On our more hectic days, I am enjoy reading poetry to both children. It is a pleasant and calming way to say end the day. We have a few collections, none I love (suggestions?). My daughter's favorite poem is Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening so I thought we'd try Poetry for Young People : Robert Frost. I love that that particular poem isn't included so she has seen no illustrations to influence the picture in her head. Regardless, it's a good collection (except for Out, Out which I just don't need in my life). I like that it's organized by seasons because I am too. ;) We also read through A Child's Garden of Verses from time to time.
This past week we began rereading our whole set of Smithsonian Backyard books and discussing how the different animals get ready for fall. My son is also picking up on the characteristics of different animal classes. It's wonderful to see. We added Chipmunk at Hollow Tree Lane to our collection. My favorites are still Monarch Butterfly of Aster Way and River Otter at Autumn Lane.
Other books enjoyed this week with the children:
One Thousand Tracings - This is a really sweet book about the aftermath of World War II. There is a lot of information here.
A New Coat for Anna - Always.
If You Give a Moose a Muffin - My favorite in the series because it is fall themed and only the second book I was able to read to my baby son (who more commonly threw them across the room).
Lost in the Woods - This is my son's current favorite book. Every night when I walk into his room he holds it up to me with a little smile.
On my own, I'm reading Freeing Your Child from Anxiety. I would say more but I haven't read much further than the introduction. One of my children inherited my anxious nature. I hope to find some tools to help us all cope. Then I'm going to pass it on to my dad so he can fix me. :)
Your daughter's favourite poem is one about suicide ideation?
Great book list here which really make me feel I'm in autumn for just a moment.
Posted by: sarah | September 30, 2011 at 12:20 PM
Ha, ha sarah! I suppose so. Though hopefully, she doesnt read that far into it!
Posted by: Jennifer | September 30, 2011 at 12:28 PM
What?! That's my favorite Frost poem and I had *never* heard that it had to do with suicide. Nor would I have ever thought that it did. Did Robert Frost, himself, say it was about suicide ideation? or some over educated prof that reads too much into everything? Can't we just accept that it is about exactly what he writes?…sorry, if I'm freaking out on this. I'm just blown away.
Anywho, great list of books! I'm going to check into the Smithsonian Backyard books. I've read lots of good things about this series.
Posted by: Kelly | September 30, 2011 at 01:38 PM
It never occurred to me either, Kelly. But I just chalk that up to me not understand poetry even a tiny little bit. I just thought it was about, um, stopping by woods on a snowy evening, LOL!
Posted by: Jennifer | September 30, 2011 at 02:46 PM
"If You Give a Mouse a Muffin" is one of our favorites, too! We have several in the series (maybe all?), and all of them are pretty worn out. (I never know if it's OK to replace the really beat-up ones.) The muffin one is my (secret) favorite, though, because it's about fall ... and I love fall picture books. Ha!
Did you see there is a new one out in this series?
Posted by: Sarah | October 04, 2011 at 02:02 PM
Jen, I was joking - it is about death and wishing to be at peace through death, and possibly also about the process of writing too, but of course it can be enjoyed as a poem simply about stopping in woods.
Frost is my favourite poet, and one of the things I love best about him is that you can read his poems on the surface level and get a lot of value from them. But Frost suffered depression through his life and many of his poems are about isolation, death, and contemplating suicide. I was taught this by an overeducated professor, read it in several books, and teach it myself (to children who are old enough not to have the poetry spoiled by it.) Frost himself taught us that his poems always mean more than they say.
But the poetry is beautiful no matter what it means :-)
Posted by: sarah | October 05, 2011 at 01:31 PM
Sarah, I'm glad you gave more background here. As a lover of poetry and especially Frost's poems, I appreciated it. Time for me to read a biography on Frost, I think. :)
Posted by: Kelly | October 07, 2011 at 04:10 PM