Young People’s Poet Laureate
Appointed every two years, the title of Young People’s Poet Laureate (YPPL) is awarded to a poet in recognition of a career devoted to writing exceptional poetry for young readers while working to instill a lifelong love of poetry among developing readers. This two-year appointment comes with a $25,000 annual stipend and additional programmatic funding in support of a project that promotes poetry to young people and their families, teachers, and librarians.
2022 Young People’s Poet Laureate RECIPIENT
Elizabeth Acevedo is the New York Times–bestselling author of The Poet X (2018), which won the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, the …
2019 Young People’s Poet Laureate RECIPIENT
- 2019Naomi Shihab Nye
Naomi Shihab Nye was born in St. Louis, Missouri. Her father was a Palestinian refugee and her mother an American of German and Swiss descent, and Nye…
2017 Young People’s Poet Laureate RECIPIENT
- 2017Margarita Engle
Poet, novelist, and journalist Margarita Engle was born in Pasadena, California, to a Cuban mother and an American father. She earned a BS from California…
2015 Young People’s Poet Laureate RECIPIENT
- 2015Jacqueline Woodson
Jacqueline Woodson was born in Columbus, Ohio and grew up in Greenville, South Carolina and Brooklyn, New York. She is the author of over 30 books for…
2013 Young People’s Poet Laureate RECIPIENT
- 2013Kenn Nesbitt
Kenn Nesbitt was born in Berkeley, California. He grew up in Fresno and San Diego and attended National University in San Diego, where he majored in computer…
2011 Young People’s Poet Laureate RECIPIENT
- 2011J. Patrick Lewis
Former Children’s Poet Laureate J. Patrick Lewis grew up in Gary, Indiana and earned a BA at Saint Joseph’s College, an MA at Indiana University, and …
2008 Young People’s Poet Laureate RECIPIENT
- 2008Mary Ann Hoberman
Mary Ann Hoberman was born in Stamford, Connecticut. She earned a BA in history from Smith College and (35 years later) an MA in English literature from…
2006 Young People’s Poet Laureate RECIPIENT
- 2006Jack Prelutsky
Jack Prelutsky is a creator of inventive poems for children and adults alike. He served as the Poetry Foundation’s Children’s Poet Laureate from 2006 …