100 Great Poems for Boys

This compilation of poems aimed at male readers provides an accessible footpath into the canon, with works from Emerson, Poe, Kipling, Dickinson, and Lear. Pockell provides insightful introductions to each topically organized section, which include "Battlefields and Heroes," the more open-ended "Things to Think About" (featuring Frost's perennial "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening"), and several humor-focused categories, such as limericks and tongue-twisters. A companion book, 100 Great Poems for Girls (available simultaneously), contains many of the same poems, while placing more emphasis on topics like "Nature" and "Imagination." All ages. (Apr.)