A Kid in My Class: Poems by

by Rachel Rooney, Chris Riddell (Illustrator)

They're all here...every kid in the class has their own poem. The pushy one, the shy one. The whizz kid and the daydreamer. The best friend-er and the kid who runs in his wheelchair. The tough kid, the poet. And not forgetting the class hamster. This eagerly awaited new collection from Rachel Rooney, winner of the UK’s prestigious children’s poetry prize, the CLiPPA Award, is perfectly matched by the amazing wit and inventiveness of illustrator Chris Riddell, the former UK Children’s Laureate.

Genres: Poetry, Childrens, School

88 pages, Hardcover

Published October 18, 2018

Reviews

[Katie Dugdale]

I have added this poetry book to my list of betterment as poetry is a genre I probably have the least amount of knowledge on. I also think it might be relatable to children as it includes a variety of poetry about how different all children are.

[Callum Whalley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very powerful insight to the "real life" dynamics that make a class. I loved the way their stories were told through poetry as this really allowed me to feel the fast paced and business of some of the characters. I furthermore think the images used are almost images that we could envisage whilst reading through the poems. The book allowed me to envisage some of the contracting personalities and different backgrounds that many of the pupils in my future class will being to the classroom environment. The book was also a polite reminder that there is so much that goes on in the classroom, even before all the planning and actual teaching. It made me bare some thought to how to balance such contrasting personalities and also why this is so important to ensure a safe working environment within the classroom. I think that the diverse range of vocabulary used within the book and the different speed, rhythm, rhyme and levels the poem goes too is a great book to introduce to pupils that can be used within a range of subjects in school. Finally, it was nice to see the book presented using poetry, it is not something I can personally remember doing or using throughout my primary education, so would be a nice notion and perspective to introduce to the classroom.

[Effie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book of poems begins with a letter to the reader stating that "Over time, I have grown fond of everyone that you'll meet here. I now think of this book as a class full of people rather than a collection of poems." This perfectly describes my experience reading these poems. They are each paired with predictably wonderful art by Chris Riddell: a black and white portrait of the kid along with a drawing accented with blue ink expressing the inner life or personality in the poem. The illustrations and the poems perfectly complemented each other. I really enjoyed this!

[Andrea Huelsenbeck · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to buy A Kid in My Class because it is a book of poems for children illustrated by one of my favorite artists, Chris Riddell. And I am also writing a book of poems for children, which I hope to illustrate myself. My drawings will not be as gorgeous as Riddell’s.

Rooney’s poems mostly deal with the personalities present in one classroom: the shy kid, the tomboy, the joker, the drama queen, the one who always has to be first, etc. Most of the poems are lighthearted, but one is disturbing—the one that intimates that the class bully may be abused at home. Riddell’s illustration shows him cowering from a hulking shadow with clenched fists.

The poems are perfect for kids ages 6-10. The vocabulary will be challenging for six-year-olds, but this would be an excellent parent-child book where parents could read some parts and the child could read those parts within his abilities, and discussions could ensue about how to get along with each kind of student portrayed in the poems. Also, Rooney and Riddell both live in Brighton, England, so Math is Maths and teachers don’t call roll, they call register.

Riddell’s illustrations are brilliant, two for each poem: one, an ink portrait like a yearbook picture, and the other, showing a scene from the poem, sketched in ink and painted in blue watercolor. The students are lovingly diverse, and they all look like someone you probably know.

[Rachel Hinds]

A beautifully illustrated poem book full of character (and full of characters!).

Favourite poems and themes:
Tough Kid - child abuse, judgement, false appearances
Best Friender - fickle and demanding friendships, change
Don't Walk, Run - understanding disability, creative thinking, endurance, emotional and mental strength
Keep Uppy Kid - so much fun to read aloud!
Friendship Bench - childhood loss and grief
Joe Bloggs - thought provoking, encouraging children to think about their peers and make new friends
Talking hands - sign language, understanding different communication, differences in people and disability

[Mr Bramley · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great idea for a poetry book - a collection of poems, each about a student (or adult) in a class at school.

As with any poetry anthology, of course I didn't like all of them, but the originality, ideas, and range or representation this book managed to cover had me sold very quickly.

From your classic joker, daydreamer, perfectionist or shy kid, all the way through to some deeper characters: the tough kid with an even tougher home life, a deaf child who teaches her friends to sign, a child who makes up a new fatastical reason every time someone asks why he uses a wheelchair, and the girl who isn't around anymore.

And I loved the little introduction that specified:
'Of course, in real life we are much more complicated...we're likely to be a mixture of several of them'.

I would love to use this with KS2 kids, maybe alongside my last poetry review ( Take Off Your Brave ) to get children writing their own book about their class - either with an autobiographical poem, or maybe giving everyone another child to write about (focusing more on positivity of course).

[Diane Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter has been reading a poem from A Kid in My Class each night for her reading practise. She is a reluctant reader and doesn’t enjoy writing. She finds it all very difficult. However, she has been really enjoying these poems and just a few pages in, she decided she wanted to write her own poem about school. And she has and it was good. It has got her thinking not only about rhymes, but what is going on around her in the classroom - the sounds, smells, emotions. So thank you Rachel for inspiring my daughter with your poetry!

