For many adults, poetry brings back memories of school days and can even sound slightly intimidating. But kids have a completely different experience. Children are exposed to rhymes and songs from the earliest age with nursery rhymes, picture books and music. Kids are usually more passionate about poetry than their parents and more creative too! It is our job as adults to keep that passion alive as poetry is recognised across the board to be great for the memory, the imagination, for public speaking and of course for literacy, which is why memorising and writing poetry is a key part of the National Curriculum.
From limericks to haikus, poetry can be funny, moving and beautiful and poems teach children the joy of word play, metaphors and tongue twisters. They can also sweep us back to our own childhoods, as we rediscover rhymes that we thought we had long since forgotten. There is plenty to explore for every age group: classic poems as well as new ones from diverse modern poets who are bringing the genre to a new audience.
School-aged children will enjoy making up their own rhymes and poems. Nonsense verse such as Fox in Socks by Dr Seuss and Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes will have silly 5, 6 and 7 year olds in stitches, as will classic authors like Hilaire Belloc, TS Eliot and Edward Lear. Toppsta readers love Giraffes Can’t Dance and The Cat in the Hat or for something new try A Kid in My Class by Rachel Rooney.
For older children, anthologies can be a great way of (re)introducing poetry, the poet laureate Carol-Ann Duffy as put together a collection of 101 poems for children but there are also poetry collections to make you laugh out loud, of classic poems (try A Poem for Every Day of the Year) or even for kids who love the great outdoors (I am the seed that grew the tree).
Older teens will of course find their own way to discover poetry, through school, slam poetry, spoken word, classic authors. We love Sarah Crossan and Steven Camden’s books for older readers and anthologies like She is Fierce : Brave and Bold Poems by Women. There are also more and more ways for aspiring young writers to share their work through competitions and events.
Whether you want something to make you laugh, make you think or to move you, something that rhymes or free verse, check out our list of books and share the poetry love.
Children's Books
Children's, Teenage & educational
poetry, anthologies, annuals
Annuals
Anthologies
Poetry
fiction & true stories
Classic fiction
General fiction
Adventure stories
Thrillers
Crime & mystery fiction
Horror & ghost stories, chillers
Science fiction
Fantasy & magical realism
Fantasy romance
Traditional stories
Romance & relationships stories
Family & home stories
Animal stories
Humorous stories
Sporting stories
School stories
Historical fiction
Short stories
Comic strip fiction / graphic novels
True stories
general non-fiction
Art: general interest
Music: general interest
Pop music
Drama & performing
Dance, ballet
Playscripts
Television & film
General knowledge & trivia
Libraries, museums, schools
History & the past: general interest
Warfare, battles, armed forces
Work & industry / world of work
Literature, books & writers
People & places
Natural history
Dinosaurs & prehistoric world
Pets
Farm animals
Wildlife
Natural history
Dinosaurs & prehistoric world
Pets
Farm animals
Wildlife
Practical interests
Cooking & food
Gardening
Handicrafts
Money
Religion & beliefs: general interest
Bibles & bible stories
Science & technology: general interest
Buildings & construction
Transport
Space
Humour & jokes
Cartoons & comic strips
Hobbies, quizzes & games
Puzzle books
Computer game guides
Sports & outdoor recreation
Football / soccer
Rugby
Cricket
Athletics & gymnastics
Swimming & water sports
Cycling, boarding & skating
Mysteries, the supernatural, monsters & mythological beings
UFOs & extraterrestrial beings
Witches & ghosts
Educational material
Educational: Art & design
Educational: Music
Educational: English language & literacy
Educational: English language: readers & reading schemes
Educational: English language: readers & reading schemes: Synthetic Phonics
Educational: English language: reading & writing skills
Educational: writing skills: handwriting
Educational: English language: reading skills: Synthetic Phonics
Educational: drama studies
Educational: English literature
School editions of English literature fiction texts
School editions of Shakespeare
Educational: Languages other than English
Educational: literature in languages other than English
Educational: Geography
Educational: History
Educational: Social sciences
Educational: Psychology
Educational: Mathematics & numeracy
Educational: Mathematics & numeracy: times tables
Educational: Citizenship & social education
Educational: Personal, social & health education
Educational: Religious studies
Educational: school assembly resource material
Educational: Religious studies: Christianity
Educational: Religious studies: Non-Christian religions
Educational: Religious studies: Judaism
Educational: Religious studies: Islam
Educational: Religious studies: Hinduism
Educational: Religious studies: Buddhism
Educational: Sciences, general science
Educational: Biology
Educational: Chemistry
Educational: Physics
Educational: Technology
Educational: Design & technology
Educational: Food technology
Educational: IT & computing, ICT
Educational: Business studies & economics
Educational: Physical education
Educational: General studies / study skills general
Educational: Vocational subjects
Educational: study & revision guides
Reference material
Dictionaries, school dictionaries
Picture dictionaries
Bilingual/multilingual dictionaries
Encyclopaedias
Reference works
Atlases & maps
Personal & social issues
Personal & social issues: body & health
Personal & social issues: sex education & the facts of life
Personal & social issues: bullying, violence & abuse
Personal & social issues: family issues
Personal & social issues: divorce, separation, family break-up
Personal & social issues: siblings
Personal & social issues: teenage pregnancy
Personal & social issues: death & bereavement
Personal & social issues: drugs & addiction
Personal & social issues: disability & special needs
Personal & social issues: self-awareness & self-esteem
Personal & social issues: racism & multiculturalism
Personal & social issues: sexuality & relationships
Personal & social issues: truancy & school problems