Subject Index to Canadian Poetry in English for Children and Young People

Joan McGrath is a Toronto Board of Education library consultant.

Some 120 collections of Canadian poetry in English have been analyzed to provide the content of this index to poems written for or suitable for the use of children and young people between the ages of six and fourteen. The poems were selected on the bases of “subject matter, level of language, level of concept, and the attractions of rhythm and imagery.” Some of the volumes surveyed, although now out of print, remain available in school, public, and university library collections. The poems are cited by short title and author.

Most of the subjects comprise one or two titles; however, it is interesting that Death, with 153 titles, has the longest listing. Other popular subjects include Children with 110 titled, Snow with 131, Sun with 124, and Wind with 113. Can it be coincidence that Boys and Girls each have 43 listings? Fathers and Mothers are close at 45 and 41 listings respectively; but, whereas Grandfathers are listed only 12 times, Grandmothers figure 23 times.

This professional reference work will be invaluable to anyone providing library service to children, young adults, teachers and instructors, and parents.