Zombies! Evacuate the School!

by Sara Holbrook, Karen Sandstrom (Illustrator)

Celebrated performance poet Sara Holbrook's poems range from begging for a few more minutes' sleep to a "slam-dancing ride" on the big yellow bus, from the teacher who picks up signals with "antennae in her hair" to a full-on zombie invasion. Silly, serious, and everything in between, these poems show kids that poetry is not just for grown-ups! Writing prompts and mini poetry lessons throughout introduce readers to many of the elements of poetry and invite kids to write poems of their own.

Genres: Poetry, Picture Books, Nonfiction

56 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2010

Reviews

[L12_tomj · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poems about school, substitutes, and soccer are good starting points to spark student interest in the craft of poetry, but Sara Holbrook goes one step further and includes zombies. "Zombies! Evacuate the School" is a fun inquiry for students and teachers on the range of poetic styles and interesting topics that students can explore when crafting their own poems. Poems such as "It's Today?" demonstrate to students that poetry needn't be lengthy in form or have complex allusions and metaphors to be enjoyable and meaningful.

Frantic,
panic,
sinking
sorrow.

The science test
is not tomorrow.

Instead a student sees through Ms. Holbrook's style of writing that simple topics can bring just as much impact and delight to the reader. Sarah Holbrook gives teachers and students opportunities to explore each poem. The poet has enclosed in “bubbles” little suggestions for writing, insight towards crafting, and origins of the content or style of each poem. In "Leave-Behinds", Sarah Holbrook gives teachers and students specific insight into how line stanza breaks provide dramatic tension and suspense for the reader.

What made two bicycle makers fly?
What made my couch potato state?
What if I turned off the tube
and let my leisure time create?

I wonder what I'd make.

Holbrook's provides examples and insights for young students on a variety of poetic devices and topics that can be explored: topic origins, rhyming schemes, word and line arrangements, imagery, and metaphor. Sara Holbrook's goal is to demystify and make accessible with the goal towards expressive and experimental fun in the classroom what many students (and adults) often find as a tedious and stuffy- poetry. Illustrator Karen Sandstrom adds mischievous and comical drawings that any child would find amusing.

This book is full of opportunities and starting ideas for teachers of middle school students looking for children to craft their own poems. If mimicry is the sincerest form of flattery, then teachers would be wise to take any of Sara Holbrook's "bubble" suggestions or poem content topics, and then have students express in poetic form their own ideas. Other companion books that will give teachers opportunities to introduce to students the sheer range of poetic forms and innumerable topics poets explore include "A Kick in the Head: An Everyday Guide to Poetic Forms" by Paul Janeczko, "Incredible Inventions" selected poems by Lee Bennett Hopkins where all manner of modern and common inventions become the starting point for poems, and "Writing Poetry with Children" by Jo Ellen Moore which has reproducible form pages and poetry prompts for teachers to nudge their students on their way to crafting their own poems.

[Edward Sojuwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sara Holbrook is a young female poet with her heart in the right place and an honesty that is refreshing as it is totally cool. Sara's book is all poetry, different styles and different shapes, and she gladly shows her kid audience how these poems are done and encourages them, and us, to try these forms ourselves. Only the last poetic piece is about school being over due to zombies scrounging thru the halls and freaking teachers out. Sara also writes about insecurities in her own life, and uses these to inspire young poets to not so much copy off as refine from similar poetry traditions. Sara Holbrook is absolutely amazing in her honest bravery about what one poet once called the nifty gifty God gave us to see ourselves as others see us. Like a female Colin Hay, lead singer for Men at Work, Sara is the strange lady making the status quo nervous, cos she's on a heady trail with her head full of zombies...the monsters in her mind she turns into fun poems!
Four stars
Sara, Smile, because you rock!

[Haleigh Easterling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary -- Ranging from serious, silly, and everything in between this book of poems allows kids to read "their kind" of poetry. Sara Holbrooke has a great way of connecting her poems to a lot of things students are going through, like losing their homework or having a messy pet.

Evaluation -- These poems make teaching poetry fun for students. They are easy to read, and relate to. I think students would find the topics entertaining and it would make introducing poetry an easier task for a classroom teacher.

