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Celebrate National Poetry Month this April
April is National Poetry Month! We’re proud to share our collection of poetry books for young readers. With topics ranging from science to sports to social justice to animals, there’s a poetry book for each and every kid in this vibrant collection.
New in 2026!
This riveting found poem for kids based on Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Street Sweeper” speech is creatively interpreted in this nonfiction picture book written by acclaimed author Alice Faye Duncan, accompanied by gorgeous artwork by award-winning illustrator E. B. Lewis.
★THREE STARRED REVIEWS★
★ “The Dream Builder’s Blueprint is a model for writing with precision and intent, and a tribute to a man who knew the power of words—by an author who clearly does as well.”—Booklist, starred review
For imaginative kids who wonder… and ask “why?”
This collection of poems, creatively presented in the format of an allegorical house, will engage anyone who has ever wondered “why?” as it shows young readers that wonder is everywhere—in yourself and in the world around you.
★ “A beautifully conceived invitation: to look, see, wonder.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
2024 Kansas NEA Reading Circle List · A School Library Journal Best Book · A CCBC Choice · A Bank Street Best Children’s Book
For kids interested in science and engineering
Introduce children to physics through play, poetry, and a puppy in this joyous celebration of how physics matters in our everyday lives.
2024 Kansas NEA Reading Circle List
Fourteen poems compiled by award-winning poet and anthologist Lee Bennett Hopkins introduce readers to the various construction people who collaborate to create a high-rise hotel building, from architect to crane operator to glaziers and more.
“(This) brilliant anthology (is) an example that shows poetry can be about anything and for everyone.” —The Boston Globe
Kirkus Reviews Best Book · NCTE Notable Poetry Book · Bank Street College of Education Best Book of the Year
For the birder and animal lover
An ideal gift for kids who love animals, this picture book is a celebration of Poem in your Pocket Day and a charmingly illustrated collection of playful poems about 19 different creatures.
Download the educator’s guide and bonus activities.
This beautiful poetry collection introduces readers to the art of found poetry as the poet writes a 37-line poem, “Nest,” then finds 160 smaller poems within it.
★THREE STARRED REVIEWS★
★ “This clever poetry exercise will inspire reflection, recreation, or simple enjoyment.” —Booklist, starred review
Kirkus Reviews Best Book · NCTE Notable Poetry Book · Bank Street College of Education Best Book of the Year
A perfect bedtime read, this playful collection of poems—peppered with an astounding variety of animal sounds—is meant to be read aloud together.
A NCTE Notable Poetry Book
★ “Following in the estimable footsteps of Paul Fleischman, this work offers an irresistible invitation to its audience to join in the woooooooo, pzzzz pzzzz pzzzz, and peep of the natural world.” – The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, starred review
For kids who like to laugh!
Beware the Dragon and the Nozzlewock
A Graphic Novel Poetry Collection Full of Surprising Characters!
Ideal for fans of Jack Prelutsky and Shel Silverstein, this collection of hilarious poems features delicious vocabulary and a wide range of subjects, as well as recurring characters and subplots in the art that weave the poems together and add to the merriment.
Texas Bluebonnet Book Award Master List 2021-2022 · South Dakota Prairie Bloom Book Award Finalist 2022-2023 · A Bank Street College of Education Best Book of the Year 2021 · A New York Public Library Best Books for Kids 2020 · A Denver Public Library Best and Brightest Poetry Book of 2020 · An Evanston Public Library 101 Great Books for Kids 2020 · School Library Journal’s Fuse #8 Blog – 2020 Best Poetry Books · School Library Journal’s Fuse #8 Blog – 2020 Funniest Books of the Year · American Library Association ALSC Summer Reading Pick 2021 · A Kirkus Reviews Best Book
★”This collection will encourage several giggle-filled read-throughs.” — Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Award-winning author Vikram Madan’s new poetry collection features delicious vocabulary, hilarious poems, and a full-color graphic novel format!
