Tell Your Story: Poetry

Good poetry for children connects them with their emotions, serves as a bridge between cultures, promotes language learning, helps them learn to read and enriches the school curriculum.

Poetry contains emotionally charged words, uses only a few words to say a great deal, is melodic – sings as it says, contains rhythm repetition and rhyme, captures the essence of a concept, has layers of meaning, and is the natural language of childhood.

Maybe you’d like to begin writing poetry for children, or you have some poems and want to learn more about how to get them+ published. Whichever it is, we believe your poems can inspire children, and we’d love to help.

Workshops for Poets

Working Retreat: Novels in Verse

Working Retreat: Novels in Verse

Starts: October 6, 2024

Revising Your Novel in Verse: An Online Course

Revising Your Novel in Verse: An Online Course

Starts: October 9, 2024

Working Retreat: Picture Book Authors and Illustrators

Working Retreat: Picture Book Authors and Illustrators

Starts: November 10, 2024

Marketing Opportunities for Storytellers: A Two Night Mini

Marketing Opportunities for Storytellers: A Two Night Mini

Starts: November 12, 2024

Free #HFGather: 2025 Scholarship Celebration and Information Session

Free #HFGather: 2025 Scholarship Celebration and Information Session

Starts: January 15, 2025

Inspiring Children Through Story

“My picture book … deals with parents separating. One little boy, who parents recently divorced, went to bed with [it] many nights. This deeply moved me to know this picture book helped this little boy.

“I tutor 2nd grade reluctant readers. My understanding of picture book structure and prose allows me to help them learn more than words. Rather than just read the story, we talk about it.”

“You mean I get to keep this book forever?”

…Spoken by a child in tears who was gifted with one of my books at a school visit and had never owned a book before.

“When I hear kids giggle while I’m reading [my book] I feel like I’ve done the job I intended to do.

Poetry Resources

Donna Janell Bowman
#HFGather: A Poetry Chat

with Nikki Grimes and Sarah Aronson

Magic
The Magic of Metaphor

by Georgia Heard & Rebecca Kai Dotlich

A Jar of Tiny Stars
Writing Poetry for Children

by Bernice Cullinan

3 Questions With Irene Latham and Charles Waters About Writing Poetry + Creating Poetry Anthologies

3 Questions With Irene Latham and Charles Waters About Writing Poetry + Creating Poetry Anthologies

3 Questions With Laura Shovan About Using Breaks and Blank Spaces in Your Verse Novel or Poetry

3 Questions With Laura Shovan About Using Breaks and Blank Spaces in Your Verse Novel or Poetry

Conveying and Understanding Emotions Through Powerful Poetry: A Verse Novel Example

Conveying and Understanding Emotions Through Powerful Poetry: A Verse Novel Example

Podcast: Charles Waters and Irene Latham Talk Poetry for Kids

Podcast: Charles Waters and Irene Latham Talk Poetry for Kids

Get Involved at the Highlights Foundation

Stories from Our Highlights Foundation Alumni

Celebrating a Book Birthday with Anita Yusuda

Celebrating a Book Birthday with Anita Yusuda

Celebrating a Book Birthday with Nikki Shannon Smith

Celebrating a Book Birthday with Nikki Shannon Smith

Celebrating a Book Birthday with Lee Wind and Jieting Chen

Celebrating a Book Birthday with Lee Wind and Jieting Chen

Julia’s Story: 3 Books Under Contract + a New Career

Our Mission in Action

Share Your Story, Inspire a Child
Scholarships
Equity & Inclusion in Kidlit
Partners & Sponsors

The Highlights Foundation positively impacts children by amplifying the voices of storytellers who inform, educate, and inspire children to become their best selves.  Learn more about our impact.