She'll Be the Sky - by Ella Risbridger (Hardcover)

About the Book

From well-loved poets -- including Maya Angelou, Wendy Cope, Lucille Clifton, and Christina Rossetti -- to newer voices -- such as Amanda Gorman, Yrsa-Daley Ward, and Amineh Abou Kerech -- this outstanding collection from talented anthologist Ella Risbridger has poems for every mood and every moment. Ella's selection is wide-ranging but accessible and will appeal to poetry lovers both young and old alike.

Book Synopsis

A forceful, passionate, and uplifting collection of poems by women and girls that is guaranteed to inspire, delight, and empower.

From well-loved poets--including Maya Angelou, Wendy Cope, Lucille Clifton, and Christina Rossetti -- to newer voices--such as Amanda Gorman, Yrsa-Daley Ward, and Amineh Abou Kerech -- this outstanding collection from talented anthologist Ella Risbridger has poems for every mood and every moment. Risbridger's selection is wide-ranging but accessible and will appeal to poetry lovers both young and old alike.

Review Quotes

Gr 4 Up- Noting that poems by women and girls are traditionally underrepresented, Risbridger offers an appealing collection of over 100 short poems by women, girls, and one nonbinary poet. Three poems, including "The Female Highwayman," are anonymous; historically, women wrote as "Anonymous" when they were unable to get poems published under their own names. The well-chosen poems in this collection include familiar ones by Emily Dickinson, Christina Rossetti, and others, along with new favorites by Ruth Awolola and Ada Limo´n, the first Latina U.S. Poet Laureate. There's a welcome diversity of voices; some famous, such as Maya Angelou and Amanda Gorman, and others not as recognized, like Jamaican Jean "Binta" Breeze and Misuzu Kaneko from Japan. There are selections by Indigenous poets, including Joy Harjo and Pamela Mordecai, and by immigrants and refugees, such as 13-year-old Amineh Abou Kerech. British-born Ghanaian poet Victoria Adukwei Bulley memorializes Lucille Clifton, "patron saint of black girls anywhere," in "Auntie Lucille." Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman, and Malala are also subjects of rousing tributes. Colorful spreads with pen-and-ink illustrations complement the poems. The infectious joy of Eloise Greenfield's "Honey, I Love" and Liz Lochhead's "Nina's Song" begs to be shared aloud. Many poems encourage and inspire, including these by Elisabeth Hewer: "Here are Girls like Lions" and "Sometimes, Change is One Girl."

VERDICT: This endearing and empowering collection should find a wide audience among all readers, as well as a place in school and public libraries.

--Marilyn Taniguchi, School Library Journal

"Mindful poems and art worth pausing for."--Betsy Franco, Kirkus

[A] large book that would make an excellent gift to poetry-loving kids.--Book Riot

The pleasantly surprising selections are child-friendly but by no means only for children. Grown-up literature lovers will recognize plenty of names in this diverse collection, which includes work from Maya Angelou, Joy Harjo, Carol Ann Duffy, and Amanda Gorman, among many others. And kids will love exploring Anna Shepeta's gorgeous full-page illustrations as they listen to poetry read aloud.--Caroline Carlson, Literary Hub

This endearing and empowering collection should find a wide audience among all readers, as well as a place in school and public libraries.--School Library Journal

About the Author

Ella Risbridger is a writer from London. Her first cook book, Midnight Chicken (& Other Recipes Worth Living For), was named a Book Of The Year 2019 by half a dozen different publications, including The Times and The Observer. She is also the author of the children's book, The Secret Detectives.

Anna Shepeta is an illustrator, painter, and ceramicist. Anna enjoys portraying strong female characters and the fighting spirit! When she's not creating magical art, Anna likes to bake rainbow cookies and watch detective series. And she really likes making to-do lists.