Children's Poetry

April is National Poetry Month.  This is the perfect time to explore the poetry section at your local branch library.  Poetry is shelved in the non-fiction section.  Whether you are looking in easy, juvenile, young adult or adult, the magic number to remember is 811. That is the call number for poetry books.

One children’s poet you may want to explore is J. Patrick Lewis.  He is the current children’s poet laureate.  This honor is awarded by the Poetry Foundation for a two-year tenure to raise awareness that children have a natural receptivity to poetry and that children are the most appreciative audience, especially when poems are written specifically for them.  J. Patrick Lewis is the author of over 50 books of poetry for children including If You Were a Chocolate Mustache and Please Bury Me in the Library.  Both of these books and many of his others can be found in our library’s catalog.  In addition to his own books of poetry, J. Patrick Lewis also picks a children’s poetry book to highlight each month on the Poetry Foundation website.

Another children’s poet to take notice of is Shel Silverstein.  His books A Light in the Attic, Falling Up and Where the Sidewalk Ends are some of our most popular books of children’s poetry.  All of these books and others by Shel Silverstein can be found in our library’s catalog.   His books are full of fun, laughter and unforgettable characters which make them highly enjoyable for children.  To learn more about Shel Silverstein and his books you can visit his website.

- Miss Andrea