Build your child's reading confidence at home with books at the right level Inspiration for poetry can come from anywhere - a memory, an insight and even broccoli! Former Children's Laureate Michael Rosen explains the inspiration behind a selection of his own quirky poems, highlighting that ideas can come from many different places. White/Band 10 books have more complex sentences and figurative language. Text type: A poetry book Pages 22 and 23 summarise some of the inspirations and resulting poems, allowing children to discuss and explore the ideas from the book. Curriculum links: Literacy: Really Looking; Language play. This book has been quizzed for Accelerated Reader.

When Porridge was a wee kitten he toppled into a tin of tartan paint -- which is easy to do and not so easy to say. Now he lives by Loch Loch with the quirky McFun family: Gadget Grandad, Groovy Gran, Dino Dad, Mini Mum and the twins, Roaring Ross and Invisible Isla. Everyone has a super secret -- or two -- and Porridge is always there to lend a helping paw when things go awry. If there's a fishy biscuit in it for him... And things do often go awry in the McFun family. It's a good job Porridge has nine lives! -------------- Porridge the Tartan cat (it's a long story involving a tin of tartan paint!) and the twins Isla and Ross can't wait to visit the funfair that's just come to town -- but this funfair isn't fair at all. Riding the Howlercoaster doesn't just turn their knees to jelly, it turns Ross into a hairy scarewolf! Dastardly Fangus McFungus is using the unfair funfair as a cover for his sneaky scheme to find the most powerful, most pongyful element in the universe: sproutinium. But why does he need to transform children into creepy creatures to do it? Join Porridge on this rollercoaster-riding, stink-sniffing, wolf-whiffing adventure with Isla and Roaring Ross! Can they stop Fangus from stinking out the whole town? Will they change Ross back before he's stuck as a beast forever? ----------------- In this zany new series for young readers, Porridge purrfectly CAT-a-logs the family's hilarious adventures from a cat's-eye perspective. With wacky twists, silly word play and meow-nificent illustrations in every chapter, readers won't even want to paws for breath.

When Porridge was a wee kitten he toppled into a tin of tartan paint -- which is easy to do and not so easy to say. Now he lives by Loch Loch with the quirky McFun family: Gadget Grandad, Groovy Gran, Dino Dad, Mini Mum and the twins, Roaring Ross and Invisible Isla. Everyone has a super secret -- or two-- and Porridge is always there to lend a helping paw when things go awry. If there's a fishy biscuit in it for him... And things do often go awry in the McFun family. It's a good job Porridge has nine lives! -------------- Porridge the Tartan Cat (it's a long story involving a tin of tartan paint!) has been framed! Someone is sabotaging Isla and Ross' attempts to reunite Groovy Gran's band, the Tattie Scones, and Porridge is the top suspect. Only he knows the real villain is a dastardly dog -- the Dug o' Doom. Will the Tattie Scones ever rock again? Can a balloon-riding, wool-chasing, saucer-flying tartan cat stop the crafty canine and clear his name? ----------------- In this zany new series for young readers, Porridge purrfectly CAT-a-logs the family's hilarious adventures from a cat's-eye perspective. With wacky twists, silly word play and meow-nificent illustrations in every chapter, readers won't even want to paws for breath.