Kid Scoop News Aficionado Interviews Poet Laureate Ada Limón at Reader’s Books

Sonoma, California, October 8, 2024  

Sunday, September 29th marked exactly two years since Ada Limón became the United States Poet Laureate.  A Sonoma native, Limón, was joined by 5th grade Sonoma native, Isabella Alvarez Solis, to mark the occasion at Reader’s Books for Limón’s book signing of In Praise of Mystery, a children’s illustrated poem.

Solis, a 5th grader at Prestwood Elementary, was selected by Kid Scoop News to interview Limón for the upcoming edition of this award-winning, 28-page newspaper published monthly for kids across the country.  “When I first met Ada, I was really nervous but I started to talk with her and she was very nice.  I felt comfortable around her and I love her voice and her style.” said Solis.  “I love to read and we read Kid Scoop News each month in my classroom.  My favorite part is reading the stories..”

Solis spent the half hour leading up to Limón’s public appearance, asking questions she had prepared in advance such as “What does it mean to be Poet Laureate?”  and “Do you write about the places you have lived?”  Limón embraced the occasion and the invitation to respond with grace and thoughtful, age-appropriate responses for Solis and young readers alike.  “I love writing about the places I’ve lived,” says Limón “partly because for me, I really love focusing on the natural world and nature and so wherever I’m at, I try to find moments of nature I like to write about.” 

Limón spent her youth in Sonoma and attended Dunbar Elementary School, Altimira Middle School and Sonoma Valley High School, graduating in 1993. Limón later received a bachelor’s degree in theater from the University of Washington and a master’s degree in poetry from New York University.  

In answer to Solis’ question about whether poetry can be powerful enough to change people and society, Limón responded “I think poetry can be powerful partly because a poem allows you to have feelings and expand your vocabulary for feelings and I think if we tap into our emotions and allow ourselves to feel, we can be better people, we can be better to ourselves, better to each other and better stewards to the planet.”

When asked what poets Limon would recommend to young readers, Limón answered “I think young readers would really like Mary Oliver’s poems and they would really like Lucille Clifton’s poems.  Those would be a good starting place.”

To read the complete interview with Ada Limón and Isabella Solis, visit www.kidscoopnews.org after November 1, 2024, when it will be posted online and officially published in the Kid Scoop News publication, which distributes over 30,000 issues each month in California alone.  “My favorite part about interviewing Ada Limón was meeting her.  She is such a nice person.  I also got my book signed!”

Also, learn more about Limon through this article written in The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/25/books/ada-limon-poem-nasa.html

Kid Scoop News opens the doors of discovery for elementary school children by providing interactive, engaging, and relevant age-appropriate materials designed to awaken the magic of reading at school, at home, and throughout their lives.

Kid Scoop News is a non-profit organization serving over 100,000 students nationally. For more information, please call 707-996-6077 or visit www.kidscoopnews.org.