Poetry Books for Teens
Matt Frost
YA811.08 A593 2001
The poetry by teen girls in this vibrant, eye-catching paperback packs a punch. Put together by the creators of PlanetKiki.com ("a fun, interactive universe of everything a teen gal needs to kick some *@$ in the world!"), the book concludes with a chapter called Poetry 101, providing writing exercises, techniques and definitions.
Cool Salsa: Bilingual
Poems on Growing Up Latino in the United States edited by Lori M. Carlson,
forward by Oscar Hijuelos
SP J811.08 C774 1994
Presented in both English and Spanish (and sometimes a blend of the two),
these poems by well-known Latino writers cover topics such as family and
home, past and future, hard times and good times.
Heart to Heart: New Poems
Inspired by Twentieth-Century American Art edited by Jan Greenberg
J811.08 H436 2001
The creator of this book invited American poets to write poems inspired
by twentieth-century American artworks, including paintings, photographs,
sculptures and installations. What resulted is a colorful conversation of
words and images.
I
Feel a Little Jumpy Around You: a Book of Her Poems & His Poems
Collected in Pairs edited by Naomi Shihab Nye and Paul B. Janeczko
808.81 N9942 1996
Two great poets came together to create pairs of their favorite poems
written by men and women. These poetic pairings explore many topics, from
apples to daydreams to family secrets, reflecting the sameness and differences
of male and female perspectives.
Movin': Teen Poets Take
Voice edited by Dave Johnson
J811.54 M935 2000
This collection of teen-written poetry, including pieces like "I
Wear Many Blues" and "ode to the last 5 minutes of English,"
came from workshops presented by Poetry-in-the-branches, a program for
adults and young adults formed by the New York Public Library and Poets'
House.
19 Varieties of Gazelle:
Poems of the Middle East by Naomi Shihab Nye
J811.54 N994n 2002
Beginning with a poetic introduction dated September 11, Arab-American
Naomi Shihab Nye shares poems that explore her cultural background, calling
for peace in the Middle East.
Paint
Me Like I Am: Teen Poems from WritersCorps edited by Nikki Giovanni
YA811.608 P148 2003
The poems in this book - focusing on themes like friendship, family, identity
and emotions - grew out of teens' experiences with WritersCorps, a creative
writing program based in San Francisco; Bronx, New York; and Washington,
D.C.
The Rose That Grew From
Concrete by Tupac Shakur
811.54 S527 1999
Tupac's original poetry shows the depth of experience and emotion that
went into his rapping and eventually created millions of fans. This book
shows actual handwritten pages from notebooks of poems written prior to
his fame and untimely death.
Slam edited by Cecily
Von Ziegesar, foreword by Tori Amos
811.08 S631 2000
Offering a great mix of poems and writings by both teens and well-known
writers, this book focuses on poetry slams as venues for sharing poems.
Interspersed between the poems are words of wisdom from artists like Jewel
and Missy Elliott, Q&A sections on poetry slams, and practical tips
on writing and performance.
Teen.com Book of Poetry:
poems of love, family, friendship and life written from the heart by teens
around the world edited by Missy Rekos
YA808.81 T258 2000 v.1
This volume presents poems submitted to Teen.com by teenagers across the
country. Poems are presented by themes like identity, family, friends
and love (both found and lost).
Things I Have to Tell
You: Poems and Writing by Teenage Girls edited by Betsy Franco
YA810.8092 T443 2001
Black-and-white photos accompany these poems written by young women, giving
snapshots of teen girls' lives. Issues of beauty, relationships and change
come in lines like: "The day I met you was a bad hair day" and
"My hair blows in the wind, because it is growing regrets."
Truth & Lies: an
Anthology of Poems edited by Patrice Vecchione
J808.81 T874 2001
"How do you know what's true and what isn't?" That's how this
collection of work by various established poets begins. These poems, in
both traditional forms and free-verse, explore ideas of honesty, deception,
openness, denial and all of the juicy spins on truth and lies.
You Hear Me? Poems
and Writing By Teenage Boys edited by Betsy Franco
YA810.8092 Y67 2000
These powerful pieces written by teen guys delve into how they feel -
sometimes "crazy mad" - as well as what they want - "I
want the Kool-Aid / to stop disappearing in one hour." Their poems
also explore how they view themselves and their worlds - For example:
"I live my life / Like quiet mice / Sometimes I think I'm way too
nice."
Novels in verse
Bronx Masquerade
by Nikki Grimes
YA fic Grimes
After studying the Harlem Renaissance, eighteen high school students begin
to share their own poetry aloud, revealing hidden truths and showing that
each one of the classmates is not who he or she seems to be. Through "open
mike" poetry and journal-like entries, the teens start to share their
real lives and to form true bonds.
CrashBoomLove: a
novel in verse by Juan Felipe Herrera
fic Herrera YA
"Don't know how it all started. The frozen feeling, / this fender
inside me wanting to crash against everything." This is how Cesar
Garcia begins describing his struggle to fit in at a new California high
school and to deal with the fact that his dad has left to live with a
new family.
Jump Ball: A Basketball
Season in Poems by Mel Glenn
J811 G558j 1997
The voices of players, fans, coach and teachers tell the story of the
Tower High Tigers in their championship season, from its glorious beginnings
through all of the real-life issues that come up along the way.
Keesha's House by
Helen Frost
YA fic Frost
For six high school classmates, this house where Keesha stays becomes
a safe place to weather the storms of their lives: unexpected teen parenthood,
foster families, coming out to unsupportive parents, and abuse. Their
stories are told in the traditional poetic forms of sonnets and sestinas,
defined by the author at the end of the book.
Make Lemonade by
Virginia Euwer Wolff
YA fic Wolff
When LaVaughn finds a sign on the school bulletin board announcing "BABYSITTER
NEEDED BAD," she takes the job to save some money for college. But
as she gets to know her employer, who is a struggling single teen mom
with two young children, LaVaughn ends up giving (and getting) more than
she bargained for.
Witness by Karen
Hesse
YA fic Hesse
When the Ku Klux Klan comes to a small Vermont town in the 1920s, people
of all creeds, races and ages become involved - as onlookers, victims,
participants and opponents. This story, told through the voices of eleven
townspeople, explores love and hate and the effects of both.