17th Annual Youth Poetry Competition Finalist's Anthology

17th Annual Youth Poetry Competition Finalist's Anthology. Dallas, Texas: Alphagraphics Dallas, 2013.
ISBN: none

Each year, the Dallas Public Library hosts a youth poetry competition and the winning poems are compiled into an anthology which is then published and circulated by the Dallas Public Library.  This is a unique example of poetry for kids, by kids!  The poetry contest is called "Express Yourself!" and has been going on since 1995.  The book includes a Dedication, written by Joe M. Dealey Jr., a table of contents, a Foreword, written by the Dallas Public Library director, and an About the Competition.  This final section elaborates and explains how the poems are selected and by whom.  The poems are chosen by judges based upon rhythm/structure, style/tone, originality, and spelling/diction.  The winning poems which are featured in the anthology were published exactly as they were submitted.  The Dallas Public Library does not edit or censor the students' work.  The book is broken up into grade levels (which is how the poems are also judged): 2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9, and 10-12.  The poems included are in English or Spanish. 

Kiera Daniel
Peak Preparatory
5th Grade

Autism
I think of Autism as an umbrella.
Autism is the umbrella
and under it are tiny little disorders
like A.D.D. and asperger's anxiety.
I'm a little different because I have
AUTISM.

Sometimes having Austism make me feel lonely
and left out, but I know I'm
smart
and have
Bright ideas!

But sometimes PEOPLE think
I am WEIRD.
I keep reminding myself that
I'm special and neat.

If I had to learn one thing from having Autism,
it would be that I'm special,
but in a different way.
Being DIFFERENT is fine
in fact, it's great!

I would love to introduce this anthology to a class!  I'd like to let each student reflect on the poems personally and individually.  I'd collect as many of these as a I could from the libraries so that each student could have one.  I'd ask them to spend some time in class reading and reflecting. Then we'd each write a poem which I'd mercilessly encourage them to submit to the contest. :)