National Poetry Month: Teen EditionLike this list

22 items

• Ain't Burned All the Bright

  Reynolds, Jason,

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  A smash up of art and text that viscerally captures what it is to be Black. In America. Right Now.

• And We Rise

  the Civil Rights Movement in Poems

  Martin, Erica (Halcyenda Erica),

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  A powerful, impactful, eye-opening journey that explores through the Civil Rights Movement in 1950s-1960s America in spare and evocative verse, with historical photos interspersed throughout.

• Ariel Crashes a Train

  Cole, Olivia A.,

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  Ariel grapples with her fear of her own mind and violent fantasies, driven by her desire to meet her parents' expectations and societal norms, until a summer job at a carnival leads her to new friends who help her discover her struggle…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Black Girl You Are Atlas

  Watson, Renée,

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  Poet Renée Watson looks back at her childhood and urges readers to look forward at their futures with love, understanding, and celebration in this fully illustrated poetry collection.

• The Boy Lost in the Maze

  Coelho, Joseph,

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  This story is about two boys, separated by centuries, parted by myth, divided by reality. Two boys hoping to be men. Two boys severed from their fathers. Two boys searching a maze of manhood.

• Bridge Across the Sky

  Ng, Freeman,

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  In 1924 at the Angel Island Immigration Station, teen Chinese immigrant Soo Tai Go is awakened to the political realities of his new home as he waits to find out if he and his family will be allowed into the country.

• Bright Red Fruit

  Elhillo, Safia,

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  Samira is determined to have a perfect summer filled with fun parties, exploring DC, and growing as a poet--until a scandalous rumor has her grounded and unable to leave her house. When Samira turns to a poetry forum for solace, she…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Dark Testament

  Blackout Poems

  Smith, Crystal Simone,

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  Bold and deeply affecting, Dark Testament is a remarkable reckoning with our present moment, a call to action, and a plea for a more just future.

• The Denim Diaries

  a Memoir

  Crompton, Laurie Boyle,

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  From relationships and makeup to divorce and disordered eating, Laurie Boyle Crompton recounts the humor and heartbreak of her coming of age in rural Pennsylvania and New York City during the 1970s and '80s.

• Disappearing Act

  a True Story

  Castle, Jiordan,

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  Recounting her own experiences as a teenager, poet Jiordan Castle has created a searing and evocative young adult true-story-in-verse about the challenge to be free when a parent is behind bars.

• Eyes Open

  Miller-Lachmann, Lyn, 1956-

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  Living under the Salazar dictatorship in 1960s Portugal, Sónia must find her voice as a poet and an activist after the government arrests her boyfriend and shuts down her family's business.

• How the Boogeyman Became a Poet

  Keith, Tony, Jr.,

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  Poet, writer, and hip-hop educator Tony Keith Jr. makes his debut with a powerful YA memoir in verse, tracing his journey from being a closeted gay Black teen battling poverty, racism, and homophobia to becoming an openly gay…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Inheritance

  a Visual Poem

  Acevedo, Elizabeth,

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  In her most famous spoken-word poem, author of the Pura Belpř-winning novel-in-verse The Poet X Elizabeth Acevedo embraces all the complexities of Black hair and Afro-Latinidad--the history, pain, pride, and powerful love of that…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Just Another Epic Love Poem

  Akhbari, Parisa,

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  Written in lyrical prose and snippets of poetry, Parisa Akhbari's debut novel brilliantly captures the euphoria and heartache of a friendship evolving into something more.

• Knucklehead

  Poems

  Keith, Tony, Jr.,

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  While society often assigns the label 'knucklehead' to kids with attitude problems, this . . . poetry collection by spoken word poet and hip-hop educator Tony Keith Jr. subverts that narrow way of thinking and empathizes with young people…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Libertad

  Zaldívar, Bessie Flores, 1997-

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  Set during the controversial 2017 Honduran presidential election, seventeen-year-old Libertad finds purpose writing political poetry as she navigates her sexuality and concerns for her activist brother's safety.

• One Step Forward

  Atkins, Marcie Flinchum,

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  One Step Forward is a compelling debut YA historical fiction novel in verse about Matilda Young-the youngest American suffragist imprisoned for picketing the White House to demand women's right to vote.

• Pardalita

  Estrela, Joana, 1990-

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  Using a gorgeous blend of prose poems, illustrations, and graphic novel format, Estrela captures the feeling of being a teenager in a way that feels gentle, joyful, and real.

• Poemhood, Our Black Revival

  History, Folklore & the Black Experience: a Young Adult Poetry Anthology

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  Featuring contributions from an award-winning, bestselling group of Black voices, past and present, this powerful poetry anthology elicits vital conversations about race, belonging, history and faith to highlight Black joy and pain.

• Respect the Mic

  Celebrating 20 Years of Poetry From a Chicagoland High School

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  Curated by award-winning and best-selling poets, this wide-ranging poetry anthology represents twenty years of poetry from the students and alumni of Chicago's Oak Park River Forest High School Spoken Word Club.