Cloud Busting

by Malorie Blackman

A touching story, written in verse, which celebrates friendship and individuality – from the award-winning author of Noughts and Crosses .

Despite his mum’s insistence, Sam doesn’t want to be friends with Davey. He thinks Davey is a first-class, grade A, top-of-the-dung-heap moron. But one day Davey saves Sam’s life and a bond is formed between them. Sam is still embarrassed to be seen with Davey, but little by little he has to admit that when it’s just the two of them, Davey is a lot of fun. But then something terrible happens to Davey.

Told in verse, in first person, the story of an extraordinary friendship that changes two boys’ lives forever – an uplifting tale that truly sings out.


From the Hardcover edition.

Genres: Poetry, Childrens, Fiction, Middle Grade, Friendship, Young Adult, Novels

149 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

An award-winning children's author, Malorie Blackman was honoured with an OBE in 2008. Her work has been adapted for TV and stage.

More information available at:
Myspace
British Council: Contemporary Authors
British Council: Encompass Culture
Channel 4 Learning: Book Box

Reviews

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredibly powerful verse novel where each chapter is written using a different style of poetry. Beautiful and heartbreaking. Wonderful PHSE links. Would be a great read aloud for UKS2 and would link well to National Poetry Day or Anti-bullying week.

[Imtithaal · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's such a cute book about a beautiful friendship. I remember reading this as a kid so I picked it up and read it again and I cried the same way I did when I first read it. 💗

[Les McFarlane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't quite know why I haven't read this before. However, I'm really glad I came across it on a bookshelf in a classroom.
Such a clever way to tell a story. Malorie Blackman has used different types of poetry to write a surprisingly touching story of friendship, bullying and a different way of looking at the world.
Can't really talk about the story without revealing way it pans out. Suffice to say I really liked it. A cleverly woven tale that unfolds beautifully ( and devastatingly ) amongst the poetry.

[Ellie L · Rating 4 out of 5]

A moving story of bullying, complex friendships and power of peer pressure in causing misguided decisions. This is one of the first novels in verse that I have ever read and an extremely powerful one at that. Stepping away from any standard form of verse was so powerful in depicting the conflicting emotions experienced by the protagonist. A very interesting and valuable experience to watch the events unfold from an often unheard perspective.

[Rosie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel is told through verse, with a variety of different poetry types and techniques. I love that Chapter Three’s poetry type is linked to the content, where Mr Mackie is teaching the class about haikus and the whole chapter is written using the 5-7-5 syllable formatting of a haiku. I also like that Chapter 6 is written using shape poetry, again reflecting the words.
This text follows the relationship of Sam and Davey, where they have a complex friendship. The text considers themes such as friendship and kindness, but also of bullying. It also considers issues such as allergies and could help children to recognise the seriousness of allergies and also raise awareness on what to do if someone suffers from a reaction, as I feel there will always be at least one child in a school who may require an epi-pen.

This text would be great to use for exploring poetry and the various types and techniques. It would also act as a useful tool when discussing bullying in PSHE or during Anti-Bullying week.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I stumbled across this book by accident. Someone had mentioned that Malorie Blackman was a good author to try and this was the only book on the school bookshelf at the time. What a read!! If you like Sharon Creech (Love that dog. Hat that cat) you will enjoy this, but even so this book has so much more.

It is hard to define as a poem / novel but it covers issues of bullying, being new in school and many aspects of friendship and trust. It could be used for PHSE sessions but I have read it out loud to 3 different year 5 / 6 classes and they all got engrossed in the plot beyond the poetry. It was also noticeable that the boys in particular wanted to know more about what would happen next. - Result!!

I cannot praise this book highly enough and would encourage all to give it a try.

[Hannah Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cloud Busting by Malorie Blackman is a story written in verse, various styles of poetry are used to tell the story of Sam and Davey's friendship. Cloud Busting would be a good book for KS2 classes to introduce and teach poetry. The book itself is not long, and I personally felt the ending a bit abrupt.

[Amy Greenslade · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gorgeous book with a powerful message for children. One of my favourites to read in the classroom.

[Akua D · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cloud Busting is about a boy called Sam who was bullying a boy in his class. The book explores why Sam started to bully his classmate and how this affected the boy who was being bullied. Through his actions he in turn became bullied and understood how Tim felt.
What I enjoy about this book is that all of it tells the story through chapters of poetry. It uses different types of poetic methods and techniques. Malorie Blackman was able to incorporate the characters development of poetry into the story. This will be useful to children who are developing their poetry techniques in English, by having relatable characters and different use of poetry.
This book is suitable for KS2 pupils who have already started using poetry and are aware of the different poetic techniques.
This book can be used to support English and PSHE/Citizenship. This is Definitely a book that I would use with a future class.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a powerful book written in a range of styles of poetry and telling the unfolding story of a boy whose whole outlook on life is changed by his brief friendship with a boy who was very different. A lovely book for exploring many ideas both to do with text - what makes a novel? what makes a poem? - and identity and friendship. The narrator ends up in a completely different place at the end of the nine months and through it challenges all sorts of concepts of what is of interest and value in life, what does it mean to see things differently. All in all, a deep and thought-provoking read. Could be coupled along with 'Love my dog' by Sharon Creech which is another story told through poetry, albeit structured on specific poems.

