I think I am just going to have to...

...buy these books, A Child's Introduction to Poetry by, Michael Driscoll and Favorite Poems Old and New by Helen Ferris.

I have always wanted my kids to have a love for poetry but didn't really know how to start.  A few years ago, I read that the book by Michael Driscoll  was a good overview.  I didn't want to buy it if we wouldn't use it, so I requested an interlibrary loan and got it.  I just started from the beginning and read it to my kids.  Some of it went over their heads, some they discovered that they did not like, but they did become familiar with different styles and different writers.  It is now in our library system and I have checked it out 3 more times.  I hate it when I have to return it. 

I have also heard from more than one person that Favorite Poems Old and New is a comprehensive collection of classic and quality poetry.  Again, I did not want to buy it if we would not use it, so I checked it out.  The introduction to the book was fabulous.  I had goose bumps as I read the author's description of  her family's love of poetry and how it enriched their lives.  That was what I envisioned for my kids.  

I started by calling Mandi, my poetry lover, over to look at this book.  I read her part of the introduction, showed her the table of contents then we both picked out a few interesting ones to check out.  She was hooked.  Especially when I read her "Casey at the Bat". 

The next night, as we skimmed the table of contents, Mandi said, "Look Mom, Emily Dickinson!  And there's Robert Louis Stevenson! "

Then, she earnestly searched for more familiar authors. I tried to get her to give me the book so we could start reading, but she wanted to keep searching.  I finally showed her how long the table of contents was, over 2000 poems, I think, and she said, " I'll finish looking next time."

So what I have been doing and plan on doing, is reading poems aloud to my kids  that have to do with something we have enjoyed that day or recently.  Then, when we find one that we particularly like, memorize it together.   My plan is to rea

d lots of poems and memorize a few.

I think the first poem we will memorize is "Geography"  by Eleanor Farjeon, because we are studying geography and Grace is studying countries.

Mandi will have a smile on her face if I do buy these books and I will, too!