Favorite Poems, Old and New [Hardcover]

Helen (Illustrated by Leonard Weisgard) Ferris (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 598 pages
• Publisher: e Doubleday and Company; BOMC edition (1957)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385062494
• ISBN-13: 978-0385062497
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 2.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,237,189 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Possibly...the ONLY children's anthology you'll need, August 20, 2005

By 

homeschooler (Indianapolis) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Favorite Poems Old and New: Selected For Boys and Girls (Hardcover)

This amazing poetry collection is so comprehensive and well organized that you may never need another anthology of children's poetry. I have many very good poetry books (101 Great American Poems, F E G stupid Poems for Intelligent Children, being a couple of other recommendations) but this one is without question the most complete, nostalgic, and well organized. I appreciate that they aren't put in alphabetical order, as many others are, since often you can remember the subject better than the title of the piece in question. As we homeschool, I can flip through this MASSIVE collection quickly and find the perfect poem to compliment our current study. Our home is filled with books and this one is out "on display" to encourage browsing by meanderers...with this book around there will never be a dull moment (okay, there aren't many here anyway). I agree with another post that it is DEFINITELY not just for children. If you're buying this for a gift for someone who doesn't live with you....you'd better get two!

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I LOVE this children's poetry book - it's PURE nostalgia!!!, July 10, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Favorite Poems Old and New: Selected For Boys and Girls (Hardcover)

Stumbling upon this book is a tribute to the wonders of modern technology - is seems like a miracle! I have occasionally browsed through poetry collections at bookstores and libraries over the past 20 years, trying to find a particular poem I liked SOOO much in childhood. All I could recall is that it contained something like "... the goblins gonna git you if you don't watch out." I assumed I'd stumble upon it one day - but never had - mainly because I didn't know the author or correct title. With the advent of the internet (and being awed by a 1 minute search procurring a Tunnel of Fudge Cake receipe I'd ALSO been searching for casually for years - since Pillsbury's ill-advised decision to remove it as a boxed cake + frosting mix combo - but appears revised in their new "Pillsbury Best of the Bake-off Cookbook"). Flush with success, I decided to brave exposing my ignorance with an e-mail inquiry in a poetry newsgroup. A kindly soul pointed me to James Whitcomb Riley and a web search got me the correct title -- "Little Orphant Annie." Someone knowledgeable about children's books guided me to my long-lost poem in THIS wonderful book - HER personal favorite children's poetry book (thank HEAVENS it's still printed - it should NEVER go out of print!!). When I got it home, I started by recalling the "scary" poem I loved in my childhood - plus Riley's warm "Raggedy Man" poem. I then proceeded to discover everything from the last few verses of "Mary Had A Little Lamb" (which I'd tried to recall only a few weeks ago - to no avail - alas) to Paul Revere's Ride (which I'd had to memorize in 7th grade - and have also dutifully forgotten). I reluctantly gave up browsing at 1 AM - unaware of time slipping away as everyone else slept soundly. Every few pages there was a familiar poem evoking an "oh my gosh - I'd forgotten all about that one" and those not familiar looked like potentially great new discoveries! Coincidentally, a column in the next morning's newspaper listed current book favorites of 4th graders in Hawaii (Maniac McGee is #1), and the column's author added this particular poetry book as HIS all-time favorite for children (frankly, I think adults will love it too). I bought this book to share MY favorite poems with my 8 and 10-year-old summer visitors and ULTIMATELY my own newly married daughter and future grandchildren. But I think I will have to savor the nostalgia for several more days before I'll be ready to share with the newer generation

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is my favorite poetry anthology(No pun intended), May 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Favorite Poems Old and New: Selected For Boys and Girls (Hardcover)

I first used this anthology when I was in grade school. I now have a personal copy and recommend it to students who come into my library for their poetry projects. It has such a wide variety of material and is very useful for the different assignments that the students have. It is also one of the few books that has "High Flight", by John Gillespie Magee,and all the verses to the "Star Spangled Banner". I hope it never goes out of print.