April 2026

Welcome to April at the Library,

A month to enjoy all things prose,

to celebrate beauty in diversity,

and hopes to see how a garden grows.

The 19th begins Library week.

Monday for your right to read,

Tuesday is for the workers there,

Wednesday for the Outreach needs,

Thursday is to share support,

And "Find Your Joy" says Mychal Threets

Thanks to the Master Gardeners of Lee County, we have plenty of free seeds available!

EVENTS

Youth Department

-Tot Tales will be meeting on April 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd and 29th from 9:30-10:30 a.m.

-Raising Readers will meet on April 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th from 10:00-11:00 a.m.

On April 14th there will be a birth to 5 screening with ROE from 3:00-7:00 p.m.

Join us on April 23, for a Family Bingo Event from 2:45-4:45!

When visiting the Youth department, be sure to check out some of our latest additions, such as an upgraded kitchen and farmers market stand!

Adults:

No craft available for April, but please check back in May for the take-and-makes!

Poetry Month: Books in Verse

 

 The arrival of April means it is time to celebrate poetry in all of it glorious forms.  One of which is Novels in Verse which is defined in A Poet's Glossary by Edward Hirsch as "A novel in poetry. A hybrid form, the verse novel filters the devices of fiction through the medium of poetry." It is a genre that has precursors in epic tales such as Homer's Iliad and the Odyssey and Dante's Divine Comedy but became established in the nineteenth century.  Alexander Pushkin’s Eugene Onegin (1831)  made poems in chapters and novels into stanzas (https://poets.org/glossary/verse-novel).

 

 We Are All So Good at Smiling by McBride, Amber

  They Both Die at the End meets The Bell Jar in this haunting, beautiful young adult novel-in-verse about clinical depression and healing from trauma, from National Book Award Finalist Amber McBride.

Whimsy is back in the hospital for treatment of clinical depression. When she meets a boy named Faerry, she recognizes they both have magic in the marrow of their bones. And when Faerry and his family move to the same street, the two start to realize that their lifelines may have twined and untwined many times before.

They are both terrified of the forest at the end of Marsh Creek Lane.

The Forest whispers to Whimsy. The Forest might hold the answers to the part of Faerry he feels is missing. They discover the Forest holds monsters, fairy tales, and pain that they have both been running from for 11 years.

 

African Town : Inspired by the True Story of the Last American Slave Ship by Latham, Irene 

In 1860, long after the United States outlawed the importation of enslaved laborers, 110 men, women and children from Benin and Nigeria were captured and brought to Mobile, Alabama aboard a ship called Clotilda. Their journey includes the savage Middle Passage and being hidden in the swamplands along the Alabama River before being secretly parceled out to various plantations, where they made desperate attempts to maintain both their culture and also fit into the place of captivity to which they'd been delivered. At the end of the Civil War, the survivors created a community for themselves they called African Town, which still exists to this day. Told in 14 distinct voices, including that of the ship that brought them to the American shores and the founder of African Town, this powerfully affecting historical novel-in-verse recreates a pivotal moment in US and world history, the impacts of which we still feel today.

 Don't Call Me a Hurricane by Hagan, Ellen

It's been five years since a hurricane ravaged Eliza Marino's life and home in her quiet town on the Jersey shore. Now a senior in high school, Eliza is passionate about fighting climate change-starting with saving Clam Cove Reserve, an area of marshland that is scheduled to be turned into buildable lots. Protecting the island helps Eliza deal with her lingering trauma from the storm, but she still can't shake the fear that something will come along and wash out her life once again.
When Eliza meets Milo Harris at a party, she tries to hate him. Milo is one of the rich tourists who flock to the island every summer. But after Eliza reluctantly agrees to give Milo surfing lessons, she can't help falling for him. Still, Eliza's not sure if she's ready to risk letting an outsider into the life she's rebuilt. Especially once she discovers that Milo is keeping a devastating secret.
Told in stunning verse, Don't Call Me a Hurricane is a love story for the people and places we come from, and a journey to preserve what we love most about home. 

The Ghosts of Rose Hill by Romero, R. M. 

"Sent to stay with her aunt in Prague and witness the humble life of an artist, Ilana Lopez-a biracial Jewish girl-finds herself torn between her dream of becoming a violinist and her immigrant parents' desire for her to pursue a more stable career. When she discovers a forgotten Jewish cemetery behind her aunt's cottage, she meets the ghost of a kindhearted boy named Benjamin, who died over a century ago. As Ilana restores Benjamin's grave, he introduces her to the enchanted side of Prague, where ghosts walk the streets and their kisses have warmth. But Benjamin isn't the only one interested in Ilana. Rudolph Wassermann, a man with no shadow, has become fascinated with her and the music she plays. He offers to share his magic, so Ilana can be with Benjamin and pursue her passion for violin. But after Ilana discovers the truth about Wassermann and how Benjamin became bound to the city, she resolves to save the boy she loves, even if it means losing him-forever."--Front jacket flap.

