In Days to Celebrate Lee Bennett Hopkins has collected an astounding array of information to show us that each day of the year gives us a reason to celebrate. For every month he has compiled a calendar of birthdays, holidays, historic events, inventions, world records, thrilling firsts, and more.

And for every month he has selected surprising poems in honor of some ofthe people and events commemorated inthe calendar. There are poems about the seasons and holidays, of course, but there are also poems about a "Flying-Man" (for February 4, Charles Lindbergh's birthday), birds (for April 26, John James Audubon's birthday), windshield wipers (patented November 10), and earmuffs (patented December 21).

Beloved poets, such as Walt Whitman, Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Christina Rossetti, are joined by new voices in sixty poems that take us on a remarkable journey through a year — and through the years. Stephen Alcorn's illustrations, based on the style of art found in old almanacs, are airy, whimsical, and thought provoking. They perfectly match the breadth and depth of this volume.

Brilliantly conceived and elegantly illustrated, Days to Celebrate is a book that pays tribute to the people, events, and poetry that make up our past and will inspire our future.

Lee Bennett Hopkins was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, on April 13, 1938. As a child Mr. Hopkins read little other than comic books and movie magazines until a teacher inspired in him a love of the theater and of reading. He credits this teacher with his lifelong interest in education.

Mr. Hopkins began teaching sixth grade at a public school in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, in 1960. He enjoyed his job, and in his third year at Westmoreland School in Fair Lawn, he became the school's resource teacher, providing curricular support materials for the elementary school teachers. It was while serving in this position that Mr. Hopkins first used poetry to help children with reading problems.

In 1968 Mr. Hopkins became a curriculum and editorial specialist atScholastic, Inc. His career as a writer soared. More than two dozen of his books were published during his eight-year tenure there. In 1976 Mr. Hopkins left his job at Scholastic in order to become a full-time writer and anthologist.

Mr. Hopkins is widely recognized as the nation's spokesperson for Children's Poetry. He has edited and written numerous books for children as well as several professional texts, including Pauses: Autobiographical Reflections of 101 Creators of Children's Books and Pass the Poetry, Please!, and his column, "Poetry: A Workshop in Print" is a regular feature in TEACHING K-8 magazine. Mr. Hopkins has been honored with the University of Southern Mississippi Medallion for "lasting contributions to Children's Literature."

Mr. Hopkins served on the Board of Directors of the National Council ofTeachers of English (NCTE) from 1975 to 1978; NCTE Commission on Literature(1982-1985); and NCTE Children's Literature Assembly (1984-1987); andhe twice chaired the NCTE Poetry Award Committee. He is also the donor of both the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award, presented by Penn State University, and the Lee Bennett Hopkins/International Reading Association Promising Poet Award.

The recipient of a Christopher Award and the University of Southern Mississippi's Medallion for "lasting contributions to childrens literature." He lives in Westchester County, New York, and in Cape Coral, Florida.