[Tess Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book with plenty of examples of types of poems that are out there. I really identified with the book seeing myself in a few characters, and definitley recognised some of the characters throughout my life in education. A few pages made me chuckle. Could be used as a reference book and left in a reading corner to allow children to recognise themselves and others. Do wonder if it might result in negative connotations.

[Leah Tipple · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of poetry does a great job of summing up different characters which are found in a classroom... what a brilliant idea! A great range of poems (covering several themes) and beautiful illustrations.

Whilst it is fun being able to match the poems to individuals they may remind you of... this may be difficult if reading in a class, giving children the opportunity to 'pick' on others if they resemble more undesirable traits in the poems.

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Keepy-Uppy kid- really liked how Rachel made the word pattern match that of a keepy-uppy.
Fidget- don't think this is the best portayl of a child who clearly has ADHD/anxiety. It may make someone in the class feel quite uncomfortable especially if other children comment on them being similar to this character.
Great themes to discuss with the class, e.g. toughh kid, pressure at home/relationship with parents. Some themes aren't obvious and can only be addressed through class discussion.
Great representation of different children: culturally, people with a condition, mental health etc.
Each poem offers different literary techniques to be discussed and identified.
I think it is great that Rachel was a teacher to SEND pupils- it means her work is relatable.

[Chloe · Rating 4 out of 5]

A selection of poems based on characteristics of different pupils you may find in a class. Could be used across all key stages. Mindful that some portrayals come across more desirable than others which may need to be explained to children who would identify with those. Stand out poems are those focused on SEN.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

All of these poems are really relatable and readers can definitely associate them with people they knew back at school. Its a good introduction to poetry if its something children may not be confident in writing or reading in yet as the collection involves a good mixture of fun, humorous and rhyming poems compared to some others which are a bit more serious.

[Rosie Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has given me some ideas for lessons to use in the classroom. The poem for the new boy could be a great framework for ks2 to begin their own poems. Some of the themes of the poems have some difficult themes and could be a great discussion starter. Also buying this as a Christmas present for a few teachers I know!

[Floss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic poems exploring the array of different personalities and stories in one class. I would be wary of leaving this unattended in a school library as there are poems tackling some delicate subjects, such as the death of a classmate, but it could equally be used as a tool to help explore feelings around this. Excellent read to remind practitioners of the uniqueness of the children in a class.

[Sasha Ralph · Rating 3 out of 5]

I absolutley love poetry however, I can't say that this was my favourite book. There are a couple of poems within this book that I really enjoyed - one of these being 'First'. I feel that this book could be a nice book to have within a classroom as I am sure there are many children that could relate to some of these poems.

[Heydi Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun, short read with very engaging poems that will definitely keep you thinking. The illustrations are incredible of course, it's Chris Riddell. I loved how kid friendly these were. I'd definitely read this to school aged kids who can relate to the odd circumstances that are only experienced in elementary school.

[Aaliyahsbookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just bought this for my Y5 class seeing as they are studying poetry this half term, and thought I would read to see what it’s like.
Great reflection of people in a real life class, and nice variety of poems.
Not my sort of poetry, but definitely great for the target audience of primary school children!

MY RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (for who it is for)

[Uma Yeoman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful collective of poems accompanied by great sets of illustrations. Each poem will remind you of a different child in the classroom as it uses much humour and emotive language to describe and engage the reader and listeners with all the different classroom environments and people in a classroom we may encounter and relate to.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this with my class. Poetry honestly isn't something I reach for at all. I don't think I have enough of a creative mind to fully appreciate it . However, these poems were great. They were all so relatable and covered such a range of personalities. The children loved this book and still bring up the poems now.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant poetry book. I think everyone will find themselves in a few of these characters and children will certainly recognise themselves. Wonderfully illustrated with pencil drawings that represent a range of diverse cultural and social characters. A must for every teacher’s classroom.

[Dayle Hopes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fab book! Have found poetry quite unappealing and difficult in the past but this book gave various examples of different poems and was a really interesting read. Will definitely be reading more poetry in the future!

[Albana Bregu · Rating 5 out of 5]

This poetry book contains poems that children might enjoy and identify themselves since it includes poems about various characters in the class. It can encourage children not enjoy poetry and read more

[Elliot Furniss]

I like how you can pick out which character or combination of characters you are. When it is read to classes the children can pick out who is who from their class. I liked the poem 'Don't walk, run' as I thought it was clever and funny.

[Anna Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful collection of poems about school, children will enjoy connecting with the different characters in each poem.

[Hannah Jarman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. The perfect book to read if you are about to embark on teacher training. Lots of great character studies here and many, many individuals we can each relate to!

[Jessica Walford]

Fantastic introduction to poetry that is accessible to all. A collection that has something for everyone, but enough variety too in structure and beat.

[Megan Gosling · Rating 5 out of 5]

#Poems #Relatable

[Jas Shearsmith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful set of poems about different children in a class. It really reminded me of school again and was thoroughly enjoyable to read to my son.

[Jordan Welch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very clever and creative! We all know lots of the kids in the story. Very fun.

[Georgie Gayton · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are fun poems about characters that can be found in the classroom. Great illustrations, fun to read and thought-provoking as children may try to identify themselves within the poems.