I had high expectations going into this, but I have to admit that the poems were, for the most part, underwhelming. And overall the book seemed to be in lack of a target audience. The poems are written more for a younger reader, along with illustration to match, but the actual instructions and some of the language chosen, speaks to a more mature reader, someone who is looking to experiment in poetry and more advanced poetry concepts.

As a result, I think that the book fell short of the mark. A younger reader or their parent may pick it up looking for cool poems with pictures to read aloud and maybe learn a few things about poetry writing to kick start them on this path, and I just feel like they would be struggling and confused. And this would be totally bypassed by someone older in the middle and high school years who are perhaps better candidates for the teaching portion of this book. But they would find the poems probably childish and simple, and they would not really embrace the picture book style.

So, while it's a great effort, it does need a better sense of direction.

Thank you to Netgalley & Quarto Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
My Rating:
3.5 (Rounded down)
My Opinion:
This book is perfect for little ones during October. I love that some poems have a "task" like whispering the poem to your neighbor. The illustrations are great for kids and get the spooky feel of it. The poems could have been worded a little better but for a child to read it, it is great.

Thank you so much to Quarto Publishing Group /Wide Eyed Editions and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.

This books was very educational, it’s was a different concept to what you’d usually find. I liked that with each poem you’d get a prompt and also a lesson on what each poems style was and encouraging the reader to learn and create that style for themselves. I really liked that aspect of this poetry book.

The poems themselves were okay, I didn’t like all of them and felt some could have been a bit spookier and some even worded slightly better. However they were a good read and I know that children would really enjoy them.

The illustrations in each page were really fun to look at, before you even read the poems you can see what the topic is going to be for each one and I really liked looking at them.

I like this style of poetry book, it’s a much easier and more fun way to help teach children how to create poetry for themselves, they have the guidance and even some ideas gifted to them, it’s in bite size sections and is made simple for them.

I love getting students excited about poetry because children's poetry is much more fun than the angsty stuff they will find as a teen and the "important poems" they will be assigned. I want that love to last through trials and tribulations.

This book is exactly how we get kiddos to fall in love with poetry. Both funny and spooky, with gorgeous illustrations, these Spooky Poems are begging to be read aloud. Students also get mini lessons on writing poetry, which is simply the icing on the cake!

Thank you to Quarto Publishing Group- Wide Eyed Editions and Net Galley for the eARC!

A spooky fun collection of poems by
Children’s Laureate (2022–2024), Joseph Coelho, to read aloud or together. Perfect for Halloween and truly, for the whole year when you want something hauntingly inspired to read. With splendid illustrations that bring the poems to life. A terrific collection that also inspires young readers to write and read and perform poetry with great spirit!

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of Spooky Poems Aloud: 25 Poems to Frighten and Delight.

This books is hilarious! I think this book will inspire many kids to try writing poetry. The explanations for creating different poems will be very helpful for kids.

This book is perfect to read during spooky season. The illustrations are spooky and great for kids. Any Halloween-loving kid will love this book.

Although this book is marketed for kids, I feel it's great for teens and adults as well. This book was such a fun read.

Another one of Joseph Coello's poetry books for children that combines poems with tips and advice on writing their own. this collection is entertaining and fun with some smart poems that I really could envision being read aloud to great effect. The illustrations are also fun and work well with the poems. What I really like is the information about each style of poem and tips on how to create your own. It's light and I can imagine children giving it a go. Very enjoyable and a good addition to any collection.

Spooky Poems Aloud offers elementary school students a fun way to learn all about different types of poetry, explaining what each type of poem is and gives enough information so that kids can try to write their own. I really thought this was going to be a Halloween book but I was thrilled to see that this is a year-round spooky kind of book instead!! The illustrations are a fun type of spooky and the cover is intriguing for kids.

Some of these poems are actually creepy, I think this could be a great way to get Middle-Grade readers into poetry!

I absolutely love that each page has an illustration to go with the poem, it really brings it to life and makes it more interesting for uninterested readers (I think). Some poems are more silly, some are unsettling, but they are all relative to Halloween or Spooky Season and would be perfect for any little ghoul who's in the spirit.

I love all poems by Joseph Coelho and this series in particular is good for use in the classroom. Each poem comes with a little prompt that inspires children to write poems.

I requested Spooky Poems Aloud by Joseph Coelho as I wanted to read more poetry this year and wasn't disappointed. This is a great book with some amazing poems and wonderful artwork that I would highly recommend to everyone.

This is the perfect read for younger readers to get them in the spooky spirit. I would definitely recommend reading this to them near Halloween.

This consists of 25 short poems with funny and spooky elements. The collection is perfect to read aloud and has its educational purpose as well. I also loved the illustrations!

👻 🦇 🧛🏻‍♂️ 👻 🦇 🧛🏻‍♂️ 👻 🦇 🧛🏻‍♂️ 👻 🦇 🧛🏻‍♂️

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with access to read this book!

This is a super fun read to do with kids to get into the Halloween Spirit. You can even make it fun with some Halloween music, and say the poems allowed to a little tune. It's honestly nice to see more halloween books.

A great book with spooky poems for a wide range of kids (6+ I would say)!
The art is really good, it's both spooky and funny.
I really liked the part where kids were encouraged to do their own poems and stuff but I think it might have been better as a separate activities section at the end.
I think this would be a great poetry book for schools to have because it's both informative and engaging!

I really liked the educational aspects of this book as it introduced helpful concepts in poetry and encouraged the young reader to try writing their own poems. Some of the poems were underwhelming, but overall I think it’s a solid resource for children to explore poetry.

My spooky loving son adored these poems and asked to read them again tomorrow! This collection would be a great addition to a poetry unit taught in school or to a home library in the fall. Fun poetry for reading together and reading aloud!

This is a wonderful book of poems from Joseph Coelho with some great illustrations really bringing them to life. I also really like the prompts!

I can't wait to use this for writing poetry in my classroom next year!!! The poems and fun and the writing prompts are accessible for students! Will definitely purchase at least one copy.. maybe more to gift to teacher friends! What a great resource! Thank you!

Ah, I loved this! I really loved the illustrations and how the poems were shaped around them (especially The Tower). It was a quick, fun, and spooky book of poems that were enjoyable to read.

This book! It’s hilarious, it’s beyond hilarious, with a touch of a little bit of creepy, and the drawings are gorgeous.