In addition to joining this month’s Science and Sonnets Reading Challenge, we encourage you to celebrate National Poetry Month by browsing our shelves for poetry collections and novels in verse. Read on to learn more!
National Poetry Month’s the thing
To give the perfect start to Spring!
We’ve got books—you know it’s true!
They’re all waiting here for you.
April’s a time for poetry:
Rhyming couplets, verse that’s free.
All types and kinds are fun to read;
They’re the words our spirits need.
Silly ones that make kids grin,
That’s what I would call a win!
Lyrics for teens are fresh and smart;
Adult poems have lots of heart.
Whether verses have deep meaning
Or tend to be more nonsense-leaning,
Just one stanza at a time
Promises to be sublime.
Below are just a handful of the poetry titles you’ll find in our collection:
PICTURE BOOKS
- In Praise of Mystery by Ada Limón – During her term as US Poet Laureate, Limón composed a poem, artfully illustrated here by Peter Sis, that appeared on the hull of a spacecraft destined for Jupiter.
- Jam, Too? by JaNay Brown-Wood – Exuberant words and pictures highlight a spontaneous instrumental music session on the beach.
- Remember by Joy Harjo – The first indigenous U.S. Poet Laureate ruminates on how past, present, and future generations are linked to one another and the planet.
- Something, Someday by Amanda Gorman – Gorman, the 2017 inaugural National Youth Poet Laureate, suggests that even a small child—with the help of others—can make a difference.
- You’re a Poet: Ways to Start Writing Poems by Sean Taylor – Through five tales about main character Piglet’s joyous and poetic transformation, Taylor presents a guide for young children about having fun with wordplay.
KIDS
- And Then, Boom! by Lisa Fipps – Joe’s reliance on his Grandmum and his fervent belief in miraculous reversals of fortune are sorely tested by his own daunting situation.
- Force of Nature: A Novel of Rachel Carson by Ann E. Burg (also available on Hoopla) – A fictitious free verse biography about the life of Rachel Carson: a woman whose dedication to preserving our planet’s precious resources is worthy of such a lyrical tribute.
- In the Beautiful Country by Jane Kuo (also available on Hoopla) – This award-winning verse novel details the challenges faced by a ten-year-old Taiwanese immigrant during her family’s first year in 1980s Los Angeles.
- Melodies of the Weary Blues: Classic Poems Illustrated for Young People by Langston Hughes – Black artists bring a cool color palette and musical sensibilities to these verses penned by a consummate Harlem Renaissance poet.
- Words With Wings and Magic Things by Matthew Burgess – Themes of Wonder, Whispers, and Well Wishes are the threads that stitch together this playful collection of verses.
TEEN
- Ain’t Burned All the Bright by Jason Reynolds (also available on Hoopla) – A former National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, Jason Reynolds has collaborated with collage-artist Jason Griffin to produce this award-winning verse novel contemplating the Covid-19 pandemic and systemic racism.
- All the Love Under the Vast Sky edited by Kip Wilson – With a variety of characters, time periods, and genres, there is a short story to satisfy everyone in this collection written by contributors such as Jasmine Warga, Eric Gansworth, and Padma Venkatraman.
- Hekate: The Witch by Nikita Gill – Greek mythology buffs will find a lot to like in this verse novel about Hekate, Goddess of the Underworld, who is figuring out just how powerful she is.
- I Can’t Even Think Straight by Dean Atta (also available on Hoopla) – Kai walks a tightrope between following the advice of his two closest friends and listening to his own heart in this verse novel about coming out.
- King of the Neuro Verse by Idris Goodwin – Set in the 1990s, high schooler Pernell attempts to navigate ADHD, summer classes, and lunchroom rap battles.
ADULT
- Here is the Beehive by Sarah Crossan – Award-winning Irish author Sarah Crossan details the fallout when one member of a love triangle dies unexpectedly.
- Into the Hush by Arthur Sze (also available on Hoopla) – Composed by the current US Poet Laureate, Sze’s poems incorporate a variety of formats to address the challenges we face in a modern age.
- The Long Take, or, a Way to Lose More Slowly by Robin Robertson – Written from the perspective of a WWII vet trying to reintegrate into society after life-changing conflict.
- New & Selected Poems by Marie Howe – Awarded the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, Howe’s collection demonstrates her talent for verses that transcend the ordinary.
- You Better Be Lightning by Andrea Gibson – Spoken word star Gibson waxes poetic on a range of topics, touching on many aspects of the human condition, including queer and feminist issues.