Changes and Poetry- It's Spring!

I hope you've been having a wonderful April, with poetry and flowers blooming all over! It's lovely here, with the violets and forysthia in full swing, and nesting cardinals hopping about. I've been reading through a huge stack of poetry for all ages, and loving every second of it. And of course, I've been writing. I've drafted over 20 poems this month, and edited a whole bunch of poems too. It feels like my brain is shaking off the winter.

Of course, I can't let Poetry Month go by without shouting out some books. Here are a few of the books I've read (or re-read) and adored this month. Maybe you'll find a treasure for you or a loved one in the list!

The Moon Within by Aida Salazar. A triumph of a verse novel, perfect for the tween/teen in your life. You can get it here. Why I love it: Genderfluid rep. Mexica rep. Reclaiming and recreating ancestral culture. Puberty and periods. Characters who are allowed to make mistakes. Dancing. Moons.

The 1619 Project: Born on the Water by Nikole Hannah-Jones and Renée Watson, illustrated by Nikkolas Smith. A gorgeous picture book for all ages. You can get it wherever books are sold. Why I Love It: Celebration. Reclaiming personal and historical narratives. The range of emotions. The depth of word choice.

The Space Between Our Footsteps: Poems and Paintings from the Middle East selected by Naomi Shihab Nye. An anthology of Middle Eastern poetry for the whole family. Seems to be out of print, but you can get it used here. Why I love it: I laughed... and cried. Descriptions transported me. Poems on the shorter side, perfect for reading aloud. So many nations and cultures represented.

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