Module 3
Poetry 
Additional Book

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Myers, Walter Dean. 2006. JAZZ. United States of America: Holiday House. ISBN 9780823415458

2.  PLOT SUMMARY
In this book of jazz poetry Myers fills the readers mind, heart, and soul with description of jazz music.  Each poem describes the melody from the beginning to the creativity of the musicians as he listens to the tune and feels with his heart and soul to decide where the melody will take him.  They listen to the music, they feel it, and then they make it their own.  All different cultures of music blended together borrowing from each other to create jazz music.  This book of poems helps to give a better understanding of jazz and a better appreciation of the music and the musicians.  The poems represent different aspects of the music genre.  

4. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The explosive color and very telling illustrations enhance the heart felt tone in the words of each poem.  In the poem titled “Louie, Louie, How You Play So Sweet” the musician stetches across two full pages.  The brilliant yellow and black increases the enjoyment of reading the poem.  The type font runs the length of the musicians making the reader turn the book sideways in order to read.  In the poem “It’s Jazz” they type is slanted diagonally as it take the form of the two dancers.  A reader can almost feel the beat of the drums and the shuffling of the feet as the poem brings New Orleans to life.

Each poem represents different aspects of jazz along with creative musicians adding their heart and soul into the melody making it their own.  The words take on a life of their own as they flow across the page.  In the poem “Be Bop”, the changing moods of the musician as the melody sinks in to his soul causing him to re arrange the melody and make it his own.  

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
From Good Reads: “Jazz, by Walter Dean Myers, is full of beautiful illustrations and engaging poetry in celebration of the American art form known as jazz.”
From Publishers Weekly: “Walter Dean Myers infuses his lines (and the rests between them) with so much savvy syncopation that readers can't help but be swept up in the rhythms.”

5. CONNECTIONS
*You could involve the class in making different instruments and then they could write a poem about their instrument and the music they can create.
*You could also have them write a poem and add music to it.  This can be another way they an express themselves.