It's National Poetry Month! The Academy of American Poets, American Library Association, and tons of other awesome organizations have teamed up to bring as much poetry education as they can to all of us online and at home. You can find great information about their programs and resources on these websites: 

Academy of American Poets 

American Library Association

Poets & Writers Magazine

The Poetry Foundation

There's even special events, like "Poem in Your Pocket Day", to help us find interesting ways to discover new poets and verses. Do you think you'll be celebrating the wonderful art of poetry this month? Tell us how in the comments!

Poems We Love

We hope you'll take a little time this month to explore the Poetry Foundation and other online collections of poetry from around the world! In recent years, poets like Rupi Kaur (Milk & Honey) have topped the bestseller lists with their modern books of poetry, sparking a wonderful upswing in poetry readership among today's readers and library patrons.

In case you'd like a good place to start, members of our library staff consider these poems among their favorites: 

Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, by T.S. Eliot

Warning, by Jenny Joseph 

Howl, by Allen Ginsberg

The Bean Eaters, by Gwendolyn Brooks

The Lady of Shallot, by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Digging, by Seamus Heaney

Poetry For Kids & Teens

We like to remind our kid patrons that there's lots of different kinds of poetry, from every country and time period you can imagine! Some rhyme, some don't. Some talk about very deep emotions and some poems tell long stories, like Beowulf or the Odyssey. And some poems don't seem to make any sense at all, like "Jabberwocky." There are also lots and lots of poems that make us laugh! 

One sub-genre of poetry that doesn't get much notice is known as "Novels In Verse." Like the classic epic poems throughout history, today's novels in verse tell long, full stories with engaging characters, interesting plots, and important lessons mixed in with their lyricism. Books like Kwame Alexander's The Crossover and Kelly Barnhill's The Girl Who Drank the Moon are recent award-winners that have become part of many school summer reading lists, along with long-standing teacher picks like Karen Hesse's Out Of the Dust. While we think they're wonderful books on their own, they also appeal to reluctant readers who want to read a book quickly and get right to the point!

Consider browsing Overdrive and other online ebook collections for a book of poetry this month! We'd love to hear about your favorites, and any new ones you may have discovered recently! 

Remembering Tomie dePaola

A note from Marlene, Wallington's youth services library lady

For Story Time Tuesdays this week, I wanted to highlight one of my favorite kid-lit authors: Tomie dePaola.

I very fondly remember reading Tomie dePaola's books when I was a kid! I loved both their folksy storytelling and their interesting, unique art style. He wrote often of his own life and childhood, of Irish and Italian folktales, and of becoming an artist -- all of which intrigued me, and which I hope continue to intrigue young readers today. Now that I work in a library, I'm always happy to find patrons still searching for (or accidentally discovering!) his many works, often drawn to them for the same reasons I was. Sadly, Tomie dePaola passed away this week at the age of eighty-five, but he's leaving behind a large body of work I hope will be read and enjoyed for generations to come.

Some of My Favorites

Strega Nona's Magic Lessons (1982): The "Grandma Witch" of Calabria, Strega Nona, has starred in a whole, wonderful series of dePaola's books, but this one is my favorite! Silly ol' Big Anthony dons a disguise in order to take magic lessons with Strega Nona, but his mistakes have very silly, pasta-infused consequences. 

The Art Lesson (1989): My most highly recommended of dePaola's books, The Art Lesson tells Tomie's own story of learning about art in school. It celebrates children's love for drawing, their misconceptions about becoming "real artists," and how to foster creativity as one grows up. I love that it's a brilliantly encouraging story from a professional artist, encouraging kids to keep up the good work. 

Tom (1993): dePaola often writes with love about his Irish and Italian grandparents and the huge impact they had on his life. In Tom, he focuses on his Irish namesake, a grandfather with whom he shared many "silly jokes and special moments." It's a heartwarming story with hi-jinks, lessons, and affection within a lovely, caring family. 

Jamie O'Rourke & the Big Potato (1992): One of my favorite folktales about the lazy farmer Jamie O'Rourke, this one features a mischievous leprechaun and the uncertain blessing of a giant potato! dePaola has added a fun twist to many, many Irish stories and tales, all of which are worth a read and definitely a top choice of mine for story time.

What do you think?

Tomie dePaola's books always tell a wonderful story, and his artwork should also be praised. According to his website, he worked from an old barn in New Hampshire, writing, painting, drawing works for kids, bringing to life original stories, folk tales, Bible stories, and autobiographical anecdotes for young readers for many years. Check out his extensive list of over 270 books and illustrations here.

Have you read any of Tomie dePaola's books and have you introduced them to your young readers at home? We hope that you'll check a few out, and let us know what you think! 

Story Time Tuesdays: Pete the Cat

We miss our weekly library storytime! But since we can't welcome you all to the library this Tuesday morning, we're bringing a little bit of storytime to you at home. Each week, we feature an author, series, topic, or book we love and want to share with all our young readers at home.

This week is all about Miss Marlene's very favorite groovy cat, Pete! 

James Dean's little blue feline is the star of so many wonderful picture books, song books, "I Can Read" tales, and story collections! (He's even got his own TV show!) Nearly all of his stories feature a sing-a-long narrative, lovely lessons for little readers, and a cast of familiar friends. They even offer exercises in counting, colors, morals, and problem-solving perfect for kids of all ages. 

As our story time fans will remember, our favorites to read aloud together include 

Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons

in which Pete teaches us very simple math and counting while singing his songs!

Pete the Cat and the Missing Cupcakes

in which Pete and his friends follow the clues to track down a cupcake thief.

Pete the Cat and the New Guy

in which a platypus moves into town and tries to fit in with the gang.

We're also big fans of Pete's I Can Read series, specially formatted for new readers getting ready to branch out from picture books (but not quite ready for chapter books just yet). Pete serves as a loyal knight, a tooth fairy, a cave-cat, a robot...and tons of other silly, smiley, groovy characterizations. There's really something for everybody! 

Activities, Printables, & More!

We know getting your hands on a new book might not be so easy right now, but Pete the Cat's official website offers lots of fun activities for the Groovy Kids stuck at home. You can find "official" coloring sheets, activity pages, and even instructions for dancing the Cool Cat Boogie! And of course, there's a whole series of videos for Pete's songs and stories, brought to you by the makers of Pete the Cat himself.

We can't wait to get back to the library and have you all visit for a real, in-person Story Time Tuesday. But in the meantime, we hope some of these links and resources will help pass the time and save some of the stress of our world's efforts to stay home and stay healthy. Feel free to reach out to Miss Marlene and our library staff with any questions, requests, or story time recommendations! We love hearing from you!

And, in true Pete the Cat fashion, we hope you stay healthy, happy, and groovy!