Kids love poetry! Are you looking for poetry books that will entice and engage your readers. These books are great poetry books to add to your home or school library. From funny to classics, I’ve got you covered. (Please note the links below are Amazon Affiliate Links).
Funny Poetry Books:
These books are great for reading aloud and letting kids practice fluency. The fun text will have them reading and loving poems.
Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
It’s Raining Pigs and Noodles by Jack Prelutsky
No More Homework, No More Tests by Bruce Lansky
Revolting Rhymes by Roald Dahl
My Hippo Has the Hiccups by Kenn Nesbitt
Novels in Verse
These books are narrative stories told through poetry. The shorter text and to the point writing will help your struggling readers enjoy reading.
Love That Dog by Sharon Creech
Heartbeat by Sharon Creech
The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
Booked by Kwame Alexander
Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse
Words with Wings by Nikki Grimes
Picture Books:
These pictures books told through poetic language will keep readers engaged. The pictures will help early readers identify important words in the poems.
Quiet as a Cricket – Audry Wood
Life Doesn’t Frighten Me At All – Maya Angelou
Mirror Mirror: A Book of Reverso Poems – Marilyn Singer
Follow, Follow: A Book of Reverso Poems – Marilyn Singer
Wet Cement: A Mix of Concrete Poems by Bob Raczka
Monster Trucks by Anika Denise
Zen Ties by Jon Muth
The Classics
These great classics are perfect to use for word choice lessons. Kids can see how the words can paint a picture.
Poetry for Young People: Robert Frost
Poetry for Young People: Maya Angelou
Poetry for Young People: Langston Hughes
Poetry for Young People: Emily Dickinson
Poetry for Young People: Carl Sandburg
Poems to Learn by Heart – Caroline Kennedy
Casey at the Bat – Edward Lawerence Thayer
Now we are Six – A.A. Milne
A Child’s Calendar – by John Updike
A Visit from St. Nicholas – Clement C. Moore
Want to learn more about teaching poetry? Click Here!
I love this idea! I’m a 4th grade (doing work of 5th graders and will go to middle school next year) grade teacher and we just came home last Friday after concerning numbers of COVID. It’s my first year teaching at 50 years of age! I was dreading teaching poetry. I love teaching fiction and nonfiction but poetry has always been scary to me. I’ll be confronting it head on beginning December 1st! Thank you again!!
That is awesome! I hope you enjoy it! Thanks so much for sharing and best of luck.