The First Year

Nate is about to start secondary school. After a challenging final year at Primary, things seem to have settled for him and he is ready for a fun-filled summer before a fresh start in September. However, a new school brings new challenges- and some old. Avoiding Turner, conforming to endless rules and adapting to new teachers combined with a growing sense of distance between Nate and his brothers combine to unsettle him. And then, there’s a surprise reappearance in his life…

Writing the sequel to an incredibly popular book must be a daunting task. Reading such a sequel is hard enough- will the character maintain their personality? will they grow? will the plot be engaging or contrived? And most importantly, will it leave you with the same sense of awe and wonder as the first?

‘The Final Year’ made a huge impact on me - and on many children and adults who I have had the joy of discussing it with. In Nate, Matt managed to capture the very essence of many children I have taught over the years and really give them a voice. His extraordinary ability to do this continues in ‘The First Year’.

Starting secondary school is a massive change for children. Primary schools offer a far more secure, comforting environment, even for those who struggle with it, than the impersonal, large scale nature of secondary schools. For those already vulnerable and adrift, this can be completely overwhelming. Nate’s bond with Mr Joshua, the pull of the familiarity of his old school, the fact that his brothers are still there all combine to emphasise Nate’s sense of growing disaffection with his new school where he feels he is being labelled and judged. There is no empathy, no consideration for the turbulent emotions and confusion which might be colouring an individual’s life- and behaviour.

The seeming simplicity of the text belies the complexity of emotion and experience which the story explores. The power and poignancy in places is breath taking, making Nate’s continued story ever bit as engaging as it was in ‘The Final Year’. There is no doubting the skill of Matt’s writing- ‘The First Year’ is sure to gain just as many well deserved accolades as ‘the Final Year’.

The First Year

Matt Goodfellow, illustrated by Joe Todd-Stanton

Otter Barry Books ISBN: 978-1915659606

You can read my review of ‘The Final Year’ here.

FCBG Children’s Book Awards 2024

Yesterday, I was delighted to be able to attend the Federation of Children’s Book Groups Children’s Book Awards 2024 Ceremony. This year, it was being held in Birmingham so I was up bright and early for a very exciting day out!

I hadn’t been to Birmingham for years and so was really grateful to one of the members of the Birmingham group who had not only written directions to follow from the station, but had also added in things of interest to look out for along the way! The famous bull, Ozzy, from the Commonwealth Games 2022, the lovely Piccadilly Arcade, the impressive Council House building and the domed Hall of Memory were all features of my mini guided tour as I made my way to the Novotel where the ceremony was being held.

Had the incredible library been open, I might never have made it to the ceremony, but that was a treat I had to save for later. The gilded bronze statue, known as the ‘Golden Boys’ honours Matthew Boulton, James Watt and William Murdoch, shown studying steam engine plans.  Together, these three revolutionised the steam engine. Also on my route was the Black Sabbath bench, a tribute to this Birmingham metal band, located on Broad Street, above the bridge on Canal Street, also named after the band!

At the Novotel, excitement was mounting as the dedicated and hard working team of FCBG members, led by Sarah Stuffins, were putting the finishing touches to preparations for the ceremony. Always a lovely occasion, the Children’s Book Awards ceremony keeps children- the voters- at its heart as members from each of the testing groups are invited to attend the occasion. Each child arrives to find a bag of goodies ready for them-including a Fed Ted- and that they will be sitting at a table with one of the shortlisted authors or illustrators! There are not many events which offer that!

As the guests all started to arrive, there was a wonderful atmosphere as everyone circulated and asked for their books to be signed. There was so much excitement from young (and somewhat older!) readers and so much excited book-ish chat, proving that these awards really do encourage reading for pleasure and that there are plenty of young readers who enjoy a great story.

Once everyone had eaten a delicious lunch, the ceremony was ready to begin and Korky, Winnie the Witch and Wilbur treated us to much wand waving and merriment, including a masterclass in how to draw Winnie. Every child had a numbered ticket in their goodie bag and one won a signed book and another won the picture. Sadly, adults weren’t included!

Each shortlisted author was then presented with a portfolio of work, full of pictures and writing from the children who voted for their books. These are so special and each author was genuinely moved to see the contributions these contain. Sadly, Karen Obuhanych, Philip Reeve, Sarah McIntyre, Michael Rosen and Simon Fox were not able to attend, but they sent messages which were shared at this time.

And then, the winner of each category was announced. Rob Biddulph won the Books for Younger Children’s category with ‘Gigantic’, Thomas Flintham won the Books for Younger Readers’ category with ‘Press Start! Game On, Super Rabbit Boy!’ and the Books for Older Readers’ category was won by ‘The Final Year’, written by Matt Goodfellow and illustrated by Joe Todd-Stanton. Although everyone had their favourites that they were rooting for, the results were received with great delight and much cheering.

