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'Poetry Speaks To Children'

If you're an adult, Poetry Speaks to Children may bring back memories of what it felt like to be little, when reading and language were an enchanting discovery.

If you're small -- maybe still a bit young to read poetry -- the new collection of nearly 100 poems does exactly what the title implies: a CD included with the book features many of the 73 authors reading their work.

The poets include Emily Dickinson ("Letter to Bee"), Carl Sandburg ("On a Flimmering Floom You Shall Ride"), Langston Hughes ("The Negro Speaks of Rivers") and J.R.R. Tolkien ("Frodo's Song in Bree").

The book is designed to be read by children 6 years and older. But Elise Paschen, a poet herself and the book's editor, says it appeals to kids as young as 2. "And not only that, it really appeals to adults. I think that you can read these poems on all levels."

Read and hear three poems from Poetry Speaks to Children:

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As special correspondent and guest host of NPR's news programs, Melissa Block brings her signature combination of warmth and incisive reporting. Her work over the decades has earned her journalism's highest honors, and has made her one of NPR's most familiar and beloved voices.