Brenda Marshall is a former teacher and librarian. Brenda organises conferences, is a member of UK School Library Association (SLA), the Reviews Editor of English 4 – 11, and is a Fellow of The English Association.
Collected Poems for Children Ted Hughes Faber and Faber
A fabulous collection by an outstanding poet. It begins with poems to read aloud to younger children and then
moves to poems that Hughes felt were “within hearing” of older children. I enjoy his perspective on the natural world such as Jellyfish and Crab in “The Mermaid’s Purse”, Moose and Wolf in “Under the North Star”, The Fly and Weasel in “What is Truth?” and A March Calf and The GoldenBoy in “Season Songs”.
The Highwayman by Alfred Noyes Illustrated by Charles Keeping OUP
Haunting illustrations capture and enhance the story of the highwayman and his love for Bess, the landlord’s
black-eyed daughter.
A Poem for Every Night of the Year edited by Allie Esiri Macmillan
A treasure trove for adults and children. This selection of poems ranges across the centuries from Keats and Wordsworth to current writers. Each poem has an introduction which explains why it was selected for that particular day. My favourites are: Rachel Rooney’s Property For Sale; Robert Southey The Inchcape Rock, Theodore Roethke The Sloth; Benjamin Zephaniah’s Talking Turkeys; Alan Ahlberg’s Talk Us Through It, Charlotte; Roald Dahl’s Little Red Riding Hood; Norman
MacCaig’s Toad and Edwin Morgan’s The Loch Ness Monster’s Song. A treasure trove for children and adults.
Poems to Perform: chosen by Julia Donaldson Macmillan
Performance poetry is a great for children because it helps bring the words alive, inspires collaboration and develops communication skills and self-esteem. This collection includes work from a wide range of poets across different times and styles. Try Gareth Owen’s Conversation Piece; Gervase Phinn’s Creative Writing; John Foster The Dinosaur’s Rap; A Nail by Anon or Julia’s own poem Hands. Her performance suggestions are excellent.
Werewolf Club Rules by Joe Coelho Frances Lincoln
A delightful collection of poems about school and family life that are accessible and fun, and appeal to children. Joe is also a performance poet who delights in word play, reflection and humour. I like Hamster Hamster, Onomatopoeia, M.O.R.E.R.A.P.S. and If All the World Were Paper. Joe has also provided plenty of ideas and tips for teachers on his website.
