Interviews Jack Prelutsky, a well-known poet for children who provides a perspective on the imperfect people and perplexing paradoxes that puzzle everyone. Provides a look at random notes from his notebook and drafts and a list of the books he has published. (MG)

Notes the prevailing notion about the superfluous nature of poetry, art, and starving artists, and the difficulty of educators in obtaining funds for the arts. Suggests that poetry teaches essential communication skills in small, digestible segments which are readily accessible to even young students. (RS)

Notes that poetry written for adults offers children qualities that are often lacking in children's poetry books: a more mature, sophisticated use of language and imagery, and an intriguing, early introduction to figures whose works they will undoubtedly study later. Suggests specific poems that children can enjoy. (HOD)

Presents an interview with Jamaican-born James Berry, award- winning poet, about his life experiences, influences, development as a poet, and recent poetry. (TB)

Reviews contemporary poetry published for children in the 1980s. Discusses several new and established poets using samples of their work, new poetry cycles published in the past decade, and compilations and collections of poetry. (MG)

Interviews Charles Causley, distinguished contemporary British poet, who talks about his art and his work with children. (SR)

Briefly describes the career of the poet and reprints three selections from a newly released anthology of her complete works. (CRH)

Looks at 10 collections of poetry that helped to change attitudes during the 1980s toward poetry in classrooms. (MG)

Describes an imaginary Poet's Humanities Program that can provide the student with a freedom of expression similar to that of a poet's. (RB)

Presents an interview with children's poet J. Patrick Lewis. Discusses works in progress, his writing processes, his views on poetry, and his revision processes. (RS)

Describes how one teacher/poet communicates to students the feeling of spontaneity and ease with language, a similar sense of poetry as activity, gesture, and flight, and the notion that both words and sounds carry poetic meaning while letting students know it is acceptable to explore on paper while creating poetry. (MG)

Notes a dearth of quality poetry for young readers. Looks at the work of three poets for young people who have turned to the urban experience for inspiration--Richard Margolis, Paul Janeczko, and Gary Soto. Suggests that the city is a "grand and colorful chorus of humanity with voices mingling sorrow and joy." (RS)

Explores the intersection of poet William Stafford, the poet in each child, and poetry. Discusses influences of Stafford on the author during her academic training and subsequent academic career. Notes Stafford left behind a vision of the world, a way of thinking about the process of writing, and a respect for the writer that is each child as…