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A Woolly Mammoth on Amelia Street: Read Aloud Poems4Kids
by Todd-Michael St. Pierre
Reviewed by Nyla Wallace (age 9)

I like this book because it has poems from a kid's point of view. It has balance because it has some very silly poems, some that are gross, some that are nature poems and some that are peace poems. All in all it is just a fun book for kids to read out loud, and the parents like a lot of the poems too! The illustrations are also funny!



Dinner at Grandma's

Dinner at my Grandma's can drive a kid to fits,
The last time she fed me pig poo and olive pits!
This time was even worse; she cooked a big brown snake!
The food was a nightmare, though I was wide awake!
Caterpillar cornbread, a sliver of liver,
Bumble bees mixed with peas! How can I forgive her?
She force-fed me spiders, a hedgehog and a half,
"Eat those sweet lizard feet," she told me with a laugh.
My eyes ran out of tears, from all this child abuse,
She even made me drink a glass of onion juice!
Poison ivy salad that made my insides itch,
I'm starting to believe that grandma is a witch!
I begged and I begged, but of all the twisted things,
For dessert she brought out some buttered beetle wings.
Dinner at my Grandma's can drive a kid to fits...
It's better when she feeds me Goat Guts and Garlic Grits!

The Truth about Vampires by Sagar Patel (aged 11)

Vampires are creatures that rule the night,
They'll suck your blood and give you a fright.
They are the things that will suck you clean,
So because of that they must be mean.
But have you ever thought,
That you'd rather ought,
Think this from a different view?
You might just learn something completely new.
There are some stories connected to this,
And it is something you don't want to miss.
Yes, the author of the books, I am a fan:
The author it is, is Darren Shan!

(If you like scary books, reads the books by Darren Shan,
And if you like vampires books read: 'The Saga of Darren Shan'.
This poem is devoted to him and his books.)

Where the Sidewalk Ends
by Shel Silverstein
Reviewed by Rhea Kuruvilla

I chose this book because it is full of hilarious and brilliant poems. I love the way Shel Silverstein used expressive words and how he added a witty twist in the end. There were so many wonderful poems in the book, but I chose 'Pancake?' out of all of the others. Here it is:

Who wants a pancake?
Sweet and piping hot?
Good little Grace looks up and says,
"I'll take the one on top."
Who else wants a pancake?
Fresh from the griddle,
Terrible Theresa smiles and says,
"I'll take the one in the middle."

To understand the poem and notice its humour, you need to take a look at the illustration of a large plate with about a 100 pancakes on it. Now do you get the funniness of the poem? I like every single poem in the book, and if you like funny poems, you'd definitely love this book. The book was illustrated by Shel Silverstein himself. They are wonderful. They make the poem come alive.

I would give this book five out of five and there's no doubt about that.

Taking my Human For a Walk
Poems by Pets chosen by Roger Stevens
Reviewed by Rhea Kuruvilla (aged 10)

I chose this book because I enjoyed it a lot. Taking my Human for a Walk is an hilarious book! You can't not laugh when you read some of the poems! They are super! Most of the poems were brilliant, but I do have a favourite. ' A Sticky Riddle' by Roger Stevens was my favourite poem! It made me laugh out loud! The poem is from a dog's view, not a humans! It's very funny. Here it is:

It might seem obvious to you humans,
But it puzzles me everyday,
If he wants the stick so badly,
Why does he throw it away?

Isn't it cool? The drawings in the book were by Jane Eccles. I didn't like them so much to be completely honest. But, they weren't that bad, they were okay, though the cover illustration was pretty good! I've always been a big fan of Roger Stevens and I think I will continue to read his funny poems.

Falling Up by Shel Silverstein
Reviewed by Rhea Kuruvilla (aged 10)

I chose this book because it gave me the inspiration to write poems and it was hilarious! I loved the idea of Shel Silverstein writing and drawing the illustrations. But there was one poem that I absolutely adored! It was called Screamin' Millie. This is the poem.

Millie McDeevit screamed a scream,
So loud it made her eyebrows steam.
She screamed so loud her jawbone broke,
Her tongue caught fire, her nostrils smoked,
Her eyeballs boiled and then they popped out,
Her ears flew north, her nose went south,
Over the hillside, 'cross the stream,
Into the skies it chased the scream.
And that's what happened to Millie McDeevit,
(At least I hope all you screamers believe it).

