The Library will be celebrating National Poetry Month with programs that are educational and fun for the whole family.

Magnetic Poetry
During Library Hours in April
The Trove
All Ages

Visitors to the Trove will be able to create their own poems with word magnets on our magnetic board on display. Children will be able to engage with, play with and arrange the words to come up with their own poems.

Branch Out: Poet-Tree Creation
During Library Hours in April
The Trove
All Ages

Help us grow a beautiful tree of poems! We’ll have leaves, explanations for nontraditional forms of poetry and a challenge – to fill the tree! Anyone can write a poem on a leaf and we'll staple it up on the board to fill the canopy of the Poet-Tree.

The Creative Breath April 9th & April 23rd
Grades 4-8

Come create poetry with published poet Caroline Reddy. We will be creating poetry using assorted colored cardstock paper and an assortment of words. We will first meditate, and then  engage our imagination and then work on creating poetry together.

Poetry Slam
Wednesday April 3rd, 20th Anniversary at 6:00 p.m.
Auditorium
Teens, Adults

Join Zork and Kristen in celebrating the 20th Anniversary of our library Poetry Slam with performances from two featured poets and an open mic! Schedule: 6:00 p.m. – Refreshments and open mic sign-up begins; 6:30 p.m. – First featured poet performs; 6:45 p.m. – Second featured poet performs; 7:00 p.m. – Open mic begins. We will have a feature performance by Rebecca P. Bruckenstein and Nina Belen Robins. Open mic will be limited to one poem per poet unless time allows for a second round.

Selected Recommended Poetry Books:

They Call Me Güero by David Bowles
For grades 4-8
Library Collection: book
Libby: ebook

“Explore the life of a border kid in Bowles’ spirited verse novel. For the 12-year-old Mexican-American narrator that everyone calls Güero, the borderlands (that ‘strip of frontier, / home of hardy plants’) means more than home…. In this slim verse novel, Bowles splendidly translates border life via loosely connected vignettes in an eclectic mix of poetic forms. Güero’s voice brims with humor, wit, and bits of slang, and a diverse cast of characters offers hints of other cultures…. A valuable, too-brief look at the borderlands.” –Kirkus Reviews

Hip Hop Speaks to Children: A Celebration of Poetry With a Beat by Nikki Giovanni
For grades 1-3
Library Collection: book

“The subtitle is more descriptive of the content of this engaging book than the title. There is a wealth of material, ranging from classic poems by Langston Hughes (several of them read by Hughes on the accompanying CD), Lucille Clifton, Eloise Greenfield, Maya Angelou, Walter Dean Myers, Jacqueline Woodson and others, to modern hip-hop and rap…. The variety of poetic forms and performance styles (sometimes elucidated on the CD, as well as in Giovanni’s introduction) makes this collection an excellent source of material not found together elsewhere.”  –Kirkus Reviews

Legacy: Women Poets of the Harlem Renaissance by Nikki Grimes
For grades 4-8
Library Collection: book
Libby: ebook

“Grimes’ new collection of poems weaves a contemporary Black feminist impulse while recovering the underappreciated contributions of Harlem Renaissance women poets. Winner of both the Children’s Literature Legacy Award and the ALAN Award, Grimes continues to deliver distinctively situated, heart-filled offerings that tie together generations of Black artistic excellence aimed at incubating positive social change…. After more than 77 books, Grimes remains as inspired as ever, drawing on the historic strength of Black women’s brilliance to give a timely, healing mirror to a new generation of readers. The ancestors are proud.” –Kirkus Reviews

Cast Away by Naomi Shihab Nye
For grades 3-7
Library Collection: book
Libby: ebook

“Nye explores what we throw away, literally (she’s a litter picker-upper) and metaphorically. In 80-plus poems, Nye writes conversationally, injecting humor, outrage, and reminiscence. Unambiguously championing the environment, she marvels at how casually humans toss trash. ‘What about these energy bottles pitched by someone / who didn’t have energy to find a bin? / Fun Finger Food wrappers dropped by someone / not so fun?’ An archaeologist of urban detritus, she ponders her discoveries, championing children throughout. ‘Blocks around elementary schools / are surprisingly free of litter. / Good custodians’” –Kirkus Reviews

Monster Museum by Marilyn Singer
For grades K-3
Library collection: book

“To the rollicking beat of Singer's (The Circus Lunicus) absurd poems, children trail an undead docent through a ‘monster museum’ where the exhibits are wax replicas… or are they? The visitors see Frankenstein's creation (‘I'm called Frankenstein,/ but it's his name, not mine’), the Blob and ‘Those mixed-up beasts from ancient Greece: the chimera, the cockatrice.’ Grimly, a Charles Addams devotee, packs the spreads with frantic activity that rewards sharp eyes; on the tour, sneaky things ambush museum-goers. Among the season's best creature features.” –Publisher’s Weekly

Hoop Queens by Charles R. Smith Jr.
For grades 3-8
Library Collection: book

“Twelve professional women's basketball players, including Chamique Holdsclaw, Tina Thompson, and Nikki McCray, are presented through the rhythmic beat of Smith's poetry. Alliterative phrases and well-paced rhymes capture the impressive women and energetic game. Sepia-toned action photos are enhanced by splashes of color and playful type. Notes at the back explore Smith's inspirations for the poems.” –Horn Book Guide Review

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
For grades K-6
Library collection: book
Libby: ebook

“…Dreamers, wishers, liars, hope-ers, pray-ers, and magic bean buyers are in for a treat: Where the Sidewalk Ends, Silverstein's funny, lyrical, and downright bizarre poetry collection, turns 40, and this newest edition contains 12 extra poems…” –School Library Journal

Before the Ever After (Novel in Verse) by Jacqueline Woodson
For grades 4-8
Library Collection: book
Libby: ebook

“An African American preteen finds his world upended when his father, a retired professional football player, displays symptoms of traumatic brain injury. Twelve-year-old Zachariah ‘ZJ’ Johnson Jr. loves his dad but wonders who he would be if his dad was not a famous athlete. Although his dad is in the spotlight, he is full of love and attention for ZJ and his friends. And fortunately, ZJ has three friends who see him and not his father’s shadow. ‘Zachariah 44’ was a fearless player who suffered many concussions during his playing career. The changes in his father begin slowly and intermittently. Soon the headaches and memory lapses grow increasingly frequent and scary for ZJ and his mom, since the doctors do not seem to have any answers…. A poignant and achingly beautiful narrative shedding light on the price of a violent sport.” –Kirkus Reviews