Here is the March edition of The Poetry Shelf, our suggested poetry assortment, compiled by Michelle Halket of Central Avenue Publishing.
Happy Poetry Month! Many of you might not be celebrating it as much as we are at Central Avenue, but hopefully you have been able to build out some great sections in your store. If you needed any reason to explore the power of poetry--pick up Ada Limón's most recent book, On the Power of Poetry, which came out just this week.
As always, there are lots of new titles on the bestseller list, including:
Night Owl by Aimee Nezhukumatathil
A Suit or a Suitcase by Maggie Smith
Bluff by Danez Smith
There's lots to celebrate what's coming up in May. It's Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month and Mental Health Awareness Month. And it's also Mother's Day! For the feature, I've tried to find a smattering of books that broach both of those first topics, but I might note that "motherhood poetry" is very big lately, and there are some really great books out there now and coming up in the next few weeks. If you're looking to build out a Mother's Day table, I'd include:
They Bloom Because of You by Jessica Ulrichs (Mar 3, 2026)
The Size of Your Joy by Elise Powers (April 21, 2026)
How About Now by Kate Baer (Nov 4, 2025)
Nobody Told Me by Hollie McNish (Feb 8, 2022)
Poems of Parenting by Loryn Brantz (Apr 8, 2025)
As always, everything I put on these lists are just suggestions meant to spark ideas of your own. Pick and choose as best fits your store!