Thanks to a generous grant from our Parents' Association, the poet and photographer Charles R. Smith Jr. is coming to our school on April 7th to read and discuss his work with students in grades kindergarten through 8th grade. He will be making 3 separate presentations during the course of the day for different grade levels.
Charles R. Smith Jr. incorporates musical rhythms in his poetry and illustrates his books with his vibrant photographs. He draws on the energetic rhythms of jazz, rap, and hip-hop in his poetry to highlight the musical rhythms of language.
You can read about this dynamic author and preview his books by going to his website. http://charlesrsmithjr.com/ There was also a feature about the author's visit to Poughkeepsie Middle School in last weekend's Poughkeepsie Journal. http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009902210318
Families will be able to preorder Charles R. Smith Jr's books which he will sign on the day of his visit. Look out for the order forms which will be sent home in the next couple of weeks.
One of Charles R. Smith's acclaimed books is Twelve Rounds to Glory, a biography of the great athlete Muhammad Ali written in verse. Muhammad Ali was famous for his poetry, too. Watch this video for highlights from Muhammad Ali's life and to hear him recite his famous poem I Am the Greatest (1964).
You can also find more information about Muhammad Ali at his official website http://www.ali.com/index.aspx and watch some highlights of his career in this second video.
