Messing Around on the Monkey Bars and Other School Poems for Two Voices

Bibliography:

Franco, Betsy. 2009. Messing Around on the Monkey Bars and Other School Poems for Two Voices. Ill. by Jessie Hartland. Massachusetts: Candlewick Press. ISBN: 9780763631741.

Summary:

As the title indicates, these are all poems about school, specifically elementary school. They include poems on riding the bus, giving reports, standing in the lunch line, searching the lost and found, playing at recess, and many more. The author incorporates a variety of voices with fun results, such as two bikes having a conversation at the bike rack.

Analysis:

These nineteen poems are meant to be read by two or more voices, alternating lines or saying them simultaneously. One example is a poem about meeting a new kid (“Where did you come from? / Far away. / Miss your friends? / Every day.”). Because of both the theme and the style, these poems would be perfect for a classroom to read together. Many poems rhyme, and all of them have great rhythm. Some even include sound effects, like tapping, that kids will enjoy. The book has a loose organization that goes from the beginning of the school day to the end, and at the back of the book is a resource for teachers and librarians on different ways to read the poems. The gouache illustrations show a bustling, fun, multicultural school.

Reviews/Awards:

“While the poems in this book can be read silently by one person, they are written for two or more voices and come alive when read aloud. Beginning with a verse about the bus ride to school, the selections cleverly incorporate alliteration and action. Franco adeptly uses meter and rhythm to capture the fast-paced action of jumping rope on the playground, and students will recognize the descriptions of typical classroom sounds that distract them from finishing schoolwork.”
School Library Journal

“Reading aloud is essential for re-enforcing pronunciation, phrasing, vocabulary - but for all those not doing the reading out loud its deadly dull. Thats why Franco’s Messing Around on the Monkey Bars is such a great idea. Two voices can also mean two groups: two rows, boys and girls, back and front. Everyone is engaged because everyone acts and responds.”
ForeWord Magazine

Connections:
*Practice reading the poems in pairs or groups, and pick one to perform.
*Read other poems for two voices, such as Joyful Noise by Paul Fleischman.