[Amber Rhodes · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely little book that I picked up from a Charity Shop. I think if I were younger when I had first read this I would have enjoyed it even more. What a cute little book.

[Zoe Hickey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book came as a recommendation from a year four teacher. It did not disappoint. The poems are really well thought through and demonstrate different types of poems clearly. There are also morals which are touched upon within this story such as forgiveness and about bullying.
I would love to read this to a class of children and see what their thoughts and feelings are on the different characters and the storyline.

[Nikki Chapman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Class read.
Sensitive topics written cleverly in poems. The class enjoyed it.

[Anna-Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5🌟

[Anthony Buck · Rating 5 out of 5]

A magnificent book. A wonderfully emotional story and endlessly inventive. Highly highly recommend.

[Solveig · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought a book billed as "told completely in verse" would sound more rythmic when read out loud. Maybe it works better in the written format?

[Zahraa kurta · Rating 3 out of 5]

sad ending but their friendship was cute and it was fun to read

[Vita Luna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing. It made me cry, I can say that without shame. This is beautiful and devestating and uplifting at the same time. What a special book.

[Virginia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cloud Busting is a captivating story about one of the harshest aspects of school life for many children – the painful, destructive act of bullying. This story features Sam, the bully and Davey, his victim as the main characters. As is the case in most such situations, Sam is not short of supporters and Davey’s suffering is the sort that would tug at many hearts. This is very much a tale of emotions: pain, fear, confidence at both extremes of the spectrum, the blush of a schoolboy crush and - after a period of reflection induced by a potentially life threatening incident - finally, regret on the bully’s part.

A gripping, touching story by any measure, however, what I found most fascinating about this book, was its superbly creative presentation. The entire story is told through poetry – poetry of various types that seamlessly flow into each other. The unusual form is very obvious, yet not at all distracting as the strong story line urges the reader on. The simple vocabulary, including some ‘slang’ would serve well to distract poetry-averse readers from the fact that this story is an anthology of poems. Further, Blackman has very creatively utilised one of the poems in the book to demonstrate how teachers can transform poetry-averse children into enthusiastic budding poets. In this particular poem, Mr McKee, a teacher who is clearly passionate about the subject of poetry seized and capitalised on a teaching moment, and drawing upon the children’s experiences of rap and pop music, was able to ignite in them a desire to write poetry. Cloud Busting, in my humble opinion, is a perfect tool for ‘busting’ children’s misconceptions of poetry as ‘boring’ and ‘for old people’ while vividly yet sensitively addressing the issue of bullying.

[Elishia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Malorie Blackman tells the story of a young boy, Sam who finds it hard to admit his friendship with the new boy Davey in his class. He pretends that he doesn’t like him, picks on him and stands back while others do the same.
Davey thinks differently to anyone Sam knows, he see’s things quite unconventionally.
One day a serious incident at school causes Sam to realise just how important Davey really is to him as a friend. Davey however, feels he only has one choice and that is to conform to what others would like him to be. Sam wants the old Davey back, until one day Davey moves away for good and Sam is left feeling like the odd one out.
This story deals with sensitive issues such as bullying and exclusion, and explores some of the feelings behind such acts.
It looks at friendship, the beauty of accepting people’s differences and how those differences can serve to enrich a person’s character.
I think this book would be suitable for KS2, years 4/5.
Cloud Busting is written entirely in poetry form, from haikus to limerick.
In the afterword, Malorie Blackman explains a bit about her love for poetry and her reasons behind writing the book in this format. I think it could encourage children of this age to consider exploring poetry further.

[Charly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I chose to read this book because I was intrigued by the poetry format and I always seek profound and emotional children's novels! However when I started this book I struggled as poetry is something I am not entirely confident with unless its the traditional rhyming and rhythmical pattern. But this book isn't like that- each 'chapter' is a different style. I found it very difficult at first as I wasn't sure if I was reading it right, how do you know how you're supposed to read it? What if I miss something because I can't decipher the rhythm or flow? But quickly I got in to it and became less focussed on the poetry and more with the storytelling.
A beautiful story of childhood friendships, bullying and regret. Characterisation is done beautifully and portrayed through the use of speech and language used by the characters. I would love to use this in class with KS2 children, it would make a great class book and lead to lots of writing frameworks, PSHE concepts, and storytelling. My only criticism is it's just not long enough; I wanted more of the story - it does feel a bit 'half done'.

