BONKERS FOR CONKERS
WINNERS

Please Note. Our apologies but the prizes have been delayed. If you won you should be receiving yours soon.

To celebrate World Book Day this year Macmillan Children's Books published Bonkers For Conkers - a fantastic collection of new poems by some of the very best poets around. We asked you to write a poem about celebration and we had a fantastic response. Here are the winners...

FIRST PRIZE
(Deanne wins a set of ten books for her school)

The Day Celebration by Deanna Wilson

The dawn breaks
As the human eye looks on
The sun shines on Humankind
Lights up the beautiful sky
And smiles at the glistening sea
Where they meet together at the horizon.
People laugh, people cry
Let's celebrate life today before,
Dusk falls
Before the sun cascades down and
Darkness drops over the world.

Here are the other winners (in no particular order)

Birthday Six by Lyndsie (aged 6)

My first birthday was a blast!
Though very far in the past
Five years ago, from today
Though SIX is where I want to stay!

(Please send us your address, Lyndsie!)

Celebrating by Finn Melia (aged 10)

They rush to congratulate
but I don't notice
They pat my back,
tickle my chin,
pull my left cheek till
it turns deep red,
some even kiss me
on my head (yuk!)

But I don't notice

I have gone, you see
Up, up and away
soaring like a legendary bird

Up, up and away
swept onto the red carpet of success
Gone is the jibbering mess I was
and in his place is a new face
full of smiles
with eyes full of dreams
possibilities

I could score the winning goal
if I wanted
I could bounce the bounciest bounce
on the school trampoline
and I could get top in maths
if I wanted

in fact now
I could do anything I wanted

I'll just let them tell me how great I am first
and shout hurray before I burst.
HOORRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAYYYYYYY.

Well done, everybody says
and this time I notice.

Celebrations by Heather Wong (aged 10)

I love celebrations,
It puts a glitter in my eye,
I hate not being in one,
Or else it makes me cry!

I love celebrations,
The dancing and the move,
I am a disco diva,
Wiggling my hips to the groove!

I love celebrations,
Lemonade makes me go pop!
The laughing and the joking,
Makes me realize I can't stop!

I love celebrations,
Valentine's the best,
All the hearts and roses
Are better than the rest!

I love celebrations,
They're made just for you and me,
They make me get the giggles,
Then you just wait and see!

Celebrating My Birthday! by Emma Baldwin (aged 10)

On my last Birthday I was ten,
I had a party yet again,
It was a disco with flashing lights,
And nobody had any fights,
I had a Birthday cake with candles,
And I wore my strappy sandals,
I blew out the candles on my cake,
And didn't make even one mistake!
A New Baby by Summaiya Zaheen (aged 10)
Mum is at the hospital.
And I am at home
Hoping she would get a boy or girl.
Getting very excited about whom he or she would look like.
Looking at the clock ticking by and by.
Glancing at the phone hoping when it would ring.
And dreaming away the wonderful things I can do with him or her.
If it is a boy or girl I don't care.
As long as I have some one to play with.
At last the phone rang ring, ring, ring.
It was Dad getting all excited shouted it's a boy.
That was the most happiest moment in my life.

Chinese New Year by Alec Pollard (aged 11)

Chinese New Year,
Lot's of red and gold everywhere,
I am getting Lice by the minute,
My spirits are high watching the dragon dance,
The fire works are flying high,
Kung Hei Fat Choi

Memories of a Childhood by Marie-eve Bastien

Drip, drip, splash!
A water fountain surrounded
Tiny, flashy, shiny
Squeaky yellow
Rubber boots

She crouched down
Squish! Her hand entered
The thick slimy mud
A handful of slippery,
Wiggling worms rose from the earth

She stood, took a step to leave
And squelch!
The boot was stuck
With a shrug and giggles
White socks became brown

The borders of the sandbox
filled with mountains of mud
Cakes, pies and cookies
Faces were drawn
With white sand sprinkled as icing

The celebration
Of the first soft summer rain
Was unnoticed by adults,
Having forgotten the memories
Of a joyous childhood long ago
So long ago

Birthdays Are My Favorite Days by Olivia Koczur (aged 8)

Birthdays are my favorite days,
Filled with fun and party ways.
Lots of gifts galore,
Barbies, books and so much more!
Frosting-smothered cakes to eat,
Deliciously dreamy ice cream treats,
Favorite spaghetti meals with pickles,
All served up with hugs and tickles.
Friends and family share my day,
I have fun in every way!

