{"id":22784,"date":"2013-12-10T23:13:26","date_gmt":"2013-12-11T03:13:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=22784"},"modified":"2013-12-10T23:13:26","modified_gmt":"2013-12-11T03:13:26","slug":"review-of-poems-to-learn-by-heart-by-caroline-kennedy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=22784","title":{"rendered":"Review of Poems to Learn by Heart, by Caroline Kennedy"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Poems to Learn by Heart<\/em><\/p>\n

by Caroline Kennedy
\npaintings by Jon J Muth<\/p>\n

Disney Hyperion Books, New York, 2013. 192 pages.
\nStarred Review<\/p>\n

Caroline Kennedy has collected in this book a rich treasury of poems, all worth committing to memory, and also worth reciting aloud even if you haven\u2019t memorized them.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a nice variety here, including poems I\u2019ve known since childhood and were recited by my fellow students, such as \u201cCasey at the Bat,\u201d as well as much newer poems, less well-known poems, and even some poems by students.<\/p>\n

She divides them into sections with similar themes, using a line from one of the poems to title each section. We\u2019ve got \u201cHere I Am and other poems about the self,\u201d \u201cI Dreamed I Had to Pick a Mother Out and other poems about family,\u201d \u201cI\u2019m Expecting You! and other poems about friendship and love,\u201d \u201cI Met a Little Elf-Man, Once and other poems about fairies, ogres, and witches,\u201d \u201cWhere Can a Man Buy a Cap for His Knee? and other nonsensical poems,\u201d \u201cIt Is the Duty of the Student and other poems about school,\u201d \u201cWe Dance Round in a Ring and Suppose and other poems about sports and games,\u201d \u201cFour Score and Seven Years Ago and other poems about war,\u201d \u201cThe World Is So Full of a Number of Things and other poems about nature,\u201d and \u201cExtra Credit\u201d (extra difficult poems to memorize).<\/p>\n

It took me a very long time to read this book, because I read it a little at a time, trying to read as many poems as possible aloud to myself. But each time I checked the book out, it was on hold when three weeks were up, and then it took weeks for my hold to come in again. This last time, I made extra effort to finish reading it before my time was up! I\u2019m amazed that it\u2019s been out for months, but all copies are still on hold. I didn\u2019t realize there were so many lovers of poetry in our county, but that fact makes me happy.<\/p>\n

One thing\u2019s for sure, the next time a child or a parent comes to the library looking for a poem to recite, I will give them this book \u2013 if we are lucky enough to actually find it on the shelf! This is a treasure trove of delightfully recitable poems.<\/p>\n

disneyhyperionbooks.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Buy from Amazon.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Find this review on Sonderbooks<\/a> at: www.sonderbooks.com\/Childrens_Nonfiction\/poems_to_learn_by_heart.html<\/a><\/p>\n

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.<\/p>\n

Source: This review is based on a library book from Fairfax County Public Library.<\/p>\n

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but I maintain my website and blogs on my own time. The views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.<\/p>\n

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