Meet Irene's Poetry Machine!
Everything I Need to Know About Life I Learned From a Poem
Imagination Soup's 50 Best Poetry Books for Kids (including some of Irene's books!)
Check out the Poetry from Daily Life Free Video Library, featuring more than 50 recordings. It’s glorious!
Read Irene's Poetry from Daily Life column about Poetry, Stitching, and How to Make the World a Better Place.
Read Charles Waters' Poetry From Daily Life column about the power of poetry to engage reluctant readers.
See Irene's "Math Lesson (from the Garden)" poem in Tyger Tyger magazine.
You're invited to listen to some lovely poems on The Children's Book Podcast, including Irene's "I Followed A Little Cat One Day."
African Town getting some love!
Oprah Winfrey's 15 Best Historical Fiction Books of 2022
NPR 2022 Books We Love
Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction
The Cat Man of Aleppo featured in this NYT Quiz
Meet the new Miss Fancy sculpture by Nelson Grice.
Irene named a 2022 Alabama Literary Arts Fellow!
Click to read the latest news about Gee's Bend quilts.
Sylvia Vardell, on writing tough topics (includes D-39 and some fabulous other verse novel recommendations!)
New! Virtual Visits Menu
Irene is a proud participant of READ AL200! This provides funding for visits featuring her stories set in Alabama.
Alabama is a beautiful state! Here's proof.

Another title to celebrate Alabama: Leaving Gee's Bend, historical fiction set in 1932 Wilcox County, Alabama, and inspired by the quiltmakers and their stories.
Irene named the winner of the International Literacy Association- Lee Bennett Hopkins Promising Poet Award.