Children’s Poet Laureate Monthly Book Picks
Each month, the Children’s Poet Laureate recommends a book of poetry for children. Selections include classics of children’s literature, adult collections that are well-suited to children, as well as newly published books.
J. Patrick Lewis’s May 2013 Book Pick
Pomelo Books 2013
First conceived by blogger Kelly Herold in 2006, “Poetry Friday” has become a weekly staple of the “kidlitosphere.” Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong, consummate aficionados of children’s poetry, have teamed up once again to produce a 283-page collection of mostly free verse poems for sixth, seventh, and eight graders. Contributors include X.J. Kennedy, Patricia Hubbell, Marilyn Nelson, Naomi Shihab Nye, and many more.
Each poem is paired with a five-minute activity that stresses, not analysis, but appreciation and encouragement to follow up with more poems in a similar style. An excellent and necessary supplement to the Common Core State Standards.
