Each month West Hill will focus on a different author, illustrator or poet. Have you heard of this person before? Do you know any of their work?

Waterstones Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho is an award-winning performance poet, playwright and children’s author based in Kent.

He aims to inspire young people through stories and characters they can recognise and explores themes including fear, courage, diversity, gratitude, empathy and loss.

In addition to exploring emotional landscapes, Coelho is inspired by magic, the ancient world and often draws on his own experiences transforming them into something universal that can be shared.

Throughout his career, he has highlighted the power of poetry and reading, championing and campaigning for local libraries and spotlights new voices and diversity throughout his work.

West Hill have been lucky enough to have virtual author visits with Joseph. Can you remember what you did in those online sessions?

Mrs Atkin and Mrs Caraccio were lucky enough to meet Joseph Coelho on the 3-year research project West Hill are doing with CLPE on ‘Reflecting Realities’. He did creative workshops giving them some fantastic ideas to bring back to school.

How many of his books or poems have you read before? Which are your favourite and why?
These are just some of his books below. Ask your teacher to read some of the poems or stories to you or choose one to read to yourself.

Pupil Response:
We read Zombierella in Reading Club and I remember when Zombierella said “ Why do I have the guts…” Some parts were funny and some parts were scary and gruesome. ( Shae, Year 4)

I remember when we were reading Amelia St Clair and the Long Armed Killer and I felt scared by the title but it was interested when I started to listen to the story. ( Elissa, Year 4)

In Year 3, I thought the scientists were the bad guys but there was a twist in the adventure and it was mysterious. ( Taliah, Year 4)