Caroline Kennedy returns to campus to discuss new book of poems

Caroline Kennedy returns to North Central College April 4 for an author talk and book signing for her newest children’s poetry collection, “Poems to Learn by Heart,” a companion to her 2005 New York Times No. 1 bestseller “A Family of Poems: My Favorite Poetry for Children.”

Kennedy will begin her talk at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 4, in North Central College’s Pfeiffer Hall, 310 E. Benton Ave., Naperville. Tickets are available with the purchase of “Poems to Learn by Heart” at Anderson’s Bookshops, 123 W. Jefferson St. A $10 companion ticket is available per event ticket. For more information call Anderson’s at 630-355-2665.

As children, Kennedy and her brother John learned poems to recite to their parents and grandparents. She has chosen more than 100 poems that speak to all of us—the young and young at heart, readers new to poetry and devoted fans—for this diverse collection.

Divided into sections about nature, sports, monsters and fairies, friendship and family, this book is for all ages and interests. Each section is introduced by Kennedy with reflections of her own family’s enjoyment of poetry. Illustrations are by award-winning painter Jon J Muth.

Kennedy first spoke at North Central College to a capacity crowd Oct. 5, 2011, after the publication of her book titled “Jacqueline Kennedy: Historic Conversations on Life with John F. Kennedy,” a chronicle of seven interviews her mother gave in 1964 to historian Arthur Schlesinger Jr. That visit to campus was part of the College’s Sesquicentennial Author Series presented by Anderson’s Bookshops.

Kennedy holds a J.D. degree from Columbia Law School, and her professional life has spanned law and politics, education and charitable work. She has also acted as a spokesperson for her family’s legacy and authored or coauthored more than a dozen books.

This event is one of many ongoing programs hosted at North Central College to enrich and broaden the academic and cultural outlook for the College and community.