Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I really wish I had read the negative reviews for this book before purchasing it. If you're searching for a book to share with preschool or early elementary-aged children, read on. If not, this review is probably not for you. As a parent of 3 children under the age of 7, I was so excited to share this book with my little ones. Based on the title and the front cover, the age range listed as "1-11" years, and the "Disney-Hyperion" publisher, I mistakenly assumed this book would be suitable for young children. It most definitely isn't. I was expecting lighthearted, beautiful poems that people would naturally WANT to learn by heart - uplifting poems that people enjoy reciting and listening to - but I was terribly disappointed. Here are some of the titles: O dear! How disgusting is life! The Cremation of Sam McGee Bad Morning Ballad of Birmingham (On the bombing of a church in Birmingham, Alabama, 1963) Evil A Poison Tree There's also an entire section devoted to poems about war, which includes a poem that says, "After the battle, flat and still upon a hillside now he lies..." or "What's That?" - about a horrible monster leaning over the child's bed. Finally, there's the one that made me close the book in disgust: from "Voices Rising": "My voice rises for the girls trapped in four walls with men who think they're sexy" AND "Little girls, my voice rises over your screams of broken innocence." What the heck??? I understand the need for powerful poetry that deals with dark emotions, or social and political issues. I am not opposed to it, at all. What I AM opposed to is that kind of poetry being included in a book that is marketed towards adults AND children. As I mentioned before, it does have some great poems, and the illustrations are beautiful, but I might exchange it for something else. Make sure to use the "Look Inside" option on the product page to view all the titles included in this book. Unfortunately for me, that option wasn't available when I ordered this book! If you're looking for a poetry book for adolescents and adults, this one is okay. If you're looking for a poetry book that you can share with young children - look ELSEWHERE, especially if you're thinking about gifting it to a young child for independent reading.