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A Bunch of Punctuation
Selected by noted anthologist Lee Bennett Hopkins, this collection of all-new poems is written from the points of view of personality-filled punctuation marks, and is a memorable introduction to grammar for children ages 7-12.
In this land of punctuation, the exclamation mark is a superhero who tells a story chock-full of bops and bams, the comma lets you pause to enjoy the weather, and the period is where you must come to a full stop--or else the Grammar Police will get you. With humor and imagination, A Bunch of Punctuation makes it easy to remember the jobs of the various punctuation marks. Award-winning poet and anthologist Lee Bennett Hopkins has compiled a unique collection of poems featuring brand-new works by well-known poets, accompanied by inventive artwork by illustrator Serge Bloch.
In this land of punctuation, the exclamation mark is a superhero who tells a story chock-full of bops and bams, the comma lets you pause to enjoy the weather, and the period is where you must come to a full stop--or else the Grammar Police will get you. With humor and imagination, A Bunch of Punctuation makes it easy to remember the jobs of the various punctuation marks. Award-winning poet and anthologist Lee Bennett Hopkins has compiled a unique collection of poems featuring brand-new works by well-known poets, accompanied by inventive artwork by illustrator Serge Bloch.
32 pages, Hardcover
Published August 7, 2018
About the author
Lee Bennett Hopkins
209 books53 followersLee Bennett Hopkins was inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame in 2017. He holds a Guinness Book of Records citation for compiling the most anthologies for children. He has also received the Christopher Award, the Regina Medal, and the National Council of Teachers of English Excellence in Poetry for Children Award. He lives in Florida.
For more information, please see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Ben...
For more information, please see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Ben...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
September 28, 2026
Rounded up to four stars because odd young me would've loved it. I can definitely see it being used in today's classrooms and home-schools.
Except for the semicolon: it's not actually wrong, but a semicolon already confuses too many people; a semicolon needs to be defined simply as a way to hook up two complete sentences that work better together than apart.
I think that I will use fewer ellipses and more colons after reading this and understanding them better.
Except for the semicolon: it's not actually wrong, but a semicolon already confuses too many people; a semicolon needs to be defined simply as a way to hook up two complete sentences that work better together than apart.
I think that I will use fewer ellipses and more colons after reading this and understanding them better.
July 9, 2018
Dear One (Lee Bennett Hopkins) returns just in time for the new school year (August 2018) with a new anthology celebrating punctuation and how it works within the reading we do and the writing we share.
Familiar poetry friends are here: Amy Ludwig VanDerwater, Rebecca Kai Dotlich, Charles Ghigna, Allan Wolf, J. Patrick Lewis, Jane Yolen, Betsy Franco all present poems related to a specific punctuation mark which makes this a ready-for-the-mini-lesson resource bringing poetry and punctuation together. This is a great opportunity for classroom teachers to share that we punctuate our poetry as we do our prose for it's effect upon the poem and its presentation.
Each poetic piece not only serves to present the punctuation, but to wrap the punctuation in inventive situations wherein that punctuation might be found and its role within a sentence. Rebecca Kai Dotlich (an Indiana poetry treasure presents the first piece that reads like a quiet adventure through a day that includes punctuation providing perfect pauses to consider simile and metaphor and how they work in describing that one day spent outside:
Wake up!
An exclamation starts your day,
steers the way to a comma,
which brings you to a pause
"Father Goose" Charles Ghigna presents "THE DASH":
The daring dash--
an interruption--
is cause for pause
a clear disruption
Alice Shertle lends the lamentation of the forgotten colon in her piece, "Forgotten: A Colon's Complaint":
I wish to complain of the following:
neglect, disrespect, lack of use,
abandonment, utter exclusion.
I call it colon abuse.
J. Patrick Lewis brings his special brand of humor via light verse in celebration of the hyphen which Lewis dubs, "Stubby the Hyphen":
I'm one fine taste bud on the mother tongue,
Though readers are unlikely to applaud
Because I'm often seen but never heard,
A silent but fail-safe connecting rod.
Each of the contributions to the anthology do a splendid job of presenting the piece of punctuation, embedding that punctuation within the piece, and losing nothing by way of enjoyable poetry that is given to a lighter feel without feeling like one is reading a how-to on grammar and usage.
