2023 National Poetry Month Books List for Young Readers

The Red Ear Blows Its Nose: Poems for Children and Others
by Robert Schechter,
illustrated by S. Federico
Able Muse Press
April 2023, Hardcover, $24.95, Paperback, $19.95, and e-Book, $9.99 

Starred reviews in Booklist, Kirkus Reviews, and School Library Journal, which wrote: “Playful poems that delight....For reading out loud, to laugh at, to muse on, and to grow up with.” An instant classic!

Age Range: 7–12

A Work in Progress
by Jarrett Lerner
Aladdin Books
May 2023, Hardcover, $17.99, and eBook, $10.99

A young boy struggles with body image in this poignant middle-grade journey to self-acceptance told through prose, verse, and illustrations from award-winning author and illustrator Jarrett Lerner.

Age Range: 8–12
Themes: self-esteem, self-confidence, bullying, disordered eating

Spin
by Rebecca Caprara
Atheneum Books for Young Readers
March 2023, Hardcover, $19.99

The Song of Achilles and Circe get a sapphic, young adult twist in this gorgeously lush, feminist retelling of the myth of Arachne spun in moving verse.

Age Range: 12+
Themes: mythology, feminism, LGBTQ, Ancient Greece, romance, YA fiction

Miles Morales: Suspended
by Jason Reynolds
Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books
 May 2023, Hardcover, $19.99

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jason Reynolds comes the high-flying sequel to Miles Morales: Spider-Man, written with alternating chapters in verse.

Age Range: 12+
Themes: social themes, Black characters, Latino characters, diversity, YA fiction, superheroes

Dream Train: Poems for Bedtime
by Sean Taylor,
illustrated by Anuska Allepuz
Candlewick Press
March 2023, Hardcover, $19.99

A dreamy treasure trove of thirty bedtime poems to snuggle over together—and return to night after night. Featuring poems in many styles, from shape poems to free verse to ballad poems.

Age Range: 2–5
Themes: dreams, bedtime, railroads, rhyme

Soccer Queens: Poems
by Charles R. Smith Jr.
Candlewick Press
April 2023, Hardcover, $15.99

The Coretta Scott King Award-winning creator of Hoop Kings celebrates the skill and talent of top female soccer professionals—and pays homage to the legendary U.S. World Cup team of 1999.

Age Range: 8–12
Themes: soccer, biography, sports, World Cup

Where I Live: Poems About My Home, My Street, and My Town
by Paul B. Janeczko,
illustrated by Hyewon Yum
Candlewick Press
March 2023, Hardcover, $18.99

What is home? Revel in the ineffable sense of belonging in anthologist Paul B. Janeczko’s diverse selection of poems with sure appeal for children. Featuring thirty-four inviting verses from a diverse collection of authors.

Age Range: 7–10
Themes: home, lifestyle, city and town life

You So Black
by Theresa tha S.O.N.G.B.I.R.D.
Denene Millner Books
January 2023

Based on Theresa Wilson’s (a.k.a. Theresa tha S.O.N.G.B.I.R.D.’s) beautiful, viral spoken word poem of the same name, You So Black is a celebration of the richness, the nuance, and the joy of Blackness.

Ages 4–8
Themes: social themes, social and emotional learning, Black characters, diversity

Little People, BIG DREAMS: Amanda Gorman
by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara
Frances Lincoln Children’s Books
June 2023, Paperback, $8.99

From early on, Amanda read everything she could find, from books to cereal boxes. Growing up with an auditory processing disorder and a speech impediment, Amanda worked hard and ultimately acquired great strength from her experiences.

Age Range: 4–7
Themes: social activism

A Bit of Earth
by Karuna Riazi
Greenwillow Books
March 2023, Hardcover, $19.99

A fresh retelling of The Secret Garden, now growing on Long Island with a Pakistani heroine! This beautiful, poetic reimagining of the classic will captivate fans of the original and widen the appeal for today’s readers.

Age Range: 8+
Themes: friendship, fitting in, immigration, self-esteem 

Watch Me Bloom: A Bouquet of Haiku Poems for Budding Naturalists
by Krina Patel-Sage
Lantana Publishing
March 2023, Hardcover, $18.99

A collection of 24 mindful haiku poems exploring flower species commonly gifted or found in our neighborhoods, from wildflower meadows to urban window boxes, with a fun-fact section  in the back of the book.

