Let's Chase Stars Together: Poems to lose yourself in

Let's Chase Stars Together is a stunning collection of poems, reflecting a whole range of emotions. Matt Goodfellow is an exceptionally talented poet who has the knack of selecting just the right words to capture and reflect feelings and thoughts which we all share and giving them voice and energy. Every poem is worth pausing at and commenting on.

For a teacher, there is a wealth to draw on, adding poetry to story times or to provoke thoughtful discussions in other subjects. For children reading independently, there are many which will resonate with their personal experience and feelings. 'Callum' is a particularly poignant poem which I had the great pleasure of hearing Matt perform and many teachers will recognise pupils of their own in Matt's words. There are poems about difficult aspects of home life - 'A Thousand Hours', 'The Wolf', 'Hey, Mum' and 'Jake'; school life - 'It's Always the Same', 'I Hope It Rains Today' and 'Transition'; poems about feelings, relationships, life and love. Yet Matt manages to achieve a delicate balance of emotion and humour, ensuring the broadest appeal for his poems - and surely encouraging others to express themselves through this form.

I could enthuse about this collection for hours - but the best thing is for others to enjoy it for themselves. A couple of my favourites are 'The Democratic Republic of Me' and 'The River' - you might like to start there!

128 pages / Reviewed by Sue Wilsher, teacher

Suggested Reading Age 11+