As with each category, the overall winner was announced by children from one of the FCBG groups- another thing which is special to this award! Overall Winner of the Children’s Book Award 2024 was ‘Press Start! Game On, Super Rabbit Boy! ‘ by Thomas Flintham.

It was a fabulous occasion, greatly enjoyed by everyone! The Federation of Children’s Book Groups Children’s Book Awards is absolutely about children having a voice and genuinely reflects their interests and reading tastes. Huge congratulations to all the shortlisted authors and illustrators - and their publishers- and a huge well done to those involved in the organisation of the event!

This has nothing to do with the awards, but on the way home, I visited the wonderful Birmingham Library and then the ‘Victorian Radicals: From the Pre-Raphaelites to the Arts and Crafts Movement' at The Gas Hall, part of Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery. The perfect way to end the day!

You can read about CBA2023 here and CBA2022 here.

The Final Year

As Nate heads into his final year of primary school, he is ready for anything with his best friend, PS, by his side. However, they are put into different classes and PS develops a friendship with Turner, the school bully, leaving Nate struggling to make sense of things. When his youngest brother, Dylan, is rushed into hospital, Nate feels as if his life is spiralling out of control and his anger is rising.

Matt Goodfellow is a stunning poet, well known for his beautifully crafted, often poignant work, which is highly relatable. In ‘The Final Year’, he has brought all his skill with language to create a very powerful verse novel which is sensitive and incredibly relevant.

Nate could be one of any number of boys - or girls- who I have taught. His homelife, though loving, is chaotic. He and his two brothers have different fathers and, as the oldest, Nate carries plenty of the responsibility for caring for them. He has had support to control his anger- The Beast- which overcomes him at times and he has developed a range of techniques to help with this yet still it lurks within him. He is sensitive and caring, a loyal friend, a loving son and brother. Matt has captured all of this with great skill, creating a very recognisable ‘real’ character who inspires empathy in the reader. Where some other writers might come across as patronising, Matt’s portrayal shows genuine understanding and compassion.

School and teachers are often condemned in stories, reduced to stereotypes and showing the system at its worst. Here, Nate’s teacher, Mr Joshua, is shown as a more rounded figure. He only gets cross when he needs to, sings all the time and notices Nate when he (Nate) needs to feel seen, nurturing his love of reading and words, offering him an outlet for his emotions. Mr Joshua (like many of us) tells his class there are more important things in life than SATs, that they should just do their best, and when Nate needs him, is right there. It is a thoughtful portrayal of a caring teacher, striving to do their best for their class and I am sure Matt has drawn on his personal experience to create this.

Told in the present tense, the story feels even more authentic because dialect has been used consistently and accurately throughout. This is Nate’s voice and you can almost feel the places he breathes whilst he tells you his story. In places, his pain is so raw, so real, all captured by Matt’s beautiful words.

‘The Final Year’ is illustrated by Joe Todd-Stanton and the proof copy I have read shows a mixture of finished pieces and rough artwork for the story. These draw perfectly on the emotions of the text, capturing Nate’s feelings as he navigates his final year at primary. I can’t wait to see the joy of a finished copy!

There are a million more things which I could say about this incredible book- the skilful use of ‘Skellig’, the carefully observed friendship spilt, the essential role of libraries, the sensitive portrayal of Nate’s mum, the ending… but I just suggest people read it and get it into the hands of children who will see themselves and feel understood, recognised and valued. More books like this are needed.

The Final Year

Matt Goodfellow, illustrated by Joe Todd-Stanton

Otter-Barry Books ISBN: 978-1915659040

Out on the 7th September 2023

Pause for Poetry: Monday

This week, I will be pausing for poetry every day in celebration of National Poetry Day on Thursday 6th October. The theme this year is the Environment, offering plenty of poems to choose from and plenty of inspiration for writing.

However, because poetry is not just for National Poetry Day, I will be sharing a couple of favourite poetry books each day this week. It has been very hard to choose…

Poetry can be an incredibly powerful, personal form of expression which allows the exploration of thoughts and feelings or simply their release. Sometimes, we lack the words to encapsulate our emotions or the courage to commit them to paper. Finding that others have also experienced similar feelings can offer great comfort which is why poems like those in ‘Being Me’ are invaluable. Sharing and discussing emotions through the words of others helps us to make sense of our feelings, feel supported and encourage empathy for others.

This is a truly stunning collection of poignant, powerful poems by three outstanding poets, illustrated by Victoria Jane Wheeler. The anthology contains 45 poems exploring a wide range of emotions, worries and ideas. Invaluable for both home and school, this is a collection which should be on every shelf.

Each poem deserves to be savoured and could be discussed in detail, easily being used as the core of a session, for a discussion or read for pleasure, but I have selected just a few to look at here. There are notes at the end of the book written by Dr Karen Goodall, a developmental psychologist, which offer advice for discussions and links for support organisations.

