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Paul B.  Janeczko Paul B. Janeczko

Last updated on: February 9, 2010

Until there was a virtual explosion of poetry books written and marketed specifically for teenagers in 2000, Paul Janeczko was one of the few poets who focused on teenagers during the previous 20 years. From collections of his own poems to thematic anthologies he joyfully assembles, Janeczko's name (pronounced Ja-NES-ko) has been synonymous with poetry for teens. In addition, this former English teacher has published several books designed to teach kids how to write poetry, along with essays for educators about how to teach poetry to kids. No one has contributed more to this genre than this enthusiastic author and inspiring teacher.

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Books of Poetry

Brickyard Summer (1989)

Stardust Otel (1993)

That Sweet Diamond: Baseball Poems (1998)

Worlds Afire (2004)

Wing Nuts: Screwy Haiku (2006)

Edited Books of Poetry

The Crystal Image (1977)

Postcard Poems (1979)

Don't Forget to Fly: A Cycle of Modern Poems (1981)

Poetspeak: In Their Work, About Their Work (1983)

Strings: A Gathering of Family Poems (1984)

Pocket Poems: Poems Selected for a Journey (1985)

This Delicious Day: 65 Poems (1987)

Going Over to Your Place: Poems for Each Other (1987)

The Music of What Happens: Poems That Tell Stories (1988)

The Place My Words Are Looking For: What Poets Say About and Through Their Work (1990)

Preposterous: Poems of Youth (1991)

Looking for Your Name (1993)

Poetry from A to Z: A Guide for Young Writers (1994)

Wherever Home Begins: 100 Contemporary Poems (1995)

I Feel a Little Jumpy Around you: A Book of Her Poems & His Poems Presented in Pairs (1996)

Home on the Range: Cowboy Poems (1997)

Very Best (Almost) Friends: Poems of Friendship (1999)

Stone Bench In An Empty Park (2000)

A Poke in the I: A Collection of Concrete Poems (2001)

Dirty Laundry Pile: Poems in Different Voices (2001)

Blushing: Expressions of Love in Poems and Letters (2004)

A Kick in the Head: An Everyday Guide to Poetic Forms, illus. by Chris Rashka (2005)

Hey, you! Poems to Skyscrapers, Mosquitoes, and Other Fun Things, illus. by Robert Rayevsky (2008)

A Foot in the Mouth: Poems to Speak, Sing, and Shout (2009)

Individual Poems

Mary Todd Lincoln Speaks of Her Son's Death (2008)

Novels

Bridges to Cross (1986)

Young Indiana Jones and the Pirates' Loot (1994)

Nonfiction

Loads of Codes and Secret Ciphers (1981)

How to Write Poetry (1999)

Seeing the Blue Between: Advice and Inspiration for Young Poets (2002)

Writing Winning Reports and Essays (2003)

Top Secret: A Handbook of Codes, Ciphers, and Secret Writing, illus. by Jenna La Reau (2004)

Professional Books

Favorite Poetry Lessons (1998)

Teaching 10 Fabulous Forms of Poetry (2000)

Writing Funny Bone Poems (2001)

Opening a Door: Reading Poetry in the Middle School Classroom (2003)

Essays for Educators

Poetry Is Alive and Well, with Robert Skapura (1970)

Selecting Books for the Future-Oriented Now Generation (1972)

Interpol Case #101: Getting Students to Use Reference Works (1972)

Swimming with Evaluation, with Robert Skapura (1973)

His Sins Were Scarlet, But His Books Were Read (1973)

Back Pages: A Column of Book Reviews (1973)

Back Pages: A Column of Book Reviews (1974)

Back Pages: A Column of Book Reviews (1974)

Back Pages: A Column of Book Reviews (1974)

The Passing of Heroes (1974)

Reading Is Like a Bicycle; Or, How to Avoid Going Around in Circles About Reading Interests (1974)

How Students Can Help Educate the Censors (1975)

In Their Own Words: An Interview with Mary Stolz (1975)

In Their Own Words: An Interview with M.E. Kerr (1975)

Back Pages: A Column of Book Reviews (1975)

Back Pages: A Column of Book Reviews (1976)

In Their Own Words: An Interview with Richard Peck (1976)

In Their Own Words: An Interview with Jay Bennett (1976)

In Their Own Words: An Interview with Nathaniel Benchley (1976)

Game is a Four-Letter Word (1976)

Seven Myths About Adolescent Literature (1976)

An Interview with Jay Bennett (1977)

In Their Own Words: An Interview with Isabelle Holland (1977)

In Their Own Words: An Interview with Robert Cormier (1977)

In Their Own Words: An Interview with Paul Zindel (1977)

In Their Own Words: An Interview with Judith Guest (1978)

In Their Own Words: An Interview with Barbara Wersba (1978)

Confessions of a Pusher (1978)

Caught in the Lie (1979)

Confessions of an Ex-Kid (1979)

From Writers to Students (1979)

A Visit with Stephen King (1979)

A Visit with Mary Fuller (1980)

Dancing with the Bear (1980)

In Their Own Words: An Interview with Stephen King (1980)

Sometimes Touching Joy: Selecting Poetry for Young Adults (1980)

Taking of New Look at What Makes a Teacher (1984)

Writing Light Verse in Live Wire: Classroom Ideas K-7 (1984)

A Poetry Anthologist Fantasizes (1986)

Seven Myths about Teaching Poetry, or, How I Stopped Chasing Foul Balls (1987)

Confessions of a Collector (1987)

Breeding Wonders in the Ninth Grade Classroom (1988)

Writing Poetry for Children: Telling Truthful Lies (1989)

Eight Things I've Learned About Kids and Poetry (199?)

Don't Chuck Huck: An Individualized Approach to the Classics, with Kim Mathews (1990)

What If . . . Poetry for Young Adults (1990)

The Possibilities of Poetry (1992)

Sparks and Wonder: Poetry for Children in the 90s (1993)

Notes of a Poetry Junkie (1996)

On Collecting Poems (1997)

Confessions of a Collector (2001)

Dear Teachers (2001)

Breaking into Dance (2003)