Blue Peter Book Club: Poems Aloud

This guide is produced in partnership with Blue Peter.

Poems Aloud, written by Joseph Coelho and illustrated by Daniel Gray-Barnett, is the fifth title in the Blue Peter Book Club. A book full of poems to read, shout, whisper and enjoy. Poems that rhyme, poems that don't, long poems and even short poems - get ready to enjoy them by yourself or with friends!

You can get a sneak peek of the book over on Blue Peter.

The poems in this book are written to make you laugh, smile and think.

Most importantly, they aim to grow your confidence when reading and performing poetry.

But what's the best way to perform a poem?

Joseph Coelho, the author of Poems Aloud shows some of the interesting ways you can perform poetry.

When performing poetry, you can experiment with:

• Volume: How loud you say the words; from a whisper to a shout.
• Mix it up: Mix up the volumes you use depending on the different parts of the poem.
• Tone: Think about the feeling of the poem to make the tone clear. Is it happy, sad, excited or angry?
• Body position: Think about what the poem is about. Would it be better to stand, sit or lay down?
• Actions: Use actions and gestures to emphasise important words or phrases.

Do you think that poems always have to rhyme? Well guess what? They don't always have to!

Sometimes, people try to force their poems to rhyme; this can make a poem boring and can sometimes mean it doesn't make any sense!

It's important that you choose the style of poem and words that make sense when using rhyming words.

'Try' (page 4) from Poems Aloud is an example of a well-written rhyming poem.

On the other hand, 'Pencil Case' (page 26) is an example of a free verse poem that doesn't rhyme.

You can find out more about rhyming and non-rhyming poems with Joseph Coelho, in this video on BBC Teach.

You will spot lots of sound words whilst reading Poems Aloud. When a word sounds like the noise it's describing, it's called onomatopoeia.

Thud, crash, bang and buzz are all examples of onomatopoeia.

Onomatopoeia is a device (tool) that can help bring a poem to life! These words also help to create a rhythm within poems that makes them more interesting to read out loud.

Sometimes, onomatopoeia adds humour, especially in weird and wonderful nonsense poems!

You can find out more about onomatopoeia from the author of Poems Aloud, Joseph Coelho on BBC Teach.

What's your favourite poem in Poems Aloud? The poems in the book are about lots of different topics; from robots, to bears, to chillies and puppets.

Poems can be written about anything and anywhere. Poetry can tell a story or be about your thoughts and feelings. They can be serious or silly, happy or sad.

Sometimes, you can give your poems a rhythm. Like a beat in music, the rhythm of your poem might be fast or slow depending on the words you choose.

Poems can rhyme, but they don't always have to. When a poem rhymes, it means that certain words have similar end sounds.

For example:

• break and lake
• cat and mat
• loud and proud

You can also use alliteration in a poem. This is when more than one word starts with the same first letter or sound.

For example:

The slimy, sneaky snake slithered silently towards the feisty, furry fox.

Joseph Coelho imagines that writing a poem is like painting a picture with words. He likes to experiment with words as he writes his poems, so that the reader experiences different feelings depending on what he is writing about.

Explore more about how Joseph Coelho writes his poems, with this clip on BBC Teach.

Read 'The Chilly Chilli' (pages 6 and 7).

Practise performing it using some of Joseph Coelho's tips.

Remember, you can perform poems anywhere and for everyone.

Read 'Something Wondrous' (pages 8 and 9).

It's an example of how a well-written rhyming poem can be exciting and interesting to read.

Have a go at the quiz below, matching all the rhyming words from the poem together.

After reading Poems Aloud you might feel inspired to become a poet! Now it's your turn to have a go at writing a poem yourself.

You can write a poem about anything you want, wherever you want.

Start off by noting down some ideas about the subject of your poem. Perhaps you can write about something you enjoy, an object that you can see in front of you, a hobby or a feeling you have right now!

Next, think about the poetic devices (tools) that you can use, such as:

• rhyme
• free verse
• onomatopoeia
• alliteration

Remember, you don't have to use them all.

Most importantly, remember you might not write your poem perfectly on your first try! Spend time experimenting with different words, poetic devices (tools) and structures.

After reading Poems Aloud you might feel inspired to become a poet! Now it's your turn to have a go at writing a poem yourself.

You can write a poem about anything you want, wherever you want.

Start off by noting down some ideas about the subject of your poem. Perhaps you can write about something you enjoy, an object that you can see in front of you, a hobby or a feeling you have right now!

Next, think about the poetic devices (tools) that you can use, such as:

• rhyme
• free verse
• onomatopoeia
• alliteration

Remember, you don't have to use them all.

Most importantly, remember you might not write your poem perfectly on your first try! Spend time experimenting with different words, poetic devices (tools) and structures.