Reading ‘My Head is Full of Hurry’ by Laura eases all the tension in your body as your mind slows with the calming images she creates. The use of alliteration and onomatopoeia help echo the sounds of nature and its healing beauty. Children could easily create their own poems using this as a model, drawing on images, sounds and experiences which help them to regain some peace and feel calm. My head is mostly ‘full of hurry’ - a wonderful description- and this poem is one which I will now mutter to myself at moments of need.

‘A Thought’ by Matt explores a mother’s depression from a child’s point of view. The imagery used is so poignant, yet easy to relate to and perfect for discussing the feelings of both adult and child.

Liz’s poem, ‘What to do with worries’ suggests many ways of sharing the things that are bothering you instead of bottling them up. This is another poem which children could use as a model for their own ideas as well as a starting point for discussing ways to tackle worries.

Other favourites include ‘The Land of Blue’, ‘Being Heard’, ‘In the Heart of a Book’ and ‘First Day’, but each and every poem is a real gem. Highly recommended.

Being Me: Poems about Thoughts, Worries and Feelings

Liz Brownlee, Matt Goodfellow and Laura Mucha

illustrated by Victoria Jane Wheeler

Otter Barry ISBN: 978-1913074654

Whatever your feelings, there is a poem which can help! There are poems which can lighten your mood, poems to calm you down, those which entertain and those which inspire. ‘Everyone Sang’ is a fabulous collection which really has something for everyone and every emotion.

Gathered into four sections, the poems have been selected to help support different moods and capture how the reader is feeling. In his introduction, William Sieghart says, ‘There is a special magic in the perfect poem…’ and there is plenty of magic in these pages. There are plenty of classics- Wordsworth’s ‘Daffodils’, John Masefield’s ‘Sea Fever’ and ‘Silver’ by Walter de la Mare to name a few- alongside more recent treasures like ‘Granny Is…’ by Valerie Bloom

Each section has been carefully considered, offering a balance of older and more modern as well as from a wonderful range of poets from different countries and cultures. There are so many poems in this joyful collection which are perfect for sharing with a class or using for assemblies, encouraging children to reflect on their feelings and showing how poetry can help them to express themselves and understand others.

The illustrations are simply delightful, immersing the reader in the poems. They are full of colour, life and imagination. Each spread could be framed and displayed, but I particularly love the illustration for ‘The Sound Collector’ by Roger McGough and the one for ‘Don’t Go Into the Library’ by Alberto Rios.

A fabulous collection of poems for everyone to enjoy, ‘Everyone Sang’ would make a perfect gift.

Everyone Sang: A Poem for Every Feeling

William Sieghart, illustrated by Emily Sutton

Walker Books ISBN: 978-1406393613

'The Same Inside' is an amazing collection of poems by three very special poets. It is a collection to be shared, discussed and enjoyed again and again.

The opening poem entitled 'The Same Inside' by Liz Brownlee sets the tone of the book perfectly. Look inside any apple and what do you find- a star, and yet they all have different appearances. Cutting the apples, sharing the fruit and planting the seed of the idea could be used as the basis of an assembly or lesson to develop empathy and encourage thought and discussion. Having done this, it is amazing where it led!

There are poems here to help with many situations and each could be used as the basis for work in the classroom so I have selected a few of my favourites to discuss here- but it was very hard to choose!

'Each and Every One' is a poem by Matt Goodfellow which states 'I am human' in a range of languages, starting with Welsh and ending with English. Imagine the fun to be had discovering which language each sentence is written in, the joy of children identifying a language which they can speak. Families could add the same sentence in other languages they speak or are interested in and the poem extended, celebrated and displayed. Children could think of other sentences or phrases which they would like to translate and create a poem of their own along the same lines. This could lead to discussions about how the sentiment behind the phrase is the same, no matter what the language. 

Roger Stevens' poem, 'Boy or Girl?', offers a brilliant starting point for challenging ideas about gender stereotyping. Having listened to each 'riddle', they could be asked whether they think the subject is a boy or a girl and then discuss why. They could then gather ideas about themselves or their friends and write poems exploring the things they love to do, encouraging empathy and understanding and perhaps allowing children to share hobbies and talents that they have 'outside' school that others might know nothing about. 

'Differences of Opinion' by Liz Brownlee would make a great performance poem. Easy to learn, with plenty of humour, it also carries a poignant message about the beauty of friendship and celebrating difference. Children could create their own poems about the differences between themselves and others- but focus on how little this matters. Differences are to be respected and acknowledged, not ridiculed or loathed. 

Each and every poem in this collection is poignant and special- words to carry in your heart and remind us that we are all 'The Same Inside.'

The Same Inside: Poems about Empathy and Friendship

Liz Brownlee, Matt Goodfellow and Roger Stevens

Macmillan     ISBN: 978-1509854509

 Enjoy these- more tomorrow!