Don't Feed Your Guinea-pig Sweets - Poems About Real Children (English Edition) [Kindle-editie] beoordelingen het boek quotes

From the loss of a pet to the death of a parent, how do children cope when things go wrong? Each poem in this short anthology is based upon the experience of a real child. Even the happiest child knows what it feels like to be sad or anxious at times or puzzled about the world of grown-ups. When things go badly wrong for the adults, it is so often the children who are the most affected. Often too it is the teacher who sees what effect family problems are having on the child's day to day life at school.During her long career as a teacher, the author has seen children not only in their happier moments but also when they have been at their most vulnerable. But in writing here about some of the children she has known over the years, the author has once again been reminded of the amazing fortitude and resiliance shown by so many of them in times of trouble. Although many of the poems deal with social issues such as divorce, family breakdown, bereavement and bullying and the effect such situations have on children's lives, each child's story may also stand as a testament to the personal triumphs over adversity shown by many children. The poems also acknowledge the importance of school as a place of refuge, stability and friendship as well as a place of learning, particularly for those children whose lives may be disrupted or troubled by such circumstances. This is an anthology then for adults to read as a reminder to listen to the voices of children. It is also a book of poems for children to read because even the youngest of them is capable of reflecting on the lives of other children and empathising with them. The author also hopes that these poems will serve as a gentle reminder to us all that nothing stays the same for ever, that lessons can be learned through personal difficulties, and that every cloud has a silver lining.