Looking for books of poetry for all ages? Don’t miss this Ultimate List of Poetry Books Kids and Teens (and their Adults) will enjoy!
Poetry brings joy and delight to my whole family. I love that there is a poem for every situation. We can find a poem to express anguish or joy, silliness or profundity. We can even find a poem to correlate to any subject we’re studying!
Whether you’re looking for the perfect anthology, wanting to understand poetry’s styles and forms, or hoping to try writing your own poems, this ultimate poetry book list is for you! It includes some of our family’s favorites as well as some new-to-us treasures. Poetry for teens can be tricky, but don’t worry! Tots to teens (and their adults) are sure to find a book to enjoy.
Want even more poetry resources? Check out these other posts and videos:
- The Year of Memory Work (52 weeks of video recitations and printables…FREE)
- National Poetry Month resources
- Poem in Your Pocket Day (plus free printables)
- Exploring Shakespeare with Children
- 12 Poems Everyone Should Know By Heart
- 100 Poems to Memorize in Morning Time
- How to Choose the Best Memory Work
- Can you Haiku?
- Poetry Free Writing
- What is Morning Time?
- Facebook Live sharing 4 new poetry books I’m excited about
- YouTube playlist of my Year of Memory Work recitations
- 8 Outstanding Poetry Activities For High School
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Books about Understanding Poetry (Its Styles and Forms) for Kids and Teens
- A Kick in the Head: an Everyday Guide to Poetic Forms, Paul Janeczko
- R is for Rhyme, Judy Young
- Poetry Adventure Series, Brian Cleary
- How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare, Ken Ludwig
- What is Poetry? The Essential Guide to Reading and Writing Poems, Michael Rosen
- Sweeter than Honey, Richer than Gold, Leland Ryken
Books about Special Forms of Poetry
Concrete Poems:
- Wet Cement: a Mix of Concrete Poems, Bob Raczka
- A Poke in the I: a Collection of Concrete Poems, Paul Janeczko
Reverso Poems:
- Echo, Echo, Marilyn Singer
- Mirror, Mirror, Marilyn Singer
Books about Writing Poetry for Kids and Teens
- Poetry Matters: Writing a Poem from the Inside Out, Ralph Fletcher
- The Place My Words Are Looking For, Paul Janeczko
- Pizza, Pigs, and Poetry: How to Write a Poem, Jack Prelutsky
- Read a Rhyme, Write a Rhyme, Jack Prelutsky
- Jabber-Walking, Juan Felipe Herrera (Poet Laureate of the United States 2015-2017)
- Poetry from A to Z: A Guide for Young Writers, Paul Janeczko
Poetry Anthologies, Thematic Collections, and Miscellany
- A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood: The Poetry of Mister Rogers, Fred Rogers
- A Book of Nonsense, Edward Lear
- A Child’s Book of Poems (illustrated Gyo Fujikama)
- A Child’s Introduction to Poetry, Michael Driscoll
- Animals, Animals, Eric Carle
- Beowulf: a Hero’s Tale Retold, James Rumford
- Cautionary Tales for Children, Hilaire Belloc
- Child’s Garden of Verses, Robert Louis Stevenson {So many gorgeous illustrators to choose from! Some of my favorite versions are: Tasha Tudor, Alice Provensen, Gyo Fujikawa , Jessie Wilcox Smith, and Eloise Wilkin.}
- Classic Poetry: An Illustrated Collection, Michael Rosen
- Conversation Pieces: Poems the Talk to Other Poems, Kurt Brown
- Everyman’s Library Pocket Poets Series {Gorgeous… and perfect for Mom’s purse!}
- Favorite Poems Old and New, Helen Ferris
- Fold Me a Poem, Kristine O’Connell George
- Good Sports, Jack Prelutsky
- Grumbles from the Forest, Jane Yolen and Rebecca Kai Dotlich
- I’m Just No Good at Rhyming, Chris Harris
- Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices, Paul Fleishman
- Keep a Pocket in your Poem, J. Patrick Lewis
- Leaf Litter Critters, Leslie Bulion
- One Hundred Years of Poetry for Children, Michael Harrison and Christopher Stuart-Clark
- Out of Wonder: Poems Celebrating Poets, Kwame Alexander
- Poem a Day: Volume 1 Volume 2 Volume 3
- Poetry for Kids: Emily Dickinson, Susan Snively
- Poetry for Young People Series {Chances are your favorite poet finds their place in this series! All these books are gorgeously compiled!}
- Poetry to Read Out Loud: A Burst of Verses, Robert Alden Rubin
- Read-Aloud Rhymes for the Very Young, Jack Prelutsky
- Shel Silverstein: all of his books, including A Light in the Attic, Where the Sidewalk Ends, and Falling Up
- Sing a Song of Seasons: a Nature Poem for Each Day of the Year, Fiona Waters
- The 20th Century Children’s Poetry Treasury, Jack Prelutsky
- The Book of Fairy Poetry, Michael Hague
- The Death of the Hat: A Brief History of Poetry in 50 Objects, Paul Janeczko
- The Random House Book of Poetry for Children, Jack Prelutsky (Arnold Lobel)
- The Soul in Paraphrase, Leland Ryken
- Valley of Vision
- What are you Glad About? What are you Mad About?, Judith Viorst
Poetry Books for Kids and Teens: Novels in Verse
- Inside Out and Back Again, Thanhha Lai
- May B, Caroline Starr Rose
- The Crossover, Kwame Alexander
Join the conversation on Facebook or Instagram and tell me some of your favorite poems! Participate in the Year of Memory Work for fun weekly poetry recitations. And don’t forget to sign up for my email list for subscriber exclusives!
Poetry Books for Kids and Teens
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