Jumping Off Library Shelves: A Book of Poems

Fifteen poems by writers including Nikki Grimes, J. Patrick Lewis, Alice Schertle, and Jane Yolen sing the praises of libraries and reading. In Cynthia S. Cotton’s “My Card,” a child brags about the power of his library card: “This may look/ like a plain,/ pocket-size/ piece of plastic,/ but it’s really/ a super-card,” says the boy, who Manning envisions as a cape-clad, larger-than-life superhero, triumphantly wielding his library card as he stands atop the world. Later, Hopkins pays lovely tribute to the storytelling prowess of esteemed librarian Augusta Baker: “And as her voice/ reaches/ the highest/ rafter—/ I believe in/ once-upon-a-time,/ I believe in/ happily ever after.” It’s a quiet, focused collection, one that will certainly find a home in libraries and in the homes of those who love them. Ages 5–up. (Sept.)