April is National Poetry Month, and we’re here to help you fill it with beautiful books! These books are great to read aloud, and will inspire readers to put pen to paper. Most importantly, they will help readers experience the beauty and power of words. Check out these poetry titles, and be sure to visit our website to find so many more!
Continue readingCategory Archives: Poetry
Watch the Webinar: The Power of Poetry with Poet and Storyteller Pat Mora
Thank you to all who joined us for our most recent webinar, The Power of Poetry with Poet and Storyteller Pat Mora featuring tips and strategies from renowned poet, educator, and literacy advocate Pat Mora about how to use poetry with students in various educational settings.
If you missed it live (or just want to watch it again), you can access the webinar below, or here on YouTube. Keep reading for links to resources and booklists shared during the webinar and feel free to reach out for more information and/or a Professional Development certificate.
Upcoming Webinar: The Power of Poetry with Poet and Storyteller Pat Mora
Does your poetry collection need a refresh? Are you looking for ways to entice readers with lively poetry this spring? Do you love poetry, but are cautious about how to teach it in ways that will resonate with students?
In time for Poetry Month in April, check out our upcoming webinar featuring tips and strategies from renowned poet, educator, and literacy advocate Pat Mora about how to use poetry with students in various educational settings.
Continue readingNew Release: My Magic Wand by Pat Mora and illustrated by Amber Alvarez
Today is the release day for My Magic Wand: Growing with the Seasons! From bestselling Latina author Pat Mora comes a collection of poems celebrating a young child’s growth and everyday experiences throughout the seasons of a year. Vibrantly colored illustrations by Amber Alvarez and fun, lyrical poetry for young readers make My Magic Wand the perfect read aloud for every season.
Read Poetry with Students: Poetry Resource Guide for Teachers
Just in time for Poetry Month, we are proud to announce that we have officially relaunched our beloved Poetry Resource Guide! Check out our tips and strategies from renowned poet, educator, and literacy advocate Pat Mora about how to use poetry with students in various educational settings. Dive into creative ways to make poetry fun and engaging for young people, not just during Poetry Month but year-round! Read excerpts from the guide below, as well as some of our new and bestselling poetry titles based on universal themes!
Remembering Lee Bennett Hopkins
In August the world lost a giant of poetry–the one and only Lee Bennett Hopkins. Lee edited more than 120 anthologies of poetry for young people, and was a champion of accessible poetry and emerging poets. He was a big personality with a delightful sense of humor and a dear friend to everyone who knew him–and it seemed like everyone knew him. Leading up to today’s release of his latest anthology, I Remember, two Lee & Low staff members share their memories: Continue reading
Tips for Reading Poetry Aloud to Children
Since Poetry Month is in full swing, we asked some of our poets at Lee & Low Books to provide tips for reading poetry to kids and students. Read suggestions from Pat Mora, author of Yum! ¡Mmmm! ¡Qué Rico! Americas’ Sproutings; Confetti: Poems for Children (Confeti: Poemas para niños); and upcoming title Bookjoy, Wordjoy, listen to the wisdom of Marilyn Singer, author of A Full Moon Is Rising and upcoming title Every Month Is a New Year, and find the passion with Guadalupe García McCall, author of Under the Mesquite, Summer of the Mariposas (El verano de las mariposas), Shame the Stars, and upcoming Fall title All the Stars Denied, when reading poetry to kids. Continue reading
Book List: 5 Favorite Bilingual Poetry Books
According to the Center for Immigration Studies, 1 in 5 US residents speaks a foreign language at home with Chinese, Spanish, and Arabic growing the most. This statistic just goes to show that it doesn’t make sense to “other” people whose first language is not English. Today we’re highlighting five of our bilingual poetry books that focus on everything from the immigrant experience to the beauty of our Earth.
Family Poems for Every Day of the Week/Poemas Familiares para cada día de la semana by Francisco X. Alarcón, illus. by Maya Christina Gonzalez Continue reading
Interview: Translating Martí’s Song for Freedom/Martí y sus versos por la libertad
Released last month, Martí’s Song for Freedom/Martí y sus versos por la libertad is a picture book biography of José Martí, a renowned political figure and revolutionary who dedicated his life to the promotion of liberty. Known for his leadership in the fight for Cuban independence, Martí is celebrated throughout Latin America. To many Latinos, particularly Cuban Americans, he represents the bridge between the cultures of Latin America and the United States. Martí’s Song for Freedom/Martí y sus versos por la libertad received five starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, Shelf Awareness, Booklist, and Kirkus Reviews.
For this post, we asked author Emma Otheguy, editor Jessica Echeverria, and translator Adriana Dominguez to take us through the translation process for Martí’s Song for Freedom/Martí y sus versos por la libertad:
Interview: Writing Haiku With Curtis Manley, Author of The Crane Girl
The Crane Girl, released last month, is an adaptation of a popular Japanese folktale about the power of friendship and kindness to transform lives. Told in both haiku and prose, The Crane Girl follows young Yasuhiro who rescues an injured crane in the woods one night. The next day, a mysterious girl appears at his door. She offers to weave silk for Yasuhiro and his father to help them with money, but eventually the father’s greed has a life-changing effect on them all.
To celebrate National Poetry Month, we asked author Curtis Manley to take us through his writing process when it comes to haiku, poetry, and The Crane Girl. Continue reading