I loved every poem in the book but this was my favorite! Shel Silverstein has such lovely talents. Drawing and writing. He put those two talents together and ended making the most wonderful poetry book. The drawings definitely make the book better. It brings out the poem a lot.

(I'd have to agree with you too, Rhea - RS)

Ready, Steady, Rap by John Foster
Reviewed by Joshua Hargreaves (aged 9)

I chose this book because I like raps that make you laugh and there is one particular poem that I like. It's called Gareth's Greatest Goal. Here is an extract from the poem.

I whisk the ball out to the wing
The crowd goes wild, hear them sing.

I swoop behind a flat back four
everyone's yelling, " Go on, score!"

Just the goalie now to beat
I fox him with my flashing feet.

That poem was by David Harmer. My three reasons for picking the book are the illustrations are good, the poet uses a good choice of rhyming words and there is also a good selection of poems.
I chose that poem because the illustration goes really well with the poem. The poet uses two lines in each verse but the poem works.

Poems Are Private by Michael Rosen
Reviewed by Jack Whetton (aged 9)

There were all sorts of poems in this book but the one I liked the best was A Game Of Squash by Dick King- Smith. It was a little funny, it was clever and I liked the way the poet used the rhymes.
The poem went like this:

If there's one thing worse than a head louse,
Then it must, I suppose, be a bed louse.
But as I've understood lice
(And excepting a wood louse),
Why, the only good louse is a dead louse.

I like this poem because I really like the words Dick King-Smith used to rhyme them with other words.

Once Upon A Rhyme
Author: Children in Lancashire
Edited by Donna Samworth
Reviewed by Ellie Thwaites (aged 9)

The poetry book had some really funny poems in and some were really rubbish. Some of the poems were really clever by the way the style was, and there were some that I liked because of the rhymes. My favourite poem is called Willy Wonker, because when you read it to yourself, you can feel the rhythm. I think that they should have improved the way he set it out. I also think that their should put some illustrations next to the poems.

Willy Wonker was such a plonker,
He went to the shop to buy a conker
He put it on a piece of string,
He went down the street and started to sing,
He didn't know how to play,
So he started to play croquet,
He went for a goal,
And got a stone in his sole,
He shouted out loud,
And went as high as a cloud,
And came back down,
With a big frown

(Ellie, Who wrote it?)

Private. Compiled by Michael Rosen
Reviewed by Gabriella Ferrari (aged 9)

I like all the poems in Private. There are selection of poems suitable for children six and over. One of my favorite poems is Voice in the Night because I like the pictures. And the words that are used are very powerful. Also the author has described things in this poem really well. This is the best verse

I shiver alone
scream silently
wondering why the vampire
has chosen me.

This poem is by is by Joan Poulson. The only thing that could have been improved is the pictures. They were really good but they need a bit more colour.

School's Out by W.H. David from Cock Crow to Starlight
Reviewed by Zoe Roberts( age 9)

I like this poem because it makes sense, it makes me laugh and it rhymes. This is a bit of the poem

Girls scream,
boys shout;
dogs bark,
school's out.

I would give this book five stars.

Poems are Private by Michael Rosen
Reviewed by Charlie (aged 8)

My favourite poem is called The Lizard

There was a big green lizard
what lived at the very
top of the ojoche tree
and was invisible among its leaves.
At last I have been able to catch it and
tomorrow we shall eat it in a tasty stew.

I think it's good. It sounds real.

Private by Michael Rosen
Reviewed by Amy Nelligan (aged 9)

This book is a very, very good and I have one best poem in the book . It's called Voices in the Night. It's a serious poem but at the end it is a bit funny because it's all scary saying about vampires then it says,
"My kid let me in.
I lost my key."
So it's a bit funny!
I would give it 5 stars.

Private by Michael Rosen
Reviewed by John Preston (aged 9)

The poem I liked best was ILL. And this is what it was like.

I rather like being ill -
not terribly ill, but just a little bit ill,
lying in bed all warm and cosy,
after a tummy-ache or a chill!

The most pleasing thing about it
that I could mention
is that I'm the centre
of attention!

This poem was written by Gavin Ewart.
I give this poem five stars. Because it explained how the person was ill and it had good pictures.