 

 Lawless Spaces by Haydu, Corey Ann

 

Mimi's relationship with her mother has always been difficult. But lately, her mother has been acting more withdrawn than usual, leaving Mimi to navigate the tricky world of turning sixteen alone. What she doesn't expect is her mother's advice to start journaling--just like all the woman in her family before her. It's a tradition, she says. Expected.

But Mimi takes to poetry and with it, a way to write down the realities of growing into a woman, the pains of online bullying, and the new experiences of having a boyfriend. And all in the shadows of a sexual assault case that is everywhere on the news--a case that seems to specifically rattle her mother.

Trying to understand her place in the world, Mimi dives into the uncovered journals of her grandmother, great-grandmother, and beyond. She immerses herself in each of their lives, learns of their painful stories and their beautiful sprits. And as Mimi grows closer to each of these women, she starts to forge her own path. But it isn't until her mother's story comes to light that Mimi learns about the unyielding bonds of family and the relentless spirit of womanhood.

The Most Dazzling Girl in Berlin by Wilson, Kip

 

 A fascinating historical novel about Hilde, an orphan who experiences Berlin on the cusp of World War II as she discovers her own voice and sexuality, ultimately finding a family when she gets a job at a gay cabaret, by award-winning author Kip Wilson.

On her eighteenth birthday, Hilde leaves her orphanage in 1930s Berlin, and heads out into the world to discover her place in it. But finding a job is hard, at least until she stumbles into Café Lila, a vibrant cabaret full of expressive customers. Rosa, one of the club's waitresses and performers, immediately takes Hilde under her wing. As the café denizens slowly embrace Hilde, and she embraces them in turn, she discovers her voice and her own blossoming feelings for Rosa. But Berlin is in turmoil. Between the elections, protests in the streets, worsening antisemitism and anti-homosexual sentiment, and the beginning seeds of unrest in Café Lila itself, Hilde will have to decide what's best for her future . . . and what it means to love a place on the cusp of war.

The Name She Gave Me by Culley, Betty

A heartbreakingly beautiful novel in verse about adoption, family, friendship, and love in all its many forms, perfect for fans of Robin Benway and Jandy Nelson, from the acclaimed author of Three Things I Know Are True.

Rynn was born with a hole in her heart--literally. Although it was fixed long ago, she still feels an emptiness there when she wonders about her birth family.

As her relationship with her adoptive mother fractures, Rynn finally decides she needs to know more about the rest of her family. Her search starts with a name, the only thing she has from her birth mother, and she quickly learns that she has a younger sister living in foster care in a nearby town. But if Rynn reconnects with her biological sister, it may drive her adoptive family apart for good. This powerful story uncovers both beautiful and heartbreaking truths and explores how challenging, yet healing, family can be.

Nothing Burns As Bright As You by Woodfolk, Ashley

Two girls. One wild and reckless day. Years of tumultuous history unspooling like a thin, fraying string in the hours after they set a fire. They were best friends. Until they became more. Their affections grew. Until the blurry lines became dangerous. Over the course of a single day, the depth of their past, the confusion of their present, and the unpredictability of their future is revealed. And the girls will learn that hearts, like flames, aren't so easily tamed. It starts with a fire. How will it end.

 

If I Tell You the Truth by Kaur, Jasmin 

 

"In a world that intentionally silences the voices of its most marginalized communities, what does it take to be heard? Kiran leaves her home in Punjab for a new start in Canada after a sexual assault leaves her pregnant. But overstaying her visa and living undocumented brings its own perils for both her and her daughter, Sahaara. Sahaara would do anything to protect her mother. When she learns the truth about Kiran's past, she feels compelled to seek justice--even if it means challenging a powerful and dangerous man"--dust jacket.

 

 

Me (Moth) by McBride, Amber

FINALIST FOR THE 2021 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FOR YOUNG PEOPLE'S LITERATURE

A debut YA novel-in-verse by Amber McBride, Me (Moth) is about a teen girl who is grieving the deaths of her family, and a teen boy who crosses her path.

Moth has lost her family in an accident. Though she lives with her aunt, she feels alone and uprooted.