Serge Bloch's illustrations create nice anthropomorphic representation of the punctuation which will serve visual learners well. Reading aloud the pieces within the new collection will even help classroom teachers to model how that punctuation sounds when read aloud.
That the period and question mark are two of the end pieces within the anthology is an example of the thoughtful curation we have come to expect, to know, and to love from Lee Bennett Hopkins whose anthologies continue to promote children's poetry in a way that is delightful and insightful all at once.
I'd like to see teachers of the early grades adopting this new collection as an example for what poetry can do to not only explain but to enlighten subjects that can cause some students fits. The poetically-inclined student with an early ear and hEARt for poetry will be able to see something in the verse that they might not ever see if poetry pieces by today's best poets are not shared in the classroom as part of the learning experience. The Dear One has given us a gift as he has with LEAPING OFF LIBRARY SHELVES and WORDS, WORDS, WORDS. These classroom-ready collections are examples of how today's best children's poets are on stand-by in the stanzas ready to assist with the learning that happens each day in the classroom.
Familiar poetry friends are here: Amy Ludwig VanDerwater, Rebecca Kai Dotlich, Charles Ghigna, Allan Wolf, J. Patrick Lewis, Jane Yolen, Betsy Franco all present poems related to a specific punctuation mark which makes this a ready-for-the-mini-lesson resource bringing poetry and punctuation together. This is a great opportunity for classroom teachers to share that we punctuate our poetry as we do our prose for it's effect upon the poem and its presentation.
Each poetic piece not only serves to present the punctuation, but to wrap the punctuation in inventive situations wherein that punctuation might be found and its role within a sentence. Rebecca Kai Dotlich (an Indiana poetry treasure presents the first piece that reads like a quiet adventure through a day that includes punctuation providing perfect pauses to consider simile and metaphor and how they work in describing that one day spent outside:
Wake up!
An exclamation starts your day,
steers the way to a comma,
which brings you to a pause
"Father Goose" Charles Ghigna presents "THE DASH":
The daring dash--
an interruption--
is cause for pause
a clear disruption
Alice Shertle lends the lamentation of the forgotten colon in her piece, "Forgotten: A Colon's Complaint":
I wish to complain of the following:
neglect, disrespect, lack of use,
abandonment, utter exclusion.
I call it colon abuse.
J. Patrick Lewis brings his special brand of humor via light verse in celebration of the hyphen which Lewis dubs, "Stubby the Hyphen":
I'm one fine taste bud on the mother tongue,
Though readers are unlikely to applaud
Because I'm often seen but never heard,
A silent but fail-safe connecting rod.
Each of the contributions to the anthology do a splendid job of presenting the piece of punctuation, embedding that punctuation within the piece, and losing nothing by way of enjoyable poetry that is given to a lighter feel without feeling like one is reading a how-to on grammar and usage.
Serge Bloch's illustrations create nice anthropomorphic representation of the punctuation which will serve visual learners well. Reading aloud the pieces within the new collection will even help classroom teachers to model how that punctuation sounds when read aloud.
That the period and question mark are two of the end pieces within the anthology is an example of the thoughtful curation we have come to expect, to know, and to love from Lee Bennett Hopkins whose anthologies continue to promote children's poetry in a way that is delightful and insightful all at once.
I'd like to see teachers of the early grades adopting this new collection as an example for what poetry can do to not only explain but to enlighten subjects that can cause some students fits. The poetically-inclined student with an early ear and hEARt for poetry will be able to see something in the verse that they might not ever see if poetry pieces by today's best poets are not shared in the classroom as part of the learning experience. The Dear One has given us a gift as he has with LEAPING OFF LIBRARY SHELVES and WORDS, WORDS, WORDS. These classroom-ready collections are examples of how today's best children's poets are on stand-by in the stanzas ready to assist with the learning that happens each day in the classroom.
July 15, 2018
Another fabulous anthology by the master of such things, Lee Bennett Hopkins.
August 13, 2018
If you're like me
(and think grammar is grand)
then you won't let this book
out of your hand!
From apostrophes to semicolons,
it makes learning punctuation fun;
each mark has its own unique use—
it's truly a book for everyone.
