
Welcome to Diverse Verse!
We proudly support & amplify
diverse voices & poetry for young people.
Diverse Verse Blog
Interview with Nikki Grimes, author of A Cup of Quiet, Review and Book Recommendation from Padma Venkatraman
Diverse Verse Happenings: A cross-section of past, present and future poetic news and updates from the Diverse Verse community. We dive into detail on what was shared through our newsletter, Roots and Leaves, in spring 2025.
We’re excited by the theme for the Diverse Verse 2025 annual call for poetry by young poets (grades 3 -12): Poems for Action!
Theme: Poems for Action
We invite young poets in grades 3 through 12 to craft a poem that is a call to action during Poetry Month 2025, and to send it to us via the submission form. Young poets may interpret the theme of hope in whatever way they wish:
An Interview with the upcoming Young Peoples Poetry Laureate of the United States, Carole Boston Weatherford
Classroom Activities inspired by the verse novel Safe Harbor by Padma Venkatraman
Trade review excerpt, early praise, order link and author visit information for Padma Venkatraman’s sixth novel and second novel in verse, Safe Harbor
List of Resources recommended by NCTE 2024 Diverse Verse Panelists and Moderator (Lisa Stringfellow, Suma Subramaniam, Valerie Bolling, Padma Venkatraman)
Diverse Verse NCTE Panel information and short list of recommended reading by panelists and diverse verse authors who lead #DiverseVerse’s annual call for poetry.

The Diverse Verse initiative began in April 2020.
Please visit us again as we continue to grow and add to our book lists, articles, interviews, resources and more. Thank you!