I know I did a
post last week on the poetry books I've added to my collection this year. But since that post, I added another that I just had to share. Mary Ann Hoberman's new book
FORGET-ME-NOTS: POEMS TO LEARN BY HEART is fabulous! It is a big anthology with lots of poems. The poems are chosen because they are all perfect for learning by heart. I am not a big "learning by heart" person but the introduction to this book made me think about it a little bit differently. Hoberman says, "When you learn a poem by heart, it becomes part of you." She goes onto say that the poems in this book were chosen because they are "memorable". She says, "Memorable has two meanings: 'easy to remember' and "worth remembering'. She shares pages and pages of poems to memorizing, starting with shorter poems that readers can memorize quickly. She moves on with various categories and then ends with longer poems that readers may want to memorize. She adds tips for memorization on the last few pages of the book.
My memories of memorizing poems in school are not good. When I had to do this, I had to choose a poem, memorize it and say it out loud to the class. I don't remember much else. But this book introduces the idea of memorizing poetry in a fresh and inviting way. Not only is Hoberman excited about the idea herself but the illustrations by Michael Emberley make poetry performance look like such fun! The book makes this idea of memorizing poetry something kids might
choose to do!
This book definitely needs a place in classrooms and libraries. I think it will be the perfect invitation for kids who want to give memorizing poetry a try. Not only does Hoberman give great tips but she has chosen a great many engaging poems. Such a great variety too! And for those readers who want nothing to do with memorizing poetry, this is still a great anthology to enjoy!
