Poems for Summer

School Library Journal

Gr 3-5-- A four-volume set of seasonal poetry that initially appears to be a godsend. While the collections contain some quality selections by such poets as Emily Dickinson, Carl Sandburg, and Langston Hughes (as well as snippets of Maurice Sendak's Chicken Soup with Rice HarperCollins, 1962), some of the other poems lack child appeal and excitement. The illustrations consist of full-page, full-color stock photographs of nature, people, and travel scenes accompanied by nondescript line drawings. Each book includes an index of first lines and brief biographies of the poets. Definitions of difficult vocabulary and Briticisms are listed under each poem as deemed necessary. With the current emphasis on whole language learning, consider books such as Lee Bennett Hopkins's The Sky Is Full of Song (HarperCollins, 1983) and David Booth's Voices on the Wind: Poems for All Seasons (Morrow, 1990) as better investments. --Andrew W. Hunter, Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg, Charlotte, NC