She’ll Be the Sky: Poems by Women and Girls

Selected by Ella Risbridger Illustrated by Anna Shepeta 3 stars A nice anthology of poetry from a variety of poets from around the globe and across time. Includes some classic poets like Emily Dickinson, Sappho, and Christina Rossetti, more modern voices like Amanda Gorman, Joy Harjo, and Mary Oliver, and some new voices including poems…

Read More

Poems of Parenting by Loryn Brantz

5 stars A sweet, heartwarming, humorous collection of poetry focusing on the ups and downs of parenting. Accompanied by charming line art, these touching and hilarious poems explore the chaos and joys of raising children, from the endless laundry and cleaning to the never-ending tiredness to experiencing every wonderful little thing children do as they…

Read More

Maya’s Song by Renée Watson

Illustrated by Bryan Collier 5 stars A beautiful biography in verse recounting various moments in the life of Maya Angelou. From her childhood to her reading “On the Pulse of Morning” at the inauguration of President Bill Clinton, the book shares glimpses throughout Angelou’s life. It includes moments from her childhood, her work as a…

Read More

Felicity by Mary Oliver

4 stars I have been enjoying slowly making my way through Oliver’s collections. While I absolutely adore her nature poetry, I was pleasantly surprised by this collection’s themes of love and relationships. Wonderfully crafted, these short poems leave the reader with a wonderful sense of calm. A sweet collection celebrating the joys of love and…

Read More

Into the Goblin Market by Vikki VanSickle

Illustrated by Jensine Eckwall 5 stars Lyrical, magical, and a powerful homage to sisterhood. A captivating read inspired by Christina Rossetti’s poem, “Goblin Market”. Rather than adapting or retelling Rossetti’s lengthy original, VanSickle’s version introduces a new set of sisters, Millie and Mina, and a fantastical market filled with tempting treats, eerie songs, and enticing…

Read More

White Pine: Poems and Prose Poems by Mary Oliver

4 stars Another stunning collection from Oliver. I especially love her musings and observations of nature. The way she describes birds is absolutely perfect. Themes of this collection include nature, love, death, and aging. A few of my favorite poems here are “Porcupine”, “In a Dark Wood: Wood Thrushes”, “Stories”, and “I Looked Up”. A…

Read More

For Every One by Jason Reynolds

5 stars A fantastically-worded poetic letter about figuring it out, being enough, and chasing your dreams. Wonderful imagery. Full of power, inspiration, and the vulnerability of admitting you don’t know it all. I loved the visual elements of the text with changes in fonts, sizes, and grayscale highlighting. Pure Reynolds. Lyrical, powerful, inspirational, and honest….

Read More

Blue Horses by Mary Oliver

3 stars Another beautiful collection of poems. This one didn’t resonate with me quite as strongly as the other collections I’ve read from her, but it was still a wonderful read. A nice exploration of life, nature, and relationships. Goodreads

Read More