What is poetry? How is it different from other kinds of writing? Find out what makes a poem a poem. See how poets organize their poems and what special writing tools they use, such as rhythm, rhyming, and alliteration. Then explore different styles of poems, including haiku, free verse, concrete poems, limericks, acrostic poems, and more!

A former television news reporter and weather forecaster, Trudi Strain Trueit has written more than 90 fiction and nonfiction books for young readers. Her nonfiction titles cover such topics as weather, history, health, science, and language arts. Her fiction novels include the Julep O'Toole series (Penguin), the Secrets of a Lab Rat series (Aladdin), and Stealing Popular (Aladdin). Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Trueit has a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism. She lives north of Seattle with her husband and their three cats, and loves photography, painting, and serving the whims of her three cats.