A Boston Globe Best Book of the Year · Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year · Finalist, 2025 Washington State Book Award for Books for Young Readers · Evanston Public Library 101 Great Books for Kids · A 2025 White Raven Selection, International Youth Library Foundation
★ “Juicy, joyful, and just right for reading aloud, too.” – Kirkus Reviews, starred review
A clever boy comes to the rescue when a sick Kaiju needs help explaining that he feels unwell in this comics-style picture book–perfect for future fans of Dog Man and The Bad Guys.
“Clements brings readers on board right away…providing plenty of inspiration for making kaiju haiku of their own.“ —Publishers Weekly
For the kid who loves reading, writing, school, and sports
Twenty-three poems capture the joys of reading. This poetry explores what reading does—how it opens minds, can make you kind, and allows you to explore the whole world.
In this collection, twenty-two poems capture the amazing power of writing and will inspire even the most reluctant writer to begin putting words to paper.
A NCTE Notable Poetry Book · A NCTE Notable Children’s Books in the Language Arts
Selected by noted anthologist Lee Bennett Hopkins, this collection of all-new poems is written from the points of view of personality-filled punctuation marks, and is a memorable introduction to grammar for kids (adults, too!)
The perfect gift for young soccer fans, this picture book features twenty-two imaginative poems that capture all aspects of the world’s most popular sport.
A NCTE Notable Poetry Book
For MG/YA readers who gravitate to novels in verse
Dylan seeks solace through birdwatching and poetry in the woods behind his grandfather’s auto shop—but when he rescues an injured hawk, he must learn to confront the broken parts in himself in this powerful middle-grade novel-in-verse.
A Schneider Family Book Award YA Honor Book · A School Library Journal Best Book · NCTE Notable Children’s Verse Novel · 2026 YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers
“This beautifully crafted novel sings and soars.”—Nikki Grimes, author of Ordinary Hazards
Written in vivid, accessible poems, this remarkable verse novel is a celebration of imagination, friendship, one girl’s indomitable spirit, and of a teacher’s ability to reach out and change a life.
Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book · NCTE Notable Children’s Books in the English Language Arts · Kirkus Reviews Best Book
★ “Grimes’ words speak to the daydreamer in every reader.” — Booklist, starred review
Award-winning author Nikki Grimes’s beloved novel in verse Garvey’s Choice is now a graphic novel, imaginatively and dramatically illustrated by Little Shaq artist Theodore Taylor III.
School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
This lyrical middle-grade novel-in-verse celebrates the power of story and of finding one’s individual voice.
Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year · Winner of the Paterson Prize for Books for Young People · Arnold Adoff Poetry Honor Award · A Cooperative Children’s Book Center Choices Selection
★ “Keet’s is a simple and familiar-feeling story, but one that is understated, fully realized, deftly written, and utterly absorbing.”— School Library Journal, starred review
In her own voice, acclaimed author and poet Nikki Grimes explores the truth of a harrowing childhood in a compelling and moving memoir in verse.
Michael L. Printz Honor Book · Robert F. Sibert Honor Book · Boston Globe/Horn Book Nonfiction Honor Book · Arnold Adoff Poetry Award for Teens
★SIX STARRED REVIEWS★
★ “Ordinary Hazards is a gorgeous piece of writing that also serves as powerful inspiration for any reader who has struggled and sought grace.”—Shelf Awareness, starred review
For older readers who are interested in history
Through a sequence of raw and poignant poems, New York Times best-selling and award-winning poet Carole Boston Weatherford chronicles legendary jazz singer Billie Holiday—the singer’s young life, her fight for survival, and the dream she pursued with passion.
Coretta Scott King Author Honor Award
★ “The poetry is rich and evocative. . . . A remarkable tribute well worthy of its subject.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Beautiful verse explores agricultural scientist George Washington Carver’s life and many achievements, from his work as a botanist and inventor to his unsung gifts as a painter, musician, and teacher.
Newbery Honor Book · National Book Award finalist · Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book · Boston Globe–Horn Book Award · Flora Stieglitz Straus Award
★ “An unmatchable picture not only of Carver’s life but also of his impact within his time as well as in history.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, starred review
The powerful poems in this poignant collection weave together multiple voices to tell the story of the March on Washington, DC, in 1963.
★ “A powerful yet accessible guide to ‘one day in 1963 [that] [b]elongs to every age.'”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
