Poetry books for the Poetry Friendly Classroom
Take a look at some of our favourite children's poetry books - perfect for use in the poetry-friendly classroom.
From Roald Dahl's classic Revolting Rhymes to Elizabeth Acevedo's fantastic novel in verse The Poet X, these books are guaranteed to promote a love of poetry.
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Cloud Busting
Author: Malorie Blackman
Interest level: 7+
Reading age: 8+
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Cloud Busting
Author: Malorie Blackman
Interest level: 7+
Reading age: 8+
Shortlisted for the 2004 Nestlé Smarties Book Prize (age 6-8 category), an exploration of an unlikely friendship between tw…
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Revolting Rhymes
Author: Roald Dahl Illustrator: Quentin Blake
Interest level: 5+
Reading age: 7+
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Revolting Rhymes
Author: Roald Dahl Illustrator: Quentin Blake
Interest level: 5+
Reading age: 7+
This is an hilarious collection of some well-loved fairy tales, cleverly reinvented by Roald Dahl.
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Collected Poems for Children
Author: Ted Hughes Illustrator: Raymond Briggs
Interest level: 5+
Reading age: 7+
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Collected Poems for Children
Author: Ted Hughes Illustrator: Raymond Briggs
Interest level: 5+
Reading age: 7+
All Hughes readers might expect the crows, horses and sheep they encounter here, but the haggis/bagpipe hybrid might be more of a …
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A Kid in my Class
Author: Rachel Rooney Illustrator: Chris Riddell
Interest level: 8-11
Reading age: 9+
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A Kid in my Class
Author: Rachel Rooney Illustrator: Chris Riddell
Interest level: 8-11
Reading age: 9+
This brilliant and imaginatively illustrated book is the perfect addition to any classroom library; a book of clever poems picking…
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Sensational!
Author: Various Editor: Roger McGough Illustrator: Sara Fanelli
Interest level: 7+
Reading age: 8+
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Sensational!
Author: Various Editor: Roger McGough Illustrator: Sara Fanelli
Interest level: 7+
Reading age: 8+
Every poem could inspire a child's writing, reading or thinking, and their teachers' too.
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Michael Rosen's A to Z
Author: Michael Rosen
Interest level: 9+
Reading age: 8+
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Michael Rosen's A to Z
Author: Michael Rosen
Interest level: 9+
Reading age: 8+
Former Children’s Laureate, Michael Rosen, gathers together the best children’s poetry from Agard to Zephaniah in this…
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The Hat
Author: Carol Ann Duffy Illustrator: David Whittle
Interest level: 9+
Reading age: 10+
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The Hat
Author: Carol Ann Duffy Illustrator: David Whittle
Interest level: 9+
Reading age: 10+
Bubbling over with humour and life, the poems in The Hat paint pictures, evoke smells, conjure sounds and encapsulate events both …
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Overheard in a Tower Block
Author: Joseph Coelho Illustrator: Kate Milner
Interest level: 10-14
Reading age: 10-14
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Overheard in a Tower Block
Author: Joseph Coelho Illustrator: Kate Milner
Interest level: 10-14
Reading age: 10-14
Recounting the childhood of a child living in a city tower block, many of these poems are sad or angry and bristle with an edgines…
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Red, Cherry Red
Author: Jackie Kay
Interest level: 12+
Reading age: 11+
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Red, Cherry Red
Author: Jackie Kay
Interest level: 12+
Reading age: 11+
Truthful, soulful and witty poems in this collection explore a theme of identity. Who are we? What reveals us? Is our identity bou…
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Read Me and Laugh
Author: Various Editor: Gaby Morgan
Interest level: 9+
Reading age: 8+
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Read Me and Laugh
Author: Various Editor: Gaby Morgan
Interest level: 9+
Reading age: 8+
This is a collection of funny poems from a wide range of poets from Spike Milligan to Valarie Bloom, and Lewes Carroll to Michael …
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The Poet X
Author: Elizabeth Acevedo
Interest level: 13+
Reading age: 13+
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The Poet X
Author: Elizabeth Acevedo
Interest level: 13+
Reading age: 13+
Xiomara, a teenage girl of Dominican heritage, is starting to notice boys, but her strict Catholic parents have decided on no cont…
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New and Collected Poems for Children
Author: Carol Ann Duffy Illustrator: Alice Stevenson
Interest level: 9+
Reading age: 9+
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New and Collected Poems for Children
Author: Carol Ann Duffy Illustrator: Alice Stevenson
Interest level: 9+
Reading age: 9+
Poet Laureate, Carol Ann Duffy, brings together the best of her poems for children.
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Crazy Mayonnaisy Mum
Author: Julia Donaldson Illustrator: Nick Sharratt
Interest level: 5+
Reading age: 7+
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Crazy Mayonnaisy Mum
Author: Julia Donaldson Illustrator: Nick Sharratt
Interest level: 5+
Reading age: 7+
There is a poem to appeal to everyone in this thoughtful and fun collection
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We Come Apart
Author: Sarah Crossan and Brian Conaghan
Interest level: 12+
Reading age: 12+
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We Come Apart
Author: Sarah Crossan and Brian Conaghan
Interest level: 12+
Reading age: 12+
Written in free verse, this dual narrative story goes straight to the heart of Jess and Nicu’s friendship, exploring their f…
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Pumpkin Grumpkin
Author: Various Editor: John Agard and Grace Nichols Illustrator: Satoshi Kitamura
Interest level: 9+
Reading age: 9+
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Pumpkin Grumpkin
Author: Various Editor: John Agard and Grace Nichols Illustrator: Satoshi Kitamura
Interest level: 9+
Reading age: 9+
Amusing and bemusing poetry from around the globe. John Agard and Grace Nichols have assembled a bunch of silly poems in this new …
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My Mum’s Growing Down
Author: Laura Dockrill Illustrator: David Tazzyman
Interest level: 7-11
Reading age: 7-11
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My Mum’s Growing Down
Author: Laura Dockrill Illustrator: David Tazzyman
Interest level: 7-11
Reading age: 7-11
What do you do if your mum loves nothing better than complaining in restaurants and calling museum guards fruit bats? What if she …
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Letters to Anyone and Everyone
Author: Toon Tellegen Illustrator: Jessica Ahlberg Translator: Martin Cleaver
Interest level: 7+
Reading age: 7+
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Letters to Anyone and Everyone
Author: Toon Tellegen Illustrator: Jessica Ahlberg Translator: Martin Cleaver
Interest level: 7+
Reading age: 7+
Discover a collection of extraordinary letters in this magical new volume of short stories.
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Quick, Let’s Get Out of Here
Author: Michael Rosen Illustrator: Quentin Blake
Interest level: 5+
Reading age: 7+
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Quick, Let’s Get Out of Here
Author: Michael Rosen Illustrator: Quentin Blake
Interest level: 5+
Reading age: 7+
Two former Children’s Laureates join forces for this brilliantly entertaining poetry collection for children
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Bad, Bad Cats
Author: Roger McGough Illustrator: Lydia Monks
Interest level: 5+
Reading age: 7+
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Bad, Bad Cats
Author: Roger McGough Illustrator: Lydia Monks
Interest level: 5+
Reading age: 7+
Packed with witty wordplay, and quirky humour, this delightful collection will appeal to children of all ages
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