April is National Poetry Month

April 15, 2012

As of March 11, the top selling children’s book of poetry was Every Thing On It by Shel Silverstein. The number two book was A Light in the Attic, also by Shel Silverstein. No surprises there, as Shel Silverstein is the most recognizable children’s poet after Dr. Seuss. With April being National Poetry Month, why not break out of the Silverstein and Seuss rut and discover some other wonderfully talented children’s poets?

If you’re not sure where to start, take a look at the Poetry Foundation’s children’s site.  You can browse poems, learn about featured poets, and read articles about children’s poetry. The Poetry Foundation Library also has an interactive online storytime for children between the ages of 3 - 5. Poem Time, as they call it, starts at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesdays. 

Another fun website is the Children’s Poetry Archive. This kid-friendly site features funky designs and bright colors and allows you to browse poems on different poetry themes and subjects. Also, kids can learn about the different forms of writing poetry. In my favorite section, called "Ask a Poet," poets answer questions they are frequently asked by children. Just click on a poet and the question you want answered, and you’ll get to see a filmed interview of the poet in their home. 

If that’s not enough, check out one blogger’s idea to promote 30 poets in 30 days. Greg Pincus decided to use his blog, Gotta Book, to display the unpublished works of 30 well-known children’s poets. 

Once you’ve browsed these websites and found some poets or books of poetry that have piqued your interest, remember to search our catalog for those titles.  You may be surprised by all the children’s poetry books we have that don’t have an author’s name ending in Silverstein or Seuss.

Happy Poetry Month!!!

Crystal M-S
Colbern Road Branch