Salting the Ocean: 100 Poems by Young Poets Book

The inside of the cover states:
"There are 100 poems in this book by 100 poets who wrote their poems when they were in grades one through twelve. These poets are not famous. You have not read their poems before. These poets live anywhere. They are now dentists and dancers and teachers and students and construction workers. They write with fire. They could be you."

This is a very powerful introduction for students. It helps them see that, at any age, no matter your background, you can write poetry. I think it is very powerful to have students see and read poems written by other kids. It makes the task seem less daunting.

The only wish I have is that after the authors name, it would identify the grade level they were in when that poem was written. I think it would help students and me understand the developmental state of the person writing the poem. I also think some great poems are most likely written by a child much younger than we might imagine.