On September 21, 2016, I did a poetry reading for a small group at Barnes & Noble in Spokane, Washington as part of a local program called “Poetry Rising.” I read a poem from each of my books, including my new anthology, One Minute Till Bedtime.
The folks at Poetry Rising were kind enough to send me this video of the event.
I Can’t Get Enough of this Pokémon Go
I can’t get enough of this Pokémon Go.
The fever is on me
and starting to grow.
This game is amazing!
I thought you should know.
There’s nothing I want to do more.
I play on the playground.
I play in the park.
I play in the daytime.
I play after dark.
I’m constantly playing,
but I should remark
this game sure is making me sore.
While playing today
I ran into a wall.
I stumbled and fell down
the stairs at the mall.
I tripped on the street and
had such a bad fall,
I probably fractured my toe.
My forehead is hurting.
My bottom feels bad.
This tripping and falling
is making me mad.
The game is amazing,
but maybe I’ve had
enough of this Pokémon Go.
Did you like this poem? Do you want to share it with your friends or use it for a classroom assignment or a recitation contest? Please go right ahead. In most cases, you don’t need my permission for this. If you are going to turn in one or more of my poems as part of a classroom assignment, please just make sure you include my name as the author.
If you need more information about a poem for your assignment or performance, such as where it was published, please feel free to contact me.
I wish you the very best of luck with your schoolwork, and I hope you do incredibly well with whatever you are working on.
Here all of the poems on the website are organized by category or subject. Simply click on one of the links below to find a list of poems on that subject.
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Animal Antics Poems about animals and pets, both real and imaginary. |
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Food Follies Poems about food, glorious food! |
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Fractured Fairy Tales Modern versions of classic fairy tales like Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty. |
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Friends and Family Fun Poems about funny families and friends and all of the crazy things that brothers, sisters, parents, and friends do. |
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Holiday Happenings Poems about holidays and vacation, including Christmas poems, Valentine’s Day poems and more. |
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Very, Very Imaginary Imaginative poems about imaginary things. |
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Kids Classics Classic children’s poems by authors of old. |
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Kooky Characters Funny poems about funny people. |
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Looney Love Fun and silly love poems. |
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Monster Mania Funny poems about monsters, mythological beasts, and supernatural creatures. |
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Musical Madness Poems about music and wacky new lyrics to well-known songs. |
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School Foolery Poems about school. |
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Science Silliness Poems about science and technology, both real and fictional, including poems about outer space, computers, biology, electronics, robots, time travel, etc. |
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Seasonal Snickers Funny poems about summer, winter, spring, and fall. |
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Super Silly Songs All-new lyrics to well-known songs. |
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Sports Snorts Poems about sports of all sorts. |
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Wacky Weirdness Poems of strange people and places, impossible happenings, and indescribable nonsense. |
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Wild Wordplay Tongue twisters, fun puns, nonsense verse, and other weird, warped and wonderful wordplay. |
You will also find the poems on this website organized by reading level, by length, and by poetic technique.
[ Overview | Testimonials | Availability | Funding | FAQ ]
Educators who have been able to arrange an author visit for their school will tell you that they are “worth every penny.” But with school budgets tighter than ever, how can you bring an author to your school?
While some districts provide funding for author visits, many schools turn to their PTA or to Title I funds. But there are lots of other ways to fund an author visit as well. Here are some ideas to help you make an author visit a reality for your school.
If you decide to apply for a grant to fund your author visit, I recommend you check with your district to see if a professional grant writer is available to guide you through the application process. Whether you write the grant application on your own, or with the help of a grant writer, here are some educational grants you can apply for.
For Schools
For Libraries
Grant-Writing Resources
If you would like to try crowdfunding your author visit, there are many crowdfunding platforms you could use, but here are a few that have programs specifically geared to the needs of schools.
I also recommend you read this “best practices” article from EducationWorld entitled Raise Money With Crowdfunding: Top 9 Tips for Schools.
When I visit schools, I never “plug” my books or otherwise encourage students to buy them. But students are often eager to purchase books when they discover how much fun they are.
