THIS IS JUST TO SAY by Joyce Sidman; Ill. by Pamela Zagarenski

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Sidman, Joyce. 2007. THIS IS JUST TO SAY. NewYork: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 0618616802

2. PLOT SUMMARY
As a classroom assignment based on a poem penned by William Carlos Williams, Mrs. Merz has her sixth-grade students write an apology, in the form of a poem, to someone they have wronged. These poems were delivered to their recipients, and they were asked to write a response. Each poem in this collection was written as either an apology to another person, or was a response to an initial apology. Many of the responses include forgiveness, and some reveal secrets of their own.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This collection of poems show the variety of emotion felt by adolescents. Some of these poems of regret are lighthearted and comical, such as “Brownies – Oops!” by Maria where she describes a time that she stole some freshly baked brownies from her mom. Others are a little more serious, such as “It Was Quiet” by Tenzin. This heartfelt poem talks about the time when the child lost his best friend, his dog, Einstein.

The book’s set-up allows for multiple interactions with the poems. The first section includes the assigned apology poems the students wrote. The second section contains all of the responses to those poems. As the reader goes into the second section, they turn back to the corresponding poems and re-read them. Some of the responses include a proud parent who has never written a poem before (“I’m Telling You Now” by Jose’s dad) to a sister that is still mad about a scar left behind (“Roses Are Red” by Carrie). A very heartfelt letter by a father shows that poetry can even save lives (“My Poem” by Jewel).

The illustrations are in the form of skits and cut outs that children could have done themselves. Many use notebook paper, newspaper, or construction paper cutouts, doodles, and arrows and lines connecting words from the text to the illustration below.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY review: “…the poems contained in this often humorous and touching anthology were inspired by the title poem of apology, which was penned by William Carlos Williams.”
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL Starred review: “a surprising array of emotions, poetic forms, and subjects from dead pets and biting hamsters to angry siblings and betrayal of trust.”

5. CONNECTIONS
*Have children write their own poems of apology and deliver it to the recipient. Additionally, ask for a response in the same form.
*Other books of poetry
Worth, Valerie. ALL THE SMALL POEMS AND FOURTEEN MORE. ISBN 0374403457
Myers, Walter Dean. BROWN ANGELS: AN ALBUM OF PICTURES AND VERSE. ISBN 0064434559