StarLeader Guidebook Positivity Poems The YoungStars Series Dear Leader, The 70+ poems in the following books - for which this guide was created - will provide our youth a literary and literacy boost up They are intended to stimulate higher ordered thinking in our young people. This collection includes the meanings of the poems written to Young Adults and Younger Children complementing the books I am a YoungStar and I Love Me Some ME and I am a YoungerStar and I Love Me Some ME Too It is my intention these explanations will assist you in deciding which poems to use from either book, depending on the type of groupings you are leading. The poems are meant to be read orally (I suggest not putting unconfident readers on the spot) and followed by discussions where the participants are encouraged to speak their minds in an accepting atmosphere of tolerance. Some may seem a little "downpressing" but we NEED to talk openly about the issues. Seriously So much of what we adults try to protect youth from - and are not preparing them for - is not allowing them to be their personal best selves Of course, due to the ages and level of understanding of your learners, some of the poems will require more dissection than others. Please encourage the learners to "use the muscles in your minds " You may need to have dictionaries handy for their use. Many of the poems are playful. Some are "deep." Others are sobering. All are provocative. Thank you helping our youth elevate BREAK THE BRAIN CHAIN Peace & Understanding, K. E. Dabney Promote Literacy Keep Our Minds Lit Copyright (c) 2013 by Karen E. Dabney All rights reserved YoungerStars' Positivity Poems ... are to give our youth a literary and literacy boost up The poems are designed for marinating & masticating They are intended to stimulate higher ordered thinking in young adults. They are meant to be read orally and followed by discussions where the participants are encouraged to speak their minds in an accepting atmosphere of tolerance. Some of the poems will require more dissection than others depending on the ages and level of understanding of the readers. This collection is for Young Adults and Younger Children. You may decide to use poems from either book depending on the type of groups you are working with. Many of the poems are playful. Some are "deep." Others are sobering. All are provocative. To the YoungStars: Ready, Set, Read The poems inside are for YOU They are to let YOU know folk LOVE & CARE about YOU & want to help YOU SHINE & SOAR in life There are so many GOOD people pulling for YOU - even if YOU don't know, can't see or feel them, they are there And, we ALL know how sometimes life's easy & other times SO HARD But YOU can work at feeling better about the struggle when YOU OPEN YOURself to PREPARE for & FIND the LESSONS. Some of these poems are breezy & others are stormy. Dress for the weather & wade in Allow YOURself to FEEL in order to stay TRUE & FOCUSED WE NEED YOU TOO cuz WE ALL got a lot of WORK to DO BE STRONG & LIVE LONG Don't give up the fight Pamoja Tutushinde "Together We Will Win" P.S. WE REALLY DO LOVE YOU