I have always loved poetry, and I am excited to see a resurgence of titles for all ages. In case you missed my roundup of Poetry Recommendations for National Poetey Month 2020, see a sampling here, compiled with help from Laura Standel, blogger and blogger @AReadingWarrior.
Find these books and more at ChildressInk.com, and ChildressInk, Book Reviews on Facebook, not to mention the Girls’ Life Magazine “Must-Reads”, always looking to share children’s books of excellence, infant to YA to Adult Interest.
POETRY LOVE
Simon B. Rhymin’, by Dwayne Reed, March 2021, Little, Brown & Co. Books For Young Readers, Ages: 8-12, 9780316538978
Genre: Middle grade, contemporary realistic, rap and poetry, humor, community, friendship, diversity
April is National Poetry month, and in case you missed this roundup in ChildtessInk.com, here are a few highlights below. I have always loved poetry all the time, and I am excited to see more coming from publishers for all ages!
“America’s Favorite Rapping Teacher” brings his passion for rapping and teaching together is this utterly heartwarming and much-needed tale that reminds young readers to follow their dreams, all while finding and keeping the beat of their own path.
Publisher Description:
A humorous and heartwarming bounce-to-the-beat underdog story about a young rapper whose rhymes help bring his community together.
Eleven-year-old Simon Barnes dreams of becoming a world-famous rapper that everyone calls Notorious D.O.G. But for now, he’s just a Chicago fifth grader who’s small for his age and afraid to use his voice.
Simon prefers to lay low at school and at home, even though he’s constantly spitting rhymes in his head. But when his new teacher assigns the class an oral presentation on something that affects their community, Simon must face his fears.
With some help from an unexpected ally and his neighborhood crew, will Simon gain the confidence to rap his way to an A and prove that one kid can make a difference in his ‘hood?
PRAISE
- Upbeat and heartfelt, Simon B. Rhymin’ is a sure-fire hit!
—Lincoln Peirce, New York Times bestselling creator,
Big Nate and Max & the Midknights
- I love Simon. I love his heart, his rhythm and rhyme. We’ve been needing his voice for a long, long time.
—Liesl Shurtliff, New York Times bestselling author of Rump
- An authentic voice, strong friendships and loads of laughs make rhymin’ Simon a winner. —Tom Watson, author of Stick Dog
- A heartwarming tale that combines Black boy joy with community connection.
—Kirkus Reviews
- Dwayne Reed has succeeded in writing a story about a boy who is enjoying his life, exploring this theme without overtly coming across as teaching a lesson to readers.
—School Library Connection
A Fire Like You by Upile Chisala
Published by Andrews McMeel Publishing
March 10, 2020
ISBN13 9781449499587
Age: 14+
Genre: Poetry, Adult,
Description: This is the third book of a collection of poetry that deals with themes of love, loss, and desire. Upile Chisala explores identity and what it means to be a black Malawian woman while reflecting on her life and promoting empowerment and self-love.
The Poetry Remedy: Prescriptions for the Heart, Mind, and Soul by William Sighart
Published by Viking
October 15, 2019
ISBN13 9780525561088
Age: 18+
Genre: Adult Poetry/Anthology, self-care, Religious/Inspirational
Description: This is a collection of poems to provide wise words for all areas of life. From newness and change to general glumness there is a poem to help.
Letters to the Person I Was by Sana abuleil
Published by Andrews McMeel Publishing
February 25, 2020
ISBN13 9781524854041
Age: 11+
Genre: Middle Grade poetry
Description: This is a collection of poetry that offers the words of the wise to young girls as the author had wished to receive them herself when she was younger.
The Blue Day Book: a Lesson in Cheering Yourself Up by Rabdley Trevor Greive, Illustrated by Claire Keane
Published by Andrews McMeel Publishing
March 30, 2010
ISBN13 9780740791871
Age: All ages
Genre: self-care, poetry
Description: Using adorable animal pictures, Rabdey Trevor Greive helps us through our blue days by describing them, saying what causes them and lets us know how to get over them.
Mixed Feelings: Poems and Stories by Avan Jogia
Published by Andrews McMeel Publishing
September 17, 2019
ISBN13 9781449496210
Age: 12+
Genre: Poetry
Description: This book explores the emotions behind race, identity, religion, and family.
You Can’t Kill Me Twice (So Please Treat Me Right) by Charlyne Yi
Published by Andrews McMeel Publishing
November 19, 2019
ISBN13 9781524850753
Age: 16+
Genre: Lyrical poetry, YA poetry, adult
Description: This poetry collection describes the uncertainty of relationships, societal expectations, family trauma, and identity.
What is Poetry? The Essential Guide to Reading & Writing Poems
By Michael Rosen, Illustrated by Jill Calder, Walker, 2016
ISBN13 9781844287635
Age: 10+
Genre: Nonfiction, Children’s educational, poetry
Description: In this book the author demonstrates poetry through examples in order to help teach kids how to read and write poetry, by one of country’s leading children’s poets.
