All aboard for Kalamazoo!
One ticket will let you… ride on an elephant, stay in a bug hotel, travel by train boat and plane, mingle with bears and minibeasts – and even meet an alien! All this and more, in 19 zippy poems to read aloud.
This is a fantastic and eagerly awaited poetry collection for young children, from the author of bestselling Zim Zam Zoom!
Oh, Komodo, no, Komodo,
if what I hear is true,
nothing but another Komodo
should risk getting close to you!
Every day is an adventure in this brilliant, eagerly awaited collection from one of the UK’s best loved poets. Find cats, dogs and dragons, a rock’n’roll iguana and the Rescue Centre for Mythical Beasts. Take the night train to Transylvania, learn to fly or send a postcard from Pluto – but never take a selfie with a Komodo!
A standout new collection of contemporary poems from prize-winning poet Matt Goodfellow, author of Bright Bursts of Colour .
Ideal for children aged 10+
Perfectly reflecting the thoughts, feelings and imaginings of young people, these beautifully crafted poems are poignant, playful, heartfelt and hopeful.
From friendship, family and separation to school experiences and fitting in, this moving collection touches on the relatable aspects of growing up. It delicately balances emotion with light relief and humour, and is sure to captivate any young person aged 10 and above.
Christmas Poems is a festive collection of classic and modern poems, carols and songs which celebrates all the best things about Christmas from the Nativity to Father Christmas, including snow, angels, reindeer, Christmas trees and, of course, Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus. Collated by children’s poetry expert Gaby Morgan, Christmas Poems is illustrated by Axel Scheffler, illustrator of The Gruffalo and Room on the Broom.
Introduce your Year 5 and 6 children to a range of poets with our selection of poetry books for Upper KS2. From classic poems and nature verses to laugh-out-loud rhymes and award-winning collections, we’ve picked out a range of our favourite books that encourage a love of poetry for children aged 9-11.
We recommend introducing youngsters to a range of different types of poems, both for pleasure and for study. Upbeat collections like Matt Goodfellow’s Bright Bursts of Colour of Mandy Coe’s Belonging Street are always a hit for dipping into in the classroom. For more real-life and thought-provoking verses, try Joseph Coelho’s Overheard in a Tower Block or Sharon Creech’s much-loved verse novel Love That Dog. If you want something that’s always popular in the classroom for hooking KS2 children on poetry, try Karl Nova’s award-winning Rhythm and Poetry, which draws on the poet’s Hip Hop roots, or Benjamin Zephaniah’s collection Funky Chickens. For classic poetry, Shakespeare for Every Day of the Year is a handy addition to any teacher’s desk for a burst of verse in those spare few minutes at the end of a lesson.
If you are looking for other Year 5 and Year 6 recommendations, be sure to check out our Reading for Pleasure booklists, and for more poetry ideas try our whole school poetry booklist.
How can the bird that is born for joy / Sit in a cage and sing?’
A selection of Blake’s most haunting verse, including ‘The Songs of Innocence and Experience’.
One of 46 new books in the bestselling Little Black Classics series, to celebrate the first ever Penguin Classic in 1946. Each book gives readers a taste of the Classics’ huge range and diversity, with works from around the world and across the centuries – including fables, decadence, heartbreak, tall tales, satire, ghosts, battles and elephants.
They sought it with thimbles, they sought it with care;
They pursued it with forks and hope;
They threatened its life with a railway-share;
They charmed it with smiles and soap.
Lewis Carroll’s magnificent nonsense poem The Hunting of the Snark features an unlikely cast of characters drawn from the Jabberwocky in Through the Looking Glass. This irresistible version is illustrated, and has an introduction by, Chris Riddell.
This is a luxury edition with both black and white and colour artwork, ribbon marker and metallic blue sprayed edges.
It was first published by Macmillan in 1876.
For the girl in this poem, nothing is better than a day with her hippie grandmother – eating wheat-and-honey bread, working in the garden, selling veggies at the farmer’s market and picketing the town hall. But the very best part of being together is the love they share. Flower power forever!
From two of the biggest names in children’s publishing, this is an inspiring guide to wordplay for young readers, their parents and teachers.
I’m ready for spaghetti
Will you getti the spaghetti?
Don’t say, “Not yetti spaghetti!”
‘cos I’m all setti for spaghetti.
Fizzing with rhythm, energy and laughter, the 30 poems in Ready for Spaghetti delight in the details of children’s daily routines. “Up, up, uppity-up!”, the first poem announces, while the artwork shows a child leaping out of bed, ready to begin their morning; “Hush and a hush, soft and low”, chants the final poem, as children snuggle under their blankets after their day’s adventures. Full of affectionate observations of young children, which are beautifully continued in Polly Dunbar’s warm-hearted pictures, Michael Rosen’s poems are ideal for reading aloud with toddlers … and many grown-ups will soon know them by heart!
Beautiful books make unforgettable gifts. This pocket-sized treasure is the perfect gift for fans of nature, language and rich artwork, adult and child alike!
Kindred in spirit to The Lost Words but fresh in its form, The Lost Spells introduces a beautiful new set of natural spell-poems and artwork by beloved creative duo Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris.
Each “spell” conjures an animal, bird, tree or flower — from Barn Owl to Red Fox, Grey Seal to Silver Birch, Jay to Jackdaw — with which we share our lives and landscapes. Moving, joyful and funny, The Lost Spells above all celebrates a sense of wonder, bearing witness to nature’s power to amaze, console and bring joy.
Written to be read aloud, painted in brushstrokes that call to the forest, field, riverbank and also to the heart, The Lost Spells summons back what is often lost from sight and care, teaching the names of everyday species, and inspiring its readers to attention, love and care.
© BooksForTopics 2015-2024
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