Books in Verse to Celebrate Poetry Month With Your Students
Happy National Poetry Month! Established in 1966, the celebratory month is a wonderful reminder of how literature and expression tie together, and is a great opportunity to celebrate some excellent works of poetry in all their many forms. From spoken word, rhymes, songs, and verse there is so much to explore. While poetry can sometimes be a difficult genre of writing for students to get into, exploring different types of poetry can help students connect and engage in a new way, and possibly even consider putting pen to paper and creating their own poems and stories.
Check out these recommended books in verse to draw in and engage your students in the art of poetry. You'll also find a short list of additional resources to dive deeper into the study of poetry.
Elementary Titles
Little Cat's LuckĀ
by Marion Dane Bauer, illustrations by Jennifer A. Bell
Izzy Kline Has Butterflies
by Beth Levine Ain
Gone Camping: A Novel in Verse
by Tamera Will Wissinger, illustrated by Matthew Cordell
Moo
by Sharon Creech
Before the Ever After
by Jacqueline Woodson
Forget Me Not
by Ellie Terry
The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary
by Laura Shovan
Middle Grade Titles
Alone
By Megan E. Freeman
Birdie
By Eileen Spinelli
Brown Girl Dreaming
By Jacqueline Woodson
Emmy in the Key of Code
By Aimee Lucido
Garvey's Choice
By Nikki Grimes
House Without Walls: May 10, 1979 to June 7, 1980
By Ching Yeung Russell
Land of the Cranes
by Aida Salazar
The Night Diary
by Veera Hiranandani
Other Words for Home
by Jasmine Warga
Rebound
by Kwame Alexander
The Colors of the Rain
by R.L. Toalson
Under the Broken Sky
by Mariko Nagai
High School TitlesĀ
The Black Flamingo
by Dean Atta
Bronx Masquerade
by Nikki Grimes
Clap When You Land
by Elizabeth Acevedo
Long Way Down
by Jason Reynolds
Punching the Air
by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam
Shout
by Laure Halse Anderson
Solo
by Kwame Alexander
Additional Resources:
Columbia Granger's World of Poetry
This library resource features 250,000 full text poems with commentaries and criticisms. (NYPL library card needed)
National Youth Poet Laureate
Learn more about this award winning youth poetry program including this year's inaugural youth poet Amanda Gorman.
Poetry Foundation
Find poems, prose, guides, podcast and more.
Poets.org
Find poems, poets, and activities to celebrate National Poetry Month. Also features a poem of the day to listen to or read.