Summersaults

Florian, D. (2002). Summersaults. New York, NY: Greenwillow Books.

Brief Annotation: The author has created poetry for all things that happen in the summer. The topics of the summer weather, summer activities and places to go, and even insects we encounter in the summer.

Genre: Poetry

Grade Level: Grade 2- Grade 6

Readers who will like this: I think all children would like this book since most kids love the summer! It showcases experiences one would have during the summer, in a poetic matter. Each poem has a matched illustration which allows for a visual component to each piece.

Response/Rating (1-4): Summersaults is part of a seasons poetry collection by Douglas Florian. I would rate this book a 4. The poems are thought evoking, short, and allow the reader to connect to the summer as most of us generally do. The illustrations aid to draw out the vision the author had when creating the poem. The collection could be read by older children, or you could do a read aloud to any age group during a unit on poetry. It could also be incorporated during a unit on the weather, for the seasons, as a way to draw out a student’s experiences.

One question you would ask before a read aloud: When you think of summer, what words come to mind?