A National Poetry Month Reading List for Young Readers

Behold Our Magical Garden: Poems Fresh from a School Garden
by Allan Wolf,
illustrated by Daniel Duncan
Candlewick 
March 2022, Hardcover $18.99

Witty and inspiring, Allan Wolf’s upbeat poems are poised to cultivate a new crop of gardeners, aided by Daniel Duncan’s bountiful illustrations.

Age range: 8–12
Themes: Science, Humor, Nature, Flowers, Plants, Heath & Nutrition

Hope is an Arrow: The Story of Lebanese American Poety Kahiil Gibran
by Cory McCarthy, 
illustrated by Ekua Holmes
Candlewick
March 2022, Hardcover $18.99 

A lyrical biography of Kahlil Gibran by award-winning writer Cory McCarthy, with glorious illustrations by Caldecott Honoree and two-time Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award winner Ekua Holmes.

Age range: 6–9
Themes: Nonfiction, Biography, Emigration

Marshmallow Clouds : Two Poets at Play among Figures of Speech 
by Ted Kooser & Connie Wanek,
illustrated by Richard Jones 
Candlewick
March 2022, Hardcover $19.99

Celebrated poets Ted Kooser along with Connie Wanek, and illustrator Richard Jones, explore figures of speech in a spirited and magical way—and invite our imaginations out to play.

Age range: 10 and up
Themes: Science & Nature

Take Off Your Brave: The World through the Eyes of a Preschool Poet
by Nadim, 
illustrated by Yasmeen Ismail 
Candlewick
March 2022, Hardcover $17.99

See the world through a small child’s eyes in this enchanting collection of poems by a four-year-old, joyfully illustrated by an award-winning artist.

Grade level: Preschool–3
Themes: Family, School & Education, Social Topics

Augusta Savage 
by Mariyln Nelson
Christy Ottaviano Books
January 2022, e-Book $9.99 & Audiobook $24.99

“Stunning.” —Booklist, starred review
“Rich.” —Publishers Weekly,
starred review
“Dazzles.”—Kirkus, starred review
“Wonderful.” —Horn Book, starred review

Age range: 14–18
Themes: Art, American History, Biography, Nonfiction, Harlem

You are the Loveliest
by Hans & Monique Hagen, 
illustrated by Marit Törnqvist
Levine Querido
April 2022, Hardcover $17.99

A poetry collection that reveals the joys, worries, flights of imagination, and new discoveries that young kids experience, for fans of Shel Silverstein and Jack Prelutsky, brilliantly translated for the first time into English.

Grade level: Pre-K–4

Away With Words 
by Mary Ann Hoberman,
illustrated by Perry Hoberman
Little Brown Books for Young Readers
March 2022, Hardcover $18.99


A deliciously clever and entertaining collection of poems that celebrate word play by former Children’s Poet Laureate and New York Times bestselling author Mary Ann Hoberman.

Age range: 6 and up
Themes: Humor

The Canyon’s Edge 
by Dusti Bowling
Little Brown Books for Young Readers
September 2020, Hardcover $16.99, Paperback $7.99, e-Book $7.99, & Audio $24.99

“...stunning.... an edge-of-your-seat read.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“...this emotionally resonant survival tale is a must-have.” —School Library Journal, starred review
“...powerful..a triumphant story of healing and bravery.” —Booklist, starred review

Age range: 8–12
Themes: Adventure, Camping, Handling PTSD, Death, Grief & Bereavement

The Door of No Return
by Kwame Alexander
Little Brown Books for Young Readers
September 2022, Hardcover $17.99,
e-Book $9.99, & audiobook $25.99

The first book in a breathtaking trilogy from Newbery medalist, CSK Honor winner, and New York Times bestselling author Kwame Alexander. 

Age range: 10 and up
Themes: Historical Fiction, Adventure, Coming of Age, Novels in Verse, Africa

Baby Teeth 
by Meg Grehan 
Little Island Books
June 2022, Hardcover $16.99

From the multi-award-winning author of The Deepest Breath (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2021), a Junior Library Guild Selection, comes a YA verse novel about LGBTQ+ desire, identity— and vampires.

Age range: Young Adult
Themes: Romance, Vampire Romance, Queer Romance, Queer Vampires, Sexuality, Relationships

Emile and the Field
by Kevin Young, 
illustrated by Chioma Ebinama
Random House Children’s Books
March 2022, Hardcover $17.99

In this lyrical picture book from an award-winning poet, a young boy cherishes a neighborhood field throughout the changing seasons. With stunning illustrations and charming text, this beautiful story celebrates a child’s relationship with nature.

Age range: 4–8 
Themes: Family, Poetry, Seasonal Moments

If This Bird Had Pockets: A Poem in Your Pocket Day Celebration
by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater,
illustrated by Emma J. Virján
Wordsong
March 2022, Hardcover $17.99

An ideal gift for children 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.

Grade level: Pre-K–3

You Don't Have to Be Everything 
edited by Diana Whitney
Workman
March 2021, Paperback $14.95

You Don’t Have to Be Everything is filled with works by a wide range of poets who are honest, unafraid, and skilled at addressing the complex feelings of coming-of-age, from loneliness to joy, longing to solace, attitude to humor.

Age range: 12–18