Have you written a brilliant rhyming story? I find a very good way to find out is to ask someone to read your work aloud to you. Listen carefully. Do they stumble on any lines? Do they pause in parts? These clues will let you know if you have some bits and pieces that need fixing. Contest looking for funny books for children open for entries". comedy.co.uk. British Comedy Guide. 8 March 2013 . Retrieved 15 October 2021. Kathy Kirchoefer (2017). "The Invisible Cat!". School Library Journal. Media Source Inc . Retrieved 15 October 2021. Rhyming text and simple, three-color illustrations make this a thumbs-up choice for early chapter readers. But if, when writing rhyme, you somehow miss a beat of your rhythm, it feels awkward. Imagine listening to your favourite pop star singing your favourite song – but they have hiccups. Argh! That’s what it feels like when a rhyme loses its beat. If you listen to a rhyming poem being read aloud, you’ll probably be able to detect the rhythm, or a beat, running through it It’s a bit like listening to a tune being played.

When you write a line of rhyme, it’s important not to force the reader to put the emphasis on a syllable where it wouldn’t occur in natural speech, just to achieve the rhythm. For example, if you put stress on the last part of the word emph asis, it would sound weird and awkward. So you need to try to write the lines of your rhyming story so all the words can be read in a natural, but rhythmic way. 5 Test your rhyming story

April 2023 book club recommendations

I’ve always loved writing rhymes, even as a little girl. It’s not only fun, you can also get a huge amount of satisfaction from finding the perfect rhyme to tell a joke or move the story along. It’s not always easy though. Sometimes it can take a lot of thinking to get a line just right. Cleverly bridging the gap between picture books and longer fiction, the lovable Squishy is certain to be a success with under-sevens.’ BookTrust Did you know that poems have feet? No? Well if you were to learn about poetry in a formal way, you’d be bombarded by all sort of funny terms which are used to describe the way verse is written, including metric feet, meter and iambs. It can all get very technical, but you don’t necessarily need to know that stuff. All you need to understand is that poems and rhymes normally have rhythm. From the funniest voice in young fiction today, t he first in an irresistible series for young readers about imaginary friends in hilarious rhyming text and with adorable illustrations by Ella Okstad.

When Ava discovers an imaginary cat in the cabbage patch, she knows she’s found a new best friend. Together, Ava and Squishy McFluff get up to all kinds of mischief . . .Another joyful, hilarious, instant classic of a tale for five year olds and upwards, stunningly illustrated by Ella Okstad. It’s not only me who uses this read aloud method – Julia Donaldson does too, and if that isn’t what you’d call tried and tested, I don’t know what is. These hashtag days might provide current and relevant talking points for secondary-aged pupils aged 13+ in KS3, KS4 and KS5, especially when linked to related literature. Lesbian Visibility Week– held in the last week of April. Stonewall’s Lesbian hub offers a range of articles and information that will be useful for secondary schools. Squishy McFluff is Ava's best friend. He may be invisible, but that doesn't stop them having all kinds of fun together - and you won't believe just how much mess, trouble and chaos one mischievous invisible kitten can cause!

In delightful rhyme reminiscent of Dr Seuss, this charmingly illustrated book is bound to become a bedtime fave.' Gurgle But not everyone can see he’s the winner. The Mayor seems to have a particular blindspot . . . That is until Ava and her invisible pet foil a dastardly robbery! Perfect rhyme is harder by nature because it requires the rhyming words to match in both their vowel and consonant sounds. So the combination of eat/sweet matches both the “ee” sound and the “t” sound. Similarly host/most share both the “oh” sound and the “st” sound. From the funniest voice in young fiction today, t he sixth in this irresistible series for young readers about imaginary friends in hilarious rhyming text and with adorable illustrations by Ella Okstad. Authors always tell people who want to write that they should read, read, read! But we say it for a reason, because whatever sort of story you want to write, reading other people’s books is like giving your brain a writing work out. Reading will give you lots of ideas, help you instinctively know which words to use, and arm you with the tools you need to create stories that work.Squishy McFluff: The Invisible Cat! is a 2014 children's chapter book by Pip Jones and illustrated by Ella Okstad. Published by Faber and Faber, it is about a little girl called Ava and her invisible friend, a cat called Squishy McFluff, who initially causes trouble around the family home but eventually learns to behave. Here’s a slightly silly example (which I just made up!) showing how you can easily sacrifice the focus of a story for rhyme: A review in Booklist of Squishy McFluff wrote "This playful early chapter book will attract emergent readers with its rhyming text, widely spaced lines, and sweet red-and-blue illustrations.", [1] and Publishers Weekly called it "a punchy rhyming escapade". [2]