What Is Poetry?: The Essential Guide to Reading and Writing Poems

by Michael Rosen, Jill Calder (Illustrator)

What is Poetry

Genres: Poetry, Nonfiction, Middle Grade, Writing, Teaching, Education, Childrens

208 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2016

About the author

Michael Rosen, a recent British Children’s Laureate, has written many acclaimed books for children, including WE'RE GOING ON A BEAR HUNT, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury, and I’M NUMBER ONE and THIS IS OUR HOUSE, both illustrated by Bob Graham. Michael Rosen lives in London.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorite authors, one of my favorite subjects. Short book as it's for kids, but not superficial.

Right at the beginning intro. he says he's going to start by trying to define poetry, but won't succeed. I buy that. And I really like that he changes the question itself to "what can poetry do?"

One of the things he comes up with is that poems are 'suggestive.' They don't give answers, and they leave a lot for the reader to think on and figure out. And he uses *From a Railroad Carriage* to illustrate that poems can 'give an impression,' which you'll know if you've ever read that piece by Stevenson aloud.

And he uses Lear's Jumblies to propose that nonsense is actually "new sense." I'll have to think on that. A provocative idea.

When talking a bit about his writing process, Rosen says that poems "are a midway point between poet and reader... a conversation between" their thoughts.

I like the starter ideas, esp. as there's a bit of scaffolding given beyond just the prompt. I feel inspired; might even have to follow through this time.

Appendix & etc. included.
---
Reread for the Poetry conversations in the Children's Books group. There I said:

Ohmygosh. This may not be the Only guide one ever needs (and an annotated list of further reading makes it clear that it is not the author's intent to claim it as such) but it does break down the Essence or "reading and writing poems" to something many of can enjoy, whether we're 8 or 88. This is my second read. I really need my own copy.

"secret strings: [bring words together with]:" alliteration, assonance, repetition, imagery, opposites...

"Doing all these things with poems--reading and rereading them, asking questions, finding secret strings, and learning them by heart (if you want)--will help you enjoy, get to know, and make sense of them. If you do these things with another person or several people, you will often make discoveries about the poem that are exciting and amazing..."

Note the "if you want." Michael Rosen also wrote "Perhaps. Perhaps not" frequently. No lectures or didacticism or authoritarianism here!

"Poems are a midway point between poets and readers. ... a conversation between two sets of thoughts: the poet's and the reader's."

Further reading for me: *Down Behind the Dustbin,* Michael Rosen's Big Book of Bad Things, *Who Killed Davey Moore* by Bob Dylan.

[Bax · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.5 stars.

I finished this a week ago but I only get to come round and write a whole review about what I really think about it. Before I started writing this, I’ve scrolled through a number of good reviews and I have to say, I completely agree with what they had to say. This was an easy to read guide to writing poetry mainly focused for kids, I suppose. For someone who writes my own poetry sometimes, I found this book came with some simple guides that could further improve my writing. So that’s a plus.

But I didn’t find myself all that interested in most of the poems included as examples. This is just a personal preference. I personally don’t enjoy old poems with hard-to-understand writing style. Welp. That’s just me. I am more inclined towards easy and straightforward writing style, but still be able to convey the messages in creative ways. In other words, I enjoy modern poetry more. But otherwise, this book was really helpful. I was taking notes as I was reading.

The book was divided into chapters. The first one was called What is Poetry? The author didn’t exactly give us the answer as to what poetry really is and I suppose poetry is what we want it to be. For example, I see poetry as a form of expressing my emotions. When I’m sad, angry, happy or perhaps in love, I tend to come up with some poems to convey the emotions in the forms of words. To everyone else, poetry could give them a whole different meaning. So instead, the author came up with several things that poetry could do and in the next chapter, he provided us with things that we could do with poetry. It really was fun to read.

There are many ways to enjoy poetry, but it’s also fun to write your own. There were a couple of chapters that included ways for you to start writing your own poetry and also to recognise the style of the poetry. I think this book kinda opened up my eyes more to different kind of poetry and maybe someday when I want to experiment more with my writing style, I could adapt some of the tips given in this book. School kids and budding writers would definitely enjoy this book a lot more than I did.

So if you’re interested to give this book a go, I say why not? It’s a quick read, tbh and it’s not boring (except for the bits I don’t enjoy like the old poems that didn’t catch my interest). Hehe.

Disclaimer: I would like to thank Pansing for sending me a copy of What is Poetry? in exchange for my honest review. It is now available at all good bookstores!

[Literary Redhead · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“What Is Poetry? The Essential Guide to Reading and Writing Poems” by Michael Rosen is a wonderful handbook to introduce poetry to children. I wish I had had this as a child; it would have influenced me to read and enjoy poetry so much more!

I find the Publisher’s Note especially helpful, so I’ll quote that now while awarding this very helpful text a 5/5:

“Celebrated poet and critic Michael Rosen takes readers on a whirlwind tour exploring what poems are, what they can do, and the joys of reading and writing them.

“For thousands of years, people have been writing poetry. But what is poetry? Award-winning wordsmith Michael Rosen has spent decades thinking about that question, and in this helpful guide he shares his insights with humor, knowledge, and appreciation — appreciation for poetry and appreciation for twenty-first-century children embarking on their own poetic journeys.

“Young readers are invited to join him on a welcoming exploration of the British poetic canon, replete with personal insights into what the renowned poet thinks about as he writes and advice on writing their own poetry. When he’s finished, readers will be able to say with confidence: this is poetry. Included in this accessible handbook are writing tips, analyses of classic poems, and an appendix of poets and useful websites.”

Pub Date 08 Jan 2019

Thanks to Candlewick Press and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are fully mine.

#WhatIsPoetry? #NetGalley

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

First sentence from the introduction: Poetry belongs to all of us; everyone can read poems, make up poems, or share poems with others.

First sentence from chapter one: A poem is a poem if the writer and the reader agree it's a poem. But people don't always agree, and when they argue about it, they try to find some special things about poetry that you can't find in other kinds of writing.

Premise/plot: This lovely little book is divided into seven chapters: "What Is Poetry?", "What Can You Do With a Poem?", "My Thoughts as I Was Writing Some Poems," "Ways To Start A Poem," "Writing Poems," "Some Technical Points About Poems," "So What Is Poetry?".

The first chapter should really be named "What Can Poetry Do?" Rosen sets out to illustrate what poems can do. It's show and tell time with poetry. He'll introduce a poem--often a classic--and then write out the thinking process as it's read and reread. He showcases a poem for each point.

Poetry Can Suggest Things
Poetry Can Give an Impression
Poetry Can Play with Words
Poetry Can Be Symbolic
Poetry Can Be Personal
Poetry Can Borrow Voices
Poetry Can Capture A Moment
Poetry Can Be Ironic
Poetry Can Make New Sense
Poetry Can Make Familiar Things Feel Unfamiliar and Unfamiliar Things Feel Familiar

Perhaps the list isn't exhausting or comprehensive. But it's a great beginning.

The second chapter is just as valuable and practical as the first. It asks not 'What Can Poetry Do?' but 'What can YOU do with a Poem?' He begins with the obvious, 'read it,' but the list is longer than you might think. I love what he has to say about memorizing poems:

"People say that it's important to memorize poems. I think differently. I reckon it's important only when it's important to you. So if you love a poem, you might want to learn it by heart." (83)

I also love his conclusion:

"In fact, you can do anything you want with a poem. You can ignore it, forget it, decide you don't like it--or leave it for fifty years and rediscover it later." (88)

If chapter one gives readers a behind the scenes glimpse of how Rosen reads poems, then chapter three gives readers a behind the scenes glimpse of how Rosen WRITES poems. He shares one of his own poems and then shares his thoughts on the writing of it.

Chapters four and five are about WRITING poems--some tips and suggestions on how readers can write their own poems.

Chapter six includes some 'technical' details about poems. A traditional approach to teaching poetry might have started with this chapter. Rhythm and Rhyme. Alliteration. Assonance. Metaphor. Simile. Metonymy. Personification. Persona. Allusion.

Chapter seven is BLANK essentially. It gives readers blank pages to answer the question for themselves...what is poetry?

My thoughts: I really thought this was a great little introduction to a subject often thought to be super-intimidating. Poetry doesn't have to be intimidating, overwhelming, scary. Poetry can be FUN, delightful, memorable. I love how we get to see poetry from all sides. I really loved some of the chapters. I can't say that I loved all the chapters equally. Some of his examples were a bit difficult to understand. BUT Rosen gives his readers permission to not understand, to dislike or hate, to skip.

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who better to write a book about poetry for children than the brilliant children's author and poet, Michael Rosen? What is Poetry is just that, a clear and clever book for children about how to read and write poems. A teacher couldn't do better than to lead her class through this book during a unit on poetry.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent primer for middle school or upper elementary. Would also be helpful for someone who just wants to think in categories about what poetry can do that is distinctive from other types of writing.

[Ann T · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Candlewick Press and Netgalley for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

This was a great book, aimed at teaching children about poetry, but perfect for anyone wanting to read poetry for the first time.
I picked up this book to as an adult who has not read much poetry in recent years and enjoyed the refresher on what poetry is.

It was lovely to be reminded that anything can be poetry.

[Tony Howlett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am definitely going to be rereading this book until I've memorized all the helpful tips I can get out of it. If you want to get started with poetry, this is a good stepping stone and I think every child should read this book when they are fairly young so they don't grow up thinking poetry is archaic or inaccessible. Poetry is fun kids and poems like people are beautiful once you get to know them.

[Devin Redmond · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am laughing at myself because I always say that poetry is not my favorite, but I also find myself spending time with the genre.
My friend is very knowledgeable about podcasts and always sends me ones she thinks I might like. She sent me an On Being talk where Krista Tippett interviewed Jericho Brown, a poet.
I think the reason I spend time with poetry is not necessarily because of the poems, but more what Jericho Brown and Krista Tippett called “poetic thinking.” The older I get I realize life can’t really be solved or simplified. Poetry can’t either. Mr. Brown said something like poetry asks questions that we’ve been afraid to answer or tackle our whole lives, “Every murderer has a mama.” Think about that and sit with the discomfort.
I enjoyed the podcast.
As I read What is Poetry: The Essential Guide to Reading and Writing Poems I kept thinking about how teachers usually want clear cut solved and simplified ways to teach any kind of writing, including poetry. And we might just have to sit with the discomfort that it’s not really out there. We all take the world in differently. Rosen does give guidelines, which could be helpful for teachers: “What Can Poetry Do?” and “Ways to Start a Poem.” The book was helpful, but more for the exposure to ideas rather than “This is the book that will teach me what and when to say things to the writers in my room.” My only problem with the book was that the anchor poems, the ones he used as examples, were older and from dead white men, probably because there are less issues with copyrights.

[Olwyn Wardman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think if I'd read this before starting a literature degree I would have been in much better stead

[madz · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Kris Dersch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was talking to a music teacher friend the other day and wondering...why do we not teach poetry the way we teach music?
We start the same way. We start kids on simple children's songs that are easy to remember and often cutesy or silly. We start them off with the same kind of thing in poetry. But then we stop.
Music education goes on. We start to add a little theory, clapping out beats, teaching where middle C is, but still trying to retain that joy. But we don't do that with poetry. We might do the occasional haiku or acrostic, but we kind of just quit and then suddenly they are fourteen and we make them count iambs in a sonnet. We make them dissect and analyze poetry and suck the life out of it and then we might encourage them to love it again later but at no point have we really allowed them to grow up with it.
That's what this book does. It fills in that gap. It speaks to kids who are beyond the age of simple and silly rhymes and gives them a lot to think about and play with and a little technical advice. And it comes from a real writer in the trenches who uses examples from the literary canon and then takes you inside his own poetry and tells you what he was thinking or trying when he wrote this.
It is, in short, really great and will make young writers want to write more. It encourages kids to come up with their own definitions, their own opinions, explains some of the basics of imagery, persona, meter, and other basic building blocks of poetry without going into what is "good" and what is "bad."
I wish every kid were taught poetry this way, but am glad that at least this book exists. It's a start. For some kids, this may be the first book of poetry they ever pick up that isn't funny and doesn't rhyme. Not that kids' rhyming funny poetry isn't great, but to break out of the box of what we share with kids a bit is a noble ambition.
It made me want to start a kids' poetry class.
Featured on the No Extra Words Podcast Episode #125.

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 4 out of 5]

What is Poetry? The Essential Guide to Reading and Writing Poems by Michael Rosen, 186 pages. NON-FICTION. Candlewick Press, 2016. $15.99

Content: G

BUYING ADVISORY: MS – OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Rosen offers tips and tricks for reading and writing poems based on his experience in doing both. I enjoyed reading Rosen’s enthusiasm for poetry in these pages, and the new ideas have given my mind lots of new poetry techniques to try myself. While this may not be page-turner, this book is full of good information that I’m happy to have read.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2019...

[Elisha Jachetti · Rating 4 out of 5]

WHAT IS POETRY: THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO READING AND WRITING POEMS by Michael Rosen is a nonfiction, how-to book intended for a middle grade audience. In 190 pages, Rosen explores what poetry is and what it does in order to give a baseline understanding of it as an art form. He then lets readers into his brain as he shares his own thoughts during his creative process and finishes with technical information about the craft. It’s a pretty comprehensive guide and a perfect introduction into the world of poetry for anyone who may be intimidated by it or curious about how to both enjoy and create it themselves.

As someone who has read other books on poetry, I wasn’t sure how much I would get out of this one, particularly because it’s written for a younger audience. However, I learned many new writing tricks, such as how to show time passing slowly, how to approach nonsense poems, and how to find inspiration. I learned all this because Rosen makes poetry accessible. Oftentimes, adult books on poetry can be a bit lofty and pretentious, which makes poetry intimidating. Unfortunately, when poetry is reserved for the elite, it prevents many creative individuals from reading and writing it. Luckily, Rosen breaks down that barrier.

Overall, Rosen only scratches the surface in all there is to be learned both in reading and writing poetry, but his book is the perfect entry point for young minds, and really anyone. It could foster a great conversation in classrooms across America, as well as at home amongst families. I hope that this book will encourage more poetry events and the exploration and inclusivity of all poetry, such as that from Shel Silverstein, Dr. Seuss, and others like them.

WHAT IS POETRY? asks us to form our own definition, not only with the title, but with the blank space in the back of the book. For me, poetry is an expression of the soul. It explains a situation or a feeling without having to provide answers, and Rosen captures that perfectly.

Review originally published here: http://www.yabookscentral.com/yanonfi...

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is definitely a book written for children and much needed in the English education system but still perfectly accessible and worthwhile for adults. Rosen subtly makes the point that knowing about all the technical side of poetry is not the same as enjoying it, writing it, using it... but shows how some knowledge can help enhance all of these.

It was no great surprise to me that [spoiler] he doesn't answer the What Is Poetry? question in any definitive way. I liked that he used fairly well known (as in, I knew most of them) examples and a smattering of his own work. I am not terribly fond of most of the poems in the book, but this was an advantage because I then paid better attention to the points he was making (and, as so often, acquired a better appreciation of, if not necessarily a full-blown liking, of the poems)

At one point he made a rather lazy point about 'chemicals on the land' which jarred for me, in the overall context of the book, the particular poem and in its wording (an entirely valid point that the poem might lead you to reflect on damage being caused to the environment) and I feel children deserve better. I also felt he used Macbeth's "Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow" speech (which I certainly do love) in an odd context (he does not mention that Lady Macbeth's death has just been reported)

I've tried reading other books about rather than of poetry in which the door was locked, barred and guarded by a stony faced author with folded arms. This was a refreshing antidote.

[Joel Everett · Rating 4 out of 5]

What is Poetry: The Essential Guide to Reading and Writing Poems is a delightful easy-to-read introduction to reading and writing poems. It would be an excellent book for Middle School age students, and even younger students of an advanced nature of Elementary School age; even as an adult I found it a fun refresher course on various Poetic Terms.

The book itself is divided between matters of interpretation of a poem which take up the first seventy pages of the book and then it moves into the area of performing and writing poems along with analysis of the different ways in which poems are constructed.

Interpretation of poetry is taken from a subjective viewpoint with a focus on how poetry makes us feel, but it also focuses on how poetry can make us think as well.

Michael Rosen, the author, does an excellent job of supporting each chapter of his book with a wide variety of poems providing an easy to understand example of the point under discussion.

I’d highly recommend this book as an introduction to poetry that is accessible and fun.

[Christie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Noted British poet-author Michael Rosen shares straightforward responses to universal questions that children ponder and teachers struggle with, about the meaning and purpose of poetry. Each of the seven chapters included in this tight volume tackles a weighty issue such as “What is poetry?” and “What can you do with poetry?” Rosen has selected a classic poem for each section for defining poetry, and he presents an array of ways to interpret and appreciate poetry’s personification, symbolism, and voice alongside less standard analyses: making new sense of nonsense and making the unfamiliar familiar. In the section on “What can you do with a poem” readers are challenged to read poetry in a variety of ways and for various purposes including multiple readings, memorizing, and presenting through multimedia. Although Rosen’s very personal “teachery part of me” tone invites readership, most children will struggle to connect with the classic poems selected as exemplars here, such as Shelley’s “Ozymandias” and Browning’s “My Last Duchess.”

[Margery Bayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a creative writing major. I've read a lot of books and articles about poetry (although I'm more of the fiction writer), and this is definitely the best one out of the lot. While it's target audience is probably upper elementary through middle school kids, I think it can definitely scale into high school, and even be useful and inspiring to adults like me. Reading Michael Rosen's guide to poetry makes me realize how many of the previous poetry resources were definitely written by academics and not poets themselves. Rosen works through this guide to poetry differently, from the first chapter where he be explores what is poetry by exploring what poetry can do, complete with examples... and it puts all the technical terminology of poetry (metaphor, rhythm, etc.) in the last chapter, an afterthought to the bigger scope of poetry as a thing that places with words and emotions and images.

This is definitely welcoming guide to poetry I've ever read, and it should become a standard in classrooms.

[Eileen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a fair introduction to poetry for young readers, but it's pretty heavy on explanatory text for the age I imagine is its target demographic. Teachers might actually like that as at times it nearly gives ELA teachers a script of what to say to prompt children when considering poetry. The author includes several of his own poems and features others from poets likely to be familiar to most teachers and adult readers. It seems like kind of a missed opportunity to feature newer and fresher voices. (Selections include work from poets like W.H. Auden, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Robert Browning, Lewis Carroll, John Clare, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Emily Dickenson, Thomas Hardy, Rudyard Kipling, Edward Lear, William Shakespeare, Banjo Patterson, Christina Rossetti, Robert Louis Stevenson and Lord Alfred Tennyson)

cw: this author briefly describes his grandparents in ghettos and there's reference to trench warfare as well. None of these passages are graphic but their inclusion might surprise a parent/teacher who is used to his poetry for the very young.

[Michelle Kidwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

What Is Poetry?: The Essential Guide to Reading and Writing Poems
The Essential Guide to Reading and Writing Poems
by Michael Rosen

Candlewick Press
Candlewick
Children's Nonfiction
Pub Date 08 Jan 2019


I am reviewing What Is Poetry The Essential Guide to Reading and Writing Poems through Candlewick Press and Netgalley:


Michael Rosen a celebrated poet as well as critic takes readers on a tour that explores what poetry is and what poems can do.


People have been writing poetry for thousands of years but explaining what poetry is can be difficult. Michael Rosen has spent years thinking about poetry and what it is and shares his insight, his humor and knowledge of poetry for today’s children the children of the 21st Century.



This book would make a great teaching tool for the classroom but woils also be great for Children who just want a better understanding of poetry.


i give What Is Poetry five out of five stars!



Happy Reading

[Hannah Lightning · Rating 5 out of 5]

This really is an essential guide to reading and writing poems! I would recommend the book to be by your side when teaching year4+ about poetry. The chapters lend themselves to become different starters in poetry lessons. For example, 'What can you do with with a poem?' recommends class readings aloud- lots of discussion and questions being asked. Additionally, an abundance of ideas on how to teach poetry creatively and how children can write creatively, such as role-play or comic-strips.

From a child's perspective, the book is easy to read (chapters) and illustrated. Rosen, discusses different poems, whilst helping the children to look for connections within the poems, writing tips, but also relays the some important technical points too, such as rhythm and rhyme, blank verse, free verse, alliteration, assonance, metaphor and simile.
There is also a helpful appendix of poets- which is a great way to introduce children to other authors 9which teachers could stock in class).

[Theediscerning · Rating 5 out of 5]

If Michael Rosen couldn't teach you how to write poetry, then little will. This wonderfully readable book – as child-friendly as all his books of child-friendly verse – starts with the expected failure to define poetry, then asks us what we should do with it, and how we might write it, and to what effect. There's a little awkward division in the book between how we get inspiration and how we write, which seems to have as many examples of impetus as the preceding chapter, but there's little to quibble over really. Great use of example – his own, and that of other canonical White Englishmen – really gets you assured of many a concept, and ready to take the plunge. So he can write accessible education as well as verse – but at least he's given us all we need to follow him in the latter.

[Gretchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I really like about this book, and the reason I had to buy it after reading it from the library, is because it really does look at the pleasure of reading poetry as you think about writing poetry. It takes poems from a variety of sources and helps the reader see what poetry does, can do, is good at, etc. It does this one step at a time so that you can digest the information from the example poem but then think about it some more in additional poems and think about how you would use that information to write it as well. I could easily see reading some of these sections to students to help them better understand the breadth of poetry and how it can be used and enjoyed. As for my own copy, I am going to use it to help me write some of my own poetry.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this helpful guide, Michael Rosen reflects on his many years of writing poetry as he encourages his audience to “read, write, and listen to poetry.” Opening with the titular question, he discusses and gives examples on a variety of topics such as how poetry suggests things (“A Word is Dead” by Emily Dickinson) or plays with words (“Waltzing Matilda” by Banjo Paterson). In subsequent chapters, Rosen writes about his composition process, ideas for poems (including performance art), and writing tips. By the final chapter, readers should have developed their own responses to the opening question and feel prepared to read more poetry and write their own verses. Back matter includes an appendix with sites about poetry and videos of poets performing, as well as a topical index.

[Isobel Ramsden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rosen's book covers a wide range of topics, from analysing classic poetry to how he wrote his own poems to how to write poetry. He writes clearly and insightfully about all these themes, distilling his wide reading and knowledge of the subject into an elegant, highly readable text. Young readers will love the range of poetry analysed, from Emily Dickinson to Robert Louis Stevenson to nonsense verse, and the quirky, attractive illustrations by Jill Calder. The tips on how to get ideas for poems are practical and fun. And there is a very useful list of recommended poets and websites at the back.

[Terri Floccare · Rating 2 out of 5]

I fully expected to like this book. As a school librarian I see that students love poetry and it's taught at only the most superficial level - haiku, acrostics etc. I found this book written in a less than engaging fashion, the poems chosen as examples were not inspiring, and the text was too dense. Since I read the ARC, I'm hoping the last was corrected in the final book. I'm also not sure who this book was really intended for. The style of prose and the content seemed a bit incongruous to me. I'm sad about this, because I like Michael Rosen's other books.

[connie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5 stars

A really good starting point for people getting into poetry, and very accessible for children. However I think I'm just a bit too old and have more experience with writing poetry through Uni and my personal life to get everything I need from this one. This makes me want to start a poetry class for children just to get them into writing it independently from what school (especially secondary) classes as 'good poetry' and 'bad poetry'.

[Margie · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent, basic book about poetry for children. Instructive without being pedantic or boring, the book includes many examples of poetry which Rosen uses to illustrate various points he wants to make about poetry. Rosen makes poetry sound interesting, fun and most importantly, accessible, which is often not what happens with children in classrooms. This book is an needed addition to public and school libraries for grades 4 - 7. Its simplicity is what makes it attractive and useful.

[Carolina Colleene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: G; Violence: G
Rosen offers tips and tricks for reading and writing poems based on his experience in doing both. I enjoyed reading Rosen’s enthusiasm for poetry in these pages, and the new ideas have given my mind lots of new poetry techniques to try myself. While this may not be page-turner, this book is full of good information that I’m happy to have read.
Reviewed for https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/

[Tiana Hadnt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was actually very enjoyable! As an adult, it was a bit lacking, but children would love it and it would be great for an child who is interested in writing poetry. While I didn’t necessarily agree with the nearly spelled out definition of poetry, I do think it makes it easier for younger audiences to be able to categorize. It’s way to read, and not too long. I would have loved to have it when I was younger.

My thanks to Netgalley for this free ebook in exchange for my honest review.