Jazz

Myers, D. (2006). Jazz. (1st ed.). New York: Holiday House.

Dean Meyers uses the music of jazz to portray through poetry how people used this genre throughout US history. His poems show what this type of music meant to a group of people and how one can appreciate it. He attempts to communicate the "depth and beauty" of jazz and how people put their feelings into the music of the time. It is a beautiful book, fun to read and quite educational to a type of music that students may or may not be accustomed to. Students can learn about different jazz musicians such as Louis Armstrong and Bob Johnson. 
Given that the poems are fairly easy to understand and educational, this book would be excellent for classroom use. I think it would be interesting to have students choose their favorite and try to write their own jazz-influenced poem.