Sample delights from the CLPE poetry award 2015 shortlist

Looking for great children’s poetry? Check out the brilliant collections that have been shortlisted for this year’s Centre for Literacy in Primary Education prize and sample some of the poems – plus find out how to get involved in the poetry award shadowing scheme

The Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE) has released the shortlist for its 2015 poetry award, previous winners of which include Roger McGough and Carol Ann Duffy. The award has been running each year since 2003 and aims to celebrate the very best poetry written for children.

The best berries are in my tub.

Frogspawn, black beads, spider eyes,

now memories

slowly drift on by

Handsome, lean wolf,

likes acting and cooking.

And here, under the green umbrella,

Pale, beaded mushrooms lie scattered –