The Mistakes That Made Us

At NCTE’s Children’s Book Award Ceremony, I picked up The “Mistakes That Made Us” by Irene Latham and Charles Waters, beautifully illustrated by Mercè López.

I always tell my kids, “When you don’t make any mistakes, you don’t learn anything new.”
This collection captures that truth with honesty and heart. Twenty poets share the very real, very human mistakes they made as children – the silly dares, the last-minute homework panic, the words said too fast, the pranks that went wrong. Funny moments, serious moments, all wrapped in beautiful poetry.

Middle graders will see themselves on these pages, and maybe breathe a little easier knowing mistakes are part of growing, part of learning, part of being human.

I am happy to get to browse and read this gem at NCTE. This one is perfect for read-alouds or any poetry unit.