Watch Out There's a Ghost About by John Foster
Reviewed by Thomas Rollston (aged 8)

The book is about creepy poems. My favourite poem is by Kaye
Umansky and is called A Ghost is Stuck in our Washing Machine. This is the first verse.

A ghost stuck in our washing machine,
And I say serve him right.
He got mixed up with the sheets, you see,
And now he's whiter than white.

Private by Michael Rosen
Reviewed by Chloe Brigham (aged 9)

There are loads of different funny, interesting and serious types of poems in this compilation, but my favourite one is A game of Squash by Dick King-Smith

If there's one thing worse than a headlouse,
Then it must, I suppose, be a bedlouse.
But as I've understood lice
(And excepting the woodlouse),
Why, the good louse is a dead louse.

Poems About Friendship
chosen by Brian Moses
Reviewed by Sophie Brown (aged 9)

The three reasons why I like this book are because it is quite funny, it is presented well and the illustrations are well illustrated. The overall theme was friendship. The authors I liked best were Brian Moses, John Coldwell, Tony Bradman, Robin Mellow and John Cotton. My favourite poem was Class Three affections by John Cotton. It starts like this:

Jim is most fond of Mary,
and Mary's attracted to Joe,
while Joe thinks a lot of Rebecca
who sits in the classes front row.

But Rebecca has thoughts about Basil,
as Basil dreams of sweet Beth,
and Beth each time she sees Ali
finds herself quite out of breath.

The poem was funny because everyone fancied each other. I don't think anything about the book could be changed because the book is so good. The book is written for 7-11 year olds. I would recommend this book to junior school classes 3, 4, 5 and 6. I think I will give this book 5 stars out of 5 because it is just terrific.

Once Upon a Rhyme (Volume 2)
by school children from Lancashire
Edited by Donna Samworth
Reviewed by Alex Hickson (aged 9)

I like the book because there are not a lot of books that school children have written and some of the poems are hilarious. It's also an excellent book because there is a poem I wrote inside. But I'm reviewing Spiderman by Aaron McArdle

He got bitten by a spider in a lab
and developed powers that were really fab.
He made a suit and a mask
all for this one dangerous task.
He said to Bonesaw, "My outfit's new
Hey look at yours. Did your mummy give it to you?"
Bonesaw came running with fury and rage,
he jumped over Bonesaw's shoulders
and threw him at the cage.
Crawling up a building wall
catching robbers robbing stalls.
Swinging through the streets all day,
keeping villains away from Aunt May.
He swings on webs that are very strong
and trust me, they are really long.
He'll defeat the Green Goblin because he can
and guess who he is, he's...
SPIDERMAN!

I like this poem because, well you don't get many poems based on a movie.
(If anyone wants to read it, it's on page 21)
I would give this poem 5 stars.

The World is Your Lobster - Poems chosen by Adrian Henri
Reviewed by Kate Worrall (aged 9)

My favorite poem is called Kate because its got me in it!
It starts like this -

I think I'm in love with Kate,
It just can't be her dimples,
It's not as simple as that.

Shirley's blonde hair and Sue's hair's red,
and curly but I like dark hair,
short and straight like Kate.

I liked the book because I liked the style. It was funny and it was cleverly set out. The poems were really good but could have been longer. I would recommend this poetry book to all children.
I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Poems to Make Your Friends Scream by Susie Gibbs.
Reviewed by Bethan English (aged 9)

I liked this book, because it sometimes made me scared,
most of the poems rhyme and some of the poems are
serious. This book was quite funny. Quite a lot of the
poems made me laugh. This book was not sad at all. None
of the poems really made me cry. A lot of the
poems were really clever the way the poets made it
rhyme. The poets I liked best were Jack Pelutsky, Brian
Moses, Dave Ward and Charles Causley. My favorite
poem was The Vampire by Jack Pelutsky. This was my
favorite poem because it's very descriptive.

His eyes are pools of fire,
his skin is icy white,
and blood his one desire
this woe begotten night.

This was a verse from The Vampire. I loved every part of
the book and poem, and I don't think anything needed to
be improved. This book is illustrated by Jess Mikhail. I
think the illustrations were brill. They make the book
LOADZ better! This book is for 6 - 10 years of age. I
would give this poem 5 stars.