(and think grammar is grand)
then you won't let this book
out of your hand!
From apostrophes to semicolons,
it makes learning punctuation fun;
each mark has its own unique use—
it's truly a book for everyone.
February 5, 2019
Delightful and didactic in the best way. Going to be reading this one to my fourth graders immediately!
February 17, 2020
A fun look at punctuation through poetry. I liked three of the poems in this compilation. I didn’t think a few of them were very clever and some just confused me. All in all, a good sampling of poetry styles.
July 30, 2018
Master anthologist, Lee Bennett Hopkins, has done it again, compiling 14 original and ingenious poems about punctuation in A Bunch of Punctuation. Bloch's clever illustrations add clarity & lol humor. I particularly like ‘The Dash’ by Charles Ghigna. —
“A handsome mark,
Understated,
The dashing dash—
Underrated.
A subdued dude
In tweet and text,
He signals what
Is coming next.
…”
Really, all 14 poems are just delightful. To fill your world and your student’s world with poetry, this is a Must Have anthology.
“A handsome mark,
Understated,
The dashing dash—
Underrated.
A subdued dude
In tweet and text,
He signals what
Is coming next.
…”
Really, all 14 poems are just delightful. To fill your world and your student’s world with poetry, this is a Must Have anthology.
August 14, 2018
It's a challenge to review a book of poetry when every poem is a delight. This recently published, and delightful, book offers a creative and new way to teach about those pesky things called "punctuation marks". Lee Bennett Hopkins has given me that challenge in his new collection that includes a poem about every.single.mark. Poems are written by Lee and others you will recognize: Rebecca Kai Dotlich, Amy Ludwig VanDerwater, Charles Ghigna, Allan Wolf, Julie Larios, Alice Schertle, J. Patrick Lewis, Michele Krueger, Jane Yolen, Prince Redcloud, Joan Bransfield Graham, and Betsy Franco. Think of this opening by Rebecca Kai Dotlich, "A Punctuation Tale" that starts the excitement of best learning how these (sometimes mysteries) help communicate exactly what one wants to share when writing:
"Soon once again
you said away
to the island of End of Day,
where sky is a scribble
of lights and darks–
with
"good night"
cuddled/in quotation marks." Wait till you read ALL of this poem.
Serge Bloch's whimsical illustrations add to the learning with cartoon-like interpretations of each poem. In J. Patrick Lewis' poem "Stubby The Hyphen", Bloch shows several animals' bodies connected with, yes a hyphen.
Lee Bennett Hopkins ends this delightful poetry with one final poem, "Lines Written for You To Think About". In it, he gives several challenges that include different punctuation marks.
For every classroom, for help with punctuation lessons, for celebrating "after" the lessons and showing how poems can include information, this is the book!
"Soon once again
you said away
to the island of End of Day,
where sky is a scribble
of lights and darks–
with
"good night"
cuddled/in quotation marks." Wait till you read ALL of this poem.
Serge Bloch's whimsical illustrations add to the learning with cartoon-like interpretations of each poem. In J. Patrick Lewis' poem "Stubby The Hyphen", Bloch shows several animals' bodies connected with, yes a hyphen.
Lee Bennett Hopkins ends this delightful poetry with one final poem, "Lines Written for You To Think About". In it, he gives several challenges that include different punctuation marks.
For every classroom, for help with punctuation lessons, for celebrating "after" the lessons and showing how poems can include information, this is the book!
September 29, 2018
Anyone seeing "Poems selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins" on the cover of this book will know they have a good thing. (Just think back to My America, I Am the Book, or School People if you don't remember.) This latest anthology has poems by a baker's dozen of different writers, each taking on a different type of punctuation. Alice Schertle shares the colon's complaint. "I wish to complain of the following: neglect, disrespect, lack of use, abandonment, utter exclusion. I call it colon abuse." Jane Yolen points out that "Period is the point that halts you." And according to Betsy Franco, the semicolon claims that "On the page we're quite friendly; we look like a link." (They actually do look that way when you think about it.) Other authors include Charles Ghigna and J. Patrick Lewis, as well as Hopkins himself. Everything from commas to quotation marks are fair game for their verses, and each type of punctuation comes to unique life in their descriptions.
