In My America, Lee Bennett Hopkins weaves together fifty poems -- grouped by geographic region -- to create a remarkable portrait of the United States. Here is America in all its stunning variety, from the dramatic seacoast of the Northeast and the rippling cornfields of the Plains States to the shimmering deserts of the Southwest and the majestic redwood forests of the Pacific Coast. But here, too, are the ties that bind this nation together -- the hopes and dreams of those who live in our cities and towns and on farms.

The voices of beloved poets like Langston Hughes, Carl Sandburg, Nikki Giovanni, and Lilian Moore blend with new voices to sing not just of landmarks like the Mississippi River, the Grand Canyon, and the Everglades, but of daily life across the land. Complementing these personal, moving visions of America are maps of the regions and fascinating facts for each state.

Stephen Alcorn's brilliant, textured artwork makes this book a feast for the eyes as well as for the imagination. Impressive for its breadth, depth, and beauty, My America is a volume readers will savor as they read it time and time again. It is fitting homage to our wideranging, ever-changing land.

Presenting American history through poetry, Lee Bennett Hopkins offers a unique perspective on each part of the American experience. Filled with wit, color, knowledge, and truth, these selections offer rich detail about the lives and events that have shaped our nation.

Each poet lends a particular voice and vision to the subject. From the founding of this nation, through the Great Depression and the wars we've fought, to the issues of today, these poems echo the emotions of our triumphs and defeats.

Here are all the varied people who make up America -- the different races and their various ways of facing life. Their brave spirit speaks loudly in the special language of poetry. It opens our eyes to see in a new way that which we already knew.

Lee Bennett Hopkins, a renowned anthologist, has chosen with care a collection of poetry, some that readers know and some that they will come to know. Peter M. Fiore's magnificent paintings complement the poetry, offering a human portrait of us as we were and as we are today.

"From the catchy nonsense of X. J. Kennedy's 'Snowflake Souffle' to the simple, surprising imagery of Valerie Worth's 'Sun' to Hopkins's own onomatopoeic 'Thunder,' the short lines, satisfying rhyme, and physicalness of the words can lure beginning readers—and also younger listeners—to the joy of sounds that make sense."—BL.