This fall, we encourage you to check out these poetry titles for children and teens and YA novels in verse from our partners, sponsors, and advertisers to help bring more poetry into the classroom or home. Poems can spark a lifelong love of reading, and buying poetry books is one of the best ways to directly support poets and poetry.
2021 Featured Fall Books for Young Readers
Hungry for the Arts: Poems to Chomp On by Kari-Lynn Winters, illustrated by Lori Sherritt Fleming
Fitzhenry & Whiteside, November 2021
A collection of poems, highlighting concepts like pathways, dynamics, roles, and textures! This third book in the Hungry for. . . (STEAM) series features dancing dinosaurs, jazzy cats, a dramatic ride, and a homemade robot that whizzes through chores.
Ages: 5–8
Themes: STEAM Education
Black Music Is by Marcus Amaker
Free Verse Press, July 2021
Black Music Is is a poetic love letter to Black music through the ears of Bebop the cat. The book weaves poetry and pop-surrealist illustration, teaching readers about icons and modern-day musicians.
Ages: 8–12
Themes: Black History, Music, Poetry
Blue Daisy by Helen Frost, illustrated by Rob Shepperson
Holiday House, October 2021
Sam and Katie find a stray dog and make a big mistake, but it's hard to make amends–how can you apologize to a dog? How they earn the dog's trust, help it find its place in their town and how it gets its name, makes for a heartwarming story told in two voices using prose and poetry.
Ages: 7–10
The Dirt Book: Poems About Animals That Live Beneath Our Feet by David L. Harrison, illustrated by Kate Cosgrove
Holiday House, June 2021
15 fun and fact-filled poems about soil—what makes it and who lives in it. This book unearths some of the glorious mysteries that lie beneath our feet!
Ages: 5-8
Themes: Ecology & Conservation, Science
Numbers Everywhere by Linda Leopold Strauss, illustrated by Sara Infante
Holiday House, June 2021
Look up! Look Down! Look here! Look there! Number shapes are everywhere! Rhymes invite children to look for numerals hidden in the pictures: A tall straight line Is number one. / A rocket headed towards the sun! A fun way to introduce math to preschoolers, this book focuses on numeral recognition as well as counting.
Ages: 3–6
Themes: Concepts, Counting, Math, Size & Shape
Kwame Nkrumah's Midnight Speech for Independence by Useni Eugene Perkins, illustrated by Laura Freeman
Just Us Books, September 2021
On a humid March night in 1957, Kwame Nkrumah made history. After years of British rule, he declared his beloved Ghana, a free nation. Kwame Nkrumah’s Midnight Speech for Independence captures the magic of that historic night and life of one of Africa’s most celebrated leaders.
Ages: 4-8
Themes: History, Freedom, Leadership, Activism, Community
Neverforgotten by Alejandra Algorta, translated by Aida Salazar
Levine Querido, October 2021
From Colombian debut author, Alejandra Algorta, a lyrical story of resilience set on the streets of Bogotá and translated by award-winning author Aida Salazar. Presented in English and Spanish.
Ages: 8–12
Themes: Memory, Coming-of-age, Multi-generational Stories, Figurative Language, Latinx Stories
Alma Presses Play by Tina Cane
Make Me a World, September 2021
From Rhode Island Poet Laureate Tina Cane comes a lyrical novel-in-verse set during the 80s. In a world of confusing beginnings and ends, is Alma ready to press play on the soundtrack of her life?
Ages: 12–17
Home is Not a Country by Safia Elhillo
Make Me a World, March 2021
A mesmerizing novel in verse about family, identity, and finding yourself in the most unexpected places—for fans of The Poet X, I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter, and Jason Reynolds
Ages: 12–16
The Lost Language by Claudia Mills
Margaret Ferguson Books, October 2021
The quest to save the words of a dying language,and to find the words to save what may be a dying friendship, lies at the heart of this exquisite verse novel
Ages: 8–12
Themes: Friendship, Self Esteem, Social Themes
You Are a Reader!/You Are a Writer!
Margaret Ferguson Books, August 2021
You are a Reader! / You are a Writer! is a book made to be read twice, once from the front and once from the back. Read one way, children will see all the joys that reading can bring—flip it over and they'll be inspired by the imaginative possibilities of writing!
Ages: 6–8
Themes: Diversity & Inclusion, Self Discovery
The Littlest Yak by Ly Fraser, illustrated by Kate Hindley
Peachtree Books, October 2021
A little yak yearns for BIG things in this rollicking, rhyming picture book that celebrates individuality, unique talents, and the importance of not growing up too fast.
Ages: 4-8
Themes: Animals