The illustrations by Serge Bloch add a visual dimension to the rhymes. Apostrophe walks with an S on a leash to illustrate the possessive use, while below them are various characters balancing contractions and kicking around the letters that the apostrophe has replaced. The ellipsis appear as "three lunar eclipses" floating in space while space ships labeled "missing" and "words" fly past. There is a comic flair in the illustrations that will have readers paying close attention to the details.
Perfect for poetry lovers and for use along with grammar lessons on punctuation. Who wouldn't want to learn about how to use exclamation marks to bring superhero mayhem to life? I read a review copy provided by the publisher.
The illustrations by Serge Bloch add a visual dimension to the rhymes. Apostrophe walks with an S on a leash to illustrate the possessive use, while below them are various characters balancing contractions and kicking around the letters that the apostrophe has replaced. The ellipsis appear as "three lunar eclipses" floating in space while space ships labeled "missing" and "words" fly past. There is a comic flair in the illustrations that will have readers paying close attention to the details.
Perfect for poetry lovers and for use along with grammar lessons on punctuation. Who wouldn't want to learn about how to use exclamation marks to bring superhero mayhem to life? I read a review copy provided by the publisher.
October 26, 2018
This poetry anthology celebrates the various forms of punctuation. It begins with a poem that looks at the range of different punctuation and then moves on to poems about specific types of punctuation. The exclamation point is a superhero in a poem with lots of sounds and naturally, exclamations. The dash gives one a bit of pause. The hyphen creates new combinations. The period is a traffic officer demanding a full stop. The popular apostrophe works hard to show possession and create contractions. One after another, these forms of punctuation are given their own voice and uses it to explain what they do with humor.
Anytime you pick up an anthology by Hopkins, you know you are in for a treat. He has a knack for creating poetry books for children that have child-friendly poetry but also have an arc that gets pages turning. Here the punctuation poems follow one after another in a way that displays their full range and results in a journey rather than a simple series of poetry.
The illustrations by Bloch use punctuation to create bodies for the various characters. He also uses words to create them too. They have the loose feel of doodles, which creates a look at that adds to the friendliness of the book.
Another winner of an anthology from Hopkins. This one will be useful in the classroom and will be enjoyed as a full anthology by readers. Appropriate for ages 6-9.
Anytime you pick up an anthology by Hopkins, you know you are in for a treat. He has a knack for creating poetry books for children that have child-friendly poetry but also have an arc that gets pages turning. Here the punctuation poems follow one after another in a way that displays their full range and results in a journey rather than a simple series of poetry.
The illustrations by Bloch use punctuation to create bodies for the various characters. He also uses words to create them too. They have the loose feel of doodles, which creates a look at that adds to the friendliness of the book.
Another winner of an anthology from Hopkins. This one will be useful in the classroom and will be enjoyed as a full anthology by readers. Appropriate for ages 6-9.
December 28, 2018
Looking for a fun way to introduce punctuation marks to children? Hopkins weaves learning with fun in this poem picture books that introduces readers to various punctuation: commas, apostrophes, dashes, ellipsis, colons, exclamation marks, hyphens, parentheses, periods, question marks, quotation marks, and semicolons. The extremely simple drawings coupled with thoughtful poems are something that younger kids will love to read, as well as a great starting point into a building sentences lesson for elementary teachers. These poems could also be useful to older students who need reminders on how to use certain punctuation marks. Hopkins is a Guinness World Records renowned author for anthology and poetry books for children and his latest edition is one to note. A Bunch of Punctuation ends with a call to action for readers to create their own poem using a variety of punctuation marks because “You can! (Of course you can!).”
October 27, 2018
A truly delightful compilation of poems about punctuation. Poetry from multiple authors does a thorough job of illustrating the purpose of all forms of punctuation. Sample sentences help convey how each punctuation mark should be used in writing. Illustrations help to support and enhance this information with lively retro figures and coloring. Most of the poetry was spot on in explaining what the punctuation mark does. The first poem, however, could come across as confusing for younger readers.
I would recommend this book for children in grades two and up. Definitely a good resource for introducing punctuation as you could easily use just a couple of poems at a time. For older struggling readers, this may help review the job of each punctuation mark.
