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To give the Chinese proverb in its entirety, ‘Keep a green tree in your heart and perhaps a singing bird will come’ – and to extend the metaphor (or revert it … Continue reading ... →

In addition to being National Poetry Month, April is also a time for celebrating School Library Media Month. Take a moment to think back about the library at your school when you were growing up. What role did it play in your reading? What about your neighborhood school today? Libraries can be pivotal in the school environment and are known to boost children’s achievement by providing greater access to print and media resources, particularly under the guidance of a knowledgeable librarian or library media specialist. It’s all about that person at the hub. Here’s one of my favorite poems about a school librarian from Kristine O’Connell George’s poetry collection for middle school.

School Librarian
By Kristine O’Connell George

Mrs. Thompson knows I love sad stories.
The books she lends me
come with
hidden bookmarks—


folded tissues tucked into
the sad parts.

From: George, Kristine O’Connell. 2002. “School Librarian” from Swimming Upstream: Middle School Poems. New York: Clarion Books, p. 35


Here are a few more poem gems about school librarians/library media specialists:

For the elementary grades:
“When the Librarian Reads to Us” by Kalli Dakos
From Put Your Eyes Up Here and Other School Poems. Simon & Schuster, 2003.

For high school:
“See, the Library” by Ellen Hopkins
From burned. McElderry, 2006.

And a cautionary poem:
“The Library Card” by Jane Medina
From My Name is Jorge on Both Sides of the River; Poems in English and Spanish. Boyds Mills Press, 1999.

You’ll find more lists of poems about libraries in my books Poetry Aloud Here and Poetry People, as well as in my 2006 article: “A place for poetry: Celebrating the library in poetry.” Children and Libraries. 4, (2), 35-41. As you can see, I love this topic! ☺

Picture credit: TWU SLIS

New Yorkers in search of a literary fix this weekend are cordially invited to attend the second annual Brooklyn Book Festival on Sunday, September 16, 10:00am to 6:00pm, at the Brooklyn Borough Hall and Plaza.