Citation: Mora, P. (2010). Dizzy in your eyes: poems about love. New York, NY: Alfred A.Knopf.
Impressions: Mora has written a fantastic collection of poetry that will appeal to teenagers. I am personally fond of the fact that she has given small definitions of certain poetic styles that she uses. It is an easy and realistic read for any teenager. This is great book to show students how poetry is not just a thing of the past. I also like that Mora chooses to emerge the Spanish language into her poetry as well.
Reviews:
“From family and school to dating and being dumped, the subjects in these 50 poems cover teens’ experiences of love in many voices and situations. Several entries incorporate Spanish words and idioms, as in “Ode to Teachers,” a moving tribute in English with a Spanish translation. A few poems hit a too-sweet tone with forced rhyme, but the best are wry, passionate, casual, and honest (“It’s nice having a sister especially when boys come over, / and some of them like you better”). One of the best is “Silence,” in which a girl speaks about waiting and waiting for her childhood friend to invite her to the prom. Mora writes in free verse, as well as a wide variety of classic poetic forms—including haiku, clerihew, sonnet, cinquain, and blank verse—and for each form, there is an unobtrusive explanatory note on the facing page. The tight structures intensify the strong feelings in the poems, which teens will enjoy reading on their own or hearing aloud in the classroom.”-Hazel Rochman
Rochman, H. (2009). Dizzy in your eyes: poems about love (book review). Booklist, 106(6). Retrieved from Children’s Literature Comprehensive Database.
“Forty-nine poems, most barely a couple of pages long, broadly treat the topic of love, sometimes directly and sometimes indirectly; sometimes happily, sometimes regretfully, and sometimes uncertainly; some relating to love of family and friends, some to romantic love. Additionally, Mora employs a variety of poetic styles and forms, with a brief explanation of the relevant form on the page facing the poem. While the poems are more often solid than sparkling, a few of them display imagery or authenticity that lifts them, and overall, they’ve got a grounded realism that makes them accessible to the poetry-skittish; the formal experimentation means they’ll be useful in the classroom.”-Deborah Stevenson
Stevenson, D. (2010). Dizzy in your eyes: poems about love (book review). The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, 63(6). Retrieved from Children’s Literature Comprehensive Database.
Library Setting: One of the most wonderful things about poetry is that there are different forms that can be used as guide to write. In the library, present patrons with some of the forms that are mentioned in the book such as villanelle, sonnet or sonnet. Read these poems or give them a hard copy so they can see the forms themselves. Have the patrons write poems using the forms you have discussed. Make two copies of the poem or poems they have created. One may go with home with the patron and the other can hang on the library walls.