Until she meets Sani, a boy who is also searching for his roots. If he knows more about where he comes from, maybe he'll be able to understand his ongoing depression. And if Moth can help him feel grounded, then perhaps she too will discover the history she carries in her bones.

Moth and Sani take a road trip that has them chasing ghosts and searching for ancestors. The way each moves forward is surprising, powerful, and unforgettable.

Here is an exquisite and uplifting novel about identity, first love, and the ways that our memories and our roots steer us through the universe.

Poetry Month

Established in 1996, National Poetry Month was created to bring interest, education, involvement, and support for poetry and poets.  poets.org offers a variety of ways one can get involved and celebrate Poetry Month.  Believed to derive from chants and rituals in ancient times, poetry has been found on clay tablets from Mesopotamia that are thousands of years old.  The oldest known love poem, Istanbul #2461 is around 4000 years old:

"Bridegroom, dear to my heart,

Goodly is you beauty, honeysweet,

Lion, dear to my heart,

Goodly is your beauty, honeysweet.

You have captivated me, let me stand tremblingly before you.

Bridegroom, I would be taken by you to the bedchamber,

You have captivated me, let me stand tremblingly before you.

Lion, I would be taken by you to the bedchamber.

Bridegroom, let me caress you,

My precious caress is more savoury than honey,

In the bedchamber, honey-filled,

Let me enjoy your goodly beauty,

Lion, let me caress you,

My precious caress is more savoury than honey.

Bridegroom, you have taken your pleasure of me,

Tell my mother, she will give you delicacies,

My father, he will give you gifts.

Your spirit, I know where to cheer your spirit,

Bridegroom, sleep in our house until dawn,

Your heart, I know where to gladden your heart,

Lion, sleep in our house until dawn.

You, because you love me,

Give me pray of your caresses,

My lord god, my lord protector,

My Shu-Sin, who gladdens Enlil's heart,

Give my pray of your caresses.

Your place goodly as honey, pray lay (your) hand on it,

Bring (your) hand over like a gishban-garment,

Cup (your) hand over it like a gishban-sikin-garment."

-Translated by Samuel Noah Kramer's 

The Historical Timeline of Poetry

Read the Oldest Love Poem in the World By Shane Croucher

The Best American Poetry 2021

"Since 1988, The Best American Poetry series has been "one of the mainstays of the poetry publication world" (Academy of American Poets). Each volume presents a choice of the year's most memorable poems, with comments from the poets themselves lending insight into their work. The guest editor of The Best American Poetry 2021 is Tracy K. Smith, the former United States Poet Laureate, whose own poems are, Toi Derricotte's words, "beautiful and serene" in their surfaces with an underlying "sense of an unknown vastness." In The Best American Poetry 2021, Smith has selected a distinguished array of works both vast and beautiful by such important voices as Henri Cole, Billy Collins, Louise Erdrich, Nobel laureate Louise Glück, Terrance Hayes, and Kevin Young." --Provided by publisher.

Buzz Words: Poems About Insects

"An anthology of poems from around the world and through the ages about insects"--. Provided by publisher.

Call Us What We Carry: poems by Gorman, Amanda

The presidential inaugural poet--and unforgettable new voice in American poetry--presents a collection of poems that includes the stirring poem read at the inauguration of the 46th President of the United States.

Books and Libraries: poems

"An anthology of poems from around the world and through the ages on the subjects of books and libraries"--. Provided by publisher.

Flower Crowns & Fearsome Things by Lovelace, Amanda

"In her new standalone poetry collection, flower crowns & fearsome things, bestselling & award-winning poetess Amanda Lovelace explores the complexity of femininity through alternating wildflower & wildfire poems. within these pages, you will find that each of us has the ability to be both soft & fierce at the same time. there is no need to choose one or the other."

And We Rise: The Civil Rights Movement in Poems by Martin, Erica

"A powerful, impactful, eye-opening journey that explores through the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s-1960s America in spare and evocative verse, with historical photos interspersed throughout. In stunning verse and vivid use of white space, Erica Martin's debut poetry collection walks readers through the Civil Rights Movement-from the well-documented events that shaped the nation's treatment of Black people, beginning with the "Separate but Equal" ruling-and introduces lesser-known figures and moments that were just as crucial to the Movement and our nation's centuries-long fight for justice and equality. A poignant, powerful, all-too-timely collection that is both a vital history lesson and a much-needed conversation starter in our modern world. Complete with historical photographs, author's note, a chronology of events, research, and sources"--. Provided by publisher.

