“This year, to launch our whole school poetry home learning challenge, we welcomed poet Bernard Young into school for World Book Day. He wowed us with some fantastic poetry performances, with guitar accompaniment and wrote poems with classes. We look forward to hearing the children’s own poetry performances over the next few weeks! Children also enjoyed sharing their favourite stories and poems in class. ”
Over 80 tried and tested poems that Bernard regularly uses in primary schools for poetry performances and workshops. Collected together from four books and several anthologies, together with some previously unpublished. Funny, catchy, uplifting, foot tapping, hand clapping, in lots of verse forms and lengths. Something for everyone.
ISBN 978-1-9999173-0-2 Price £5.99 (+£1.80 P&P UK)
Well the country has had a challenging week with the snow and wind, accidents on the roads, people trapped on trains for hours, emergency services stretched to the limit and lots of schools closed. But I would like to thank all of the wonderful staff and pupils of the schools that I have visited this week for such a great time reading, performing and writing poetry.
I had a terrible journey from Manchester to Uttoxeter on Monday for my visit to St Mary’s C of E First School. It should have been less than 2 hours. I set off at 6:30am. I arrived at 11am! There was an accident on the M6 and the traffic just didn’t move at all for 1 hour 45 minutes. But at least I wasn’t stuck in a snow drift. Guess which of my poems I started with when I finally arrived.
Luckily, despite the weather, and having to get up early and clear the snow off my car, I made it to all of my other schools early for the rest of the week and they were open.
On Tuesday I was in Radcliffe-on-Trent Infants and Nursery School, and it was well worth the stay in the hotel just 7 miles away from them. I had a lovely email this morning as feedback from that visit that I would like to share with you.
“Thank you for your visit on Tuesday. I am glad you got home safely. We had snow days Thursday and Friday. The children and staff have been left really enthused by your visit. I had a couple of parents asking on Wednesday too about books so you may have had even more emails! I had a lovely email sent by a parent to the Head and Deputy Head so I thought you might like to read it…
Just wanted to a say a big thank you for organising the Bernard Young poet visit and the interactive sessions with him. Both my kids have been so inspired by him and poetry isn’t something we or they have read much of so been great to show them how poetry can work. Lucy has read every poem to us out the book she bought and loves the fact that it has been signed by him especially for her. Really lovely to see them so excited about it. Thank you, great idea. Please pass onto any other staff who have been involved in making it happen.”
I had great visits too with Bridgewater Primary, Little Hulton, Salford, St Joseph’s Catholic School, Winsford, and my 3rd visit to Summerville Primary School as their Patron of Reading, which I will write about in a separate post.
So all round a great week of poetry in schools and I also sold a good number of my new book, which was only published on 23rd February.
Just received a link today to this video we made a few years ago at a poets retreat. It was fun to make. I’d forgotten all about it. Absent has been one of my most popular poems.
I will be launching my new book of poems for children on Saturday 24th February at the Between The Lines Festival in Sheffield. I will also be doing 2 performances and workshops for families, so if you are in the Sheffield area, please come along.
The new book is titled “What Are You Like?” after the poem below. To order a copy send a message on the form on the books page.
What Are You Like?
I’m like hey
She’s like whoa He’s like ah I’m like ho
She’s like ha He’s like er
I’m like really? She’s like yeah
He’s like eek I’m like shh She’s like um He’s like ugh
I’m like Mmm She’s like eh? He’s like oh I’m like yay
I am pleased to be returning to Summerville Primary School on Friday 2nd March in connection with World Book Day. This will be my 3rd visit to the school in less than a year as part of the Patron of Reading scheme.
On this visit as usual I will be reading some of my poems, but there will be an emphasis on the importance and pleasure of reading and how being a reader can lead you to also becoming a writer. I’ll be reading from my new book which will be published on 23rd February.
The idea of Patron of Reading is to build up a relationship with the school rather than just a one-off visit.
“A Patron of Reading is a school’s special children’s author, poet, storyteller or illustrator. The school and their patron develop a relationship over a period of time. Everything the patron does is related to helping encourage and develop a reading for pleasure culture in the school.” Read more about the scheme on the Patron of Reading website.
I am booked for the day itself and just have 1 day left free that week, if any school wants a visit to help kick off activities. Please contact me soon to avoid disappointment.
A big part of the World Book Day celebrations is dressing up as a favourite book character, teachers and students alike. Unfortunately that often leads to some pressure on parents to be creative. Here are 73 easy World Book Day costume ideas from mumsnet https://www.mumsnet.com/books/world-book-day-costume-ideas
Can you identify all of the characters of the teachers from Oldfield Primary School in Chester in 2012?
I am pleased to be one of the writers at the very first Between the Lines Festival in Sheffield on Saturday 24th February. It is Sheffield’s Literature and Arts Festival for Children.
I will be performing and running workshops for children with adults during the day at The HUBS, 6 Paternoster Row, Sheffield, S1 2QQ. My sessions are at 11am and at 1pm.
I will also be launching my new book, “What Are You Like?”, with signed copies available to buy.
We have made a new video over the last few days. I composed a short piece of music to accompany my poem Anything. The poem is about friendship and is suitable for younger children (KS1), but it is likely to appeal to older students (KS2) as well. This poem is in my new book, What Are You Like, which is due for release 23 February 2018.
Karen, my wife, is the guest performer reading the poem and also she made the video. The images are all shared by Creative Commons License. They are credited in the description on YouTube and below the video here.
I am delighted to announce that I have a new children’s poetry book coming out soon. “What Are You Like?” will be available from 23rd February, ready to show the world on World Book Day (1st March). We’ve just had a proof copy and it’s looking great.
“What Are You Like?” has over 80 tried and tested poems that I regularly use in primary schools for poetry performances and workshops. Collected together from four books, several anthologies, together with some that haven’t been previously published. Funny, catchy, foot tapping, hand clapping, uplifting, lots of formats and lengths, something for everyone.
There’s a sneak preview sample below. If you want to pre-order a copy to be sent as soon as they are available, please contact me for details.
Bernard Young Poet 