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"My favorite poems
hold a wooden spoon of words
and whisper:
Taste." |
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Poetry for Younger Children |
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JP Mother
My Very First Mother Goose |
"Wash the dishes,
Wipe the dishes,
Ring the bell for tea;
Three good wishes,
Three good kisses,
I will give to thee." |
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JE 811.54 Dakos
The Bug in Teacher's Coffee and Other Poems
by Kalli Dakos |
"I'm the teacher's cookie,
I'm as GORGEOUS as can be,
I'm the teacher's cookie,
So DON'T EAT ME! " |
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JE 811.54 Shannon
Frog Legs : A Picture Book of Action Verse
by George Shannon |
"Fresh puddle.
Tap. Mud'll
splash up high.
Jump. Double
stomp! Mud'll
Plop into your eye." |
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Poetry for Older Children
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J 811.3 Longfellow
Paul Revere's Ride
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow |
| "Listen, my children, and you shall hear of the midnight ride of Paul Revere..." |
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J 811.54 Florian
Handsprings : Poems & Paintings
by Douglas Florian |
"We tilled the earth,
Took out the weeds,
Then in the soil
Planted seeds:
Pumpkin,
Parsley,
Carrot,
Pea.
Spring succeeds
ex-seed-ing-ly." |
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J/ 811.6 Marsalis
Jazz A-B-Z
by Wynton Marsalis and Paul Rogers |
"Armstrong.
Armstrong almighty!
An ad-libbing acrobat.
American ambassador of affirmation.
Adventurous author of ambrosial aires.
Absolute architect of the Jazz Age." |
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Stories in Verse
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J 808.81 Once
Once Upon a Poem : Favorite Poems that Tell Stories |
"Goldilocks by Roald Dahl turns the fairy story on its ear, and provides a new, suitably gruesome, Dahlesque finale. At last, justice is served. Literally."
(Eoin Colfer's introduction to Goldilocks & the Three Bears)
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J 811.54 Soto
Fearless Fernie : Hanging Out with Fernie and Me
by Gary Soto |
"For sadness, Fernie pondered the three holes in his socks.
For happiness, he fit a pair of wax lips on his mouth.
For loneliness, he swallowed a cloud.
For excitement, he made the spring from a pen leap like a flea."
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J Fic Brown
Hugging the Rock
by Susan Taylor Brown |
"I wonder if she's happy
now that she's really all alone
all the time.
I wonder if she sits outside somewhere
in her new backyard
strumming her guitar
singing to the only audience she has." |
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J Fic Spinelli
Where I Live
by Eileen Spinelli
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"Dad anounces: 'I lost my job last week.'
Mom says, 'We're short on money now.
We'll have to cut back.'
Cutting back means
No new bike
for my birthday.
I guess
I can live with that." |
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Silly Poetry
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J 811.54 Prelutsky
My Dog May Be a Genius
by Jack Prelutsky |
"I crossed a lion with a mouse.
Their progeny patrol my house,
and often roar, demanding cheese --
I give them all the cheese they please."
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J 811.54 Silverstein
Falling Up : Poems and Drawings
by Shel Silverstein |
"I tripped on my shoelace
And I fell up --
Up to the roof tops,
Up over the town
Up past the tree tops,
Up over the mountains,
Up where the colors
Blend into the sounds,
But it got me so dizzy
When I looked around,
I got sick to my stomach
And I threw down." |
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J 811.5408 Foot
A Foot in the Mouth
by Paul Janeczko |
"I put this collection together because I'm a firm believer that poetry needs to be read aloud. By yourself, with a friend, with a group. That part's up to you, but it's important to hear the word and music of poetry fill the air."
(Paul Janeczko) |
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Poetry Collections
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J 808.81 Family
A Family of Poems : My Favorite Poetry for Children
by Caroline Kennedy |
"Hope is the thing with feathers --
That perches in the soul --
And sings the tune without the words --
And never stops -- at all --"
(Emily Dickinson)
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J 808.8193 Nye
This Same Sky : A Collection of Poems from Around the World
by Naomi Shihab Nye |
"Take a pen in your uncertain fingers.
Trust, and be assured.
That the whole world is a sky-blue butterfly
And words are the nets to capture it. "
(Muhammad al-Ghuzzi, Tunisia)
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J 811.508 Twentieth
Twentieth Century Children's Poetry Treasury |
"The fog comes
on little cat feet.
It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on."
(Carl Sandburg)
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J 811.5408 When
When the Rain Sings : Poems by Young Native Americans |
"She prays in the early dawn
sings the corn-grinding song
wears pink and red
Navajo bun on her head
turquoise jewelry and silver button
eats fry bread and mutton."
(Daisha Jim, Navajo, age 9)
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Be a Poet!
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J 808.1 Fletcher
Poetry Matters : Writing a Poem from the Inside Out
by Ralph Fletcher |
"Poetry saved my emotional life. And without emotions, what's life worth anyway?"
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J 811.608 Seeing
Seeing the Blue Between : Advice and Inspiration for Young Poets |
"Everyone watches clouds, naming creatures they've seen.
I see sky differently,
I see the blue between..."
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Listen!
The library offers several listening formats, including cassettes, CDs, Playaways, and downloadable files. Below are some files from Overdrive and NetLibrary. If you are unfamiliar with these services, get instructions by clicking these links:
**Overdrive ** NetLibrary** |
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J 811.008 Poetry
Poetry Speaks to Children (Book with CD) |
"A rabbit
Bit
A little bit
An itty-bitty
Little bit of beet
Then bit
By bit
He bit
Because he liked the taste of it."
(Mary Ann Hoberman)
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Revolting Rhymes & Dirty Beasts by Roald Dahl |
Preview | | Download |
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Joyful Noise : I Am Phoenix - Poems for Two Voices by Paul Fleischman |
Preview | | Download |
| Find more books of poetry and poetry websites on our Young People's Poetry list! |
| Cheryl Chelemer
Children's Services
Santa Clara County Library
March, 2009 |
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