If you choose to purchase books directly from me, I offer a 20% discount and free shipping, making it possible to defray part of the cost of my visit through student book purchases. This means that, for every book sold as part of my visit, your school will earn between $2.00-$4.00. Depending on the size of your school and the socioeconomic background of your families, you can expect to sell between 25 and 300 books. An average school will typically sell about 75 books, earning roughly $250 to put toward the cost of the author visit.
I provide the order forms, and even pay for shipping, making book ordering as simple as possible. And, if you make time in the schedule, I will autograph and personalize all books purchased, making them a treasured keepsake.
Fill out this form to receive more information about Kenn Nesbitt’s online school and library visit programs.
[ Overview | Testimonials | Availability | Funding | FAQ ]
Here are some of the things schools have had to say after enjoying my presentations.
On behalf of the fourth grade team and students, we wanted to thank you for meeting with us and inspiring the students to create. You really tapped into their favorite things and we had several students asking to read their poems aloud. Poetry is a very difficult skill to teach and you made it seem so attainable. We truly appreciate your time.
–South End Elementary School, Cedar Grove, NJ
We all so enjoyed your visit today! It was phenomenal! We were all so energized from it. The kids loved the challenge of creating their own stanza or two to add to the part we wrote together. Thank you so very much. This was a wonderful experience. We all gained so much from meeting with you and we loved all the laughter! We can’t get enough of those these days! If you are still doing this next year I will be the first to sign up!
–Flour Bluff Elementary School, Corpus Christi, TX
Mr. Nesbitt, your poetry session was AMAZING! My students were 100% engaged. They are excited to finish the poem you started and even more excited to write one on their own. They have even tasked me with finding several of the titles you showed. I can’t wait to see their face when I show them that I have one already! Thank you again for such an amazing opportunity.
–Hartsfield Elementary School, Tallahassee, FL
Thank you so much for visiting our 2nd grade students at Bull Run Elementary School. Our students absolutely loved your presentation. You were so engaging and kept their interest the entire time. Our students have been even more passionate about writing poetry since you came. They are regular visitors to your website and have been sharing your poems with their family and friends.
–Bull Run Elementary School, Centreville, VA
Your presentation last year was by far the best I’ve ever seen!
–Walnut Hill Elementary School, Omaha, NE
We have been so engrossed into poetry this term. Personally I have found that this term has been a great success – I have never had students so interested! I am sure that having your sessions has stimulated their curiosity and interest.
–Ashburton Primary School, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Thank you for the wonderful day of poetry, laughter, and fun with words. I’ve heard so many compliments from both the students and the teachers about how much they enjoyed your presentations. You were a huge success with all our grade levels. The kids love your poetry, maybe you’ve even noticed a large jump in the poem ratings on your website that you can track back to Berkeley Heights, NJ! Thanks for your friendliness, enthusiasm, and positive approach to our kids. You showed us all “how easy” it can be to have fun with writing and thinking about words.
–Thomas P. Hughes School, Berkeley Heights, NJ
Dear Everyone,
Today was an amazing day at our school. Kenn Nesbitt (www.poetry4kids.com) who has written humorous poetry books which will tickle your children’s funny bones and creativity came to our school. His presentations were upbeat. He had the children rolling on the floor, and truly encouraged them to read and write poetry. The entire experience was PERFECT for elementary children. He read, interacted and had his audience rolling with laughter. He had infinit patience with them and fabulous control. He made each child feel like he or she was a part of experience. He had an outstanding, kind and patient demeanor. His interactions with the children were perfect in every sense. I know that choosing an author to come to our school’s is a huge responsibility and I thought I would alert you to an exceptional opportunity. Kenn was easy to deal with, punctual and helpful. His website filled our children with enthusiasm and his packet which he sends out ahead of time made every child walk into his presentation with eager anticipation and a smile on their faces. I truly recommend Kenn to anyone looking for an author. I know that he would make a fantastic author to bring in to any school.
–Hebrew Academy of Tidewater, Virginia Beach, VA
The kids loved you and want us to book you AGAIN!!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You are an amazing role model for our children. One child said afterwards that he wants to be a poet when he grows up.
