3 stars A beautiful collection of poems that incorporate storytelling, song, and reflection into stunning free verse. The poems explore themes of death, grief, birth, nature, creation, culture, dreams, lore, memory, and family. Each poem is followed by a blurb from Harjo that provides information on the context, inspiration, and/or reflection on the poem, which…
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by Joy Harjo Foreword by Sandra Cisneros 3 stars Spanning the first 50 years of her poetry publications, Joy Harjo shares some of her most well-known and influential poems in one collection. The selections cover many events in Harjo’s life, from romantic relationships to the death of her mother, 9/11 to the COVID-19 pandemic. Each…
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by Lydia Corry 3 stars Through simple narration and stunning artwork, Corry explores the life and adventures of Emily Dickinson. Along with her trusty canine companion, Dickinson explores the outdoor world, traveling through meadows and pastures, a grove of woods, a leafy forest, and a stream. Readers take a peek into Dickinson’s family life, friendships,…
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by Joy Harjo Art by Dana Tiger 5 stars A stunning edition of a powerful poem of grief and healing. It was nice having read this poem previously in An American Sunrise: Poems. Because I was already familiar with the poem, I could focus on its interplay with the artwork in this edition. The poem itself…
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4 stars Fantastically written, this collection explores history and the human connection to the land. Through stunning verse, Harjo shares stories and imagery of her tribe’s forced removal from their ancestorial home, her return to her family’s land, stories of her family’s legacy, her own personal experiences, and creative new tales featuring well-known characters from…
Read More![Banned Together: Our Fight for Readers' Rights [Audiobook]](https://sp-ao.shortpixel.ai/client/to_webp,q_glossy,ret_img,w_308,h_410/https://www.craft-cycle.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Banned-Together-308x410.jpg)
Edited by Ashley Hope Pérez Illustrated by Debbie Fong Contributors: Ashley Hope Pérez, Maia Kobabe, Robin Stevenson, Nikki Grimes, Elana K. Aronld, Bill Konigsberg, Brendan Kiely, MariNaomi, Traci Sorell, Isabel Quintero, Trung Le Nguyen, Kyle Lukoff, Debbie Fong, Padma Venkatraman, Kelly Jensen, and Ellen Hopkins 3 stars A nice collection of pieces from a variety…
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3 stars A nice collection of poetry. Includes topics of COVID-19, connection, history, racism, war, loneliness, politics, and grief. I enjoyed the different styles used and the various forms the poems take, from erasure poems to a screenplay, found poetry to concrete poems. The formatting is visually interesting, utilizing different page colors, shapes, and orientations…
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Illustrations by Jan Spivey Gilchrist 5 stars A fun story about four friends coming together for one epic summer. I really enjoyed this picture book in verse. Drum can’t wait for summer to be over so he can see his friends at school. But when a new family moves into his neighborhood, his summer gets…
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Poems selected by Georgia Heard Poems by Eloise Greenfield, Deborah Chandra, Louise Driscoll, Georgia Heard, Gwendolyn Brooks, Susan Marie Swanson, Karla Kuskin, Margaret Tsuda, Lillian Morrison, Nancy Wood, A. L. Gordon, Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Langston Hughes, Walt Whitman, Annette Wynne, Emily Dickinson, Wendell Berry, and Ann Turner Illustrated by Holly Meade, Yumi Heo, Hiroe Nakata,…
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by Eloise Greenfiled Illustrated by Daniel Minter 5 stars A truly stunning collection of poetry showcasing African American midwives throughout time. The poems travel from Africa to America, sharing experiences through enslavement, emancipation, and into the modern era. Wonderfully written and expertly crafted. The dreamlike illustrations are beautiful and demonstrate the power, strength, care, and…
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