Young Adult Poetry

Dramatic, lyrical, and beautiful, O Captain, My Captain tells the story of one of America’s greatest poets and how he was inspired by one of America’s greatest presidents.

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.

Ink and Magic is a poetic picture of life and inspirations drawn from anxiety, relationships, writing, and motivation. Words that are made to evoke emotions and encourage and support others the way I have been. After each poem I try to explain where my head and motivation was at when I worked to create it. Contains profanity, descriptions of panic, allusions to sex, and maybe hope.

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

Martin Rising is a stunning, poetic presentation of the final months of Martin Luther King Jr.’s life - told in a rich embroidery of visions, color, musical cadence, deep emotion, and multiple layers of meaning. Against a backdrop of the sanitation workers’ strike in Memphis, Tennessee, the book builds to its rousing crescendo as King delivers his “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech - where his life’s commitment to peaceful activism and his dream of equality ascend to their highest peak.

New York Times best-selling author Nikki Grimes has received numerous accolades for her writing, including the Coretta Scott King Award. In Planet Middle School, 12-year-old Joylin Johnson is satisfied with her life. Everything seems pretty simple: a nice, relaxed game of basketball with the boys is all she needs to keep her happy. But it all changes when her best girlfriend starts flirting with her best guy friend.

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.

Carrying just a suitcase and an old laundry bag filled with clothes, Kasienka and her mother are immigrating to England from Poland. Kasienka isn't the happiest girl in the world. At home, her mother is suffering from a broken heart as she searches for Kasienka's father. And at school, Kasienka is having trouble being the new girl and making friends. The only time she feels comforted is when she's swimming at the pool. But she can't quite shake the feeling that she's sinking. Until a new boy swims into her life....

Starting with Lucy Terry of the early 18th century and finishing with poet laureate Rita Dove, this inspiring anthology edited by Catherine Clinton captures the enormous talent and passion of black poets. Powerful and diverse, I, Too, Sing America is a forum for voices baring their souls, speaking their minds, tracing their roots, and proclaiming their dreams.

While society often assigns the label “knucklehead” to kids with attitude problems, this brilliant and electric poetry collection by spoken word poet and hip-hop educator Tony Keith Jr. subverts that narrow way of thinking and empathizes with young people who are misunderstood and unheard.

Some romance and self-love and deep, inspirational poems that I hope you all can enjoy.

A stranger walks into a restaurant and has an even stranger request - a meal in exchange for a song. Would you be willing to help someone even though you know they could never repay you? One couple did, and what they received was so much more than what they gave.

Seconda raccolta di pensieri e poesie dell'autrice adolescente, scritte durante la scuola superiore per descrivere a modo proprio: notizie, eventi, emozioni provate e l'ambiente circostante.

Akilah is a 13-year old author who uses the power of pen and paper to vividly describe the roller coaster of emotions she’s encountered throughout her young life. At 13, Akilah has already experienced the challenges of navigating and overcoming obstacles associated with questioning her worth and the world’s expectations. This book provides a glimpse inside of Akilah’s challenges and how she used the power of her words to find the power within herself to prevail and continue her stride towards the best version of her.

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.

"The Raven" and other poems suitable for the 10th and 11th grades.

Jesse-Ray Lewis, 19, enters a West Virginia "safe house" with few possessions beyond the kerchiefs that identify him as a gang member. An age-out foster child, he lands in Bluefield, where a charity gives him food. What follows is the personal, dramatic story of two people who intervene in the life of a homeless, drug-abusing teen with a background of violence and neglect. In their next-door suite called the safe house, they impose three rules: "No alcohol or drugs. You have to work. You have to go to school." Jesse-Ray expresses gratitude. But what does he want? The couple struggles to determine his true motives....

This rockin' collection of 24 dynamic, original poems vividly captures a variety of musical experiences from the teen perspective. From playing in the school band to playing air guitar, from performing a favorite song to dreaming of stardom, the power of music is explored in passionate poetry and performance. The rhythm and language of each poem reflect a different musical genre, including classical, hip-hop, jazz, folk, and reggae.

Written by an outstanding scholar in simple, eloquent language, this wonderfully contemporary retelling will draw youngsters in with superb dialogue, and vivid description. The skillful blending of Shakespeare's own lines with modern language enhances children's involvement and comprehension. There's background on Shakespeare and the play; answers to FAQs such as "Isn't Juliet too young to be married?" and a "Who's Who" of the characters. Young Reader's Shakespeare is a powerful visual and reading experience.

Our audio study guide on the OCR Love and Relationships Poetry Anthology for GCSE English Literature provides both readings of the poems and an extensive analysis of each. The tutorials have been designed to help develop a range of skills, such as analysing language, making comparisons and inferring meaning and ideas. There are also bonus chapters on unseen poetry and how to plan your answers for the exams. The series has been written by Rebecca Kleanthous, who is both an experienced teacher and specialist poetry examiner.