From: Ginny Moore Kruse <gmkruse>
Date: Fri, 11 Apr 2003 12:04:07 -0500

I'm certain you know and admire the published poetry and anthologies for young readers created by Lee Bennett Hopkins. Lee has asked me to forward this message to the CCBC-Net community. - Ginny


A MESSAGE FROM LEE BENNETT HOPKINS - Here we are in the middle of National Poetry Month and NO ONE is discussing POETRY or POETS for children! Why? This is the year Mary Ann Hoberman will receive the NCTE Poetry Award (in November); this weekend Constance Levy receives the Lee Bennett Hopkins/Penn State Poetry Award, an annual award given to a volume of poetry. Her winning book was SPLASH! (Orchard); and there were three Honor Books cited.

In an independent study I did covering the decades from l920 00 of American poets for children, more poets appeared on the publishing scene than ANY OTHER DECADE in the 20th century.

We have rich original collections; rich anthologies.

Are they being read? Being used?

It is curious the entire focus seems to be on YA 'novels in poetry form' which is really novels written in poetic prose!


Lee Lee Bennett Hopkins



Ginny Moore Kruse gmkruse at education.wisc.edu
Received on Fri 11 Apr 2003 12:04:07 PM CDT