Recommended Children's Poetry Books
Angelou, Maya. Poetry for Young People
Available January 1, 2013.
Burg, Ann E. All the Broken Pieces
Written in free verse, Anne E. Burg's novel-in-verse is a powerful read for middle school students and older audience. A realistic, historical fiction, that can be linked to many topics such as families, adoption, war, bullying, friendship, and relationship problems.
Dahl, Roald. Revolting Rhymes
Presents humorous poetic retellings of six well-known fairy tales featuring surprise endings in place of the traditional happily-ever-after.
Dellas, Melanie. Fantastic, Fabulous Creatures & Beasts
From the author: "Fantastic, Fabulous Creatures & Beasts" came about because of my love of history. I take "real" folk tales and write them in a format that will help children remember them. Because I have not embellished the stories or changed them in any way from their original versions, you will find nice creatures and not-so-nice creatures. The tales contained in Vol. 2 are from Native America, India, China, Scandinavia, Greece, France, Switzerland, Scotland, Russia, Wales and Africa. Through my books it is my hope that children will come to respect and appreciate the multicultural world they live in and, of course, remember that our world is still mystical and magical - as long as our stories remain alive."
Fleischman, Paul. Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices
Written to be read aloud by two voices -- sometimes alternating, sometimes simultaneous -- here is a collection of irresistible poems that celebrate the insect world, from the short life of the mayfly to the love song of the book louse. Funny, sad, loud, and quiet, each of these poems resounds with a booming, boisterous, joyful noise.
Harrison, Michael, ed. A Year Full of Poems
An anthology of poems arranged month by month for the whole year. Includes classic and modern poems for children.
Hughes, Langston. Poetry for Young People
WINNER OF THE 2007 CORETTA SCOTT KING ILLUSTRATOR HONOR AWARD! A fresh design and appealing new cover enliven this award-winning collection in the acclaimed Poetry for Young Peopleseries. Showcasing the extraordinary Langston Hughes, it's edited by two leading poetry experts and features gallery-quality art by Benny Andrews that adds rich dimension to the words. Hughes's magnificent, powerful words still resonate today, and the anthologized poems in this splendid volume include his best-loved works: "The Negro Speaks of Rivers"; "My People"; "Words Like Freedom"; "Harlem"; and "I, Too"--his sharp, pointed response to Walt Whitman's "I Hear America Singing." To be released Jan 1, 2013.
Kennedy, X.J. and Dorothy Kennedy, eds. Knock at a Star
A collection of poems arranged in such categories as poems that make you smile, send messages, or share feelings; poems that contain "beats that repeat" or "word play"; and special kinds of poems such as limericks, songs, and haiku.
Lansky, Bruce, ed. Kids Pick the Funniest Poems
A collection of humurous poems selected by a panel of children, featuring an all-star cast of poets from Dr. Seuss and Shel Silverstein to Judith Viorst and Jack Prelutsky. Includes new poems and humor pieces from relative unknowns that kids liked as well as--or better than--the more famous entries. 50 illustrations.
Lionni, Leo. Frederick
What is poetry and what does a poet do? You can find the answer in this short book. Frederick’s story will warm readers as well in this Caldecott Honor winning fable.
Martin, Jr., Bill, ed. Big Book of Poetry
The definitive anthology of children's poetry, collected by a beloved author. Years in the making, this full-color treasury contains nearly two hundred poems, all of them handpicked by Bill Martin Jr. Traditional children's poems are presented alongside contemporary pieces, and the collection is capped off with tributes by Eric Carle and Steven Kellogg, two of Bill Martin Jr's best-known collaborators. This essential compilation also features original illustrations by award-winning artists, including Ashley Bryan, Lois Ehlert, Steven Kellogg, Chris Raschka, Dan Yaccarino, Nancy Tafuri, and Derek Anderson. This beautiful anthology is sure to become a classic.
McCord, David. Every Time I Climb a Tree
Twenty-five poems for young children on such varied subjects as a lost turtle, a fence, the wind, jam, a witch, and bananas and cream.
Poe, Edgar Allen. Poetry for Young People
A collection of thirteen poems and eight prose selections from larger works.
Prelutsky, Jack. The New Kid on the Block
Presents humorous poems about such strange creatures and people as Baloney Belly Billy and the Gloopy Gloopers.
Prelutsky, Jack, ed. The Random House Book of Poetry for Children
A generous collection with a distinctly upbeat tone, this gives a taste of the best poets writing for children over the last several decades. Lobel's drawings imbue the whole with action and graphic images as inventive as the verse. Successfully geared to meet home, school, and library needs.
Salas, Laura Purdie. Book Speak! Poems about Books
A collection of wacky, whimsical poems about books and all the treasures they contain--honored with the Minnesota Book Award; NCTE Notable; Bank Street Best Books; Librarians' Choice; Honor Book - Gelett Burgess Center for Creative Expression; White Ravens book; and Nerdy Book Award.
Salas, Laura Purdie. Stampede: Poems to Celebrate the Wild Side of School
An illustrated collection of eighteen poems that reveal the crazy side of first- and second-graders in their natural environment at school, covering their antics in the classroom and cafeteria and behavior on the playground.
Shakespeare, William. Poetry for Young People
Poems of William Shakespeare selected with a young person's interest at heart. A great way to introduce the bard to children. Lovely illustrations included.
Silverstein, Shel. Where the Sidewalk Ends
Come in … for where the sidewalk ends, Shel Silverstein’s world begins. You’ll meet a boy who turns into a TV set, and a girl who eats a whale. The Unicorn and the Bloath live there, and so does Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout who will not take the garbage out. It is a place where you wash your shadow and plant diamond gardens, a place where shoes fly, sisters are auctioned off, and crocodiles go to the dentist.
Shel Silverstein’s masterful collection of poems and drawings is at once outrageously funny and profound.
Shel Silverstein’s masterful collection of poems and drawings is at once outrageously funny and profound.
Stevenson, Robert Louis. A Child's Garden of Verses
First published in 1885, poet and storyteller Robert Louis Stevenson's classic tribute to the lives of children has delighted readers for more than a century. From flying through the air on a swing to building an imaginary world out of blocks to being tucked into bed for a night of sweet dreams, A Child's Garden of Verses is a joyful celebration of imagination, wonder, and what it means to be a child. Lavishly illustrated by beloved artist Barbara McClintock, this new unabridged edition of these classic verses is sure to capture the hearts and imaginations of both young and old for years to come.
Vance, Barbara R. Suzie Bitner was Afraid of the Drain
Suzie Bitner Was Afraid of the Drain is a collection of humorous and whimsical poems and drawings for children of all ages. From mice on roller skates to a peanut-butter-and-jelly sister, the book is comprised of over 115 lighthearted, imaginative poems and illustrations.
Viorst, Judith. Sad Underwear and Other Complications : More Poems for Children and Their Parents
A collection of poems that examines a wide variety of feelings and experiences from a child's point of view.
Wright, Blanche Fisher, ill. The Real Mother Goose
Based on the 1916 classic, with pictures by Blanche Fisher Wright." A collection of over three-hundred traditional nursery rhymes such as "Hot-cross buns," "Little Miss Muffet," and "Peter, Peter pumpkin eater.
Book summaries, when available, were taken from Follett Titlewave.