Marilyn Singer
1948-present
In the Hood
About the Author
- lives in Brooklyn, New York
- used to be an English teacher
- published her first book The Dog Who Insisted He Wasn't in 1976.
- has written over 100 books for children and young adults; genres include realistic novels, fantasies, non-fiction, fairy tales, picture books, mysteries and poetry
- created her own poetic format, the reverso
- has won multiple awards, including the Cybil Award for Poetry and the Land of Enchantment Picture Book Award for Mirror Mirror (2010)
Author's Website
Why Marilyn Singer?
Marilyn Singer's unique verse format makes poetry reading an enjoyable experience for children. As the readers unravel the thread of a poem backwards, they uncover a different way the same story could be told. Her poetry style provides young readers with an opportunity to view the same chain of events from a different perspective. It promotes an "out-of-the-box" way of thinking.
Uses of the poem in a classroom
- to teach students that a character who tells the story affects the way it unfolds
- to illustrate that poems could be read differently
- to facilitate cooperation among students through role-play
Additional sources
Hadaway, N. & Young, T. (2015). Celebrating Marilyn Singer: A poet of many interests. Language Arts, 93(1), 50-54.
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/contributor/marilyn-singer