Hello, poetry friends! It’s that time again for our weekly Children’s Poetry Blog Post Roundup. I’ve gathered the latest news and updates from the wonderful world of children’s poetry from the past week, sharing what our favorite poets and educators have been up to. Grab a comfy chair, perhaps with a cup of cocoa, and let’s see what literary adventures unfolded!
Children’s Poetry Summit
The Andrea Reece: Books for Keeps – Taking Poetry for Children Seriously post from the Children’s Poetry Summit underscored the vital importance of treating poetry for children with the respect it deserves. It highlighted the fantastic work of the CLiPPA award and its shortlisted collections, noting how school performances and broader media coverage can truly spark young readers’ engagement. Led by Managing Editor Andrea Reece, the magazine continues its mission to sustain excitement for children’s poetry through reviews, author interviews, and valuable school resources.
Danna Smith Book Blog
Over at the Danna Smith Book Blog, a fascinating discussion unfolded in Examining Mac Barnett’s Controversial Take on Children’s Literature. This post delved into the stir caused by children’s author Mac Barnett’s new adult book, Make Believe, particularly focusing on a single, provocative line about children’s literature. It explored what his take might reveal about the art of storytelling for young audiences.
David L. Harrison
David L. Harrison had a very busy and reflective week on his blog! He shared a heartfelt anniversary message to his wife, Happy anniversary, Sandy!, recounting their lovely life story from high school sweethearts to their wedding day. He also celebrated the outgoing fourth graders at David Harrison Elementary in Clap out day at Harrison, expressing his pride in their “clap out” ceremony. In A couple of things to think about, he mused on topics ranging from the brain benefits of cursive writing to observing nature, like a yellow-bellied sapsucker, and shared personal reflections on aging. Poetry-wise, he introduced his new poem, My miracle villanelle, inviting feedback on this form. Earlier in the week, he had pondered the structure of villanelles using an older poem, “The Feisty Pig of France,” as a model in Feeling like a villanelle, planning to craft one with “miracle” as its theme. He announced exciting news about a docuseries, The Story of Art coming soon, which filmed a segment in Springfield where he participated. Finally, in Blog post #5,145, he wonderfully described the return of toads to his pool area, filling the nights with their distinct songs.
Joshua Seigal
Joshua Seigal shared some heartwarming news in Year 3 write their own versions of my poem ‘I Don’t Like Poetry’, where a Year 3 class from Colville Primary School was inspired to write their own fantastic poems after reading his work. He also presented a poignant new poem titled Soldiers, reflecting on childhood experiences with staged military drills. Adding to his thoughtful contributions, Joshua’s piece One Word explored the profound impact a single word can have, both in poetry and in life.
Live Your Poem
For Poetry Friday, Irene Latham shared updates on reader reviews for her book Some Starry Night and spotlighted this week’s ArtSpeak: WOMEN poem. Her post, On the day I finally decided, Raven was waiting for me, also included an excerpt from her own poem about venturing into the woods.
Poetrepository
Mary Lee Hahn’s blog, Poetrepository, presented Self Portrait, an image-heavy post. This entry invited readers to engage with and interpret its content primarily through a series of captivating visual images, offering a fresh way to experience a “self-portrait.”
Poetry Box
The Poetry Box featured a review of Poetry Box review: Wild Life by Philippa Werry. This insightful post explored Philippa Werry’s book, which brilliantly reorients the history of New Zealand by examining it through the lens of its diverse animal life—from native species to those introduced, extinct, and endangered—and emphasizing the critical role of conservation.
Reflections on the Teche
Margaret Simon hosted Poetry Friday on her blog, with the day’s events being shared by Carol at The Apples in My Orchard. Margaret’s Poetry Friday: Magnolia Mindfulness post celebrated the magnificent magnolia, the state tree of both Mississippi and Louisiana. She also invited readers to find poetic inspiration in her This Photo Wants to be a Poem: Red-eared Slider post, featuring a photo of a turtle and encouraging short poems in the comments. Additionally, in Slice of Life: Moncus Park Prairie, Margaret recounted a lovely day at Moncus Park, highlighting its native plantings and a found poem inspired by a painting and poem by Melissa Bonin.
Salt City Verse
Janice Scully‘s Salt City Verse participated in Poetry Friday, hosted this week by Carol Labuzzetta. Her post, TILT, A Middle Grade Verse Novel by Jone MacCullogh, shined a spotlight on Jone Rush MacCullogh’s new middle-grade verse novel, Tilt, a story inspired by a school tragedy. Janice also shared personal updates on her own writing projects, including a novel-in-verse and her first free-verse poem, “Nick’s Letters.”
Shaun Jex
Shaun Jex took us on a journey with his post Poetry in Motion: Poems About Public Transportation. Reflecting on his childhood experiences riding the city bus, he curated a collection of transportation-themed poems, including his own work for younger readers, alongside pieces by esteemed poets such as Langston Hughes, Walt Whitman, and Lucille Clifton. He rounded out the post with a creative writing prompt and a mention of his poetry collection, A Catalog of Curious Creatures.
The Poem Farm
And Amy Ludwig VanDerwater’s blog, The Poem Farm, featured Dedicate a Poem…and a Peek! This post happily showcased the talents of sixth-grade poets from Hommocks Middle School, whose teacher, Karen Caine, explained how poetry helps students discover their voices and appreciate everyday beauty. Amy also extended her gratitude to the kindergarten bean-plant caretakers at G.W. Miller Elementary, celebrating their dedication to nurturing nature and creativity.
That’s it for this week. Please join me again next ween for the next edition of the Children’s Poetry Blog Roundup.
- Weekly Children’s Poetry Roundup – Saturday, May 23, 2026 - May 23, 2026
- At the Bottom of My Backpack - May 18, 2026
- Weekly Children’s Poetry Roundup – Saturday, May 16, 2026 - May 16, 2026
