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Joseph Coelho Books

In this highly acclaimed and prize-winning verse novel, Joseph Coelho brilliantly blends Greek myth with a 21st century quest. In Ancient Greece Theseus makes a dangerous and courageous journey to find his father, finally meeting the Minotaur in the Labyrinth. While Theo, a modern-day teenage boy, finds himself on a maze-like quest to find his own father. Each story tells of a boy becoming a man and discovering what true manhood really means.

The path to self-discovery takes Theo through ‘those thin spaces where myth, magic and reality combine’. Doubts, difficulties and dangers must be faced as Theo discovers the man he will become.

Britain’s previous Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho has chosen poems from ten debut poets, all from diverse or under-represented backgrounds. Selected for their qualities of originality, expression and style, they represent the best of a new generation of gifted young poets writing for children and young people. These are poems intended to be read aloud and shared. Themes range from video gaming to ice skating and football, hair, holidays, sisterhood, generational memories, friendship, the sense of self, personal experiences, music, and family life.

Fifty poems here open windows on a new generation’s thoughts, dreams and desires, and on an exciting new wave of poetic talent.

Twas the night before Christmas
and all through the house,
Not a creature was stirring, save . . .
CHRISTMAS TREE MOUSE!

And she’s on an important mission. A mission to help Santa! Every Christmas Eve, this tiny mouse brushes away Santa’s snowy footprints, nibbles up the mince pie crumbs, and – most importantly – checks on her Santa HQ tablet that all the correct presents are under the tree.

But when Christmas Tree Mouse discovers that baby Ola has received the wrong present, it’s a CATASTROPHE! Can she use all her special training and determination to save the day? And might Santa himself make a special appearance?

This charming and heartwarming picture book from Waterstones Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho and debut illustrator Farah Shah offers a brilliantly funny sneak peek behind the scenes on the most magical night of the year. The perfect gift for any child this Christmas!

From award-winning Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho, the fourth book in the Luna Loves… series celebrates separated families at Christmas, and the power of giving to bring people together. Luna loves Christmas. Sometimes at Mum’s, sometimes at Dad’s, she gets two trees, two dinners, two advent calendars to open . . . but this Christmas, Luna’s family are doing something different. They’re volunteering, and Luna can’t wait for them to all be together at the community Christmas dinner! The perfect book to inspire kindness at Christmas, and celebrate alternative families, from award-winning Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho. Other books in the Luna Loves… series: Luna Loves Library Day Luna Loves Art Luna Loves Dance Luna Loves Gardening Luna Loves Books board book

Knowing that the author is the lyrical genius- Joseph Coelho –  is enough to know that this book is going to be exciting to read.

To open the book and find character descriptions with images was a real visual treat. Within this introduction, the use of vocabulary such as ‘top-secret’ and ‘classified’ helps to entice the reader to want to find out more and start reading. Plus, little things such as the prologue being on a black background with white writing bring a uniqueness to this book.

Each chapter begins with some poetry- a nod to Coelho’s many literary talents and the symbol of a spider’s bum which just happens to be the logo for the Hermitic Sodality of Genie Hunters. Every few chapters, there is also a beautiful illustration from Hyun Song We.

This adventure-filled book of hunters who take on the world’s most deadly and powerful genies is hard to put down. Relic Hamilton, London’s very own new genie hunter (and mudlarker) proves that hope is in abundance and reading this book filled me with it.  Plus, Relic, the Wielder of the Lamps will return. If I had a magic lamp, that’s exactly what I would have wished for…

Chapter bookPoetryVerse novel
resources-available

We love a fairy tale with a twist and so eagerly welcomed the arrival of this new illustrated middle-grade series from poet Joseph Coelho and Freya Hartas, with this first instalment placing a deviously dark twist on the Rumpelstiltskin – told in verse.

Coelho’s treatment of the story – which adds a Frankenstein twist to a traditional tale – is as delightfully amusing as it is deliciously dark. After years of Disneyfication and a ‘softening up’ of well-known fairy tales for a generation who often find their stories served up with a little more happily-ever-after and a little less goriness, Coehlo’s series takes a direct step in the colder and creepier direction that you might expect from Roald Dahl’s fairy tales or the original Grimm stories.

There’s plenty to shock and also an enjoyable streak of dark humour and plenty of wit in both the author’s free verse and Freya Hartas’ stylishly expressive black and white illustrations.

If you are looking for a picture book to explore themes surrounding friendships and navigating arguments One Little Word is the book for you. The story starts with an argument turning up in the playground and explores how this affects not only the two children arguing but also the children surrounding them. It follows how quickly the argument grows and how easily it becomes out of control. Then something bubbles up inside the children, a small sorry that connects the friends again.

A beautifully illustrated book full of diverse characters to whom lots of children will be able to relate. The children in my class were inspired by this story and mesmerised by the colourful sketch-like illustrations. It encouraged great discussions about friendships and the importance of saying sorry.

This book can be enjoyed by children of any age but would be particularly appreciated by pupils in KS1 and lower KS2. This book could easily be linked with PSHE topics and used to help children who are struggling with friendships at school.

Previous Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho returns with his well-loved character Luna. This time, Luna is exploring the magic of gardening.

Luna is impressed by the community allotment when she visits with her family.  Luna takes time to wonder about each seed she encounters – where in the world it came from and what it will turn into. With the help of Grandpa and Nana from Jamaica, Luna realises that every new seed planted will have its own story to tell.

This is a really beautiful picture book celebrating nature, gardens, community, the interconnectedness of humanity and the importance of stories. Fiona Lumbers’ artwork is stunning, drawing out the elements that most capture a young child’s imagination with an abundance of colour, while also contrasting the vibrancy of the community garden with the grey, surrounding cityscape.

This wonderful gardening-themed story is an essential story for modern classrooms and home libraries.

A compendium of poetry prompts from Joseph Coelho (Children’s Laureate 2022-2024).

Each fun and engaging prompt for writing a poem helps children discover how to write poems and then read them out loud. This is a book to build confidence and literacy skills through channeling children’s imaginations.

This is a book for the whole family to enjoy, bright, cheerful but cool illustrations will appeal to children of all primary ages.

A subversive, funny – and deliciously prickly! – tale for the young reader looking for a book with bite.

Eshe and her twelve sisters are Fairy Godmothers, honoured for the incredible gifts they can bestow. But Eshe’s special abilities are a little different – she can glimpse into the future! And, one day, Eshe foresees something terrifying: a world blanketed in creeping vines and a girl covered in thorns. Eshe needs to stop her vision becoming true, but it will require old and powerful magic. And she won’t be able to do it alone…

Following on from Zombierella and Frankenstiltskin, this is the third and final book in a deliciously dark trilogy of twisted classics, written in verse by award-winning poet Joseph Coelho and illustrated by Freya Hartas.

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