–Belle Terre Elementary, Palm Coast, FL
“I wanted to thank you again for your wonderful presentation at Skyline last week. Everyone was very pleased with how it went – especially me. I’ve had several reports of kids writing poems at home on their own time!!!”
–Skyline Elementary, Elkhorn, NE
“We had your assemblies in February 05 and my kids (now 8 and 10) still are reading poetry and you are their favorite poet! I am amazed at how much they got out of your visit.”
–Westwood Elementary, San Diego, CA (written October, 2006)
“I’ve never seen our students so engaged!”
–St. Robert Bellarmine School, Omaha, NE
“Kenn Nesbitt visited Cooper Mtn. in Feb. and we have not been able to keep poetry books on our shelves since. He was fun, entertaining, and educational. Over 200 families returned in the evening to see him at our family event. He has a great website with poems, games, and lesson plans which really helped prepare the students for his visit. It was also one of the easiest and most successful author visits I’ve coordinated.”
–Cooper Mountain Elementary, Beaverton, OR
“We enjoyed your visit so much. I surveyed all the classes and the feeling was unanimous, “YOU ROCK!” Thank you for such dynamic presentations. My poetry books are flying off the shelf, even those old models.”
–Canyon Creek Elementary, Bothell, WA
“THANK YOU! I think that the kids had a great time, I haven’t seen that much excitement about writing anything for a long time. You were AWESOME!”
–Edward Zeiger Elementary, Puyallup, WA
“I wanted to send a quick little email to let you know how much we appreciated and enjoyed your visit. You by far surpassed our expectations. Sometimes when working with the entire staff you get mixed feelings about bringing someone in and causing a change in routine. However, yesterday, I got so many compliments and thanks yous from soooo many teachers. They thoroughly enjoyed your visit. You were a success! Thank you again, so much.”
–Rockville Elementary, Rockville, IN
“I want to thank you again for visiting our school, and for agreeing to stay for Family Reading Night in Danville. Our students are still buzzing about it! The enthusiasm you generated was/is phenomonal! I know first hand that you have literally lit a fire in encouraging the students in my class to write. For that, I am eternally greatful.”
–Rossville-Alvin Grade School, Rossville, IL
“Kenn, thanks so much for making our first experience with author visits so positive and rewarding. I have heard so many anecdotes from parents, teachers, and students about how you sparked somethng for our kids. And of course we’ve had lots of poetry emergencies here in the library–I will definitely need to re-vitalize that section!”
–Edison Elementary, Danville, IL
“The poetry section is sure a hit since your visit. We surely enjoyed your visit to our School. Thanks for making us laugh!!”
–Santa Clara Elementary, Santa Clara, UT
“Kenn masterfully transcends the typical school visit…the kids love him and come away with a totally new enthusiasm about reading and writing.”
–Discovery School, Spokane, WA
“Kenn, you were amazing with the students both young and old! I’ve had parents approach me and tell me that you were the topic at the dinner table. Students are still checking out your books and all of them have a hold list on them a mile long. You truly demonstrated to the students that poetry is indeed not boring. Your delivery definitely made poetry alive!”
–Cathedral School, Portland, OR
“Your presentation was the best we have ever had. The kids and adults enjoyed it! Thank you for sharing with us!
–South Knox Elementary, Vincennes, IN
“Everyone is talking about you! The kids are asking when you will be back. One mother quoted her daughter as saying, ‘She was laughing so hard that she doubled over and had a stomache ache.’ The teachers are all asking when we can arrange for you to visit our school again. You were a HIT!!!”
–Silver Wing Elementary, San Diego, CA
“I wanted to let you know that your November programs at Mason Elementary were outstanding. I told you then how I felt, and the positive comments I’d heard. You said, “If they remember or are still enthusiastic in 3 wks then the positives would be valid.” Well, guess what? It’s been over a month and EVERY DAY, my students ask to read your poems (they read, not me). For those who bought your books at the evening presentation and keep them on their desks, there is a scramble to get to the page being read. It seems that many of the children have them memorized. Thank you, thank you. I am singing your praises to all I meet.”
