Poetry Books

I’ll Meet you at the Cucumbers

Written by: Lilian Moore

Illustrations by: Sharon Wooding

Moore, L. (1988). I’ll meet you at the cucumbers. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Genre: Fantasy

Recommended ages: 7-10 years old

Awards: Lilian Moore is a NCTE award winning poet.

Summary: Adam Mouse is afraid to leave the farm to visit the city, until his friend Amanda Mouse convinces him. Once there, he visits the library and realizes that he is a poet.

Personal Reflection: This is a great book to introduce students to chapter books and poetry. The poetry is seamlessly integrated into the story as a part of Adam’s character. Once students read this book, they will start getting interested in poetry and will want to read and write poetry just like Adam. I also like that the characters visit the library where Adam realizes that what he is saying is poetry. For the upper elementary grades, I would take each poem from the story and analyze its meaning with the class. This is a great way to introduce students to poetry and get their brains thinking about meaning and themes.

Recommendation: I would recommend this book for library purchase because it’s a great way to introduce readers to poetry through lovable characters.

A House Is a House For Me

Written by: Mary Ann Hoberman

Illustrated by: Betty Fraser

Hoberman, M.A. (1978). A house is a house for me. New York: Viking Press.

Genre: Poetry

Recommended grades: K – 2nd grade

Awards: Mary Ann Hoberman is a NCTE award winning poet.

Summary: This book describes all the different houses that animals live in.

Personal Reflection: This is a great introduction to poetry that is kid friendly. The theme is easy to identify and the poem is easy to understand for primary grades. I would recommend that this book be used at the beginning of a poetry unit. As a class afterwards, I would create a poem that follows the same format such as food we eat or favorite places to hide. This would give the students chance to create poetry that is not intimidating.

Recommendation: I would recommend this book for library purchase because it’s a great way to introduce students to poetry that is at their level.