Drawback by Clive Webster from Dragon Poems
Reviewed by Natasha Porter (aged 9)

It's a funny poem and it rhymes. Here it is.

The dragon raged with flame and fire,
He blew it down his nose -
But the poor old soul was quite cross-eyed,
And burnt off all his toes.

I like it, because it's a funny poem, and it's about dragons.
I would give it four stars.

The Children's Book of Books by Tony Ross
Reviewed by Chantelle (aged 9)

I think this book is great because it makes me laugh. I think they could
improve the pictures and the colour. These poems were written in 1999. My favourite poem is I feel sick, it's FAB. It makes me feel sick when I read it and it also reminds me of when I feel sick. Here are the last three verses.

Twisty, turny road, sick,
Chocolate overload, sick,
Ready to explode, sick,
I FEEL SICK.

Daddy, hurry up, sick,
Feel it coming up, sick,
Hic! Hiccup! Hiccup! sick,
I'VE BEEN SICK.

P.S
Didn't make the door, sick,
Threw up on the floor, sick,
There isn't anymore sick,
I FEEL FINE!
I rate it 5 star because it's the BEST!

---

Imagining Things by Kenneth Steven
Reviewed by Devon Conrad

He is the colour of ginger
Blackberry eyes and a long wet nose
That can smell a chicken supper
Three streets away

Wherever you are in the city
A fox is watching you

This is a pretty good book, in my opinion. There were quite a few animal poems and I like animals a lot. Near the end there are a lot of holiday poems, which are pretty cool too. Also, the poems made me think of what Steven was thinking about when he wrote the poems, which is of course a very important quality in a poet!
My favorite poem? Well, I can't say I have a favorite... they were all of equal quality. I think that Kenneth could've put a bit more feeling in it. The poems are good, but he doesn't express his feelings about the topics of the poems. My sister, who is reading over my shoulder as we speak, disagrees:
'They have a lot more feeling than your poems!' she says.
The illustrations were pretty awesome; they go well with the poems, and compliment them.
This is a book for younger readers, I think, but that doesn't mean older readers can't enjoy it too!

---

Poems Spike Milligan
by Rosie (aged 10)

I thought the poem book was good because the poems were a good laugh and really silly. My favourite one has to be the one called Have a Nice Day. Spike Milligan makes up weird animals and that's probably what's best.

I don't think there are any mistakes ever. He is famous for making the Ning Nang Nong and I've known that for ages.

Have a Nice Day is about a man who has a disease and the man is drowning.

---

Monster Poems chosen by Brian Moses
Reviewed by Devon Conrad

Let me start off by saying that this book is really good. It's a collection of poems about (duh!) Monsters. Some of the authors are Brian Moses, Roger Stevens, Colin West and Celia Gentles.
I really liked the poem Morning Monster by Donald Nelson. They were all wonderful, but that one is one of my favorites. I can really relate to it as well.

The door slowly creaked open
Attempting to focus its bloodshot eyes
Its hair a mass of tangled knots
It shuffled down the hallway
Hunched over
Hands about level with its knees
A low grunt emitted from somewhere
Within its grey stubbled face
I spoke only two words to it.
"Morning, Dad," I said.

I really liked the whole monster theme, actually. The only thing that would make it better is making it longer so there would be more good poems to gobble up.
The illustrations are very good as well.
I really liked the poems, all of them. I give this book 4 stars out of 5.

This book also contains two poems by Poetry Zone visitors, Emma Hjeltnes and Katherine Brandt, who won the Monster competition - RS

This link will take you to amazon.co.uk

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I'm Not Telling You by Rachel Rooney
Reviewed by Devon Conrad

When I first got this book, I figured it would be all about secrets. But there are all sorts of poems in it. I really liked the riddle poems, What Am I, The poem and the Poet and Riddle. I liked all the poems but those were the best.
The artwork was really cool. Apparently the illustrator has a thing for monkeys (I do too so - Yay!)

This is a totally awesome book. Four stars (and one point of the fifth star) out of 5.

