Poetry 180

Bibliographic Information: Collins, B. (2003). Poetry 180. New York: Random House Trade Paperbacks. 
ISBN: 9780812968873

Plot Summary:  In Poetry 180, Billy Collins assembled an anthology of poems written by various poets, designed to be read once a day to students throughout the school year.  The poems cover topics like love, friendship, death, family, and history in humorous, serious, and light-hearted tones. Titles include "Did I Miss Anything," a poem about the moment an absent student returns and asks that fateful question, "Sidekicks," which pays tribute to the hero's right-hand man, and "Fat is Not a Fairytale," wishing for rotundness to be good enough for a princess. 
 

Critical Evaluation: The purpose of Poetry 180 is for teachers to read one poem to their students everyday in hope to ease their resistance to poetry.  Poetry is to be enjoyed, not hammered to death until it spews its true meaning.  The poems Collins collected provide enough subject variety to appeal to all readers or listeners.  This collection shows how poetry can be fun on top of symbolic and deep. 

Reader’s Annotation: Turn back to poetry in your classroom with Billy Collins' collection of 180 poems.  A poem a day keeps the students awake!

Information about the author: Billy Collins started the poem-a-day program with the Library of Congress when he served as the U.S. Poet Laureate from 2001-2003.  His hope for Poetry 180 is to provide a non-threatening  way for students to enjoy poetry.  
Collins has authored several books of poetry since 1977 including Horoscopes for the Dead: Poems (2006), The Art of Drowning (1995), and The Trouble with Poetry (2005). Collins received the Mark Twain Prize for Humor in Poetry, and multiple fellowships from the New York Foundation for the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, and the Guggenheim Foundation (Poets.org). 

Genre: Poetry 

Curriculum Ties: English (poetry)

Booktalking ideas (one or two):
1. Read a poem- "Did I Miss Anything"
 

Reading level/Interest age: 14+

Challenge Issues: N/A

Why I included this book: I chose this poetry collection for young adult patrons who enjoy reading poetry.  Since Billy Collins compiled these poems specifically for school-age readers, it is an appropriate choice for the young adult section.  

References:
Poets.org (n.d.). Billy Collins. Retrieved from http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/278