National Poetry Month

So, I know that yesterday I posted about it being National Humor Month, but April is a really exciting month for librarians (and all books-lovers!) because it's also National Poetry Month!

According to Poets.org, National Poetry Month was established in 1996 by the Academy of American Poets. "The concept is to widen the attention of individuals and the media—to the art of poetry, to living poets, to our complex poetic heritage, and to poetry books and journals of wide aesthetic range and concern."

Familiarize yourself with some new poetry this month. Here are a few book ideas to get you started:

Poetry Speaks: Who I Am edited by Elise Paschen

Something Permanent photographs by Walker Evans, poetry by Cynthia Rylant

The Pain Tree: And Other Teenage Angst-Ridden Poetry collected and illustrated by Esther Pearl Watson and Mark Todd

Ubiquitous: Celebrating Nature's Survivors by Joyce Sidman, illustrations by Beckie Prange

Hour of Freedom: American History in Poetry compiled by Milton Meltzer, illustrations by Marc Nadel

It's a Woman's World: A Century of Women's Voices in Poetry edited by Neil Philip

My Name is Jason, Mine Too: Our Story, Our Way by Jason Reynolds and Jason Griffin