It’s not too late to celebrate National Poetry Month this April. While there are many ways to introduce poetry into your family’s life, a good place to start is with the Philadelphia Free Library’s curated offerings. We have compiled a selection of poetry books, virtual events and online resources available from the library geared towards kids, teens and families.
Books:
“Hip Hop Speaks to Children: A Celebration of Poetry with a Beat” edited by Nikki Giovanni
With over 50 poems and songs, this New York Times bestseller celebrates poetry with a beat from people like Langston Hughes to Tupac Shakur.
“Roots and Blues: A Celebration” by Arnold Adoff
Through poems and poetic prose, the children’s book author Arnold Adoff dives into the history and style of the music genre of blues.
“Brown Girl Dreaming” by Jacqueline Woodson
This award-winning novel in verse follows the author’s childhood growing up in the 1960s as an African American in South Carolina and New York.
“Be Glad Your Nose Is on Your Face: And Other Poems” by Jack Prelutsky
The more than 100 poems in this collection by the celebrated children’s poet Jack Prelutsky are a wonderful introduction to his silly, surprising and enchanting poetry.
“Poetrees” by Douglas Florian
Accompanied by mixed-media illustrations, the 18 poems in this book celebrate the many wonders of various trees.
Virtual Events:
Mindful Monday with Haikus and Tarot
April 26, 10 a.m.
The Lillian Marrero Library will host mindful poetry writing exercises for teens and adults on Facebook and Instagram.
Virtual Poetry for Adults and Teens
April 29, 3:30 p.m.
Haddington Library will celebrate the end of National Poetry Month with a fun virtual poetry event.
Song of Myself: A Short Film Screening and Poetry Reading
April 29, 4:30 p.m.
The Whitman Library is hosting a live virtual screening of the short film “Song of Myself” that highlights contemporary poetry written by local Furness High School students. Student poets will read their work and host a Q&A session.
Electronic Resources:
Browse all of Gale’s literature databases at a Free Library location or online with your library card to find extensive poetry and criticism.
This online database, accessible at Free Library locations or online with your library card, has more than 150,000 poems available from work by William Shakespeare to Maya Angelou.
