Imagine

Written by Juan Felipe Herrera

Illustrated by Lauren Castillo

Summary:

Author Juan Felipe Herrera tells the path his life followed through this short poem. He shares about his time in a village of farmworkers as a child. He talks about moving to a new village and working the land with his mother. Herrera describes his experience as a student at a new school and having to overcome the language barrier. Despite these challenges, Herrera begins to succeed in school and learns to love the English language. His love of language grew into a passion for writing, leading him to create poetry. Lastly, Herrera shares about becoming the poet Laureate of the United States. This story ends by encouraging readers to imagine what they could become in life. 

Grade Level and Unit:

I think this book could be used for all grade levels. Imagine covers a wide range of ages and there is something for all students to relate to regardless of grade level. Kindergarten through second-grade classrooms could use this book to get students thinking about what they'd like to be in the future. For higher grades, this book could be used in a poetry unit or autobiography unit. The use of free verse poetry in this book can be used to teach poetic form and figurative language. A third through fifth-grade classroom could use this book as an example for a "Who am I" assignment. Students could follow Herrera's example and create autobiographical poems.