Tuesday, April 01, 2008

National Poetry Month

Happy poetry month! It’s lovely to have a time when we try to focus EVERYONE’S attention on poetry (although many of us do that all year long, of course). I’m hoping to post every day this month with a variety of poems, poets, and topics. First off, I’m lifting some details from my book, Poetry People, A Practical Guide to Children’s Poets. If you’re looking for help in selecting and sharing poetry by 62 major poets writing for children, I hope you’ll check it out. I also have a few “extras” in the backmatter of the book, including a calendar of poet birthdays-- here's the April list:

April
7 Alice Schertle
12 Gary Soto
13 Lee Bennett Hopkins
20 April Halprin Wayland
22 William Jay Smith; Ron Koertge
25 George Ella Lyon
26 Marilyn Nelson
28 Barbara Juster Esbensen

and lists of:
Awards for Poetry for Young People
Poet Promotion Activities

How to Share Poetry

Poet Biographies, Autobiographies and Memoirs

Popular Poetry Web Sites

Poetry Anthologies

Poems About Libraries and Reading

Poetry Practices Checklist


In addition, I have gathered lists of:
Poets to Watch
People Who Write Other Things Plus Poetry
Verse Novelists
Anthologists
Classic Poets
Poets Who Write for Adults, Plus Children


I’d like to kick off the month with an eye on our poets to watch, which includes new names all the time. Here are individuals who are emerging as notable poets writing for children. Can you suggest others?
Adoff, Jaime
Burg, Brad

Cyrus, Kurt

Grandits, John

Greenberg, David

Johnson, Lindsay Lee

Katz, Alan

Kay, Verla

Lawson, JonArno

Lisa, Nicola W.

Medina, Jane

Mitton, Tony

Mordhorst, Heidi

Moss, Jeff

Nesbitt, Kenn

Paul, Ann Whitford

Pomerantz, Charlotte

Rex, Adam

Roemer, Heidi

Smith, Hope Anita

Van Meter, Gretchen

Wayland, April Halprin

Wolf, Alan

Zimmer, Tracy Vaughn


Here’s one fun poem by a new voice with a great metaphor that kids will love:

POETRY IS MY UNDERWEAR
by April Halprin Wayland

My sister found them.

Read them out loud.
She’s so proud,

she’s running to our parents
waving my poems in the air.
Doesn’t she know
she’s waving my underwear?

from Girl Coming in for a Landing by April Halprin Wayland (Knopf 2002)
Happy birthday, April on April 20!
Happy national poetry month, one and all.

Picture credit: daddytypes.com

1 comment:

  1. A new poet to add to your list (first book just released...in time for poetry month): Barbara R. Vance. Her book, Suzie Bitner Was Afraid of the Drain, is a delight and had certainly gone over extremely well with the children in my life! The poems range from funny to whimsical, and the illustrations are wonderful. Great fun!

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