Take Note! NCTE's Notable Poetry Books for 2020

Each year, the National Council of Teachers of English compiles a list of recent children's poetry books that they find noteworthy. I'm thrilled that my book, Finding Treasure: A Collection of Collections made the list. And it's rubbing shoulders with some fabulous poetry books. You can find the full list from NCTE. Here I'll share the collections I found particularly helpful for engaging students in grades K-5 with particular literacy skills. Click on each image for more information about the book from Bookshop.


What do you collect? Invite kids to write about their favorite collection after reading poems about things people collect. A variety of poetry forms make great mentor texts.	This breathtaking book brings new life to Christina Rossetti's classic rhymes.
Onomatopoeia, anyone? These poems are packed with examples of this literary device. Perfect for poetry performance!	Boost STEM inquiry with this poetry collection for budding astronomers.
Celebrate milestones of childhood with this collection of poems about growing up. Use it as a mentor text for "I used to.. but now.." writing.	What do the objects in your room do while you're sleeping? Find out in this compendium of poems. Great for teaching personification!
Haiku meets riddles! Wonderful mentor text to spark students to write their own riddle poems!	Not just for soccer fans! Use this collection for SEL topics like sportsmanship and teamwork. 13 different poetry forms make great models for student writing.
After researching their own animal, use the poetry models in this superlative book to prompt students to write a poem explaining what their animal is best at.	Another great mentor text for writing haiku!
Working on "How-To" essays? Have students turn a piece of "How To" writing into a poem using the plethora of examples in this book.	Poetry + Math + Science = Equation Poems! Kids will have fun trying this creative poetry format after studying the examples in this book.