4 more to read if it's poetry you need.

More awesome books of poetry for children.

Florian, D.(2007) Comets, Stars, The Moon, and Mars. New York, NY: Harcourt Inc

Space! The Final Frontier.  This book is full of poems about space, the solar sytem, and the universe.  The poems are witty, yet informative.  A glossary of space terms is included in the back, in case you didn’t quite understand through poem. 

This book is so intriguing, funny, and wonderful look at.  Douglas Florian has made brilliant full page paintings to cover every poem and subject in the book.  Within each page there is more information within the images themselves.  many pages have peek-a-boo holes in them that blend in so well, you don’t know they’re there until you turn the page.  I recommend this book for anyone who likes poetry, space, or just a fun read.

Katz, B.(2009) The Monsterologist, A Memoir in Rhyme. New York, NY: Sterling Publishing Co. Inc.

                Spooky creatures, monsters and folktales are the subject of this collection of poetry.  The book is modeled after a scrapbook full of evidence and information gathered by “The Monsterologist.”  Each turn of the page leads you to a poem about a different mythological creature.  The illustrations fit the motif perfectly, and there are even pull-out pages and cutouts that lend credence to this collection of monster info.

                This book was so fun to read!  The poems are witty, and the style is so different from other poetry books I’ve read.  You can see classic monsters in a different light, and learn about ones you hadn’t heard of before.  When you get to the end you can’t help but wish there were more!

Fleischman, P. (1988) Joyful Noise. San Francisco, CA: Harper and Row

                The “joyful noises” described in this book are those made by insects.  Each poem describes the lives and activities of a different insect.  These poems are rather unique in that they are meant to be read by two people simultaneously.  They are written in a format that has two columns, one for each reader.  Sometimes the readers alternate their parts, and at others they read at the same time.  The effect is a harmonious, almost song-like poem.

                Unlike most books of poetry, this isn’t meant to be read on your own.  It is purely a group activity.  You have to have a partner, and you have to read aloud, in order to fully enjoy these poems.  Believe me, when you read them, enjoy them you will.  I read them with different members of my family and we all had a blast.

Silverstein, S.( 1981 )A Light in the Attic. New York, NY: Harper Collins

                Shel Silverstein once again writes imaginative poems about all kinds of subjects.  All of the poems are of familiar topics to children, with twists that they are sure to find funny. In this collection you’ll find poems about messy rooms, boats, braces, spelling bees, monsters, library fines, lost puzzle pieces, and much more.  Silverstein illustrates each poem with his special brand of silly, yet mildly disturbing drawings.

                This book is one of those classics of children’s literature, and it still holds true to today.  I loved it when I was young, and I still love and find it relevant now.  My six year old found it and became engrossed for a couple of hours.  She obviously loved it just as much as I.