Two Troika collections in National Poetry Day’s Recommendations 2024 – with a prize opportunity for librarians!
National Poetry Day 2024 is on Thursday 3rd October. To help everyone get ready, the organisers have curated three brilliant lists of new and exciting poetry books for their National Poetry Day Recommendations - one each for Children (0-8), Young Readers (8-14) and adult Book Groups.
Troika is delighted to have two of our wonderful collections included in the Young Readers category, which seeks to showcase “poetry as an art form, a source of self-expression, and a means of experiencing the world.”
Stephen Lightbown’s ‘And I Climbed And I Climbed’ draws on the author’s own experiences as a wheelchair user after becoming paralysed following an accident. The book was also shortlisted for the prestigious CLiPPA (Centre for Literacy in Primary Education Poetry Award) 2024, the UK’s leading award for published poetry for children. Written mostly in the voice of 8-year-old Cosmo who is unable to walk after falling from a tree, and beautifully illustrated by Shih-Yu Lin, the poems are angry, questioning, resigned, determined, heart-warming, hopeful and funny as Cosmo describes his feelings to the tree. The CLiPPA judges found it to be an authentic representation of children who are not heard and a clear expression of moving through difficult feelings: “there’s lots that’s interesting and beautiful, and I haven’t read anything like it before”.
More details, including reviews, teaching resources and readings and interviews with Stephen at www.troikabooks.com/and-i-climbed-and-i-climbed
Shauna Darling Robertson’s ‘You Are Not Alone’ also draws on the author’s own experiences, alongside those of many others as she focuses on young people’s mental health and emotional wellbeing. The book, written with teens and young adults in mind, was also selected for Empathy Lab’s 2024 Read for Empathy Collection, and LoveReading4Kids says of the poems: “This award winning poet looks at a wide range of mental health issues in this thought-provoking, heart-breaking and reassuring collection on mental health and wellbeing – from diagnosed conditions to the everyday personal challenges faced by young people.” You can read Tricia Adams’ review for LoveReading4Kids at www.lovereading4kids.co.uk/book/20833/You-Are-Not-Alone-by-Shauna-Darling-Robertson.html
More details, including extracts, a trailer, video poems, reviews and teaching resources at www.troikabooks.com/you-are-not-alone
Calling all librarians – win a prize!
Librarians are invited to post a photo of your National Poetry Day Recommendations display and NPD (@nationalpoetryday on Instagram, @PoetryDayUK on X) before National Poetry Day for a chance to win a £100 LoveReading4Kids voucher. We’d love you to include us too – tag @troikabooks (we’re on Instagram and X) and well share your photos far and wide!
You can find out more about all of the National Poetry Day Recommendations at https://forwardartsfoundation.org/national-poetry-day/reading-recommendations
