National Poetry Day falls on 2 October this year, and what better excuse to celebrate our love of poetry here at LoveReading4Kids than to create a collection of poetry books we adore.

Each year we come together because voices, words and stories help to bridge understanding in our community.

Why do we need National Poetry Day?

Research from the National Literacy Trust shows that, as well as providing an outlet for creativity, engagement with poetry is associated with positive literacy behaviours.

  • In 2023, 1 in 4 (26.7%) of children and young people said that they read poetry in their free time at least once a month.
  • More girls than boys read poetry in their free time.
  • The percentage who read poetry decreased with age, with twice as many 8 to 11s doing so compared with young people aged 11 and older (46.5% vs around 22%).
  • In 2023, more girls than boys wrote poetry in their free time (20.2% vs. 14.0%).
  • More children and young people who wrote poetry also said that they enjoy writing more generally compared with their peers who didn’t write poetry (58.6% vs. 29.5%). More also wrote something in their free time daily (30.8% vs. 16.9%), and more considered themselves to be good writers (80.4% vs. 65.4%).

The conclusion from the NLT: Overall, the research suggests that poetry writing can support children and young people's mental wellbeing, helping them express their rich interior lives, providing social connections and increasing confidence in reading and writing abilities. The report explores these findings alongside outcomes from our Young Poets project, which provides children and young people with opportunities to work with professional poets with the radical view that every young person is a poet.

And according to The Runnymede Trust and Penguin Random House Lit in Colour Report (2020) -

  • Poetry is the most common way for secondary students to encounter a Black, Asian or other minority ethnic author and single poems are the easiest texts to insert into the curriculum. 

As you know we go all out on National Poetry Day each year, our nation's annual mass celebration on the first Thursday of October, that encourages all to enjoy, discover and share poetry. This year, National Poetry Day takes place today, on 2 October 2025, and the theme is Play.

Here, we share and celebrate our favourite poetry books, and hope they bring you as much joy as they do us.

Explore the resources provided by the National Literacy Trust for National Poetry Day.

#NationalPoetryDay

We'd also like to share this collection of stand-out verse novels in a genre that has seen a welcome resurgence over the decade - 50 Stunning Verse Novels for Kids and Teens.