The Invisible Ladder: An Anthology of Contemporary American Poems for Young Readers

Sitting by the barbecue

waiting for sausages and hot dogs

..........

I see a tiny spider

..........

a silver speck

glistening

at its mouth,

climbing the invisible ladder

—from "Dinner Together" by Diana Rivera

This anthology of poems by America's best poets glistens too, and offers its own silvery ladder for readers to climb.

Liz Rosenberg, herself an accomplished poet, wanted to make contemporary poems for adults accessible to a broader readership. She searched for works which, in both feeling and expression, could reach from one age group to another. Then she asked the poets to write about the links between poetry and childhood, and to send photos that showed how they looked when they were young, and who they are today.

The Invisible Ladder is a gift from everyone who contributed to it: a hand extended from those whose art is crafting words to a new generation of readers and writers.