This link will take you to the Rabbit Press shop

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Tell Me I'm Here by Anne Daveson
Reviewed by Hopey Plowman

My favourite book is Tell Me I'm Here by Anne Daveson. She's a fantastic writer who had a son with schizophrenia. This book is about her son and the life she's led. This book is just amazingly sad but the way she describes the feelings and the different subjects throughout the book is - Wow!! It's like you've been hit with five emotions at once.
I am a huge fan of books that are non-fiction and about mental illnesses or the emotions and experiences of a mentally unstable person. I am just over the moon about this book, and anyone from about 15/16 and up will love this book. It touches on many of society's problems. It's just brilliant!

What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones
Reviewed by Ashleigh Mayes (aged 13)

What My Mother Doesn't Know is a great book written in verse. I just picked it up in the library, read the first line, and couldn't quit reading. It is about a girl and all the things she has to face. Her parents argue a lot so she tries to escape it but she can't. The characters in the book are very life-like and are very believable. The book tells of how she finds a best friend in someone she never thought she would even talk to. She has to face very difficult situation and in the end she discovers that what other people think is not as important as what you think of yourself. I love this book and would recommend it to anyone.

Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll

We are from Tintwistle School, Class Four and we are 11 years old.
This week we have been reading Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll.
We have really enjoyed it. We hope you will enjoy it as much as we did.

We listed six secrets about the poem and here are some we selected:

1. The rhythm is one of this poem's secrets because it is quite simple but it fits really well.
2. You can quite easily work out what the nonsense words mean if you read the poem because brillig from the first and last verse means brilliant.
3. Lewis Carroll uses onomatopoeia a lot and it helps you to understand the text a bit more.
4. He uses a lot of alliteration with g like gyre and gimble in the wabe.
5. Rhyme is another secret, it kind of grabs your attention.
6. People think that the words are old fashioned but they're not - they're nonsense words.

The Journal of Danny Chaucer (Poet) by Roger Stevens
Reviewed by Nicole Anne Braganza

The highs and lows in the life and loves of fifteen year old Danny Chaucer (poet) created in lyrics and verse. An insight into a mind of turmoil, a broken heart and a struggle for self-worth. Danny begins the school year, possessed by thoughts of Jenny Keane and best friend Tommy. But all that is about to change over the course of the year.
Danny finally creates his own dream - a rock band, inspired by Uncle Roy. This is a turning point in his life, as he develops an identity of his own and discovers a unique joy in his music. The new rock band shows him purpose, and gives meaning to his life.
The term ends with new hope for Danny Chaucer. A new band, a new girlfriend, and a brand-new beginning; things couldn't get better.
A verse novel that captures your imagination, wonder and sadness. The thoughts, the emotions are so real that you feel a connectivity with the mind and heart of this teenager. Step inside this book, this amazing journey, and let Danny lead the way.

Half-Caste by John Agard
Reviewed by Sam

This poem is excellent. It is about Caribbean people who hate to be called half-caste because of the colour of their skin. There is a pun on the title. Half cast means half made and Agard uses everyday examples that things that are made up of two colours or things are normal. He uses the example of Picasso using red and green paint and also Tchaikovsky (composer) writing symphonies using the black and white keys on the piano. Without using both colour keys a symphony cannot be complete. The poem has a rhythm and the same words are repeated to make them stick in your mind. John Agard is a performance poet and when he reads it he stands on one leg to show people what the term half-caste means to him. He wants to get the point across that he is not half a person.

Are We Nearly There Yet?
Holiday Poems chosen by Brian Moses
Reviewed by Nicole Anne Braganza

From the excitement of setting off, cruising down country roads, driving over mountains, and singing Seaside Sonatas, Are We Nearly There Yet takes you through the unforgettable, the fun and the crazy times. A taste of Haute Cuisine at exotic destinations (that don't taste half as nice as Mom's burgers), and stuffing up on sweets (because your brother forgot the tin opener). And finally Days fly by on holidays don't you agree ?
A funny collection of poems packed with fun and joy. A journey of holiday memories and the best times of your life. Grab this book and let your imagination go places!

I Did Not Eat the Goldfish by Roger Stevens
Reviewed by Judy Dog

I like Roger's poems very much although they are not as good as mine. I've written billions of poems but Roger only chose three for this book. Not only that but he named the book after a poem that Scampi the Cat wrote. How's that fair? Scampi's not a proper poet. He hasn't even got a proper name. Not like Judy. That's a real dog's name.

Hey, has anyone seen a ladder around here?

:-)