Whenever I talk about poetry I hear a handful of comments along the lines of "I can't get into poetry," "I don't understand poetry," "I don't know how to read poetry," or the perennial, "Poetry is boring!" In honor of National Poetry Month I thought it fitting I put together a list of poetry books that will make you (and everyone in your family) love reading poems. I promise these are all unique, non-boring poetry books!
I suppose if all you know of poetry is Byron or Tennyson, poetry might seem a little dull. I confess, long, flowery poems are not my first choice of reading material, either. Plus, I would never introduce poetry to my kids by reading the Romantics to them! However, if you are reading rhyming books to your kids you are already reading them poetry! How about that! Poetry comes in many interesting and -- dare I say it? -- FUN forms.
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Before you give up, check a few of these poetry collections out of the library. Read some of them out loud to your kids and find out how creative and entertaining poetry can really be.
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Lemonade: and Other Poems Squeezed from a Single Word. My 10 year old told me he thought many of the poems in this book were quite funny. These is certainly one of the most unique poetry books we have read! Each short, clever poem is made up using only the letters in a single word. They are puzzle poems, waiting teased out from the letters scattered on the page. I adored the way the poems captured the essence of ordinary life events.
Now We Are Six and When We Were Very Young are a classic pair of poetry books with short, easily digestible poems. I’m sure you recognize Milne as the author of the Winnie the Pooh stories. If you enjoy Winnie the Pooh, or even if you’ve never read it (and you should) give these a try. They are especially good when read aloud.
Mirror Mirror: A Book of Reverso Poems. This book is a little bit nuts! Fairy tales provide the inspiration for each poem which are read forwards and in reverse For example, "In the Hood," read forwards is narrated from the perspective of the wolf. When it is read in reverse, we hear Red Riding Hood's voice. Singer followed up this creative collection with the aptly named Follow Follow: A Book of Reverso Poems.
Won Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku. An entire story told in haiku? Awesome! This is the story of a shelter cat and his new adopted life. With bold illustrations, this is a wonderful, funny and unique book. After you've read this one, be sure to catch the new Won Ton and Chopstick: A Cat and Dog Tale Told in Haiku.
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Edgar Allan Poe's Pie: Math Puzzlers in Classic Poems by J. Patrick Lewis, illustrated by Michael Slack. Poems about math! Did you even know there was such a thing? These short poems are math riddles. The answers are upside down at the bottom of each page so don't worry about getting stuck, you'll never fail this math class. Another great choice is Lewis' Arithme-Tickle: An Even Number of Odd Riddle-Rhymes.
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Where the Sidewalk Ends: Poems and Drawings. It is probable that if you are a parent of a certain generation (ahem), you will be familiar with the delightfully kooky poems of Shel Silverstein. If for some reason you've never read a Silverstein poem, start now.
It's Raining Pigs & Noodles. You can really take your pick of any of Prelutsky's books (and he has MANY). Like Silverstein, his poems are both silly, profound and speak pointedly to the experience of being a child.
GUYKU: A Year of Haiku for Boys. I truly adore this book, partly because being a mom of two boys I recognize the spirited and mischievous nature of boys (girls, too!) so aptly translated to the haiku form.
Out of This World: Poems and Facts about Space. If you have a child who loves nonfiction books, and pours over tomes filled with fascinating facts, then this is a poetry collection to try. Each poem about space is accompanied by a paragraph explaining the phenomenon described in the poem. For example, a haiku about footprints on the moon shares the page with facts about the moon's surface.
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Looking Like Me. I love the upbeat tempo of Myers' poetry in this book! A young boy, Jeremy, narrates this poem/picture book. It starts as he looks in the mirror, declaring, "That's who I am." He then meets friends and family in his city neighborhood, all of whom describe him differently. He is a brother, artist, runner, writer, and more. The poem is an infectious, joyful celebration of one boy's self-esteem and identity. This is a wonderful poem to read with your kids and then have a conversation about all the different aspects of who they are.
