Salford Road and other Poems

You may have caught most of these poems first time around, under the title of Salford Road (Kestrel). Whether or not, it's definitely a collection that deserves to be an essential item in every classroom or library, not to mention jacket pocket. This is a selection of 'growing up' experiences that youngsters can relate to. The football match on Saturday, with its heroes and villains; visiting the dentist; the playground as battleground and meeting place; the excruciating drama lesson; they are all here. Owen's anthem of the street, with its tribes and rituals, says it all: 'Just you read my name, man,/Writ for all to see/The walls is read with stories/The streets is filled with me.' Of the new ones, 'Dear Examiner' has a relevant message within the context of the present 'testing' climate, while 'Conversation Piece' is an ideal model for the teacher wanting to get children writing.