by Langston Hughes

If you think that all poetry is too fancy, hard to understand, or pretentious, you should give this book a try. Langston Hughes wanted ordinary people to read, enjoy, and think about his poetry, so he wrote for them rather than for college English teachers. His writing isn’t dry or dull. It’s musical, and it sounds beautiful when you read it out loud. However, there is more to his poems than this. Hughes was proud of his African heritage, and he celebrated it in many of his poems. He wrote about ordinary people and their lives, hopes, and dreams, as well as problems that people faced, such as violence, hunger, poverty, and racism. His poems are not all serious, either – when he wanted to, he could be funny while taking on serious issues.

The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes tries to include all of his poems, as well as a little background on Langston Hughes himself and a few notes on his poems. With over 800 poems included, you should be able to find quite a few that really hit home for you. Keep in mind, though, that Langston Hughes was a very passionate, complex, and honest person, and sometimes his flaws as a human being show up in his writing. It’s possible that some of his ideas might offend you. If you find a poem you don’t like, just keep reading. You’ll find something amazing sooner or later.

Just to give you an idea of what his poetry is like, here is “The Negro Speaks of Rivers.” It was the first of his poems that I ever read, and it stuck with me.

I’ve known rivers:
I’ve known rivers ancient as the world and older than the
     flow of human blood in human veins.

My soul has grown deep like the rivers.

I bathed in the Euphrates when dawns were young.
I built my hut near the Congo and it lulled me to sleep.
I looked upon the Nile and raised the pyramids above it.
I heard the singing of the Mississippi when Abe Lincoln
     went down to New Orleans, and I’ve seen its muddy
     bosom turn all golden in the sunset.

I’ve known rivers:
Ancient, dusky rivers.

My soul has grown deep like the rivers.

Where to Find It

You can get it from the school library.

School	Location	Call Number	Status
Contra Costa College	Stacks	PS3515.U274 A17 1994	AVAILABLE

You can get it from the public library.

Library	Location	Call Number	Status
Clayton	.	811.52 HUGHES	In library
Dougherty Station (San Ramon)	.	811.52 HUGHES	In library
Oakley	.	811.52 HUGHES	In library
Pleasant Hill	.	811.52 HUGHES	In library
Richmond	Main Children's Books	J 811.52 Hug	DUE 03-18-09
Richmond	Main Adult Books	811.52 Hughes	CHECK SHELF
San Pablo	.	811.52 HUGHES	Checked out, due 6/2/12
San Ramon	.	811.52 HUGHES	In library

This list was last updated May 18, 2012 at 5:57 am UTC. Click here to see newer information.

by Karen Hesse

Set in Oklahoma during the years 1934-1935, this book tells the story of a family of farmers during the Dust Bowl years. Billie Jo describes her family’s experience through a series of free verse poems.

You can look it up on Wikipedia, which is where I got that description.

Where to Find It

You can get it from the school library.

School	Location	Call Number	Status
Contra Costa College	Stacks	PZ7.H4364 Ou 1999b	AVAILABLE
Diablo Valley College	Stacks	PZ7.H4364 Ou 1997	AVAILABLE

You can get it from the public library.

Library	Location	Call Number	Status
Antioch	.	J HESSE, K.	In library
Bay Point	.	J HESSE, K.	In library
Brentwood	Juvenile Paperbacks	J HESSE, K.	In library
Brentwood	.	J HESSE, K.	In library
Brentwood	Juvenile Paperbacks	J HESSE, K.	In library
Clayton	.	J HESSE, K.	In library
Clayton	.	J HESSE, K.	In library
Clayton	.	J HESSE, K.	In library
Clayton	Juvenile Paperbacks	J HESSE, K.	In library
Concord	.	J HESSE, K.	In library
Danville	.	J HESSE, K.	In library
Danville	.	J HESSE, K.	In library
Dougherty Station (San Ramon)	.	J HESSE, K.	Checked out, due 5/24/12
Dougherty Station (San Ramon)	.	J HESSE, K.	Checked out, due 5/29/12
Dougherty Station (San Ramon)	.	J HESSE, K.	Checked out, due 6/23/12
El Cerrito	.	J HESSE, K.	In library
El Sobrante	.	J HESSE, K.	In library
El Sobrante	.	J HESSE, K.	In library
Hercules	.	J HESSE, K.	In library
Hercules	.	J HESSE, K.	In library
Hercules	.	J HESSE, K.	In library
Kensington	.	J HESSE, K.	In library
Lafayette	.	J HESSE, K.	In library
Lafayette	Juvenile Paperbacks	J HESSE, K.	In library
Lafayette	Juvenile Paperbacks	J HESSE, K.	In library
Martinez	.	J HESSE, K.	In library
Moraga	.	J HESSE, K.	In library
Moraga	.	J HESSE, K.	In library
Oakley	.	J HESSE, K.	In library
Orinda	Juvenile Paperbacks	J HESSE, K.	In library
Orinda	.	J HESSE, K.	In library
Orinda	Juvenile Paperbacks	J HESSE, K.	In library
Pinole	.	J HESSE, K.	In library
Pinole	.	J HESSE, K.	In library
Pittsburg	.	J HESSE, K.	In library
Pleasant Hill	.	J HESSE, K.	In library
Pleasant Hill	.	J HESSE, K.	In library
Pleasant Hill	.	J HESSE, K.	In library
Pleasant Hill	.	J HESSE, K.	In library
Richmond	Main Children's Books	JFic Hesse, K.	CHECK SHELF
Richmond	Bookmobile Children's Books	JFic Hesse, K.	CHECK SHELF
Richmond	Bookmobile Children's Books	JFic Hesse, K.	CHECK SHELF
Richmond	Main Children's Books	JFic Hesse, K.	DUE 04-30-09
Richmond	West Side Children's Books	JFic Hesse, K.	DUE 01-22-09
Rodeo	.	J HESSE, K.	In library
San Pablo	.	J HESSE, K.	In library
San Pablo	.	J HESSE, K.	In library
San Ramon	.	J HESSE, K.	In library
San Ramon	.	J HESSE, K.	In library
San Ramon	.	J HESSE, K.	In library
San Ramon	.	J HESSE, K.	In library
Walnut Creek Park Place	.	J HESSE, K.	In library
Walnut Creek Park Place	.	J HESSE, K.	In library
Walnut Creek Park Place	.	J HESSE, K.	In library
Ygnacio Valley (Walnut Creek)	.	J HESSE, K.	In library

This list was last updated May 15, 2012 at 8:35 pm UTC. Click here to see newer information.

by Lori Marie Carlson

Red Hot Salsa is a collection of poems in English and Spanish about being Latino. Many people contributed to this book, from well-known poets to high school students. Some of the poems are funny, some are serious, and some are both at once.

You can read some of it online through Google Books.

Where to Find It

You can get it from the public library.

Library	Location	Call Number	Status
Hercules	Young Adult	811.008 RED	In library

Since Contra Costa libraries only have a few copies of Red Hot Salsa, you might want to request it through Link+. You get the book through your local library, so you will need to have a library card.

1. Read all the directions.
2. Click here to go to the Link+ search.
3. Click "Request this item."
4. Pick your local library. This will probably be "Contra Costa Public."
5. Give them your library card number and whatever else they need.
6. When the book comes in, your library will call you.

You might want to read the rules for borrowing books before you request anything.

If you want to check on the book or cancel your order, go here.
This list was last updated May 19, 2012 at 3:17 pm UTC. Click here to see newer information.