Let's Chase Stars Together: Poems to lose yourself in, perfect for 10+

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An inspirational session, delivered with such energy. The children produced some fabulous pieces of poetry. Poet Matt Goodfellow is a passionate advocate of introducing poetry to children and young people and here, he talks about the experiences that made him a poet and introduces his new collection, Let's Chase Stars Together.

Often it's reading; reading generally starts the fires of thought burning in my head and then it's just a case of getting those ideas down and seeing where they end up. Bestselling author Alexandra Christo, author of TikTok sensation To Kill a Kingdom, introduces her new book, The Night Hunt (Hot Key Books), a dark...

Matt Goodfellow - Jake

I think it's so important that all children see themselves reflected in literature. I want those children that are living through the same things that I did to know they're not alone - and that all is not lost. Matt’s sessions really enthused the children and gave them the confidence to perform (even in a whole school assembly!) All children were able to succeed." - , Michelle Rogers, Deputy Head, All Saints Primary School, Gorton, Manchester I could enthuse about this collection for hours - but the best thing is for others to enjoy it for themselves. A couple of my favourites are 'The Democratic Republic of Me' and 'The River' - you might like to start there!

I wanted to write an older collection for a number of reasons: I never want to write the same book twice, and my other solo collections have been KS1 and KS2 books; also, my kids are now 12 and 17, and their experiences of the journey through high school began to colour my world and made me think of my own experiences; also, I've done a lot more work in high schools over the past few years, so it seemed like a natural progression for me - and a good way to expand as a writer. When your ‘hard to reach’ boys are searching for Matt, notebooks in hand, to show him their poetry compositions, you know he’s getting something right. Matt’s poetry and personal anecdotes make for an inspirational day! The children at Bradshaw Hall loved listening to Matt's unique style of poetry and joined in with great enthusiasm. Truly inspiring! The class workshops were extremely popular and both staff and children have already requested a return visit!Matt will perform some of his poems and discuss with children the techniques needed to create successful performances. David Almond introduces his new picture book, A Way to the Stars, a story about perseverance and finding a way to make dreams come true. From the minute Matt walked into our school there was a buzz of excitement. He engaged every single pupil in the workshops and encouraged them all to step into the fascinating world of poetry. Pupils and staff loved the day and were left with great ideas, inspiration and a real feel good factor.

KS2 Assembly - Matt’s unique performance style means that children will be engaged from the moment he begins - witty, warm and humorous, Prizes are sent to winners prior to publication and so the cover may differ from the image shown, and may be an uncorrected proof copy. The topics reflect what it means to be young in the world today, making space for vulnerability and strength. I spin the wheel of worry every day, one poem notes, but another cautions: don't mess with this battle-scarred child. Nature, school and family feature in these accessible poems. * The Irish Times * x 30min writing workshops across both key stages with a class-sized group and the class teacher present Author Anna Kemp introduces The Hollow Hills, the sequel to her dark magical tale, Into Goblyn Wood.It's extremely important for me, because I was that child struggling with the chaos of a difficult family situation - one that left me feeling I wasn't anybody's priority. Because I was naturally quite clever, and could be funny, and wasn't bad at sports, my primary and high school teachers just assumed I was OK. I wasn't - and nobody ever told me there was a space called poetry where I could just write down all the madness in my head as a way of trying to make sense of things. Matt’s performances allow children to join in with and memorise some of his poems – and are guaranteed to do it with a smile on their face! He will also talk about the writing process and will leave time for a Q&A session at the end of the performance.

The Promoter accepts no responsibility for entries that are incomplete, illegible, incorrect, corrupted or fail to reach the Promoter by the closing date for any reason. Automatically generated entries or entries via third parties are invalid and shall not be considered. Within the collection are poems about the here and now, and children facing difficult family situations. Why is it important to you to include those poems as well? The children will work together in small groups to put these techniques into practice by deciding on how best to perform poems – discussing rhythm, use of voice, expression, actions etc. Matt is a brilliantly engaging performer who enthuses and inspires children." - Rachel Jacques, Head Teacher, Bowker Vale Primary School, ManchesterFor a teacher, there is a wealth to draw on, adding poetry to story times or to provoke thoughtful discussions in other subjects. For children reading independently, there are many which will resonate with their personal experience and feelings. 'Callum' is a particularly poignant poem which I had the great pleasure of hearing Matt perform and many teachers will recognise pupils of their own in Matt's words. There are poems about difficult aspects of home life - 'A Thousand Hours', 'The Wolf', 'Hey, Mum' and 'Jake'; school life - 'It's Always the Same', 'I Hope It Rains Today' and 'Transition'; poems about feelings, relationships, life and love. Yet Matt manages to achieve a delicate balance of emotion and humour, ensuring the broadest appeal for his poems - and surely encouraging others to express themselves through this form. By entering this competition, you also agree to the Caboodle Terms and Conditions and Caboodle Points Terms and Conditions.