The Final Separation by Sumita Sarkar (aged 12)

The mournful, sad days and dreadful times,
Means no more together,
The heart-rending move destroys my soul,
City life,
New life,
Daunting yet inspiring.
Colourful but sometimes sorrowful,
Cheerful and vibrant
The unbelievable darkness
Suppresses all and cloaks the city,
But waiting to emerge,
Is a beautiful city morning,
The sun appears,
Night becomes day and the yearning mourning vanishes.

Simple Things by Autumn Byers

Kids find joy in Simple Things
Like bright colors on butterfly wings,
Catching rain on your tongue,
Or standing in the summer's sun,
Making pictures out of clouds,
Or a pretty penny that they found,
Seeing a horse in a field,
Or Lego towers they build,
Praying with they're Mom or Dad,
Or drawling frogs on lily pads,
A little puppy licking they're hand,
Or running through the hot sand,
Why can't we be like them?
Who celebrate a hopscotch win?
Lets all find joy in simple things,
And put on a pair of angels wings.

Oh Canada! by Estevan Carvajal

I'm the majestic Niagara Falls,
cascading over sheer cliffs
in a colossal curtain of spray.

I'm a totem pole,
carved figures from ancient myths
and mystical legends.

I'm a native,
dancing around a fiery fire.

I'm the St. Lawrence Seaway,
allowing massive ships
access to industrial cities.

I'm an R.C.M.P. officer,
scaling the rocky land of British Columbia.

I'm a forlorn polar bear,
roaming the glacial lands of Nunavut.

I'm a bright maple leaf,
sailing through an evergreen forest
landing gracefully in Toronto.

I'm a courageous navigator,
standing proudly on Mount Logan
Canada's tallest peak.

I'm the best hockey player,
Wayne Gretsky, cross-checking my way
toward the Stanley Cup.

I'm a young boy
feasting on pancakes
dripping in sticky maple syrup.

Oh! So much this miraculous country has to offer
I'll write it all down
and become a famous author!

Celebration of Birth by Natasha Khan (aged 8)

The birth of a child, girl or boy
Is always a time of happiness and joy
The mother laughs with cheerfulness
The father smiles and gives her a kiss
When a baby is born, it can sometimes mean pain
Sometimes the windows patter with rain
Yet sometimes you can sleep through it all
On those times, you might want to sleep with a doll
When the baby comes, it¹ll see a sight
Of a room all colored in grey and white
Normally the baby will begin to cry
The mother will laugh and then she will sigh
Sometimes the sister will draw pictures for
The mother who is as brave as Lord Thor
Sometimes the baby might get a gift
Which it can hardly even lift
Laughing and cheering hip, hip, hooray
We sang for our sister, who was born in May.

Independence Day by Robin Lawson

Red, white, and blue is seen everywhere.
The smell of hotdogs and hamburgers fills the air.
People are singing, children are laughing.
Enormous and colorful floats are passing.
We watch the parade with our friends from the side of the road.
We watch them travel towards the ferry boat.
Children fill the booths that cover the baseball field.
Parents stand close by and eat their tasty meals.
The sun shines so very bright.
To ruin this day would take Zeus' might.
For everything is perfect, it's all going great
On this Kingstonian Independence Day.

A Celebration of Things by Celia Lombardo

A celebration of fast things:
from the wind blowing on my window pane
to a horse racing to the finish line
And from the water gushing down the waterfall
to the cookies being licked off of the glistening plate
From the last minute Christmas shoppers rushing through the stores
to the rain that is pouring outside
And from the puck that is gliding down the hockey rink
to the shooting star falling from the sky.

A celebration of slow things:
from the sun setting over a tiny town
to the leaves changing colors in the season of fall
And from the cake slowly rising as it cooks
to the snowflake gently tumbling to the ground
from the fire crackling in the fire place
to the tear rolling down the child's cheek
And from the spider crawling up my wall;
to the tiny duck waddling to its mother.

