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Poetry Read Alouds and Collections for the Classroom

Fluency, Literacy, Poetry

Written by: Mary Kate Bolinder

April is National Poetry Month. To celebrate, we rounded up some of our favorite poetry picture books, poet biographies, and poetry collections to share with young readers. Keep reading to find out how you can incorporate the joy of poetry into your 2nd grade classroom every day!

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Picture Books About Poetry

Picture Books About Poets

Everything You Need to Teach Poetry


Picture Books About Poetry

These picture books about poetry explore the wonder and rhythm of poetry in everyday life. Poetry can be playful, poignant, and powerful. These books make a great introduction when teaching poetry to second grade, or starting a class poetry unit.

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Dogku

by Andrew Clements, illustrated by Tim Bowers

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Story of a dog
Told through the art of haiku
Makes me say “Bow WOW.”

Kiyoshi’s Walk

by Mark Karlins, illustrated by Nicole Wong

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“Where do poems come from?” Follow along with Kiyoshi and his grandfather as they discover the rhythm and poetry of their neighborhood.

Daniel Finds a Poem

written and illustrated by Micha Archer

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Daniel has never heard of “poetry.” To learn more about it, he walks through the park, asking each animal he passes, “What is poetry?” Through his friends, Daniel learns that poetry is all around us – in the glistening morning dew, in the sun-warmed sand, in the bright stars. Daniel discovers that there is poetry inside him, too, just waiting to be shared with the world.

Change Sings

by Amanda Gorman, illustrated by Loren Long

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Students will follow along with the words of Amanda Gorman, the first-ever National Youth Poet Laureate. In Change Sings, Gorman pens a children’s anthem that inspires the youngest of readers to use their voice to make a change in their community and the world.


Picture Books About Poets

This list of picture book biographies features poets from around the world. One thing most of these poets have in common? They were all fascinated with words at a young age. Inspire the next generation of poets with these picture book biographies.

A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams

by Jen Bryant, illustrated by Melissa Sweet

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Jump Back Paul: The Life and Poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar

by Sally Derby, illustrated by Sean Qualls

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Rise! From Caged Bird to Poet of the People, Maya Angelou

by Bethany Hegedus, illustrated by Tonya Engel

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On Wings of Words: The Extraordinary Life of Emily Dickinson

by Jennifer Berne, illustrated by Becca Stadtlander

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Exquisite: The Poetry and Life of Gwendolyn Brooks

by Suzanne Slade, illustrated by Cozbi A. Cabrera

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Out of Wonder: Poems Celebrating Poets

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Everything You Need to Teach Poetry

Download everything you need for an easy to prep & teach poetry unit all at once exclusively on All Access. Find out more below.


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