Welcome to Poetryland is a guide to teaching poetry writing to children in pre-K through fifth grade. The author, Shelley Savren, has taught creative writing to different age groups and in various settings for forty years, and she tailors lesson plans and writing exercises to these different age groups. The book’s six main chapters address the pre-K through fifth grade classroom, programs for special needs students, gifted seminars and other pullout programs, education initiaves in art museums, and programs for students in abusive or unstable home environments.

Each chapter begins with a quote from a student and a model poem and concludes with a lesson plan. Savren combines anecdotes from her own teaching experiences with poem prompts, open-ended writing assignments, introductions of poetic concepts, and other useful resources.

Of the book, U.S. Poet Laureate Juan Felipe Herrera writes, “Shelley Savren encourages teachers, respects them, and guides them with the excitement of a poet and daring educator who has journeyed well the poetry and teaching road. Magnificent, practical, magical.”