TEN VERY IMPORTANT BACK TO SCHOOL POEMS
Monday, August 30, 2010
By: Kalli Desmarteau

Kalli Dakos, a best-selling author and poet, has placed Ten Very Important Back to School Poems on her website. She encourages parents and teachers to prepare children for a successful school year by reading the poems together.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BACK TO SCHOOL, 2010

Contact:
Kalli Dakos
Phone: (613) 723-7384 (800) 310-9495
Website: http://www.KalliDakos.com
E-MAIL: Edstark2@aol.com

TEN VERY IMPORTANT BACK TO SCHOOL POEMS

Ogdensburg, NY -- Kalli Dakos, a best-selling author and poet, has placed TEN VERY IMPORTANT BACK TO SCHOOL POEMS on her website. She encourages parents and teachers to prepare children for a successful school year by reading the poems together.
"Back to School is an important time for poetry in children's lives," says Ms. Dakos. "Poetry gives children the words for the feelings they cannot express, and the realization they are not alone with their fears and concerns. A short poem gives parents the starting place to talk about the return to school in ways that are helpful to children."
Ms. Dakos has written over 2,000 poems about life in our nation's schools, and her books have school related titles (OUR PRINCIPAL PROMISED TO KISS A PIG, THE BUG IN TEACHER'S COFFEE). Most of them are Children's Choice Selections with the International Reading Association.
"We tend to focus on school supplies and clothing for Back to School," says Ms. Dakos. "But poetry can create memorable connections between parents and children. One father told his daughter about the time he had to go to the principal's office because he was in BIG trouble," says Ms. Dakos and adds, "I hope the poems encourage parents to share their own school stories."
Ms. Dakos is celebrating the 20th anniversary of her book, If YOU'RE NOT HERE, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND (POEMS ABOUT SCHOOL).
The book was released by Simon and Schuster for BACK TO SCHOOL in 1990, and continues to sell world-wide since its publication. It is a Children's Choice Selection with the International Reading Association and a best-selling book in the education market with Simon and Schuster.
Jim Trelease, author of the Read-Aloud Handbook, writes, "I know of no other single book that captures the pulse of the elementary school the way Kalli's book does," and USA Today writes, "Kalli's hysterical collection will bring down the elementary school house."
When the book was released in 1990, The Ottawa Citizen wrote: "Meet the child who has not done her homework, the student who outdoes all the others at 'show and tell' by eating a worm, the child who mourns the death of a friend, and the classmates who giggle together over teachers, substitutes, hiccup attacks and pranks."
Ms. Dakos is also celebrating the release of her new book,
I HEARD YOU TWICE THE FIRST TIME, POEMS FOR TIRED AND BEWILDERED TEACHERS. "This is a collection of original poems to inspire and encourage teachers," she says.
Ms. Dakos, a former teacher and reading specialist, has taught in schools from Invuik, Northwest Territories to Fairfax County, Virginia. Her poems are based on real classroom stories.
She currently conducts author visits to schools. Her educational presentations are high-energy fun and filled with audience participation. "We have a six foot inflatable pig to go with my book, OUR PRINCIPAL PROMISED TO KISS A PIG," she says and adds, "This book is an introduction to the works of William Shakespeare for very young children."
Ms. Dakos believes, "'A poem can change a child, and a child can change the world." A love of poetry can begin with TEN VERY IMPORTANT BACK TO SCHOOL POEMS.

INTRODUCING A NEW ME

There's a new ME this year,
An on-time ME,
A clean-desk ME,
A listens-in-class-to-the-teacher ME,
A dead-serious-get-the-work-done-and-hand-it-in-
Before-it's-due ME.
The problem is
The new ME
Is not like ME
At all.
__________________________________________________
Poem by Kalli Dakos
Put Your Eyes Up Here and Other School Poems (Simon and Schuster)

For TEN VERY IMPORTANT BACK TO SCHOOL POEMS visit Kalli's website at http://www.KalliDakos.com. Call (613) 723-7384 (800) 310-9495 for information about school visits or e-mail at Edstark2@aol.com.