Does your face fit? compiled by Roger Stevens

A and C Black, 2011. ISBN 978 1 4081 4950 8.
Recommended. Poetry. Humour. Subtitled Poems about fitting in and standing out, this small book of poems had me laughing out loud and breathing a knowing sigh at the situations offered. Performance poet, Stevens, has collected poems from kids he has worked with, disadvantaged and overlooked in the main, but able to put words together to form a cohesive moment. Fitting in, isolation, feeling left out and overlooked are just some of the themes explored in this series of poems. Who could not feel some affinity with

Feelings?
Feelings?
I don't talk about them.
I write down how I am feeling
In my Feelings Diary.
That helps.
And when I'm fine
I don't write a line.
My diary's almost full.
Bernard Young

It will make people laugh but also stop and think as do many of the themes in this collection.
Most of the poems are short and all are easily read and digested. In a classroom, they would all work well, being read out loud and then used as models for the student's own writing. A website is given to follow up more poems and what Stevens is doing. It is a busy website full of interest about Stevens and what he is doing with students and their poetry. It is a website where child poets can publish their work, enter competitions and access other works. It is worth visiting with your class.
Fran Knight