NPM Day 27: Sharing Poetry with Tweens & Teens - Invitation to Create Day 2

Today I'll be sharing about book spine poetry and blackout poetry. Both of these are forms of found poetry. Here's a definition of a found poem from poets.org. 

I discovered book spine poetry through a post on the ALSC blog by Travis Jonker. Travis blogs at 100 Scope Notes via School Library Journal. Creating book spine poetry is so fun. My favorite place to create is in the picture book section of a public library. Due to picture books larger spine, the titles are often free from labels which helps. I browse the shelves with paper and pen and jot down the titles that appeal. Only when I think I've got a poem do I pull the books and stack them up. 

Here's one I wrote way back in 2016. 

The Doorbell Rang 
A Visitor for Bear 
That New Animal
The Tiger Who Came to Tea 

Blackout poetry is also known as erasure. Here's a definition of erasure from poets.org. Blackout poetry can be simply that or it can be more artistic. "The Art of Blackout Poetry" by Cheryl Trowbridge on Teach Kids Art is a good introduction to the form. A search of Pinterest for "blackout poetry ideas" yields a plethora of results. Here's a link to an online blackout poem generator. There's a new text to play with every day. 

I hope you have fun creating found poems using book spines and blackout.