A Poke in the I: A Collection of Concrete Poems is a collection of “concrete poems.” Concrete poems are poems in which the visual arrangement of the words on the page are as essential to the meaning as the text itself. For example, the text of the poem “Giraffe” is printed out in the shape of a giraffe. “Tennis Anyone” will have your eyes bouncing back and forth across the page. Kids love concrete poems for their playful nature, and creating their own concrete poems is a wonderfully fun writing exercise.
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Poetry Speaks to Children (Book & CD). Okay, I hear you. You aren't sure how to read poems. Let someone else do the heavy lifting with this volume of poetry. The CD boasts tracks of poems, both modern and classic being read aloud. Many of them are read by the author, including the illustrious Robert Frost.
Nicole says
Well I just put the hold button on my library account to work, thank you for another fantastic list! I used to love poetry and have enjoyed finding it again with my daughter.
One we have in our own collection and really enjoy is Noisy Poems for a Busy Day by Robert Heidbreder and Lori Joy Smith. I think it's definitely geared towards younger kids, and was a great way to introduce poetry!
Erica MomandKiddo says
Ha ha! I'm sure the library appreciates the patronage!
Catherine Johnson says
Great list, thanks. I haven't read some of these.
Erica MomandKiddo says
Enjoy!
Catherine says
Last night we were reading Poetry for Young People: Animal Poems; I had picked it up at a yard sale and was surprised at some of the serious poems in it by the likes of Blake, Melville, Whitman...But my 6 year olds loved it, and the pictures are great. My son is a huge fan, as well, of Scranimals by Prelutsky.
Erica MomandKiddo says
Poetry for Young People is a great series. Scranimals is wonderful, too.
Ashley T. says
I'm with Nicole on this lol--I'm glad I get unlimited library books as a homeschooler! I just reserved nearly the whole list. Thanks for another great one!
Erica MomandKiddo says
So glad to hear you find the list helpful. Enjoy!
Amy @ Sunlit Pages says
This is a fantastic list! I'm especially excited to check out Lemonade and Arithmetickle. And Mirror Mirror is a favorite of mine . . . although I think its cleverness went right over my kids' heads.
Erica MomandKiddo says
Yes, Mirror Mirror was better appreciated by my older son than my youngest.
Anya says
Excellent list, will check these out. To your ist I would add "The Dragons are Singing Tonight" by Jack Prelutsky, at the moment this is a favorite in our house. We also love books from Poetry for Young People Series.
Erica MomandKiddo says
Prelutsky is definitely one of my favorites!
maria gianferrari says
Lots of great titles here, Erica! I'm an especially big fan of Won Ton & its sequel as well as Mirror Mirror & Follow Follow.
If you haven't yet discovered Douglas Florian, definitely check his books out--they're fun, playful and full of clever word play--very kid friendly. He's also the illustrator, and his art is colorful and amazing.
I also love Dogku, by Andrew Clements (another book told in haikus), as well as Jon Muth's Hi, Koo! It's very sweet.
Joyce Sidman is one of my very favorite poets writing for children, but her work is better suited for readers who are a bit older, and who love the natural world/science.
Erica MomandKiddo says
Oh, yes, we love Hi, Koo! Joyce Sidman is great, too. Thanks for the recommendation!
Heather Hicks says
There are some great ones on this list! I can't wait until my kids are old enough to appreciate some good poetry, some of these will be a great start I hope! They have been into Horse valley Adventure series which has been fantastic for them, but now it;s time to branch out. If anyone needs a good rec, Liana Allen is the author of the Horse Valley series and she's very good, lmabooks.com is her site!
Erica MomandKiddo says
Thanks for the recommendation!
Rebekah Gienapp says
Thanks for compiling a great list! I would also add The Barefoot Book of Classic Poems. .The gorgeous watercolor illustrations really bring the poems to life, and there's a good mix of funny and serious poems.
Leah says
A big THANK YOU for this and your other poetry writing for kids ideas! After week 4 of being thrown head first into homeschooling I'm in need of creative ideas like these. One of the favorite poem books in our house is The Adventures of Isabel by Ogden Nash.