Artwork by Ekua Holmes 4 stars A fantastic collection of poetry. Absolutely stunning. Powerful words and a wonderful variety of poems. Watson pulls from her own life experiences to highlight issues of race, gender, and class in America. The collection covers topics such as growing up, hair, violence against Black people, family, community, love, influential…
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3 stars A beautiful collection of poetry that encourages the reader to reflect on the state of the world and their role within it. The poems explore various topics and themes such as politics, spirituality, death, and human interaction. Beautiful, spiritual, and reflective. Goodreads
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Illustrated by Loveis Wise 5 stars A fantastic book that blends the principles of Kwanzaa, Black history, poetry, and breathtaking artwork. Through moving verse, Zoboi takes the reader though time, recounting significant events in American history. The book remembers the joyful and freeing times as well as the dark and violent ones. From the Transatlantic…
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4 stars A beautiful collection of poetry celebrating the beauty of gardens, flowers, nature, and the seasons. While the collection focuses on gardens and nature, themes of death and love are also mixed in, rounding out the reading experience. The majority of the poets included are American as well as a few European poets and…
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Illustrated by Diane and Leo Dillon 5 stars A fantastic collection of poetry. Covering topics such as music, death, play, siblings, and history, the poems are paired with expressive illustrations. A perfect balance of joy and relatable issues that are relevant to young readers. I started listing some of my favorites, but honestly each poem…
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Foreword by Oprah Winfrey 5 stars Beautiful, empowering, inspiring, timeless. A compact little book that allows readers to visit Gorman’s iconic poem again and again. A stunning call to action and an encouragement to hope, to dream, and to put in the work. A breathtaking moment that leaves the chest aching. Goodreads
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Edited by Amber McBride, Taylor Byas, and Erica Martin 4 stars A fantastic collection of poetry from a variety of poets from past and present. I loved the showcase of different styles, formats, and topics. It was wonderful to read poems from familiar modern favorites like Ibi Zoboi and Kwame Alexander; famous poets throughout history…
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