What does X stand for? In today’s post, a little of everything—from eXpression to eXtra!
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X = eXposition, eXamination, eXpression
Today’s NaPoWriMo prompt is inspired by Victoria Chang’s poem, “The Lovers,” which is short and somewhat shocking, bringing us quickly from a near-hallucinatory descriptive statement to a strange sort of question, before ending on the very direct statement of a “truth.” Six lines, three sentences, and a title that works for the poem but is only obliquely related to its text. Today, our challenge is to write a poem that follows the same beats: three sentences, six lines: statement, question, conclusion.
X, Unfinished
Once upon a story, life begins
already slipping past itself.
What happens when stories reach their end
or is there an end to stories?
We want fairytale endings
when nothing knows how to stop.
~ Vidya Tiru @ LadyInReadWrites
X-words on Land and in the Air
X is a tricky letter, unless you happen to be talking about animals!
- xenops: a small Neotropical bird in the ovenbird family (Furnariidae), known for foraging along tree bark for insects.
- xerus: a genus of African ground squirrels, typically found in open, arid habitats and noted for their upright, alert posture.
The Books..
X=1 (or 15)
Xóchitl: Crowning Heart: Poems for a Fifteenth Year by Maria del Rosario Palacios is a lyrical poetry collection honoring a girl on the threshold of her quinceañera, exploring identity, heritage, and the journey of becoming.
eXtra, eXtra: X is for Ten Counting Books
Since I’ve been featuring mostly children’s books for each letter this month—I decided to lean into the idea that X can stand for ten, and use it for my Top Ten freebie this week!
Counting to ten is one of the first big milestones for young learners; and the best way to make it stick is through rhythm, repetition, and playful stories. These engaging counting books are sure to help children build number sense while having fun along the way.
So if you’re looking for read-alouds that make learning feel effortless, start with Ten…
- Apples Up On Top! by Dr. Seuss — A playful rhyming story where animals stack apples higher and higher in a silly counting challenge.
- Black Dots by Donald Crews — Simple, bold visuals show how ten dots can transform into imaginative objects.
- Red Apples by Pat Hutchins — A rhythmic, cumulative tale as farm animals munch apples one by one.
- Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury — A warm, global celebration of babies through gentle counting and rhyme.
- In the Bed by Penny Dale — A lively “roll over” rhyme as characters tumble out one at a time.
- Little Ladybugs by Melanie Gerth, illustrated by Laura Huliska-Beith — A tactile, interactive counting book where ladybugs disappear one by one with engaging textures.
- Tiny Toes by Caroline Jayne Church — A soft, soothing counting book celebrating little toes and early learning.
- Tiny Babies by Karen Katz — A gentle, repetitive story introducing babies through simple counting.
- Little Series by Mike Brownlow, illustrated by Simon Rickerty —The books in this series include everything from pirates and princesses to unicorns and bookworms with robots and dinosaurs thrown in as well (there is more!)!
- On a Twig by Lo Cole — Bright, graphic birds gather and scatter in a simple counting sequence. I also loved Cole’s Ten in a Hurry which features fish, and both books are so very uniquely done plus wonderfully vibrant.
And Now, the End of This Post
Dear reader, which of these “ten” books are among your favorite countdown reads? And—since we’re at X—do you have any favorite books for this tricky letter?
