Wes Magee
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| This author is also participating in our Primary to Secondary School transition project. See more videos and project materials from this author here… | ||
Wes Magee was a teacher when he began writing his first poems. A boy in his class complained that there were no dinosaur poems, and Wes set out to write some for him, little realising he was to become a firm favourite throughout the UK in children’s poetry, both as a poet and a workshop leader in schools. He now writes full time, producing poems (for adults too), stories and plays from a hut at the bottom of a large wild garden in the North York Moors, and touring his Poetry Show to theatres and schools around the country.Wes has written more than eighty books for children, including poetry, stories, plays, picture books and anthologies. Many of the poems are based on Wes’ experience in schools, sometimes from the point of view of the teachers and sometimes from the pupils. As well as being great to read, they offer fantastic opportunities for performance, with the children joining in with everything from fingersnaps to French accents.
As Wes says about his poems:
“Some of the poems are sad (like ‘The Day After’), some are silly (like ‘My Dog’s First Poem’), some are spooky (like ‘The Ghosts of the Grange’), some are serious (like ‘Until Gran Died’), and some simply… sunny (like ‘What is the Sun?’).” ‘The Boneyard Rap’ is another of the spooky ones, full of rattling bones and scary noises. It’s fantastic when performed, and is a favourite with the kids in the schools he visits.
Book List
The Scumbagg School Series…
The Scribblers of Scumbagg School
A collection of poems in the form of school notes, which tells the story of one day at Scumbagg School. The rhymes introduce characters such as the Headmaster, N.O. Funear, the crazy school caretaker, Mrs Dreggs, and the pupils of class 2.
Scumbagg School Scorpion
It’s the summer term at Scumbagg School and it’s class 2’s turn to produce the annual magazine. Entries are invited from the whole school and include jokes, cartoons, quizzes and interviews with school personalities
Sports Day at Scumbagg School
The third story in the SCUMBAGG SCHOOL series, with Class 2 back again in roitous form, told in a mixture of verse, rhythms, rap and nonsense verse. Illustrated by Scoular Anderson, first published in hardback in 1996.
Ghost of Scumbagg School
The fourth story in the SCUMBAGG SCHOOL series in which Class 2 set traps for the perpetrator of the mysterious goings-on at Scumbagg School, recounted with a mixture of verse, rhythms, rap and nonsense verse, and cartoon illustrations by Scoular Anderson.
Poetry Books
The Phantom’s Fang-tastic Show
The Phantom says ‘Roll up! Roll up for spectres! Roll up for Apparitions! Come in and see the Gremlins - all sizes, shapes and conditions. Roll up for my Fangtastic Show! Be quick, we’re starting in a mo. Take your places…
The Boneyard Rap and Other Poems
This is the rhythm of the boneyard rap,
knuckle bones click and hand bones clap,
finger bones flick and thigh bones slap,
when you’re doing the rhythm of the boneyard rap.
Wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh!!!!!
Featuring a range of different forms, from rap to shape poetry, “Boneyard Rap Poetry” is full of spooky characters who come to life in this collection by Wes Magee.
Madtail, Miniwhale and Other Shape Poems
Kite-shaped poems, worm-shaped poems, lollipop-lady shaped poems and even Cup Final shaped poems are part of this collection of shape poetry. It includes poems from popular poets such as Roger McGough, Colin West, Judith Nicholls, Spike Milligan and of course Wes Magee himself.
Picture Books and Curriculum Series
Amanda and the Pot of Gold
This pack contains a book and audio tape. The farmyard is in uproar. The ducks are in disarray and the donkeys are dazed. The hen house is empty and every single hen has vanished without trace. There is only one thing to do. Call in Bella and Gertie, the world-famous private detectives.
John’s Birthday Party (Longman Book Project)
Designed to fit the National Curriculum, this is part of the “Longman Book Project”. The project aims to enable teachers throughout the primary school to teach: language; fiction; and non-fiction. It also offers practical guidance and in-built record keeping and assessment.
Where Does Laughter Begin? (Longman Book Project)
Where Does Laughter Begin is for Year 3/P4 shared, guided and independent reading. It contains poems that play with words and is part of Longman Band 8 ages 7-8
Who Likes Pancakes?
Drink a glass of lemonade.
Gurgle,
gurgle,
glug.
Second glass of lemonade.
Gurgle,
gurgle,
glug.
Third glass of lemonade.
Now you’d better stop.
One more glass of lemonade
and
you’ll
go
POP!
Another fun, accessible and educational book, this time for QEB publishing.
Teachers’ Resources: Explore the world of your author through our exciting one page class handouts. Click on The World of Wes Magee