Teaching Point -- This book is a great resource for introducing poetry. The author writes in a very relatable way. Students will have personal connections with the stories which allows for a higher interest. The Author also includes writing prompts and mini poetry lessons throughout introduce readers to many of the elements of poetry and invite kids to write poems of their own.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a collection of classroom poems by Sara Holbrook. She does a wonderful job of writing clever poems with just the right wording. What I really love about this collection is the notes she puts by her poems. She writes to the side of the poems, explaining her writing process and providing writing prompts for the reader. One of my favorites was "Bad Words", a poem, not only about obscenity, but also about words that lack proper descriptive properties like "interesting", "good", or "nice". I plan on having this book in my classroom and taking advantage of the teaching points and prompts. It is especially great if teaching poetry intimidates you, as it does me.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a little surprised when I picked up this book. First of all, the title zombies only appear in the book's last poem. Boo. But despite this small disappointment, the book was pretty cool! The school-themed poems are fun to read. I also really liked the little comments left by the author on each page. These sidebars offer some insight to the writing process and even give aspiring poets the occasional writing prompt. For a kid learning to write or even to simply appreciate poetry, this book could be a fun tool.

[Donalyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

With poems about school (the good, the bad, and the imaginative) and poetry-writing information and tips on every page, this book will be a hit with teachers and their students.

Holbrook's introduction, where she reveals her early poetry writing efforts, is a must-read for striving writers.

My only complaint-- a book with zombies in the title should have more than one zombie poem. I'm just saying...

[Julia West · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: Through this collection of poems students are immersed in the frumpy school life of Sara Holbrook.
Evaluation: This book offers many differing types of poetry and rhyme scheme. This is a great way to introduce poetry in a way that will keep students engaged.
Teaching Ideas: This can be used to introduce poetry to students and rhyming patterns. This can also be used as a model for students to write their own poetry.

[Karen Arendt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like how the author uses speech bubbles to share ideas with the reader; the speech bubbles also encourage students to write a poem.

Such excellent ideas for writing poetry and prompts, too. Perfect for teachers to use in ELA. Definitely ordering for school! I may even try out the 100% poem in the library for students to create!

[Deborah · Rating 3 out of 5]

The preface/introduction is worth almost as much as the whole book. I think middle school students would like the poems--and they are accompanied by some suggestions for students to write their own. Overall, enjoyable.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked this one ... a lot. Over the Limit is the story of my life (running late).
There are some great possibilities for writing in here.
But yes. As many others have mentioned ... if the word zombies is in the title don't tease us. More than one mention, please!

[Tracie]

Presents poems and at the bottom of the page is a guide to writing a poem like the one presented. Very Cool.

[Sarah Thalmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zombies! Evacuate the School! offers a collection of entertaining poems that cover a variety of school-related topics, such as the difficulties of waking up early, the tragic realization that those birthday cupcakes spotted in the hallway are destined for another classroom, the problems and pitfalls of high-stakes testing, and, of course, the steps to take if zombies and other assorted monsters invade the school. The poems range from serious to humorous, many containing twists at the end that contradict reader expectations. Recurring themes from both the introduction and the poems themselves include the importance of making time to daydream, letting the mind wander to inspire creativity, as well as the idea that students should not strive for perfection or conform to the expectations of others. Most poems are accompanied by simple color illustrations ranging from realistic depictions of school scenes and children to more imaginative drawings such as the "teacher twister," an angry tornado bearing down on the fearful student who didn't do last night's homework. In addition, Sara Holbrook includes explanations of the techniques she used to write many of the poems accompanied by suggestions for how readers might start writing their own poetry. These explanations and tips are unobtrusive, sometimes included in speech bubbles coming from characters' mouths or from the poems themselves and are sometimes incorporated into the illustrations, such as when they appear on the loose papers falling out of the backpack of the student rushing to the bus stop. Through her poems, she teaches readers about poetic devices such as refrain, figurative language, onomatopoeia, imagery, irony, and rhyming patterns, making this book somewhat of a how-to book as well as a poetry collection. This book could be enjoyed simply for the poetry, or it could be used in an elementary classroom when beginning a poetry unit to illustrate the possibilities of poetry in an entertaining, engaging way. Target Audience: Ages 8-12