A poem is not just
The sum of its parts.
And so off we went, down the road to one of the town’s primary schools for their annual World Book Day ‘The P Factor’ poetry competition. For a number of years, we’ve been invited to be on the panel of judges, along with Andy from the town’s comedy club, for this wonderful celebration of poetry at the school. And boy, what great fun it is! The entire school is fully engaged with the idea: classes in the different year groups have a preliminary competitive round, with the winners going through to the final. The school hall was packed with oompa loompas, Harry Potters, Enormous Crocodiles, a Cruella de Vil or two and a whole bunch of other children’s literary characters – it was as if the school library had come alive!
From the smallest little tots to super cool boys in year 5, all these kids were on board with such a great event. To be a five year old and stand in front of the whole school and recite a poem takes a bravery and a confidence which oozes from the culture of this particular school. What joy and hats off to ‘Mrs Daulton’ & ‘Mrs Ward’ and the amazing teachers and kids at Kings Meadow School!
Learning By Heart by Sue Hardy-Dawson, from The Big Amazing Poetry Book
A poem is not just
The sum of its parts.
The number of lines
Where its metaphors are.
It’s not about digging
For meaning in stanzas.
It’s a secret between us.
There are no wrong answers.
It’s not some sort of test
A code to be cracked.
More a spell for a dreamer
Or a musical map.
It just wants to be loved
Not to fill you with dread
Let it flow like a river
Through the space in your head.
Let it sing you to sleep
Hear its echoes in stars.
Find one piece you can keep
Learn the rest with your heart …
Our top fiction pick of the week is the excellent The Silver Bone by Andrey Kurkov. This is the start of a new quirky crime series, set in 1919 Kyiv: The Soviets control the city, but White armies menace them from the West. When Samson Kolechko’s father is murdered, his last act is to save his son from a falling Cossack sabre. Deprived of his right ear instead of his head, Samson is left an orphan, with only his father’s collection of abacuses for company. Until, that is, his flat is requisitioned by two Red Army soldiers, whose secret plans Samson is somehow able to overhear with uncanny clarity. Eager to thwart them, he stumbles into a world of murder and intrigue that will either be the making of him – or finish what the Cossack started… Our top pick of the week in non-fiction is Countless Sleepless Nights, a collection of stories, edited by Carina Maggar. These coming-out stories are filled with joy, hope and sadness; personal stories that it’s hard not to resonate with, no matter your identity.
Other stellar titles in fiction include: End of Story by A.J. Finn (author of the blockbuster book, The Woman in the Window) – Sebastian Trapp, a mystery writer invites a crime fanatic, Nicky Hunter, to his house after a long-time correspondence, but what happens when Nicky uncovers that her favourite author might be a murderer himself? Martyr by Kaveh Akbar is an epic work of fiction, where our protagonist seeks to learn the truth about his mother, who recently died when her plane was shot down over the Persian Gulf – electrifying, funny, wholly original, and profound, Martyr! heralds the arrival of a blazing and essential new voice in contemporary fiction. The Fetishist by Katherine Min is the story of a daughter who seeks revenge on the man she believes drove her mother to her death… and nothing goes as planned. This is bold, savage and very funny – definitely a read if you’re after something a bit different. And if you’re into romantasy right now, then look no further than A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen, this is the Norse-inspired fantasy about a shield maiden blessed by the gods to unite a nation under a power-hungry king – while also fighting her growing desire for his fiery son.
In non-fiction, Hunt for the Shadow Wolf by Derek Gow is a unique book, where Gow takes us on a journey across Britain to find the enigmatic wolf; this is a collection of folklore, nature writing and science, which highlights just how imperative it is that we reconcile our relationship with the wolf. Abundance by Deepak Chopra is a mindful self-help text, that helps us forget focusing on the negative, and start to give more attention to the positive. Susannah Gibson’s Bluestockings is the history of 1750s Britain where a brave group of women risked everything to think and live as they wished, despite the sneers of contemporaries who argued that books frazzled female brains and damaged their wombs. The West by Naoise Mac Sweeney explains how the idea of ‘the West’ has shaped civilisation and history for longer than you think.
Lastly, for 5-8 year-olds, Bad Panda: Mites, Camera, Action! is the third in a hilarious series by Swapna Haddow: A documentary crew have come to the zoo, to film every day life with the animals. The only thing is that the reality is a bit boring so they ship in some animal actors…! For a similar age, we also have Sammy and the Extra-Hot Chilli Powder by Charlie Brooks. Setterpoo Sammy has the BEST sense of smell around, but when she sniffs some extra-hot chilli powder one day she completely loses her sense of smell! Her human best friend, Beanie, must try her best to help Sammy get it back before she loses it for good.
As always, if there’s something you need help with, or a book you need ordering, please call or email us!
From Amber
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