Ralph Fletcher's "Poetry Matters: Writing a Poem from the Inside Out" is an excellent resource for 8-12 year olds who are interested in writing. Fletcher has an engaging, informal writing style. He peppers his comments on writing poetry with lots of samples of poetry, many of them written by children. This is the fourth in a series of books the author and poet has written for children about writing. While it is written for the individual child, the book would also be useful in a classroom where chapters could be read aloud and discussed.

According to Fletcher, "This book focuses more on the 'inside' of poetry (ideas, images, feelings) than on the 'outside' (appearance, form)." While this is true, Fletcher does cover both the 'inside' and the 'outside' in his text. He emphasizes what he calls the "three pillars of poetry...emotion, image, and music." The author also discusses editing a poem and form.

However, Fletcher makes it clear that his approach to writing poetry is not the only one that works. One of the things I particularly appreciate about the author is the way he sheds light on different approaches to poetry by including interviews with three other authors who write poetry for children: Kristine O'Connell George, Janet S. Wong, and J. Patrick Lewis. Each of the interviews adds to the strength of the book.

Poetry Matters, published in an inexpensive paperback edition, is divided into two sections. Part One: "Lighting the Spark" contains five short chapters, including "Image" and "Poem Sparks: What to Write About." Part Two: "Nuturing the Flame" has seven chapters. These include "Crafting Your Poem," "Wordplay," and "A Few Words About Form." At the end of the book is an extensive, annotated list of recommended poetry books. I am looking forward to looking for some of them at the library. (HarperCollins Children's Book Group, 2002. ISBN: 0380797038)