Our Home is Dirt By Sea Selected by Dianne Bates, Walker Books Australia, ISBN 9781925081190
This is an anthology of poems for children. I recognised some of the poets’ names like Robin Klein, Sally Murphy, and CJ Dennis. There are lots of other Australian poets too.
The book is divided into different sections for themes such as school, family, sport etc. There’s a mix of different types of poems — some poems rhyme and some don’t, some are long and some are short. My favourite poems are rhyming poems and the poems I liked best in this anthology were ‘Advance Australia Fair’ by Elizabeth Honey, ‘Revenge’ by Robin Klein, and ‘Fishermen’ (Anonymous). ‘Advance Australia Fair’ is a retake of the Australian national anthem and it’s full of mondegreens. It’s really funny.
I would recommend this anthology for children ages 7 to 10 who like all sorts of poems.
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Matilda is one of our regular book reviewers. Her most recent review (if you don’t count this one) was of Meet Alice. If YOU would like to send us a book review, check out our submission guidelines.Happy reading!
THE WIND HAS SUCH A RAINY SOUND by Christina Rossetti
The wind has such a rainy sound
Moaning through the town,
The sea has such a windy sound,
Will the ships go down?
The apples in the orchard
Tumble from their tree.
Oh will the ships go down, go down,
In the windy sea?
When I was a kid at rural school. Poetry was important. We read it in our School Readers every day. Recitation was a subject for every age, so we all learnt to recite.
What sort of poetry do you like writing best of all?
Funny rhyming verse is my favourite.
What sort of poetry do you like reading best of all?
Humorous poetry.
Where has your poetry been published/distributed?
My poetry has been published in magazines (including Alphabet Soup) and on-line, and read on radio in Australia, the US and the UK. It has also been included in poetry anthologies in Australia and overseas.
Where can we find your poems?
Here’s one of my poems. A poem in this format has a special name. (What is it?)
(Ruth’s Tooth was first published in Puffinalia, 1982; read on ABC Radio 3LO, 1991; also published in Annette Kosseris, Here We Go Again: New Poems for Children 3-10, 1999, Kindamindi Publishing, Sydney.
Do you prefer to write with a pen and paper or straight onto the computer?
I learnt to touch-type when I was thirteen, so I prefer to create on the screen. I power-walk early every morning, so I often create a poem in my head while I’m out. Then I write it when I arrive home.
What’s your number one tip for budding poets?
Write every day — a short session or a long one — free or rhyming verse. You don’t have to show it to anyone.
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Edel’s Poetry Prescription
IF YOU’RE HAVING A SPOOKY DAY — read the following poem:
‘A Ghost with the Most’ in Bill Condon’s poetry collection, Don’t throw Rocks at Chicken Pox, illustrated by Kerry Millard. [It’s out of print but you might find it in your local library.]
alphabetsoup.net.au 