Recitations for Kids

Subject: Recitations for Kids
From: Joe Offer
Date: 01 Mar 11 - 11:49 PM

Our local Catholic school is participating in the "Read Across America" program, and the school librarian wants me to read to the eighth grade (13-14 years old) for half an hour tomorrow (thanks for the short notice, Julie). I was thinking of doing three recitations - one from the British Isles, one from North America, and one from Australia. Any suggestions? Please post the text or a link to the text.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Recitations for Kids
From: Micca
Date: 02 Mar 11 - 05:40 AM

For the pure use of language and alliteration you could do Lepanto by GK Chesterton

Subject: RE: Recitations for Kids
From: Joe Offer
Date: 02 Mar 11 - 06:29 PM

Hi, Micca - I liked Lepanto but I didn't think US 13-yr-olds would be mature enough to understand and appreciate it. My wife and her mother vetoed a number of the pieces I wanted to do as too gruesome or depressing [like "Babes in the Wood" and "White Squall" (Stan Rogers) and the cauldron scene from Macbeth and "Yarn of the Nancy Bell" (W.S. Gilbert) and Reincarnation]. The school librarian said it might be better if I didn't sing the Berrymans' "A Chat With Your Mother" (The F-Word Song), so that did away with another idea.
I tore the house apart looking for the Leaving Home collection of Lake Wobegon stories by Garrison Keillor, but I didn't find it. I took along Robert McCloskey's Homer Price stories, even thought I thought them too young for the kids. Since this year is a special celebration of Dr. Seuss, the school librarian was supposed to have a Dr. Seuss book for me to read, and I chose Marvin K. Mooney, Will You Please Go Now?, but that fell through and I was left to my own devices.

I did:

• Mooses Come Walking (Arlo Guthrie)
• Rindercella
• A Hanukkah story by Isaac Bashevis Singer called The Power of Light
• The Creation (James Weldon Johnson)
• Ballad of Blasphemous Bill (Robt. W. Service)
• Adventures of Isabel (Ogden Nash)

I hadn't realized that I knew almost every kid in that eighth grade class through various activities in the parish, and they were a very friendly and appreciative audience. I had a great time.
I think they liked "Rindercella" best.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Recitations for Kids
From: catspaw49
Date: 02 Mar 11 - 06:46 PM

What a wuss.......The kids would really have loved "The Farter from Sparta" but did you even think of it? Of course not.........

What a wuss.........


Spaw

Subject: RE: Recitations for Kids
From: Joe Offer
Date: 02 Mar 11 - 06:48 PM

I woulda hadda leave town, Spaw.....

Subject: RE: Recitations for Kids
From: katlaughing
Date: 02 Mar 11 - 07:20 PM

Don't forget the Cremation of Sam McGee. We heard Rindercella at my son's high school and roared. To this day, we joke around about the pransome hince.

You could always do something by Badger Clark; this one for instance.

Subject: RE: Recitations for Kids
From: Joe Offer
Date: 02 Mar 11 - 08:26 PM

Oh, I had "Sam McGee" handy, but chose "Blasphemous Bill" on the spur of the moment because the kids all knew "Sam."Maybe I should have done "Sam" anyhow because I do it well and it was one that the kids really liked - they broke into grins when I mentioned it. "Bill" is good, too.

The kids were so nice - I had a wonderful time with them.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Recitations for Kids
From: Micca
Date: 02 Mar 11 - 09:23 PM

Joe, I can still do much of "Nancy Belle" from Memory and I first lerned it when I was about 8 years old from a book of my fathers, " the Bab Ballads" his other poet, (whom I didnt take to) was someone called James Greenleafe Whittier

Subject: RE: Recitations for Kids
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Mar 11 - 12:04 AM

Sorry this popped onto the radar so late.



From McGuffies Eclectic Reader a family favorite for memorization



DT SongID=7379



Tom Twist

Subject: RE: Recitations for Kids
From: Joe Offer
Date: 03 Mar 11 - 01:22 AM

Thanks, Garg - Tom Twist is a good one, and I had forgotten about it.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Recitations for Kids
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Dec 11 - 08:07 AM

I would like some recitations for christmas, any help or sugggestions please.   Thank you