This year the National Poetry Day team has curated a brilliant selection of new and exciting poetry books for the children in your life.

Children’s Category

This batch of seven stunning books are suitable for ages 0-8, and has an array of books that help awaken the playfulness of language through poetry for your little ones.

Pick and Mix Poetry edited by Julia Donaldson 

A stunning gift collection of children’s verse, featuring both familiar favourites and new contemporary voices from around the world.

Find Peace in a Poem is a perfect and peaceful anthology for any child beginning to build a love and appreciation of poetry.

Spooky Poems Aloud by Joseph Coelho

A spooky compendium of 25 poems that can be be recited loudly, softly, or in a ghostly whisper – for young, budding poetry performers.

A Lot of Silly by Joy Cowley

A collection of rhymes and nonsense old and new, full of absurd poems and very short, silly stories!

I Heard a Bird by Rob Ramsden

The perfect introduction to mindfulness and the beauty of the natural world around us. A little girl hears a bird… poems that are full of rhythm and rhyme, centred on enjoying the sights and sounds of nature around us.

Blow a Kiss, Catch a Kiss by Joseph Coelho

Coelho’s warm, elegant and meaningful poems capture both how pre-schoolers experience everyday things like going shopping and the complexities of feelings as they are felt and expressed by the very youngest listeners.

Watch Them Grow! by James Carter and James Munro

A delightful rhyme, bright illustrations and exciting animal facts combine in this charming introduction to life cycles.

Young Readers Category

Suitable for ages 8-14 this collection includes twelve books that brilliantly engage slightly older children, showcasing poetry as an art form, a source of self-expression, and a means of experiencing the world.

Somehow, Somehow by Nyanda Foday

After spending 79 days alone during lockdown, 19-year-old Nyanda pours her loneliness into this powerful collection of poems – a testament to the experiences of young people during the pandemic.

You Are Not Alone by Shauna Darling Robertson

This award winning poet looks at a wide range of mental health issues in this thought-provoking, heart-breaking and reassuring collection on mental health and wellbeing – from diagnosed conditions to the everyday personal challenges faced by young people [some mature themes].

The Hidden Story of Estie Noor by Nadine Aisha Jassat

This inventive, page-turning treasure-hunt mystery in verse celebrates finding your voice, and the magic of aunties, community and friendship.

Where the Heart Should Be by Sarah Crossan

An outstanding and moving novel in verse: a powerful exploration of love in all its forms and a profound and eloquent evocation of a devastating period in Ireland's history.

Heroes and Villains by Ana Sampson

A glorious collection of poems illustrated by Chris Riddell about legends, knights, giants, sea monsters, dragons, wise women and much more.

Red Sky at Night, A Poet's Delight by Alex Wharton

Poems that are funny and full of heart, about seeing the poetry that exists in the ordinary world around us.

And I Climbed And I Climbed by Stephen Lightbown

Eight-year-old Cosmo falls from a tree and becomes paralysed. These are the poems he writes to that tree, as he comes to terms with becoming a wheelchair-user.

Choose Love by Nicola Davies

A moving collection providing insight into the real-life experiences of refugees. The poems invite us to build empathy for the struggles of others, and to choose love as our response.

The Big Amazing Poetry Book edited by Gaby Morgan

A must-have for every poetry fan young and old, this is a warm and funny anthology of 52 poets, showcasing all different styles and forms of poetry.

The Day the Numbers Spoke by John Agard

Robots, odd numbers, outer-space – delight in the wonders of science, identity and the natural world with these fun and original poems.

On Poetry Street by Brian Moses

Take a walk down Poetry Street – poems to stimulate your child’s creative juices an get them writing their own poetry.

Who Let the Words Out by Joshua Seigal

Someone’s let the words out… and they’re going to have fun! Enter a world of creative word play, perfect for imaginative young readers

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