Where to find poetry books for children

I’ve been asked this question a lot and you would think it had a simple answer – you find them where you find any other books, don’t you? at bookshops? at libraries?

Here’s how to find some near you.

In a bookshop:

In Australia, bookshops like to squirrel poetry books away in a separate section on shelves labelled ‘POETRY’ or sometimes even ‘CLASSICS’ (so if you can locate Alice in Wonderland, you might find the poetry nearby).

If you can’t find what you’re looking for, just ask the bookseller.

In a library:

Pro tip: it’s free to join a public library in Australia. Look for poetry books in the nonfiction section of the library, usually somewhere around 821. In my experience browsing shelves in Australian libraries, some libraries have a dedicated children’s nonfiction section, but others have one giant section with the children’s nonfiction mixed in together with the grown-ups’ nonfiction.

If you’re feeling lost in the library, ask the friendly librarian. Or (once you’ve joined the library) you can request a ‘hold’ on a book through your library’s website and they’ll notify you when the book is ready to be collected.

Do borrow poetry books! It means the library is more likely to keep them on the shelves. (Books get culled if they’re not borrowed.)

This post was first published in my Substack newsletter The Poet is In, April 4, 2025.