Joyful Noise

If you would like to start reading poetry with your children, I would highly recommend starting with Joyful Noise by Paul Fleischman.

In this book, Fleischman writes a number of poems about insects. Before you shudder and turn aside, give it a try!  I am not a huge fan of insects, but Fleischman treats the subject beautifully.  He writes each poem for two voices, so they’re meant to be read aloud.

When you do read them aloud, they sound like duets, without the instruments. Sometimes you read at the same time, in unison, sometimes in dissidence, and sometimes alone.  It’s fun to get your timing right, to keep track of what the other person is saying while reading your own lines.

Highly recommended for parents and their children ages 8 and up (depending on reading level – a younger child who is an advanced reader will enjoy these poems immensely).