Classic Poems to Read Aloud

Rating:
Summary: Most Amazing Collection of Poetry....ever!
Review: I have given this book as a gift perhaps eight times now. It is without a doubt the most amazing collection of poetry...old and new, joyful and sad, silly and profound...that I have ever seen collected under one cover. I've taught English for 30 years and it still remains my favorite. It may appear to somehow be poems for children, but it is poetry for our entire lives. I love this book....

Rating:
Summary: A Great Anthology for All Ages
Review: This is a great selection of poems. James Berry is a poet and has a poet's ear for language. "To Be Read Aloud" is the key to the title. Open the book. Pick a poem and speak the words into the air. Read them to someone you love, young or old. Treat yourself to a poetry reading, by you, for you. This is not lightweight poetry; Yeats and Eliot are not your usual "Children's Poetry". There are classics that children love, such as "The Owl and the Pussycat," but it's not the second-rate poetry that is often pawned off on children who don't know better. If you would like your children to "know better" poetry, this anthology is full of first-rate examples.

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Summary: For More than Just Young Children
Review: We bought this in the children's section of our local bookstore, but the poetry in the book is aimed at a much broader audience. That's a plus for us -- it means I can read "Adventures of Isabel" and "It's Dark in Here" to the children and follow it up with "The Beautiful" and "A Prayer in Spring." The selections range from Silverstein to Blake to Frost to Wordsworth. All in all, they are well selected, both for their subject matter and their musicality. It's quickly becoming a family favorite.