8 Great Poetry Books for Kids
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Reading poetry is great for readers of all ages as it builds vocabulary, fluency, expression and writing. Also, it’s super fun. Snuggle up with your favorite reader and crack open these eight great poetry books for kids...
Here's A Little Poem: A Very First Book of Poetry by Jane Yolen. Savor a superb collection of more than sixty poems by a wide range of talented writers, from Margaret Wise Brown to Gertrude Stein, Langston Hughes to A. A. Milne. Recommended for toddlers.
Little Poems for Tiny Ears by Lin Oliver. This collection of original poems celebrates everyday things for little ones - playing peekaboo, banging pots and pans, splashing at bath time and cuddling at bedtime. Recommended for toddlers.
No More Poems!: A Book in Verse That Just Gets Worse by Rhett Miller. These poems bring a fresh new twist to the classic dilemmas of childhood - think annoying little brothers and a bullying baseball coach. The 23 clever poems are rich with wordplay, visual gags & irreverence. Recommended for elementary school readers.
My First Book of Haiku Poems by Esperanza Ramirez-Christensen. My First Book of Haiku Poems introduces children to the ancient poetry form of haiku. These concise poems are easy for readers of all ages to understand and appreciate. Each of these 20 classic poems is paired with am original painting by award-winning illustrator Tracy Gallup. Recommended for elementary school readers.
Thinker: My Puppy Poet and Me by Eloise Greenfield. Thinker isn't just an average puppy―he's a poet. So is his owner, Jace. Together, they turn the world around them into verse. There's just one problem: Thinker has to keep quiet in public, and he can't go to school with Jace. That is, until Pets' Day. But when Thinker is allowed into the classroom at last, he finds it hard to keep his true identity a secret. Recommended for elementary school readers.
I'm Just No Good at Rhyming: And Other Nonsense for Mischievous Kids and Immature Grown-Ups by Chris Harris. Harris's hilarious debut molds wit and wordplay, nonsense and oxymoron, and visual and verbal sleight-of-hand in masterful ways that make you look at the world in a whole new wonderfully upside-down way. Recommended for tween/teen readers.
The Crossover by Kwame Alexander. Twelve-year-old Josh Bell his twin brother, Jordan, are kings on the court thanks to their dad. But Josh has more than basketball in his blood—he's got mad beats, too, which help him find his rhythm when it’s all on the line. As their winning season unfolds, things begin to change. When Jordan meets a girl, the twins’ bond unravels.Told in dynamic verse, this fast and furious middle grade novel that started it all absolutely bounces with rhythm and bursts with heart. Recommended for tween/teen readers.
IMPERFECT: poems about mistakes: an anthology for middle schoolers by Tabatha Yeatts. Why put together an anthology about mistakes? Because we make mistakes all the time. Some are the size of erasing a hole in your paper, mispronouncing a word, or tripping over your shoelace. Some are the size of telling a friend's secret. Some can be useful, like a science experiment that goes wrong but gives you a new idea. How can we make the most of the good mistakes and do our best to fix the ones that need fixing? Poetry can help us figure it out. Recommended for tween/teen readers.
