Poetry Contest and Challenge for National Poetry Month!

20130405_153316April is National Poetry Month, and we here at Redeemed Reader love to be in on any literary action. Therefore, Megan and I are sponsoring a children’s poetry contest! (Note: there will be prizes!) [Incidentally, I won the last Redeemed Reader Poetry Contest and have enjoyed my Notes From a Tilt-a-Whirl prize.]

We are also going to invite you to a challenge

Children’s Poetry Contest Details:

Open to all children through age 18. Submissions may be emailed to Megan (megan@redeemedreader.com) or Betsy (betsy@redeemedreader.com) through April 30th (midnight EST). One submission per child, please! Include first name of child and child’s age with submission. Remember: poetry does not have to rhyme! We are recommending the following subjects:

Up through age 6: Shapes or Colors (poem might be about something that is a prominent color, just wax eloquent on the merits of a particular shape, a haiku on the rainbow, ….)

Ages 7-11: Creation (any aspect: stars, a favorite animal, weather, …)

Ages 12-18: a Fruit of the Spirit (i.e. a love poem, an ode to something that brings the poet joy, a meditation on the long-suffering demanded in a given sport, …)

We’re looking forward to seeing your children’s poetic works. First prize in each category will win a book! Stay tuned for some poetry inspiration: Megan and I will be reviewing some favorite works of children’s poetry here this week. We also plan to post some favorite children’s poems throughout the month on the Redeemed Reader facebook page!

And now, for our challenge. IMG_20130405_161314_880

For the readers who don’t know us, Megan and I cherish our tea times. We have tea with our children frequently, and we’d like to encourage you to join us this month. Specifically, we’d like to invite you to have a few “poe-teas” with your children: a teatime together in which you and your child(ren) read a favorite poem together. Teatime can be quite simple: graham crackers with Nutella on top and a cup of ordinary black tea with milk and sugar are heaven to many young children (and their moms). In fact, the British call tea with lots of milk and sugar in it “baby tea” because that’s what the young children drink! For more teatime ideas, see our Literaritea “Afternoon Tea” Pinterest board.

We’re looking forward to seeing original poetry and sharing a (virtual) cup of tea! While you wait for poetry posts this week, check out the earlier poetry reviews and recommendations here on Redeemed Reader: Twisting Mother Goose, Cowboys and Other Guy Stuff (Poems by David Harrison–see a Harrison Interview here!), and Step Gently Out.

What poetry books or afternoon tea traditions would YOU like to share with us? We love new ideas!!

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Betsy Farquhar

Betsy is the Managing Editor at Redeemed Reader. When she reads ahead for you, she uses sticky notes instead of book darts and willfully dog ears pages even in library books. Betsy is a fan of George MacDonald, robust book discussions, and the Oxford comma. She lives with her husband and their three children in the beautiful Southeast.

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3 Comments

  1. emily on April 6, 2013 at 10:44 am

    This makes me wish I were a child so I could enter! Thanks, ladies.

  2. Gina on April 7, 2013 at 6:39 pm

    My two sons and my daughter and I often have “tea and poems” at our house. A few of our favorite books to enjoy:

    -Insectlopedia by Douglas Florian (Shape poems are fun! I like his other books, too, but this is the one we own.)
    -A Child’s Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson (I have the Tasha Tudor version.)
    -Mother Goose rhymes
    -Poetry for Young People: Emily Dickinson
    -Poetry for Young People: Robert Frost

  3. […] way through book reviews, author interviews, book giveaways, and more.  Check out their current children’s poetry contest and be sure to follow them on Facebook. Beau-coup is a company I’ve been following since […]

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