WE had some tremendous poems. Here's a selection of the rest. They didn't win but some of them came very, very close. Well done!
And a big thank you from The Poetry Zone and Macmillan's Children's Books to everyone who entered.

The Night Before by Jenna Holden

It's the night before my birthday
Can't wait to get to sleep,
because when I wake up in the morning I'll be one year older!
Tossing and turning, I try to sing myself to sleep
I think of all the presents that I'll receive for my special day!
My Nana knits me jumpers every year,
They have baby rabbits and pigs on
Doesn't she know I'm getting older?

I start getting drowsy, and just close my eyes…
WAKE UP!
I lift my head and open my eyes
My room is filled with presents, oh my goodness me!
After ripping off the wrapping paper I thank all the people who sent the gifts!
I set off for school, I can't wait to tell my friends what I got
But they go quiet when I come round the corner, do they know?

School is over, I walk though the door into my house, who turned off all the lights?
I walk in, nearly trip over my dog…

Christmas by Jessica Sheldon

It's Christmas tomorrow and I'm filled with delight
My mums just come up to say goodnight,
I've just heard them all come up to bed,
All the toys and presents just run through my head,
I can't go to bed; I'm too excited to sleep,
I might go downstairs and take a quick peep,
The gifts all wrapped and tied with a bow,
Could it be it's starting to snow?
I'll sneak back upstairs and no one will know,
I've got to be quiet so I'll have to tiptoe,

A Fresh Start by Elizabeth Breedon

I walk upon the long winding path,
An optical illusion of checks flood my mind,
Crunching leaves as autumn nears,
Silky pink, pretty flowers
Old and grey was yesterday,
The sunset reflects on a fresh start,
Let's celebrate a brand new day.
Celebration Haiku by Nicolas Reeves
Dancing lights and sounds
excitement floats in the air
The feast has begun.

Birthday Bash by Jeremy Adriel Joven (aged 11)

Today is a special day!
A day of respect and care.
No one knows what to say
With presents scattered everywhere!

The cake is so high and tall!
Candles lit one by one.
It looks like the cake will fall
It probably weighs a ton!

The magician and the clown were fun!
They made me laugh and giggle.
But then the magician did a trick
Which made the happy clown jiggle!

The party ended to a stop.
All came mutely still.
All the balloons started to pop
as everyone went home with a thrill!

Celebrating a Football Match by Dale Preece (aged 11)

The teams were set
The captains met
The referee blew
There were no boos

The ball was kicked about
With a lot of shout
We trashed them out of sight
Because we showed a lot of fight

The ball was in the net
We were such a threat
The score was 2-0
We showed a lot of skill

We broke the deadlock
With a screaming shot
They didn't have any luck
Because we're the champions.

Partying by Alex Williamson (aged 11)

I love to go to parties,
And eating all the Smarties,
Playing all the games,
'Cos party blood's in my veins,
I win loads of different prizes,
All different sizes.

Winter by Andrea Brown

Winter Tradition:
Sledding down the hill
Squealing with delight
Fluffy snowflakes gently falling
Against a crystal clear blue sky
We come to the end of the hill
Just to climb clumsily back up
The icy wind makes us shiver
It's so cold out that our lips quiver
We slip and slide
We laugh and play
Snow's in our hair
But we don't care
Finally we head home
Soaking wet and covered in snow
Yet content in every way
Our tradition will last forever
And never fade away
Winter:
In the tree,
That the ice has worn down
A robin recited her ode
A tiny tornado darted in
The breath of wind
Bothered the tender theme
The robin had chanted
It headed north to her habitat
It went to her den
Her hero, her retreat
The robin was aware of
The idea that her den
Can be both in her tree
and in her heart

The Biggest Parade Ever by Abbey Li (aged 9)

People dress in red, blue and green,
People are fat and some are thin,
Guess where I am but in the big parade.

People dancing slow and fast,
People disguise to be magician performing a cast,
Guess where I am but in the large parade.

