When thinking of books of poetry, most people think of Shel Silverstein, Clement Clarke Moore's The Night Before Christmas, or nursery rhymes. But there's a wealth of other options. Here are some novel length books written in free verse, which is non-rhyming and does not have a regular meter or flow.

This fun program will be for kids that love poems and kids who don't. We will look at "giggle poetry" for kids online, answer some riddles and vote on our favorite silly poems, while enjoying popcorn. This program is for kids third through fifth grade. Register online beginning March 26.
When: Tuesday, April 24, 7:00-7:45 PM
[Popcorn! by Andrew Rivett is licensed under CC BY 2.0]

Birds of a feather by Jane Yolen — Striking photographs are what caught my eye right away on Jane Yolen's new book. This book has 14 spirited poems about familiar, as well as less common birds in the Eastern U.S. Each poem is matched with a photograph of the bird with realistic colors and sharp details. Yolen has written over 300 books for children and won many medals for her work.

What do these three topics have in common? Well, they are all covered in the poetry section in the children's department. We have poems on all different kinds of subjects from baseball to ice cream to best friends. Not only do our poetry books cover all kinds of topics, but there are many that are very funny to read. When you feel like a few giggles check out Exploding Gravy or Oh, No! Where are my Pants? You'll find these books in the J800 section in the Children's Department, or a librarian can direct you right to the poetry books. They're also easy to find this month on our octagon book display. So check out our awesome poetry section where the reading is easy, and fun.

The dark beauty and mysteries of nighttime are captured in Joyce Sidman's book Dark  Emperor & Other Poems of the Night.  The poems explore night creatures and other night life, letting readers "feel the breeze" of the evening. This quiet book, with prints by Rick Allen, is a 2011 Newbery Honor Book.