Poetry is a kind of writing, usually in verse. Poetry verse is set out in short lines with words put together in rhythm or rhyme or both. Poetry is about a writer sharing with the reader an experience or strong feelings. Poems are written with words chosen for their sounds and beauty as well as their meaning.
Poetry began in prehistoric times when people passed down their oral history in poetic language and song. Through the years, three main kinds of poetry have developed: lyric, narrative, and dramatic. Lyric poetry is any short poem. Narrative poems are ones that tell stories, an epic or ballad. Dramatic poetry also tells a story, but in this case one or more of the poem's characters acts out the story, like a play.
The list below is filled with books that combine poems on a certain subject, books filled with a particular poet's (Shel Silverstein for example) poems on various things, and novels that are told through a series of poems called verse. There are many ways to present poetry, so if you are looking for something specific like a certain topic or format, please post your question, or call, or come into the library. Let me know if your teacher has given you specific kinds of format for this book report. We have so many books on poetry, so if you know of a famous poet, we can definitely find you a book of their poems. We will have a cart in the library set aside with some books of poems for you to look through when you come in. Have fun with this project and as always let me know any way I can help you find what your looking for.
Books of Poems:
Animal sense / by Diane Ackerman -J 811.5 Ackerman -In this delightfully witty collection of poems, bestselling author Diane Ackerman shows how the senses shape and enrich the experiences of all living beings.
Poems from Homeroom: A Writer's Place to S
tart by Kathi Appelt- YA 811.54 Appelt
The first half of this pre-teen poetry writing guide offers thought-provoking free verse; the second digs into the motivation behind each poem and practical writing advice.
Voices: Poetry and Art From Around the World selected by Barbara Brenner
Journey to different continents for this artistic celebration of diversity and a shared humanity.
Robert Browning / edited by Eileen Gillooly- J 821.8 Browning
Robert Browning's poetry has mysteries and a beauty of language that youngsters will love exploring, from the classic and beloved "Pied Piper of Hamelin" to the charming verse play "Pippa Passes".
The earth under Sky Bear's feet: Native American poems of the land / Joseph Bruchac- J 811.5 Bruchac
A retelling of twelve tales from various North American Indian cultures describing how Sky Bear, the Big Dipper, sees the earth from the sky.
The
All kinds of poems are collected together: old and new, short and long, funny and sad. Many of the poems are very famous and well-loved, but there are also some surprises and a few "classics-in-the-making."
I'm Nobody. Who Are You? by Emily Dickinson
A great introduction to the poems of Emily Dickinson.
Swimming Upstream: Middle School Poems by Kristine O'Connell George- J 811.54 George
From humorous to angst-ridden, this collection offers verses that will captivate your students.
Heart to Heart: New Poems Inspired by Twentieth-Century American Art edited by Jan Greenberg
Featuring the work of acclaimed authors, this compilation of poetry explores the often surprising relationship between words and visual art.
Exploding gravy: poems to make you laugh / X.J. Kennedy- J 811.5 Kennedy
Do you like to laugh? To smile? Do you like poetry? If you like one, two or all of the above, this is the book for you. Inside these covers you'll find the best funny poems of X. J. Kennedy, a poet who knows what tickles us, all combined in a collection that pleases the car and delights the mind.
Why am I grown so cold? : poems of the unknowable / edited by
An anthology of poetry dealing with strange phenomena for which there is no rational explanation.
Call down the moon: poems of music / selected by Myra Cohn Livingston.- J 811.5 Call Divided into 12 sections, these poems range in mood from amusing to moving, serious to sublime. The authors featured include William Blake, Gwendolyn Brooks, Walt Whitman, Langston Hughes, Eve Merriam, and many others.
Bone poems / by Jeff Moss- J 811.5 Moss
A collection of poems about dinosaurs, Ice Age mammals, prehistoric people, and other ancient creatures.
19 Varieties of Gazelle: Poems of the
Expand your students' minds with this compilation of 60 thought- and discussion-provoking poems.
Poetry for Young People/ Edgar Allen Poe- edited by Brod Bagert- J 811.3 Poe
The Raven and Other Poems and Stories by Edgar Allan Poe- YA 811 Poe
A collection of dramatic classics, including "The Bells," "The Tell-Tale Heart," and "The Pit and the Pendulum."
Words With Wings: A Treasury of African-American Poetry and Art selected by Belinda Rochelle
Spanning two centuries of artistic achievement, this stunning collection pairs the work of 20 poets.
Where the Sidewalk Ends, A Light in the Attic, Falling Up, Runny Babbit- Shel Silverstein.- J 811.5 Silverstein
A boy who turns into a TV set and a girl who eats a whale are only two of the characters in a collection of humorous poetry illustrated with the author's own drawings.
Rimshots: Basketball Pix, Rolls, and Rhythms by Charles R. Smith Jr. - J 808.8 Smith
Hook your sports fans on poetry with this dynamic collection of basketball verses and visual artists to explore the African-American experience.
Wallace Stevens / edited by John N. Serio- J 811.54 Stevens
Delightful harmony and boundless imagination: these characteristics make Wallace Stevens' work very special.
The animal rescue store / by Elizabeth Swado- J 811.54 Swados
Cats, dogs, turtles, emus -- there's a place and poem in SIDNEY'S ANIMAL RESCUE STORE for every kind of critter. Meet heavy metal cockatoos who like to rock and roll, snooty llamas speaking French, alley cats with attitude, and even a batch of baby alligators.Kids will tweet, howl or hiss along to the romping rhythms of Liz Swados's poems.
A collection of poems on different subjects and in different styles that lend themselves to memorization.
The mermaid and other sea poems / compiled and illustrated by Sophie Windham. - J 811.5 Mermaid
This fully illustrated anthology features 18 poems, including verse by Edward Lear, Lewis Carroll, Ogden Nash, Jack Prelutsky, and X. J. Kennedy. Each short poem explores the world of a sea creature, from mermaid to oyster, and most have an element of fantasy in subject or imagery.
Animal poems / Valerie Worth- J 811.54 Worth
Each of the exquisite twenty-three poems in this posthumous collection by Valerie Worth carefully distinguishes one animal from all other creatures and captures it in all of its wonderful singularity - from wasp to snake to wren.
Novels in Verse:
Home of the brave / Katherine Applegate- J FICTION Applegate
A story told in verse is about Kek, an African refugee, is confronted by many strange things at the
All the broken pieces: a novel in verse / by Ann E. Burg- J FICTION Burg
Two years after being airlifted out of Vietnam in 1975, Matt Pin is haunted by the terrible secret he left behind and, now, in a loving adoptive home in the United States, a series of profound events forces him to confront his past.
Diamond Willow by Helen Frost - J FICTION Frost
Becoming Joe DiMaggio / Maria Testa - J 811.5 Testa
A novel told in verse, meaning that spare, simple poems tell a boy’s moving story in this short novel about baseball, family, and the American dream. It’s 1936, and the Yankees have just hired a star center fielder whose name sounds like music. What could be a better time for Papa-Angelo’s grandson to be born? Christened after the legendary ballplayer, young Joseph Paul learns much at his Italian grandfather’s knee - about holding your breath in front of the radio during a 3-2 count with the bases loaded and having the audacity to dream big dreams. It is Papa-Angelo’s job to teach his grandson what it means to be a hero.
