Swan Song

By J. Patrick Lewis

We get lots of email from students your age asking about endangered species, so we know how important you feel it is to protect these animals from extinction. You’ve probably heard about the dodo bird, who became extinct in 1681. That happened centuries ago─but the fact is, as you’re reading this, species are going extinct. It could be as many as six species every hour.

The first step in getting people to want to protect animals from extinction is to get people to care about them. That’s why books like Swan Song are so important. Swan Song features 22 poems about animals who have gone extinct, including the saddleback tortoise, the elephant bird and the Bali tiger. The book also has timelines of what was going on in the world at the time of each species’ extinction. If you think you don’t like poetry, we bet you’ll be really surprised at how great this book is, and how much you’ll learn about animals. If you already like poetry, what are you waiting for? Check it out!

About the Author: J. Patrick Lewis
J. Patrick Lewis began writing poems and stories for young readers while working as an economics professor in the late 1980s. Since then, he’s authored nearly 40 books, including Freedom Like Sunlight, The Last Resort and Swan Song, the 2003 ASPCA Henry Bergh Children’s Book Honor award winner. He writes about animals a lot, and while some of his poems are completely silly, others are more serious and emotional, like the ones in Swan Song.

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