I would recommend this book for children in grades two and up. Definitely a good resource for introducing punctuation as you could easily use just a couple of poems at a time. For older struggling readers, this may help review the job of each punctuation mark.
October 9, 2018
If you haven’t gotten the new poetry book all about Punctuation, you should add it soon! .
.
A Bunch of Punctuation is a collection of poems all about those marks we emphasize with our students, from commas to ellipsis......
Poems are selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins and the pages of illustrated by Serge Bloch.
This is such a great way to remind and help teach all the ways we can use these marks in our language. I also love how creative each poem is and how the styles vary. Not only do I see it being used for grammar lessons, but it would be a great book to have during any of your poetry units.
.
A Bunch of Punctuation is a collection of poems all about those marks we emphasize with our students, from commas to ellipsis......
Poems are selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins and the pages of illustrated by Serge Bloch.
This is such a great way to remind and help teach all the ways we can use these marks in our language. I also love how creative each poem is and how the styles vary. Not only do I see it being used for grammar lessons, but it would be a great book to have during any of your poetry units.
June 19, 2019
This is a great collection of poems written by Lee Bennett Hopkins. It goes through each type of punctuation in an informal but entertaining manner. For example, in the poem about apostrophes, the apostrophe is the main character and it is in her point of view. She says, "If you read and write it's your job to care, because I work hard up there." Each poem is informative in that it gives plenty of examples of using the punctuation features throughout the poem. It is a great way to engage students in learning about each punctuation's function.
This would be a cute book to use throughout the year as you teach about each type of punctuation in an early elementary classroom. This is a must-have in the classroom!
This would be a cute book to use throughout the year as you teach about each type of punctuation in an early elementary classroom. This is a must-have in the classroom!
December 1, 2018
Lee Bennett Hopkins has come up with another clever poetry anthology. I bet there's an interesting story behind putting this book together, with several new poems included.
It could be interesting to have students create their own punctuation poems and drawings after reading this. You could also read some of these poems, leave out some strategic words, and have the students guess which punctuation mark is being described.
It could be interesting to have students create their own punctuation poems and drawings after reading this. You could also read some of these poems, leave out some strategic words, and have the students guess which punctuation mark is being described.
March 27, 2021
The book “A Bunch of Punctuation” is a fantastic story to read to younger students who are learning about punctuation and how to use it. This book would be awesome to read while teaching a lesson on when to use each specific punctuation marks. I would love to have this in my classroom so I can read it to each class at the beginning of the year.
January 18, 2025
Punctuation comes to life in the poems selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins. From periods to dashes, semicolons to commas, the fourteen poems included are full of exuberance, humor and creativity. This collection would be perfect to have on hand in a classroom to read before lessons on different forms of punctuation. A well written, perfectly curated collection of poems for kids.
November 25, 2018
Another wonderful anthology from Lee Bennett Hopkins brings punctuation to life. Kids and grammar nerds like me will love it! I especially enjoyed "Superhero Kaboom," by Julie Larios, "The Purpose of Parentheses," by Michele Krueger, and "...," by Allan Wolf. So many clever poems here!
October 7, 2018
Whoever thought punctuation could be so fun?
October 7, 2018
Perfect review or introduction to punctuation marks. It's fun and great mentor text for students to write their own punctuation poem.
October 19, 2018
Fun, clever poems organized around an unusual topic! Bravo to all who contributed!
November 6, 2018
A lively, entertaining collection of punctuation poems.
December 7, 2018
Clever poems that show readers how to use punctuation marks.
January 30, 2019
Very clever...an English teacher would approve!
March 12, 2019
A good supplement to a grammar lesson.
August 5, 2019
A collection of poetry related to punctuation. It might be useful for middle school students n creating engaging lessons on grammar or poetry.
October 16, 2019
A great boy for teachers & students learning basic punctuation
March 14, 2020
This fun book of poetry is a great resource for teaching kids punctuation rules. There are poems about the period, comma, dash, ellipsis, semicolon, and exclamation mark. Lovely artwork too!
October 29, 2020
In this book, there are 14 poems that are all about punctuation. The reader can learn about punctuation marks in a creative and fun way!
March 25, 2021
This is such a great book of poems. I highly recommend reading this book. Great for when introducing the lesson of punctuation!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews