The purpose of writing is to communicate with an audience. Teachers need to move heaven and earth to be sure that every child knows what it is to become a published author. Criteria for selecting a piece is important. In this article, the author explores why the criteria that children use for selecting poetry to share with an audience differ from…

Discusses several collections of poetry that children enjoy. (HTH)

Provides annotations of 35 easy-to-read picture books, informational books, easy-to-read chapter books, and poetry collections that serve as bridges from one type of reading to another. (RS)

Presents reviews of 22 poetry anthologies, collections of poems by 1 poet, and books that contain a single illustrated poem. Urges students and teachers to bring poetry alive by reading it aloud. (RS)

Offers an interview with poet X. J. Kennedy, winner of the prestigious National Council of Teachers of English Award for Poetry for Children for the year 2000. Outlines how he began writing poetry, his work writing poetry for adults, and how he began writing poems for children. Offers an overview of his work. (SR)

Discusses 44 recently published poetry collections, noting ways teachers can help children deepen their enjoyment of poetry by helping them become aware of the subtle things poets do. Uses the concept of rhythm to organize the books, believing that rhythm gives poetry its feeling of movement. (SR)

Discusses two series of professional books (dealing with an integrated approach to literacy instruction and using poetry to help children feel the music of language) as well as three poetry collections that will be of interest to both teachers and teacher educators. (SR)

Reviews 43 recently-published collections of poetry for children that were considered by the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award Committee. Groups them in terms of: evoking an image or idea; visual poetry; word play; and the voice. (SR)

Reviews 31 collections of children's poetry that help students see the world from a fresh perspective. Notes how they were used in a variety of classrooms and how children responded to them. Organizes the books in terms of: making the ordinary extraordinary; looking at relationships in new ways; new views of the world; and a fresh look at animals.…