At the 8th Annual Pegasus Awards ceremony on May 11, the Poetry Foundation announced J. Patrick Lewis as the new Children’s Poet Laureate.  The title, which includes a two-year tenure and a prize of $25,000, intends to raise awareness that children are a receptive and appreciative audience for poetry.

Lewis, the third poet to receive this honor, has published more than fifty books of poetry for children. Originally from Gary, Indiana, he received a PhD in economics at Ohio State University and now lives and writes full time in Westerville, Ohio.