[Seawood · Rating 3 out of 5]

A novel in verse! Somehow I wasn't expecting that when I picked it up. I liked it much more than I expected; it had an innocent feel to it despite the subject matter. I can see why teachers like it so much, it's a great book to use for PSHE about friendship and bullying, and should be on every pastoral lead's radar. It's one of those books that could engage a whole class because pretty much all abilities should able to access it.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't be a bully.

Read this book and cry instead. Then get bullied. But don't give a shit because bullies are pants.

[Leena Almashat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eeeew! I HATE poems! But WOOOOW! I loved that one! =D so sad! =(

[Nouf Alfadl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is one of the most amazing books I have ever read in my life!! and btw, i don't mind reading it zillion times!

[Regan Gambier · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll continue to read it every year until I stop enjoying it.

2025 - Still love it. Read it to my class again. I think it may be my favourite book for any age.

[Poorvi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cloud Busting is a story about Dave who is a new student in the school who stays few doors away from Sam’s house and Sam who is a bully. It is a well-written, easy-to-read tale written in poetic form. It is a story about friendship, emotions, love, and bullying and peer pressure. I found the characters very believable, especially Dave and Sam themselves. They're not perfect but they're still likable characters who are easy to relate to on some level—even if you don't identify with them 100%.

This story shows how important it is for people to have friends who care about them even if those friends have different beliefs than yours do—and what happens when those friendships don't work out because of something else.

In Cloud Busting, the author has used different poetic forms to inspire their writing, like haikus, blank verse, limericks, and a shape poem. She has covered these topics at the end of the book.

There are some read-worthy poetic lines in this book, which I will be sharing it below –

1} D'you know what stars are? Stars are holes in the floor of heaven.
D'you know what dreams are? Dreams are a way for us to live two lives.

2} The worse thing in the world –
No, the worse thing in the universe
Would be to look and walk and talk
And think like everyone else.

3} I look at the summer sky
And see the bottom of
Heaven's ocean.
I look at a tree
And stand and stare
As the branches
Like arms
Beckon me near.
I look up at the stars
And see holes in
The floor of heaven.
A light so bright
It burns my heart.
I look at people's faces
And see myself in their
Selections of expressions.
Reflections.
Contact.

4} Isn't life cherry ice cream with chunky chocolate chips?
Isn't life all the shades of the rainbow seeping through every pore?
Isn't life a burst of light, a scent to delight, a phoenix rising, dazzling in the night?
Isn't life a magnificent mountain peak or silent woods or warm waves lapping a sandy shore?
Isn't life anything, everything you make it and then much, much, so much, oh much, more?

Last but not least, I would like to end this book review with a poem which I have written by myself:

I wonder what it's like to be a cloud.
I wonder how it feels to be so full of light, so full of joy, and yet so small when compared to the sky.
I wonder if they have feelings too, like us.
Of course they do! They're clouds! How could they not?
They can't see themselves in the mirror, so they don't know how beautiful they are. But no one can see them but you and me.
We love them for the same reason we love our friends: because they're part of us. And if we let them go, we'll never find ourselves again.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a re-read for me of a middle grade novel in verse that I remember loving the first time around. The book begins with a teacher telling the class that their assignment is to write poetry and our protagonist decides to write his poetry about someone called Dave. When he says this, the class goes quiet and it’s not until we hear more about this Dave that we find out why the class are surprised by this choice. The different chapters of the book use different styles of poetry and it would be a good introduction to those forms for a young person. There is strong character development for our protagonist and the ending is hopeful but things do not get wrapped up neatly because saying sorry doesn’t fix everything - a hard lesson to learn. I think this book would suit an introspective middle grade child.

[Martha Baylis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sam doesn’t like the new boy in class. Davey is not Sam’s kind of person. When they are thrown together, Sam finds that Davey's way of looking at the world makes living a whole lot more fun, until something happens that disrupts their new friendship...

Blackman creates a moving and powerful story, each new chapter unfolding in a different form of verse, of complex friendships, peer pressure, and bullying. The choice to use non-standard verse was effective in displaying the feelings and emotions the protagonist moves through throughout the story and appreciate the perspective Blackman chose to tell it from.

This story would be fantastic to use in PSHE, Anti-Bullying Week, or National Poetry Day.

[Faye Ulph · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a clever idea of telling a story through poetry ! Loved how you had the ‘bully’ telling the story- very interesting to hear how he wanted to be friends with Davey deep down but he wanted this to be kept secret ! When really Davey turned out to be the bestest friend he had ever had who taught him how to see the world differently - more beautiful and exciting then he had done before! It’s a perfect story to remind us of how differences should be celebrated! It reminded me a lot of when I worked with students with autism and how they were a breath of fresh air to me and got me to look at the world more closely !!!