"When my parents split up they didn't know what to do with me..."

"Hello there. 

My name's Andy, short for Andrea. I used to live with both my parents at Mulberry Cottage. Now my parents have divorced, and now my mum lives with Bill the Baboon and his three kids whilst my dad lives with Carrie and her twins. I change every week, which is quite stressful. Everyone says it's as easy as A B C, but I disagree. All I want is to go home - back to Mulberry cottage..."

Meet ten-year-old Andy, and share her experiences of life after divorce in this realistic, moving, yet very funny story from Jacqueline Wilson, author of The Story of Tracy Beaker & other great tales.

Why you should read this book:
I think every one should read this book, children & grown-ups alike, because it shows basically most of the things a child with divorced parents feels, and different things they may experience in such a life. Most children today feel that because a lot of divorces are going on today.

10/10, a great read.

Starring Tracy Beaker

Tracy Beaker is a girl with a humungous imagination. She lives at a children's home, or the "Dumping Ground" as she and most of the kids who live there with her call it.

In this story she gets her hopes up too high, and her mum doesn't come but everything turns out fine. 

I think that I like it most because she is very creative, she's always fantasizing about rich stories about her and her mum and her "pals". She's very stubborn and sometimes in silly ways. For example, she thinks she does not like somebody but then she finds out that he/she is her best friend in the world.

I think that i would give this fabulous story a whopping 10/10. 

Down behind the dustbin...

A quick word from me : I hope these are good poems for All to enjoy. 

BARRY

Down behind the dustbin

I met a dog I knew.

He said his name was Barry

but I don't think it was true.

DOMINIC

Down behind the dustbin 

I met a dog called Dominic.

He wasn't very clever

but he did know one trick.

JANE

Down behind the dustbin

I met a dog called Jane.

She said she was pretty 

and her friends all thought the same.

Michael Rosen also writes poems that are like normal conversations and normal life. And normal rows. I had an idea of one of those types of Michael Rosen poems, and so here it is:

TIDY YOUR ROOM

Lily: Tidy your room .

James: No .

         

Lily: Go fetch the broom.

James: No!

Lily: Fetch it now!

James: No!!

Lily: Then ... you ... will ... HOWL!

James: NO! OOWWW!!!!!

Down behind the dustbin...

I like reading funny poems and Michael Rosen is the best at those. Just like the rest of my family, I've written some "Down behind the dustbin..."-based poems.

MIMSY

Down behind the dustbin

I met a dog called Mimsy.

She had a new toy squeaker

that broke 'cause it was flimsy.

BIGGLES

Down behind the dustbin

I met a dog called Biggles.

He was a great comedian and

I've still got the giggles.

And now for MY cat version:

GEORGE

Down behind the dustbin

I met a cat called George.

He had a load of injuries,

"I fell into a gorge!"

Down behind the dustbin...

Here are my contributions!

SAUL

Down behind the dustbin,

I met a dog Saul.

He couldn't reach the bin-lid,

so he had to use a stool.

EDISON

Down behind the dustbin,

I met a dog called Edison.

He wasn't feeling very well,

so I gave him some medicine.

FIG

Down behind the dustbin,

I met a dog called Fig.

He didn't like himself,

so he turned into a PIG!

And now, for a cat poem:

TIBBLES

Down behind the dustbin

I met a cat called Tibbles.

She looked like she was starving,

so I gave her some mouse nibbles.

Mustard, Custard, Grumble Belly and Gravy

We have been reading this book of poems. It's great! We've been listening to it too as the book contains a CD of all the poems read by the author - the marvellous Michael Rosen.

When I was 6 or 7 years old Michael Rosen visited our school and read some of his poems. We did a whole project on Michael Rosen poems: illustrated them; wrote our own versions; just enjoyed them.

So, as Ruth and I were enjoying the poetry, I decided to challenge the older three to write their own versions of Rosen poems. I had a go myself too.

We might do more of this. Some of his poems are helpfully structured to replicate in our own style.

Today's exercise was based on the 'Down behind the dustbin' poems, Sid and Jim.

SID

Down behind the dustbin

I met a dog called Sid.

He could smell a bone inside

but couldn't lift the lid.

JIM

Down behind the dustbin

I met a dog called Jim.

He didn't know me 

and I didn't know him.

Feel free to add your own. The kids will be blogging their own contributions...

Here are mine:

DANIEL

Down behind the dustbin

I met a dog called Daniel.

He claimed he was a greyhound

but he looked more like a spaniel.

LUCIE

Down behind the dustbin

I met a dog called Lucie.

She was carrying an orange

which looked very juicy.

MATS

Down behind the dustbin

I met a dog called Mats.

He was barking mad, excited:

He was off to chase some cats.

Pick a name, any name, I dare you...

WarHorse 'Tested by battle. Touched by kindness. Bound by friendship.'

by Michael Morpurgo

War Horse is the best ever Morpurgo book, which is why it's a major movie. Because it's by the master storyteller Michael Morpurgo it's a must for 7+ years. Set during the First World War, Joey gets parted from Alfie to become a cavalry horse and he has a range of owners/carers: including British officers, a French girl, German soldiers.

The way Morpurgo wrote the story is as if Joey was telling it himself, and he does it in most of his books.

I really like the first battle and, of course, the end of the book but the prologue (author's note) isn't bad either. 

A sad yet 'edge-of-your-seat' book, it's  perfect for all ages. 10/10

You can watch a trailer of the film here.