Age Range: 2–9
Themes: nature, climate, mindfulness, diversity

Pardalita
by Joana Estrela,
translated by Lyn Miller-Lachmann
Levine Querido
April 2023, Paperback, $16.99

A gorgeous blend of prose poems and illustrations, Portuguese author and artist Joana Estrela’s slice-of-life story captures the feeling of being a teenager in a way that feels gentle, joyful, and real.

Age range: 12–18
Themes: coming of age, LGBTQ+, graphic novels, verse

Curls
by Ruth Forman
Little Simon
December 2020, Board Book and e-Book, $8.99

A poetic board book that delivers a joyful ode to African American girls and the beauty of their curls.

Age Range: all ages
Themes: hair love (especially Black hair), friendship, self-confidence

See Us Bloom
by Kyunghee Kim, illustrated by Emily Paik
Modern Marigold Books
April 2023, Hardcover, $19.95

An inspiring and comforting collection of poems and lyrical illustrations that will take kids on a journey to discover their own identities, find inner strength, and learn to love themselves—and one another.

Age range: 4–9
Themes: AAPI, Korean American, Jewish, social emotional learning, multi-ethnic families, multi-generational families, coping with anxiety.

How to Write a Poem
by Kwame Alexander and Deanna Nikaido,
illustrated by Melissa Sweet
Quill Tree Books
April 2023, Hardcover, $18.99

In this companion to the New York Times bestseller How to Read a Book, Newbery Medalist Kwame Alexander, poet Deanna Nikaido, and Caldecott Honoree Melissa Sweet celebrate the magic of discovering poetry in the world around you.  

Age Range: 4–8
Themes: poetry, books and libraries, imaginative play, learning to read, literacy, love of language 

Remember
by Joy Harjo,
illustrated by Michaela Goade
Random House Children’s Books
March 2023, Hardcover, $18.99 

Don’t miss U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo’s iconic poem  “Remember,” newly illustrated by Caldecott Medalist Michaela Goade. This gorgeous adaptation invites young readers to pause and reflect on the wonder of the world around them, and to remember the importance of their place in it.

Age range: 4–8
Themes: poetry, science and nature, Native American interest 

Eb & Flow
by Kelly J. Baptist
Random House Children’s Books
March 2023, Hardcover, $16.99

A ten-day suspension has tweens De’Kari and Ebony seeing the world with a fresh perspective. Don’t miss this poignant novel in verse from the award-winning author of Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero.

Age Range: 8–12
Themes: contemporary, stories in verse, friendship

Today I Am a River
by Kate Coombs,
illustrated by Anna Emilia Laitinen
Sounds True
April 2023, Hardcover, $18.99 

Lyrical poems and entrancing art inspire children to celebrate the natural world through movement, imagination, and play. As they pretend they are a river, sunlight, or a snake, they’ll see the world from new perspectives. 

Age Range: 4–8
Themes: poetry, nature, mindfulness, embodied learning

A Song
by James Christopher Carroll
The Creative Company
November 2019, Hardcover, $19.99

A girl who responds to the song that calls to her serves as an example to those who have forgotten how to listen, and how to follow the path of mystery and adventure set before them.

Age range: 6 and up
Themes: music, imagination and play, fiction

Mother Winter
by James Christopher Carroll
The Creative Company
August 2022, Hardcover, $16.99

A poetic personification of the winter season, Mother Winter goes walking during  “the longest cold night,” inviting the reader along to experience chilly winds, icy ponds, white
snowdrifts, and other quiet wonders.

Age range: 9 and up
Themes: seasons, stories in verse, fiction

Sister Spring
by James Christopher Carroll
The Creative Company
March 2023, Hardcover, $16.99

A poetic personification of the spring season, Sister Spring is revealed to be the force behind beautiful sunrises, blooming trees, sudden showers, and other springtime
wonders.

Age range: 9 and up
Themes: seasons, stories in verse, fiction

Courage Out Loud
by Joseph Coelho
Wide Eyed Editions
April 2023, Hardcover, $19.99

From the fantastic duo behind Poems Aloud and Smile Out Loud comes another compendium of 25 original, confidence-building poems to read out loud to show children that their voice has fantastic power.

Ages Range: 6–10
Themes: social emotional learning

Push-Pull Morning: Dog-Powered Poems About Matter and Energy
by Lisa Westberg Peters,
illustrated by Serge Bloch
Wordsong
February 2023, Hardcover, $18.99

Introduce children to physics through play, poetry, and a puppy in this joyous celebration of how physics matters in our everyday lives. 

Age Range: 4–8
Themes: physics, science, humor, dogs, STEM