POEMS ALOUD

THE BOY LOST IN THE MAZE

In his new verse novel, Joseph Coelho brilliantly blends Greek myth with a 21st century quest. In Ancient Greece Theseus makes a dangerous and courageous journey to find his father, finally meeting the Minotaur in the Labyrinth. While Theo, a modern-day teenage boy, finds himself on a maze-like quest to find his own father. Each story tells of a boy becoming a man and discovering what true manhood really means, The path to self-discovery takes Theo through 'those thin spaces where myth, magic and reality combine'. Doubts, difficulties and dangers must be faced as Theo discovers the man he will become.

CREEPING BEAUTY

Following on from Zombierella and Frankenstiltskin, this is the third and final book in a deliciously dark trilogy of twisted classics, written in verse by award-winning poet JOSEPH COELHO. Eshe and her twelve sisters are Fairy Godmothers, honoured for the incredible gifts they can bestow. But Eshe's special abilities are a little different - she can glimpse into the future! And, one day, Eshe foresees something terrifying: a world blanketed in creeping vines and a girl covered in thorns. Eshe needs to stop her vision becoming true, but it will require old and powerful magic. And she won't be able to do it alone…

THE GIRL WHO BECAME A TREE

A story told in poems: Daphne is unbearably sad and adrift. She feels the loss of her father acutely and seeks solace both in the security of her local library and the escape her phone screen provides by blocking out the world around her. As Daphne tries to make sense of what has happened she recalls memories of shared times and stories past, and in facing the darkness she finds a way back from the tangle of fear and confusion, to feel connected once more with her friends and family.

OUR TOWER

This magical story follows three children living in a tower block, as they embark on a fantastical adventure which helps them see their home in a new light. This story is a celebration of, and a reclaiming of tower blocks as a place where magic and adventure can happen. It’s a modern-day fable that shows the children of a tower block travelling to a strange, magical world inside a tree and meeting an old man with supernatural powers, only to realise that the magic they’d been looking for had been in their tower all along.

OVERHEARD IN A TOWER BLOCK: POEMS

Gazing at the stars from five storeys up, smelling the bins from five storeys below. Overheard arguments, overheard laughter. A disappearing father and a Mermaid-Queen mother; statues that sing for flesh and blood; bullies who kick you under the table; perfect red trainers - and the things that lurk in the library...Award-winning poet Joseph Coelho's astonishing new collection is a powerful and moving poetic narrative about growing up in the city

THANK YOU: A STORY CELEBRATING KEY WORKERS AND THE NHS

Tatenda says thank you every day, wherever he can. But lately, it seems no one can hear his thank yous: their heads are too foggy with worry. So Tatenda decides to say his biggest 'Thank you' ever. He stands on tiptoe, brings his arms down like a huge rainbow… and this time, his thank you helps the whole community feel better! This beautiful story was inspired by the coronavirus pandemic and the NHS Thursday clap and helps to show children how they can celebrate the key workers in their lives.