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Established Poets, New Poets
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From: Ginny Moore Kruse <gmkruse>
Date: Sat, 22 Apr 2000 15:15:22 -0500
Lately I've noticed what seems to be an increasing number of children's/young adult books of poetry by established literary poets already known to adults.
Sometimes one or more of their poems written with an adult audience in mind is perfectly selected in thematic anthologies published for young adults such as those created by Paul B. Janeczko, Naomi Shihab Nye, Ruth Gordon, Lori Marie Carlson, and Liz Rosenberg. One can only hope their anthologies will be available in paperback if not available now - and stay in print in paperback editions long enough for teenagers and teachers of teenagers to discover these fine books.
Occasionally established poets in the adult world write poems with young readers in mind. I'm not trying to make a complete list here, but - rather - to provide some examples, such as Naomi Shihab Nye, Pat Mora, Gwendolyn Brooks, Nikki Giovanni, Francisco Alarcon, Juan Felipe Herrera, X. J. Kennedy, Lucille Clifton, Gary Soto, James Berry, John Ciardi, Nikki Grimes and Grace Nichols. Please add your examples, or comment on any of these poets as their poems or collections of poems for young readers come to mind.
It's probably more difficult to promote and sell a book of poems by a poet without an established adult audience or some other level of name recognition such as that provided through the NCTE Award process. This just makes me all the more appreciative of poets relatively new in the children's book world, such as Janet S. Wong, Joan Bransfield Graham, Douglas Florian, and Kristine O'Connell George. I also applaud the editors and publishers who are giving children an opportunity to hear their voices and the voices of other new poets. Add your examples here, if you wish.
Sometimes writers with name recognition as children's or young adult novelists have other strings to their bows. I'm thinking here of writers such as Walter Dean Myers and Paul Fleischman. They and others have also established themselves as poets, too.
If any editors or publishers want to comment on the challenge or process of publishing poetry for children or young adults, please do. I'm sure that the promotion of National Poetry Month has helped, but these books still must compete with all of the others on your spring and fall publishing lists. What makes the difference in overcoming the challenge?
Ginny Moore Kruse gmkruse at ccbc.education.wisc.edu Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/ A Library of the School of Education, University of Wisconsin Madison
Received on Sat 22 Apr 2000 03:15:22 PM CDT
Date: Sat, 22 Apr 2000 15:15:22 -0500
Lately I've noticed what seems to be an increasing number of children's/young adult books of poetry by established literary poets already known to adults.
Sometimes one or more of their poems written with an adult audience in mind is perfectly selected in thematic anthologies published for young adults such as those created by Paul B. Janeczko, Naomi Shihab Nye, Ruth Gordon, Lori Marie Carlson, and Liz Rosenberg. One can only hope their anthologies will be available in paperback if not available now - and stay in print in paperback editions long enough for teenagers and teachers of teenagers to discover these fine books.
Occasionally established poets in the adult world write poems with young readers in mind. I'm not trying to make a complete list here, but - rather - to provide some examples, such as Naomi Shihab Nye, Pat Mora, Gwendolyn Brooks, Nikki Giovanni, Francisco Alarcon, Juan Felipe Herrera, X. J. Kennedy, Lucille Clifton, Gary Soto, James Berry, John Ciardi, Nikki Grimes and Grace Nichols. Please add your examples, or comment on any of these poets as their poems or collections of poems for young readers come to mind.
It's probably more difficult to promote and sell a book of poems by a poet without an established adult audience or some other level of name recognition such as that provided through the NCTE Award process. This just makes me all the more appreciative of poets relatively new in the children's book world, such as Janet S. Wong, Joan Bransfield Graham, Douglas Florian, and Kristine O'Connell George. I also applaud the editors and publishers who are giving children an opportunity to hear their voices and the voices of other new poets. Add your examples here, if you wish.
Sometimes writers with name recognition as children's or young adult novelists have other strings to their bows. I'm thinking here of writers such as Walter Dean Myers and Paul Fleischman. They and others have also established themselves as poets, too.
If any editors or publishers want to comment on the challenge or process of publishing poetry for children or young adults, please do. I'm sure that the promotion of National Poetry Month has helped, but these books still must compete with all of the others on your spring and fall publishing lists. What makes the difference in overcoming the challenge?
Ginny Moore Kruse gmkruse at ccbc.education.wisc.edu Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/ A Library of the School of Education, University of Wisconsin Madison
Received on Sat 22 Apr 2000 03:15:22 PM CDT
