You can read poetry in any and every season, but April is National Poetry Month, a fitting time for this Reading Challenge category! Have you heard of Poem in Your Pocket Day? Falling on April 29 this year, it's a celebration of poetry in daily life. You can carry a poem in your pocket and share it with your friends. But why stop there?
- Write a short poem on a sticky note to put on your fridge
- Make a bookmark featuring a line of poetry
- Challenge someone to a rhyme battle
- Listen to tons of different poems in the Children's Poetry Archive
- Compose a haiku and fold it into origami
- Ask your teacher if your class can do a poem exchange, or plan one with your family. Everyone writes their favourite poem on a piece of paper and puts it into a box. Each person randomly draws a poem and reads it aloud.
- Memorize a famous poem and recite it
- Have a friend or family member who lives far away? Send them an acrostic poem using the letters of their name.
- Create calligraphy or word art using verses of poetry
Find these and more poetry books at your local library!
Alligator Pie by Dennis Lee and Frank Newfeld
The words of this Canadian classic will get stuck in your head and have you tapping your feet.
Change Sings by Amanda Gorman and Loren Long
Every kid has the power to make changes! An uplifting picture book about inspiring action and kindness.
Echo Echo by Marilyn Singer and Josée Masse
Love Greek mythology? You'll be fascinated by these reverso poems which can be read both forward and backward.
Golden Girl by Reem Faruqi
Can you read a novel in verse for this Reading Challenge category? Absolutely! In this book, Aafiyah's dad is accused of a crime that he didn't commit. Aafiyah is determined to save him, but her plan has consequences.
Hawks Kettle, Puffins Wheel and Other Poems of Birds in Flight by Susan Vande Griek and Mark Hoffmann
The beauty and movement of 12 birds are captured in illustrated poems.
I Remember: Poems and Pictures of Heritage by various authors, compiled by Lee Bennett Hopkins
A group of talented poets and illustrators team up to share their childhood memories.