Walt Disney's Mickey and the Gang: Classic Stories in Verse: Vintage Magazine Art, 1934-1944

"From 1934 to 1944, Good Housekeeping magazine included a legendary series of Disney one-page features. Every month, Walt Disney's latest cartoons became rollicking comic poems with masterful painted art by studio illustrators Tom Wood and Hank Porter. Now all of these funny, fascinating features are together in one book--and grounded in history via a wealth of Disney animation art and ephemera"--Page 4 of cover.

You Don't Have to be Everything: Poems for Girls Becoming Themselves

Poetry awakens your inner world and makes all your feelings come alive. The poems in this collection-- chosen with girls in mind-- sing of diversity, self-discovery, and self-acceptance. Grouped by emotional experience, the poems give the reader permission to let go of shame and perfectionism. By accepting your own contradictions, you can embrace the fullness of who you are-- and of who you are becoming. -- adapted from flaps. Publisher's description.

The Renunciations: Poems by Kelly, Donika

"The Renunciations is a book of resilience, survival, and the journey to radically shift one’s sense of self in the face of trauma. Moving between a childhood marked by love and abuse and the breaking marriage of that adult child, Donika Kelly charts memory and the body as landscapes to be traversed and tended. These poems construct life rafts and sanctuaries even in their most devastating confrontations with what a person can bear, with how families harm themselves. With the companionship of “the oracle”―an observer of memory who knows how each close call with oblivion ends―the act of remembrance becomes curative, and personal mythologies give way to a future defined less by wounds than by possibility. In this gorgeous and heartrending second collection, we find the home one builds inside oneself after reckoning with a legacy of trauma―a home whose construction starts “with a razing.”"--Amazon.

Poems of Healing

"An anthology of poems from around the world and across the centuries about illness and healing --physical, psychological, and spiritual. With an introduction by Karl Kirchwey"--. Provided by publisher.

Poetry Month

30 days to celebrate,

the art, the dance,

the expressions expressed,

in crafted verse

called poetry.

Some may rhyme

in rhythmic time.

Other poems confined

to syllabic restrictions

in odes to nature.

Others stick to 14 lines;

while some go on forever.

Some are free-flowing.

As others have rules,

about sounds that are stressed,

There are poems,

that cause the soul to bleed,

screaming grief, loss.

Unbearable pain.

Other poems,

lightly dance,

a firefly

on a Summer night.

Poetry can speak of,

Babbling Brooks,

Cackling Crones,

and

Drumming Drums.

Poetry comes in many forms,

shapes,

and

sizes,

So many that it's a shame,

That the month to celebrate it,

Doesn't have days

that number 31.

A little history of poetry by Carey, John

What is poetry? If music is sound organized in a particular way, poetry is a way of organizing language. It is language made special so that it will be remembered and valued. It does not always work--over the centuries countless thousands of poems have been forgotten. This little history is about some that have not. John Carey tells the stories behind the world's greatest poems, from the oldest surviving one written nearly four thousand years ago to those being written today. Carey looks at poets whose works shape our views of the world, such as Dante, Chaucer, Shakespeare, Whitman, and Yeats. He also looks at more recent poets, like Derek Walcott, Marianne Moore, and Maya Angelou, who have started to question what makes a poem "great" in the first place. This little history shines a light on the richness and variation of the world's poems--and the elusive quality that makes them all the more enticing.

The poetry remedy: prescriptions for the heart, mind, and soul

"A beautiful collection of curated poems, individually selected to provide the perfect balm for every emotional need. Sometimes only a poem will do. These poetic prescriptions and wise words of advice are tailored to those moments in life when we need them most, from general glumness to news overload, and from infatuation to losing the spark. Whatever you're facing, there is a poem in these pages that will do the trick. This pocket-size companion presents the most essential fixes in William Sieghart's poetic dispensary--those that, again and again, have shown themselves to hit the spot. Whether you are suffering from loneliness, lack of courage, heartbreak, hopelessness, or even an excess of ego--or whether you are seeking hope, comfort, inspiration, or excitement--The Poetry Remedy will provide just the poem you need in that moment"-- Provided by publisher.

The best American poetry 2020

"For this year's volume, guest editor Paisley Rekdal has selected seventy-five thought-provoking, surprising, unsettling, exhilarating poems."--Page 4 of cover.

Swimming lessons: poems by Reinhart, Lili

"The debut collection of poetry from Lili Reinhart, the actress and outspoken advocate for mental health awareness and body positivity. Swimming Lessons explores the euphoric beginnings of young love, battling anxiety and depression in the face of fame, and the inevitable heartbreak that stems from passion. Relatable yet deeply intimate, provocative yet comforting, bite-sized yet profound, Lili's poems reflect her trademark honesty and unique perspective. Accompanied by striking and evocative illustrations, Swimming Lessons reveals the depths of female experience and is the work of a storyteller who is coming into her own"-- Provided by publisher.

