Happy National Poetry Month!

Poetry books are popping up like Easter eggs! Since I reviewed Poetry for Kids: Emily Dickinson, Quarto for Kids/MoonDance Press has published three more titles in their Poetry for Kids series. They've chosen some wonderful American writers; crossing fingers that the publisher branches out into poets of color, too.

I haven't read these yet, but I was really impressed by the Emily Dickinson book: the thoughtful selection of poems, the gorgeous art, and the helpful backmatter. If these books are anything like the first, I'd bet any of them will be winners.

Check them out:

Poetry for Kids: Walt Whitman

Poetry for Kids: Carl Sandburg

Poetry for Kids: Robert Frost

Louisiana Poetry Project

Laurie Williams, a colleague from the University of New Orleans, contacted me recently about this amazing website she's put together to promote poetry and poets in Louisiana, the Louisiana Poetry Project. It's a great resource for teachers and students to learn more about poets based in Louisiana, complete with a poem-a-day, lesson plans connected to specific poems, contests for students, and hand-outs for teachers.

I love the map on the home page filled with writers' names--some I'm familiar with, some not--and as the page says, "we know our food, our musicians, our natural resources...let's add poets to that list." Amen!

I'm honored to be a part of the project. Thank you, Laurie, for putting this project together, and for inviting me to participate!