Friday, April 25, 2014

Children's Poetry Books for National Poetry Month

In honor of National Poetry Month, I'd like to share some of the children's poetry books I've read so far this year. Most of these may not be "serious" poetry, but I don't think that is really the point. These books are great for adults and children alike, if you ask me. A Light in the Attic made the ALA's most frequently banned & challenged list, so that was a must-read for me to see what all the fuss is about. Shel Silverstein is also one of those writers I never read as a kid, but always wished I had, so his books were perfect for the "walking down memory lane" category of my Lucky No. 14 challenge. Did you read any Shel Silverstein as a kid? Am I the only one who was missing out? Do you have a favorite poet? I'd love to know!

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Wicked Poems edited by Roger McGough & illustrated by Neal Layton
Series? no
Publisher: Bloomsbury UK
Date: 2004
How did I get this book? borrowed from library
My Rating: 3 of 5 stars
GoodReads | Publisher

This book collects poems from a wide variety of writers, some famous and some not-so-famous. It wasn't as funny as I was hoping judging by the blurbs on the cover, but it was still a very interesting collection and a worthwhile read. The poems run the gamut from mild mischief-making and make-believe to true evil, so it includes all different kinds of "wicked."

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Poetry for Young People: Emily Dickinson edited by Frances Schoonmaker Bolin & illustrated by Chi Chung
Series? no
Publisher: Sterling
Date: 1994
How did I get this book? borrowed from library
My Rating: 4 of 5 stars
GoodReads | Publisher

I enjoyed lessons on Dickinson in high school and have been meaning to read more of her poems for a very long time. When I heard about this introductory series to poetry, I was interested to see which of her poems were selected as a starting point for a younger audience. As a book-lover, I was very happy to see one of my favorite poems included, "There is no frigate like a book." There are many other books featuring other renowned poets in this series if you are looking for a something more literary to read with the kids in your life. Since each book has a carefully curated selection of poems, they are more accessible without dumbing anything down -- a great way to dip a toe into the world of poetry.

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BookSpeak! written by Laura Purdie Salas & illustrated by Josée Bisaillon
Series? no
Publisher: Clarion
Date: 2011
How did I get this book? borrowed from library
My Rating: 5 of 5 stars
GoodReads | Publisher

The poems and illustrations in this book are a wonderful homage to the written word. It is aimed at children, but can be enjoyed and appreciated by readers of all ages. I absolutely loved this book and will probably purchase a copy for my collection at some point.

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A Light in the Attic written & illustrated by Shel Silverstein
Series? no
Publisher: HarperCollins
Date: 1981; special edition published in 2009
How did I get this book? borrowed from library
My Rating: 5 of 5 stars
GoodReads | AuthorPublisher

This one is a modern classic I never read as a child. Finding out it made the ALA's most frequently banned & challenged list intrigued me all the more. It's imaginative and fun all the way through. As an adult reader, I can see how wonderful this collection would have been if read for the first time through younger eyes. Does it contain a few poems about mischief, misbehaving, and not listening to your parents? Yes, it definitely does, but there is nothing dangerous in this book, if you ask me. It is fun and silly and deserving of all the acclaim it has received.

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Where the Sidewalk Ends written & illustrated by Shel Silverstein
Series? no
Publisher: Scholastic
Date: 1974; special edition published in 2005
How did I get this book? borrowed from library
My Rating: 4 of 5 stars
GoodReads | Author | Publisher

This is another book I never got the chance to read as a child. I don't quite give this one 5 stars because I enjoyed the poems in A Light in the Attic better -- it is still an excellent read though. When I have kids someday, Silverstein's books will definitely be added to the permanent collection.

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Falling Up written & illustrated by Shel Silverstein
Series? no
Publisher: HarperCollins
Date: 1974; special edition published in 2003
How did I get this book? borrowed from library
My Rating: 4 of 5 stars
GoodReads | Author | Publisher

My thoughts on this one are pretty much the same as Where the Sidewalk Ends. I enjoyed A Light in the Attic most, but am extremely glad I took the opportunity to read most of Silverstein's poetry books -- even though I'm about two decades behind most people! The next time I go to the library, I will be checking out Everything On It, which is the only remaining poetry collection of his I haven't read yet.

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Reading Challenges:
Poetry
New Author (Shel Silverstein)
Banned Books (A Light in the Attic)
Lucky No. 14: Walking Down Memory Lane (Shel Silverstein)

8 comments:

  1. I'm not particularly a poem kind of girl, for the most part I prefer to stick to stories in story length, however I did enjoy reading your reviews of these poem collections. Of course my little one is little too young for these kinds of books yet but I do intend to expose him to the written word in all its forms - we've read him stories since day one.

    I really like the sound of Bookspeak! and so have added that to my wishlist - for my own enjoyment now and then can pass it on to the little one.

    Thanks for sharing your thoughts Christine.
    :-)
    Bits & Bobs

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    1. BookSpeak is SO good -= it'd be the perfect book to read to your little one that a bookworm adult would also love!

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  2. I loved Shel Silverstein as a kid. I read them all. They are so much fun and I could really relate to them. I need to read them again to take a fun trip down memory lane. :) You read the most interesting stuff. I'm glad you got to finally take part in reading the enjoyable Shel Silverstein poems. :)

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    1. Thanks Kay! I bet these were so great to read as a kid. I have his 4th big collection out from the library now and then I think my Shel Silverstein education will feel complete!

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  3. I love this post so much. I remember reading children's poetry as a kid, although of course it was very different because I am from another language space. Before I was a kid though, when it was more Soviet affected time in our neck of the woods, there were lots of children's poem books about Lenin and Stalin published. I think I still have a few of those in fact, they make a great historical memory and right now no-one could really imagine to publish anything quite like that. One of the more famous poems went something like (rough translation) "Big Lenin, he is so good, he takes children on his lap and gives them rubber bunny rabbits". Or some such :))

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    1. Thanks Riv! I can't quite imagine that kind of political poetry here in the States (though I'm sure it exists somewhere). And the bunny rabbit imagery is giving me a good laugh! It's always so interesting to hear about your experiences in another country. We may not have read the same ones because of the language difference, but it's nice that books & poetry can be such a common experience regardless of those kinds of differences -- we all look back fondly on the books of our childhood, no matter which ones they were!

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  4. Silverstein rocks I have read all of those books to my children Christine!

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    1. That's awesome Kimba! I think they are the kind of books an adult can enjoy alongside the kids which is always nice :)

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I'd love to hear what you think :)