My Dog May Be a Genius by Jack Prelutsky, illustrated by James Stevenson

Jack Prelutsky is the nation's first Children's Poet Laureate and has written more than 50 books that contain verse and wordplay. Kids who enjoy Shel Silverstein and/or Roald Dahl will love Prelutsky's poems that rhyme and are accompanied with illustrations.

Reluctant readers should enjoy the nonsense of these poems and independent reades will welcome this step up from Mother Goose rhymes. Topics in this book include animals (both real and mythical), grumpy characters, silly situations, food, homework, hobbies, seasons, the library, family members, ect.

This book contains an index to titles and an index to first lines to aid readers in finding poems. A list of selected titles by Prelutsky can also be found at the back of this book. This book would work well in storytime or in programming. I recommend "Sandwich Stan," it's both funny and inventive!

Genre: Nonfiction

Prelutsky, J. (2008). My dog may be a genius. New York: Greenwillow Books.

Shakespeare Bats Cleanup by Ron Koertge

Kevin Boland is a baseball player, well, make that former baseball player, at least for the better part of the season anyway. Kevin has mono and has taken up writing poetry. He's pretty good at it too! He writes sonnets, sestinas, pantoums, haikus, and elegies. Poetry helps him deal with his mother's death, his loss of identity as he sits out the baseball season, his frustration with friends, and his growing interest in a girl at school.

This entire book is written in blank verse poetry which makes this such a fantastic read as each poem can be read for individual meaning as well as for its advancement of the story.

Teens will enjoy this book for the artistic risks it takes and succeeds.

Genre: Poetry/Realistic Fiction

Koertge, R. (2003). Shakespeare bats cleanup. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.