Life Poetry

woke up no light is a Black girl’s saunter turned to a woman’s defiant strut. These are the hymns of a new generation of poetry. Young, alive, yearning. A mouth swung open and ready to devour. A quest for home in a world that knows only wasteland and wanting.

The start of the school year is bringing a lot of changes for Rain: New school. No Circle Group. No Dr. McCalla. No Miss Walia. No step team. And Xander, her older brother and superhero, is away at college. Although everyone else seems okay with change, Rain struggles to open up to her new counselor, her mom, Umi, Alyssa, and even Xander, who seems to have forgotten all about her while away at college. But when an older boy starts giving Rain more attention than she asked for—will she be able to open up again before things go too far?

The foremost diverse children's authors and illustrators - including Jason Reynolds, Jacqueline Woodson, and Kwame Alexander - share answers to the question, "In this divisive world, what shall we tell our children?" in this powerful collection, published in partnership with Just Us Books.

During a visit to her grandma's house, a young girl discovers a box of poems in the attic - poems written by her mother when she was growing up. Her mother's family often moved around the United States and the world because her father was in the air force. Over the years her mother used poetry to record her experiences in the many places the family lived. Reading the poems and sharing those experiences through her mother's eyes, the young girl feels closer to her mother than ever before.

When Lonnie Collins Motion was seven years old, his life changed forever. Now Lonnie is eleven and his life is about to change again. His teacher, Ms. Marcus, is showing him ways to put his jumbled feelings on paper. And suddenly, Lonnie has a whole new way to tell the world about his life, his friends, his little sister, Lili, and even his foster mom, Miss Edna, who started out crabby but isn’t so bad after all. Award-winning author Jacqueline Woodson’s lyrical voice captures Lonnie’s thoughtful perspectives of the world and his determination to one day put a family together again.

This is a true story of growing up, breaking down, and coming to grips with a psychological disorder. When Samantha Schutz first left home for college, she was excited by the possibilities - freedom from parents, freedom from a boyfriend who was reckless with her affections, freedom from the person she was supposed to be. At first, she revelled in the independence...but as pressures increased, she began to suffer anxiety attacks that would leave her mentally shaken and physically incapacitated.

The Spirit Within is a poem designed to empower a child to be true to themselves. Music and dance are used as symbols of the individual spirit and personal expression, but the concept can be applied to anything a child is interested in. An audiobook that will plant the seed of not succumbing to peer pressure and realizing your personal dreams.

Lily the limpet lives happily in a rock pool. When Billy and Gran go to the beach they accidentally take the stone she lives on. Join Lily as she tries to find her way home. A beautiful tale of life by the sea.

A day at the circus! Oh my! So many things to see! So many things to do! Clowns and Ferris wheel rides, tents and trapeze artists. A Day at the Circus takes a look at all those wonderful experiences that happen at a sunny day at the circus.

"I have something new to talk about...tonight I will be going out," Mama gently tells Llama Llama. At first, Llama feels okay with this. After all, Mama has gone out before and Gram and Grandpa have stayed with him. But this time they can't. Someone new is coming over, and the more he thinks about it, the more he worries! He knows he will be miserable...and then the doorbell rings. It's Molly from the ice cream store. What is she doing here? And she has ice cream! Maybe having a new babysitter isn't nearly as bad as he thought!

On a surprisingly snowy day in Texas, a young student finds himself braving recess alone…that is, until he spots a new face sitting on the school's Buddy Bench. After a quick introduction, the two spend their recess discovering fun ways to enjoy the snow. By the end of recess, both kids leave the playground with a brand new friend. This sweet story of friendship brings the Buddy Bench's purpose to life.

Concrete Kids is an exploration of love and loss, melody and bloodshed. Musician, playwright, and educator Amyra León takes us on a poetic journey through her childhood in Harlem, as she navigates the intricacies of foster care, mourning, self-love, and resilience. In her signature free-verse style, she invites us all to dream with abandon - and to recognize the privilege it is to dream at all.

Llama Llama's tooth is wiggling! Is it time for his first tooth to come out? He's excited, but anxious. Who is this tooth fairy everyone talks about? Mama Llama reassures him; the tooth will come out when it's good and ready. But no one is ready for what happens next.... Suddenly, the tooth is GONE! Where did it go? And will the tooth fairy come at all, now? Anna Dewdney's fun rhyme is full of humor and comfort, and of course, a very happy ending.

'Chocolate mousse!' says greedy Goose. 'Don't just grab it,' says angry Rabbit. Good manners aren't on the menu at this meal. Duck won't eat his carrots. Moth's eating the cloth, and Sheep would rather sleep than wash the dishes. Thank goodness some of the animals know how to behave!

How can Irene and Charles work together on their fifth grade poetry project? They don't know each other...and they're not sure they want to. Irene Latham, who is white, and Charles Waters, who is black, use this fictional setup to delve into different experiences of race in a relatable way, exploring such topics as hair, hobbies, and family dinners. This remarkable collaboration invites listeners of all ages to join the dialogue by putting their own words to their experiences.

Come experience the non-stop excitement of having to keep up with your energy-filled grandpa while he’s in town visiting you on vacation. He’s going to make each day the best day you have ever had. There’s not a minute to waste, because you are about to pack an entire summer of fun into a week. There’s no way of knowing just what all can happen when grandpa gets going.

When Crab finds a new shell, he doesn’t want to share it with anyone - especially not a blobby purple anemone and a tickly bristleworm. But life in the rock pool proves tougher than Crab thinks and he soon finds he needs his new housemates. Sharing a Shell is a charming underwater tale of friendship and fun from the stellar picture book partnership of Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks, creators of What the Ladybird Heard. With brilliant rhythmic verse, charmingly read by Julian Clary, this is a firm favourite with children and parents alike.

The Weather Girl is a tale for children of all ages. This story written by Christopher Bejole features the adventures of a bird named Boo on a journey to find out why the weather suddenly has begun to change so dramatically.

In a new city, at a new school, 12-year-old Emmy has never felt more out of tune. Things start to look up when she takes her first coding class, unexpectedly connecting with the material - and Abigail, a new friend - through a shared language: music. But when Emmy gets bad news about their computer teacher, and finds out Abigail isn't being entirely honest about their friendship, she feels like her new life is screeching to a halt. Despite these obstacles, Emmy is determined to prove that, for the first time ever, she isn't a wrong note, but a musician in the world's symphony.

This heart-wrenching novel in verse describes the life of a poor girl surviving the Irish Land War and the everyday challenges she experiences.