–Mason Elementary, San Diego, CA
“Kenn was outstanding. He kept the students engaged during the entire presentation. Students found themselves learning about poetry and enjoying it. Kenn took some of the ‘off the wall’ comments from students and built on them, redirecting and reinvolving them in a very positive manner. He held a large group of second and third graders captivated with his humorous poems and funny actions. He had a magic box that contained costumes and sounds. Kenn engaged the students in creating rhyme on the spot. His attitude, enthusiasm, and excitement was contagious.
Kenn has our highest recommendation to any school program. Students and staff alike were entertained and excited. We hope to have him back!”
–Cusick School, Cusick, WA
“I was so pleased with the reaction of our students. Poetry was in the air all week and their enthusiasm was contagious. I think it is rare to be able to create such excitement from Kindergarten through Sixth Grade and receive unanimous approval from the adults as well!”
–St. George’s School, Spokane, WA
“We highly recommend Kenn to any school wishing to enhance students’ exposure to and appreciation of the art of poetry.”
–Roosevelt Elementary School, Spokane, WA
“Kenn is enthusiastic about writing and sharing. We feel confident your school will enjoy the opportunity to listen to his presentation.”
–Kettle Falls Middle School, Kettle Falls, WA
“If you have a chance to have Kenn Nesbitt visit your school, I would encourage you to take advantage of the opportunity.”
–Lapwai Junior-Senior High School, Lapwai, ID
“It is very easy to recommend Kenn Nesbitt as a presenter to students… Kenn has poise and confidence and an enthusiasm for his work that draws students’ attention.”
–Ferris High School, Spokane, WA
Fill out this form to receive more information about Kenn Nesbitt’s online school and library visit programs.
Don’t Think About a Zebra
Don’t think about a zebra
no matter what you do,
for, if you ever think of one,
then soon you’ll think of two.
And, after that, you’ll think of three.
And then you’ll think of four.
Then five or six or seven zebras.
Maybe even more.
And then you’ll think of zebra herds
stampeding down the street,
and zebras wearing tutus,
disco-dancing to a beat.
You’ll think of flying ninja zebras
practicing kung fu.
And zebra clowns from outer space.
And robot zebras too.
And zebras in pajama bottoms
bouncing on their beds,
and maybe even zebras
wearing diapers on their heads.
You’ll wish you’d never thought of them,
so do it starting now:
Don’t think about a zebra.
Only think about a cow.
The Games in My Room
The video games that
I keep in my room,
like Tetris, Terraria,
Minecraft, and Doom,
and one about somebody
raiding a tomb,
and one with invaders from space…
They’re up on the dresser
and down on the floor.
The Legend of Zelda
and Street Fighter IV,
and Roblox, and Pac Man,
and Fortnite, and more,
are scattered all over the place.
There’s Sonic the Hedgehog
and Dragon Ball Z,
and Mario Party,
and Madden for Wii,
and FIFA 18 for the
Playstation 3.
They’re littered and strewn all around.
There’s Kidz Sports and Kirby
and Kingdom Hearts II,
Jurassic Park, Jeopardy,
Just Dance Wii U,
and don’t forget Pokemon
Red, Green, and Blue,
all over my desk and the ground.
They’re under my bed
in a battered old box.
They’re tossed in the closet
with Legos and blocks.
They’re stuffed in a drawer
with my undies and socks.
They’re thrown around every which way.
It’s kind a problem.
It’s sort of a shame.
It’s clearly my fault.
No one else is to blame.
The game I can’t locate
is always the same…
it’s the one that I’m wanting to play.
Tongue twisters are one of the most fun forms of wordplay for kids. The more challenging they are to speak, the more fun they can be. Most tongue twisters take one of three forms:
You can create your own tongue twisters too. All you need is a pencil and paper, and a little imagination. Let me show you how.
If you are writing a poem, especially a list poem, that includes games or sports, you may find it useful to have a list of names of sports and games that rhyme. Here are a few that I have collected. These include sports, board games, card games, party games, and video games.