LINES FOR THE CHILDREN
Judge Alison Chisholm selects the winning entries from our poetry for children competition
LINES FOR THE CHILDREN
The suggestion that writing for children should be approached with boundless energy and certain enjoyment was picked up by just about every poet who entered this competition. Reading all the submissions was like a rollercoaster ride… just when things started to feel settled and comfortable, the world changed with a whoosh and left mind and imagination gasping to catch up.
There were poems about families, friends and school; about monsters and aliens; about nature and seasons; about feared bullies and treasured possessions. There were poems to make you laugh, and poems to make you want to hide behind the settee; poems that sang and poems that whispered.
Nearly every poem benefited from good use of imagery. Descriptions related to all the senses, allowing readers to identify closely with the message they were communicating. Emotional content was evident, and almost every entrant painted word pictures to enthral the reader, rather than simply narrating a sequence of events.
The best entries not only gripped the reader with their content, but exhibited accurate application of grammar and punctuation. This is, of course, even more important for the young reader than for adults, as it helps to reinforce school lessons on the subject.