Playing with Form and Poetry

My mind lives in the land of poetry.

Dreaming, connecting, imagining. 

Each year, the NCTE Outstanding Poetry for Children Award Committee selects notable poetry books and verse novels published during the calendar year. The awards are announced at the annual National Council of Teachers of English Convention at a ticketed luncheon. 

While the texts are chosen with students and teachers in mind, the award winners will capture the hearts and minds of all lovers of the poetic language. 

Today, I am going to play with form and poetry, using the titles from the 2023 winners. 

At the Pond, spring springs to life, 

A Seed in the Sun is planted, 

while Mother Goose sings 

Maya’s Song as she Goes to India, 

and silly dogs chime in with verses 

from “Behold our Magical Garden,” 

where there is Room for Everyone, riding 

on Marshmallow Clouds,

a Patchwork on the way to The Door of No Return

where The Hope of Elephants travel

The Road to After. 

Blood Brothers remind 

themselves, “You are the Loveliest,” 

Counting in Dog Years, giggling grins, 

Composing Other Sassy Math Poems. 

Odder gets odder and odder, 

Out of this World, one might say,

before those silly dogs, hopeful elephants settle 

in for Mother Winter, Where the Ice Cycle: 

Poems about the Life of Ice remind

us about resilience, dreams, and imagination

in this place we call Earth. 

Notes: 

• Here is a link to the full pdf of winners, writers, and illustrators. 

• Here is a link to the Penguin School & Library winners.