And the people stayed home by O'Meara, Kitty

"And the people stayed home is a beautifully produced picture book of Kitty O'Meara's popular, globally viral prose poem about the coronavirus pandemic, which has a hopeful and timeless message. Kitty O'Meara, author of And the People Stayed Home, has been called the poet laureate of the pandemic by O, The Oprah Magazine. This illustrated and beautifully produced children's book (ages 4-8) will also appeal to readers of all ages. O'Meara's prose poem, with its hopeful and timeless message about healing of people and the Earth, written in March 2020, quickly went viral on a global level. O'Meara, a former teacher and chaplain, clearly captured an important aspect of the pandemic experience's zeitgeist while offering a thoughtful and optimistic view of the future. Her words have resonated nationally and internationally and been widely circulated on social media, mainstream news media, and have inspired an outpouring of creativity with musicians across the globe creating songs, filmmakers creating videos, artists creating imagery with the words, and much more. Major media and influencers who have shared the poem or written about O'Meara include a feature in O Magazine, Deepak Chopra read the piece on his daily podcast and shared it on FaceBook, and Bella Hadid shared her poem. The book will build on this momentum and vastly expand the potential audience. Producing a book for children and their families will bring O'Meara's message to a wider audience and present it in a different and more permanent format."-- Provided by publisher.

Graphite by Frazier, Patricia

Patricia Frazier's Graphite is an ode to her grandmother and childhood home, the Ida B. Wells Projects, both which the poet lost to city- and state-sanctioned discrimination. The chapbook investigates loss and gentrification, particularly their effects on black young people from Chicago, whose political movement, resilience, and ability to make celebration after pain, drive these poems.

Dearly: new poems by Atwood, Margaret

The internationally acclaimed author presents her first collection of poetry in over a decade that addresses themes such as love, loss, the passage of time, nature, and zombies.

Deaf republic: poems by Kaminsky, Ilya

Deaf Republic opens in an occupied country in a time of political unrest. When soldiers breaking up a protest kill a deaf boy, Petya, the gunshot becomes the last thing the citizens hear--they all have gone deaf, and their dissent becomes coordinated by sign language. The story follows the private lives of townspeople encircled by public violence. At once a love story, an elegy, and an urgent plea, these poems confront our time's vicious atrocities and our collective silence in the face of them.

The best of Ogden Nash by Nash, Ogden

More of Ogden Nash's poems have come to light, both in the voluminous Nash collection at the University of Texas at Austin and in family letters and papers. So his daughters have once again produced The Best of Ogden Nash, the definitive Nash anthology. Some of these new poems reveal a darker side of the poet; others are full of fun. But all display the talent of the man whose verse entranced America--and a good part of the world--from the time of the Great Depression until his death in 1971. While earlier collections were organized chronologically, The Best is arranged by subject matter: the subjects of Nash's poems cannot always be identified by his titles, so fans of a particular poem will not have to search for it in vain.

LatiNext

"A BreakBeat Poets anthology that opposes silence and re-mixes the soundtrack of the Latinx diaspora across diverse poetic traditions. In the dynamic tradition of the BreakBeat Poets anthology, The BreakBeat Poets Vol. 4: LatiNext celebrates the embodied narratives of Latinidad. Poets speak from an array of nationalities, genders, sexualities, races, and writing styles, staking a claim to our cultural and civic space. Like Hip-Hop, we honor what was, what is, and what's next"-- Provided by publisher

Chicago poems by Sandburg, Carl

Written in the poet's unique personal idiom, these early poems include "Chicago," "Fog," "To a Contemporary Bunkshooter," "Who Am I?" and "Under the Harvest Moon," as well as many others on themes of war, immigrant life, death, love, loneliness and the beauty of nature. New introductory Note. Alphabetical lists of titles and first lines.

Selected poems by Brooks, Gwendolyn

Publisher description -- The classic volume by the distinguished modern poet, winner of the 1950 Pulitzer Prize, and recipient of the National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, showcases an esteemed artist's technical mastery, her warm humanity, and her compassionate and illuminating response to a complex world.

https://www.nosweatshakespeare.com/sonnets/iambic-pentameter/

https://poets.org/national-poetry-month

https://www.readingrockets.org/calendar/poetry

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/poetry-101-learn-about-poetry-different-types-of-poems-and-poetic-devices-with-examples#quiz-0