Valerie Bloom’s The World is Sweet (see review above) is one of the Poetry Book Society’s three autumn term choices for its Children’s Poetry Bookshelf, aimed at key stage 2 pupils. Subscribers pay pound;30 for six books a year or pound;42 for nine (the cover price can be up to pound;10) from a total of nine titles chosen by writers, teachers and librarians. This time the poets Pie Corbett and Philip Gross have selected Hello New! edited by John Agard (Orchard Books, pound;9.99, to be reviewed in TES Primary magazine on September 21) and A Men Fish Smile by Roger Stevens, Sue Cowling and Jan Dean (Macmillan Sandwich Poets series, pound;3.99) alongside the Bloom collection from Bloomsbury Children’s Books, pound;6.95. For more information on the scheme (and the adult quarterly selection, currently led by Michael Donaghy’s Conjure), tel: 020 8870 8403; email: info@poetrybooks.co.uk; www.poetrybooks.co.uk; Poetry Book Society, Book House, 45 East Hill, London SW18 2QZ. Mention The TES and you’ll receive a poetry poster and KS2 teacher’s notes, while stocks last.