People make you smile and laugh,
Clowns drum you down the path,
Guess where I am but in the gigantic parade.

Celebrating Canada by Kirsten Gust

I am the oceans in the East and West,
I am the prairies where the wheat is best
I am Rocket Richard and Wayne Gretsky,
Playing Canada's game that we like to call hockey.
I am Terry Fox running across this great land,
Helping those with cancer do as much as I can.
I am Peggy's Cove to the West Edmonton Mall,
I am the CN Tower standing strong and tall.
I am Laura Secord and Pierre Elliot Trudeau,
And so many more Canadians that we are proud to know.
I am poutines, the Quebecois snack,
That was bought with a nickel with a beaver on its back.
I am Victoria, way out in the West,
Named after a queen who ruled like the best.
I am Green Gables, far out in the East,
By the soft red sands of a Maritime beach.
I am Canadian and I'll yell it out loud,
Because to live in this land makes me strong and so proud.

Celebration by Peter Swallow

The fiery colours that come out at sunset
Contrasts with the black night sky
On the eve of a celebration
That is tonight.

The fireworks that reach out into the night
Explode with colours burning bright
As people celebrate
With celebrations that lasts through the night.

Celebration by Matthew Spencer

Children playing
On a old street
Near an old dress shop
An old face looks on
An old statue

A lot of old memories

Amazement by Justin Fernandez

Big things that amaze:
Snow peaked mountains, so many kilometers high,
Glimmering stars in the night sky,
Rounded planets where there might be life,
Vast oceans with so many shades of blue,
Multicolored rainbows shown by the sun,
Boiling hot deserts from afar,
And monstrous skyscrapers from a plane.

Small things amaze:
A shining diamond on an engagement ring,
A newborn baby, in his mother's arms,
The first snowflake of the year on your tongue,
Butterflies fluttering in a hot summers breeze,
Ice cycles sweating at the end of winter,
Fields of flowers, being pushed by the wind,
Seashells being forced in by a wave at the shore,
Big or small we're all the same

The Beauty of Motion by Francois Proulx

How beautifully the changing seasons provide,
The passing of time, like the rolling tides,
Of oceans wide,
Or the silent snowfall over mountain sides.

The amazing flight of the gliding bird
And the rustling of leaves that we've all heard,
The spattering of rain into river beds,
Or the summer breezes that fill our heads.

How gracefully appear the rolling clouds,
Throughout the year that make us proud,
To be living in a world of changing looks,
From streaming rivers and bubbling brooks,
From windblown fields of golden wheat,
To the desert sands beyond retreat.

Echo of the Past by Suzie Blackburn

The amber stone you stole
controls destiny in a crushed petal of resentment.
The last day the clouds
will chase the sun into the night
is when you choose to lessen your pain
and the stench of death will burn your soul.
You will capture time
in the palm of your hand
and watch others suffer your past,
to celebrate the end of everything
with a smile of revenge.
Is it worth the charcoal residue?
That stains your lips with memories.
Take this hand I reach out to you
and celebrate acceptance
of the life you possess,
as the fate of the world
should remain unaltered.

Celebrations by Samineh Hall

There is not much more fun than a celebration
Specially when your celebrating your own creation
You get to invite round all your friends
And try out all new fashion trends
You get a lot of presents to
If your lucky a brand new PS2
There is not much more fun than a birthday party
When every one joins in whole heartedly

Birthday by Stephanie J. Barahona

My day is fast approaching
The day I must be one year older
But I feel as if I'm lost in time
With no one to help me by

One day older, one day younger in mind
People say I'm blessed to be that age
But no one sees me tremble
No one hears my cries for help

I feel so lost
I feel alone
My friends see me, but don't really notice me
They see my face but fail to see the pain

I'm scared that my carefree days are at an end
Pretty soon I must be shoved into the real world
With nothing to help me through it
I'm scared, I'm lost, I'm alone

Everyone around me must turn sixteen
But no one seems to notice what this means
People in my life seem to think that life is all fun and games
But in reality I'm lost

Maybe once the day has come and gone
I'll be able to settle down
But until it has come and gone
I'll feel scared, lost, and alone

Back to the top, please.