating to the verse novel Falling Into the Dragon’s Mouth, set in Kamakura, Japan.
Verse novels by Holly Thompson: Falling into theDragon’s Mouth The Language Inside Orchards
Crashing Wave image by www.johnnyautomatic.com
April 10, 2016
Shirasu
Notice Poems—A National Poetry Month poem series by author Holly Thompson relating to the verse novel Falling Into the Dragon’s Mouth, set in Kamakura, Japan. #NoticePoems
Shirasu
our town is famous
for tiny fish that are boiled
then raked cool on racks
people line up for
shirasu rice, noodles, bread,
salads and . . . ice cream
there’s a movie that
makes it seem like shirasu
is all we eat here
once I saw a cat
up on the racks, satisfied
like it’d had its fill
I bet that cat moved
to this town after seeing
that movie’s trailer
© Holly Thompson, All Rights Reserved
Have you noticed the world in your town? Share your own Notice Poems with the hashtag #NoticePoems
Notice Poems—A National Poetry Month poem series by author Holly Thompson relating to the verse novel Falling Into the Dragon’s Mouth, set in Kamakura, Japan.
Verse novels by Holly Thompson: Falling into theDragon’s Mouth The Language Inside Orchards
Crashing Wave image by www.johnnyautomatic.com
Shirasu
our town is famous
for tiny fish that are boiled
then raked cool on racks
people line up for
shirasu rice, noodles, bread,
salads and . . . ice cream
there’s a movie that
makes it seem like shirasu
is all we eat here
once I saw a cat
up on the racks, satisfied
like it’d had its fill
I bet that cat moved
to this town after seeing
that movie’s trailer
© Holly Thompson, All Rights Reserved
Have you noticed the world in your town? Share your own Notice Poems with the hashtag #NoticePoems
Notice Poems—A National Poetry Month poem series by author Holly Thompson relating to the verse novel Falling Into the Dragon’s Mouth, set in Kamakura, Japan.
Verse novels by Holly Thompson: Falling into theDragon’s Mouth The Language Inside Orchards
Crashing Wave image by www.johnnyautomatic.com
