Poetry Collections and Novels in Verse

Poetry books and stories told in poems offer a different kind of reading pleasure.

Poetry packs feelings and pictures into just a few words, which makes it perfect for reading in small bites. A poetry collection gathers many poems, sometimes by one poet and sometimes by many, often around a theme like animals, seasons, or family. A novel in verse tells a whole story through a series of poems.

Each poem is like a short chapter, with lots of white space on the page, so these books often read quickly even when they cover serious topics. Here's a tiny original poem: 'The puddle holds / a piece of sky / until a bike / goes splashing by. ' In just four short lines, you can picture the reflection and the splash.

To enjoy poetry, read it aloud, read it twice, and notice a word or image you like. You don't have to understand every line to love a poem.

• 1A poetry collection gathers many poems.
• 2A novel in verse tells a story through poems.
• 3Read poems aloud, read them twice, and notice images.