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March 24, 2020 by Travis Jonker

The Great 2020 Quarantine Book Spine Poem Challenge!

March 24, 2020 by Travis Jonker   6 comments

I received an email out of the blue yesterday . . .

Attached was Larry’s great book spine cento poem:

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I first learned about book spine cento poems through artist Nina Katchadourian. I’ve celebrated them every National Poetry Month since.

But when I saw Larry’s poem, I realized something new: with everyone cooped up in their houses due to covid-19, this is the perfect time to give the book spine cento a try.

I immediately went to my shelves and whipped up this disgusting gem:

So here’s what I’m proposing:

The Great 2020 Quarantine Book Spine Poem Challenge!

  1. Make a book spine cento poem using the books inside your house.
  2. These tips might help.
  3. Take a picture.
  4. Send it to me: scopenotes (at) gmail (dot) com.
  5. When April 1 hits (National Poetry Month), I’ll post a gallery, including your poem, for all to enjoy.

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About Travis Jonker

Travis Jonker is an elementary school librarian in Michigan. He writes reviews (and the occasional article or two) for School Library Journal and is a member of the 2014 Caldecott committee. You can email Travis at scopenotes@gmail.com, or follow him on Twitter: @100scopenotes.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kimberly King says

    March 24, 2020 at 4:10 pm

    Neat idea!!! I shared on my facebook page:)

  2. Destinee says

    March 24, 2020 at 6:25 pm

    This is a fun activity for sure. I feel for folks who don’t have many books at home, especially with most public libraries closed. An alternative way to make a poem is using the bibliocommons list feature. I made a poem with a bibliocommons list today just for fun: https://kcls.bibliocommons.com/list/share/220740577_librariandest/1609053396_books_titles_poem

    • Travis Jonker says

      March 24, 2020 at 9:11 pm

      Totally agree – thanks for sharing this alternative. And great poem!

    • Arianne Carey says

      March 27, 2020 at 4:08 pm

      Destinee, this is awesome! Can I use your example for my teens?

      • Destinee says

        March 30, 2020 at 7:47 pm

        Yes, of course! I’m honored.

  3. Jen Bryant says

    April 2, 2020 at 8:44 am

    I just love reading these! Serendipity is responsible for so many good things . . . thanks for sharing. (We are fans of Ocean’s Eleven in this house, too. Great, fun film.)

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