Unfollowing You by Komal Kapoor
Published by Andrews McMeel Publishing
February 5, 2019
ISBN13 978-1449499600
Age: 16+
Genre: Poetry, Adult
Description: This is a collection of mixed media that tells the story of modern love and heartache through the use of technology.
To Drink Coffee With a Ghost by Amanda Lovelace
Published by Andrews McMeel Publishing
September 17, 2019
ISBN13 9781449494278
Age: 18+
Genre: Adult poetry,
Description: In this second installment of things that h(a)unt, Lovelace unravels the memory of the complicated relationship she had with her now-deceased mother.
Apologies That Never Came by Dierre Alex Jeanty
Published by Andrews McMeel Publishing
May 14, 2019
ISBN13 9781524850647
Age: 18+
Genre: Adult poetry
Description: This collection creates a unity through heartbreak and encourages the reader to grow, strengthen, and heal together.
Between You & These Bones by F. D. Soul
Published by Andrews McMeel Publishing
May 14, 2019
ISBN13 9781524850609
Age: 16+
Genre: Adult Poetry, Memoir, Meditation
Description: This second poetry collection reads as a memoir about relationships between oneself, others and the world around us.
The Sound of Healing: Unveiling the Phenomena of Wholetones by Michael S. Tyrrell
Published by Barton Publishing
November 1, 2015
ISBN13 9780996746021
Age: 18+
Genre: TECHNICALLY NOT POETRY, but the affects of music on the soul. Adult, Music, Healing/Meditation
Description: This is a journey of self discovery and self reflection.
Miracle in the Mundane: Poems, Prompts, and Inspiration to Unlock Your Creativity and Unfiltered Joy by Tyler Knott Gregson
Published by Teacherperigee
March 5, 2019
ISBN13 9780525537526
Age: 18+
Genre: Adult, Poetry, Inspirational,
Description: This book is meant to inspire and challenge creativity with multiple mediums.
Voices in the Air: Poems for Listeners by Naomi Shihab Nye
Published by Greenwillow Books
February 13, 2018
ISBN13 9780062691842
Age: 13-17
Genre: Middle Grade Poetry
Summary: Ninety-five poems pay tribute to essential voices past and present that have the power to provoke us, lead us, and give us hope.
Book Love by Debbie Tung
Published by Andrews McMeel Publishing
January 1, 2019
ISBN13 9781449494285
Age: 14+
Genre: TECHNICALLY NOT POETRY, but I love this book! Middle Grade Comic/Graphic Novel
Description: Mini stories describing the life of someone who loves to read a lot.
Twenty Two: Letters to a Young Woman Searching for Meaning by Allison Trowbridge
Published by Nelson Books
April 4, 2017
ISBN13 9780718078164
Age: 22 (18-15)
Genre:YA
Description: This book is full of advice and words of wisdom for young women that answers the deep questions that women can’t always find a mentor to answer.
Voices: The Final Hours of Joan of Arc by David Elliott
Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers
March 26, 2019
ISBN13 9781328987594
Age: 14+
Genre: Medieval Middle Grade/YA Poetry
Description: Told through people and objects throughout Joan’s life, this book offers a new perspective on extraordinary women such as Joan of Arc using medieval poetry.
Tomorrow’s Women by Greta Bellamacina
Published by Andrews McMeel Publishing
February 4, 2020
ISBN13 9781524854096
Age: 15+
Genre: YA Fiction Poetry
Description: This British romantic poetry inspired by French surrealism tells of love, gender, motherhood, identity, and social issues.
Brave the Page: A Young Writer’s Guide to Telling Epic Stories by Rebecca Stern & Grant Faulker
Published by Random Penguin House
August 27, 2019
ISBN13 9780451480293
Age: 10-17
Genre: Informative, Nonfiction, Middle Grade
Description: A resource for Middle Grade writers on how to write their novel during NaNoWriMo including planning, writing, and committing to their goals.
NOT POETRY BOOKS:
Raising World Changers in a Changing World: How One Family discovered the Beauty of Sacrifice and the Joy of Giving by Kristen Welch
Published by BakerBooks
May 1, 2018
ISBN13 9780801075797
Age: 18+
Genre: Adult, Inspirational/Spiritual
Description: This book shows parents how to find joy in what they have in life and describes how to teach that to their children.
Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park
Published by Clarion Books
March 3, 2020
ISBN13 9781328781505
Age: 10-12
Genre: Middle Grade Historical Fiction,
Summary: In Dakota Territory in the 1880s, half-Chinese Hanna and her white father face racism and resistance to change as they try to make a home for themselves.
#AmReading #AmLoving #AmWriting #AllThingsPoetry
A Day in the Light 