Perfect rhyme is harder by nature because it requires the rhyming words to match in both their vowel and consonant sounds. So the combination of eat/sweet matches both the “ee” sound and the “t” sound. Similarly host/most share both the “oh” sound and the “st” sound. When Ava discovers an imaginary cat in the cabbage patch, she knows she’s found a new best friend. Together, Ava and Squishy McFluff get up to all kinds of mischief . . . Squishy McFluff is Ava's best friend. He may be invisible, but that doesn't stop them having all kinds of fun together - and you won't believe just how much mess, trouble and chaos one mischievous invisible kitten can cause! When you write a line of rhyme, it’s important not to force the reader to put the emphasis on a syllable where it wouldn’t occur in natural speech, just to achieve the rhythm. For example, if you put stress on the last part of the word emph asis, it would sound weird and awkward. So you need to try to write the lines of your rhyming story so all the words can be read in a natural, but rhythmic way. 5 Test your rhyming story

Cleverly bridging the gap between picture books and longer fiction, the lovable Squishy is certain to be a success with under-sevens.’ BookTrust Shakespeare’s Birthday – April 23 – can be celebrated by taking part in ‘ Talk Like Shakespeare‘ day. Try dismissing your class at the end of a lesson with such lines as “ Out of my sight! Thou dost infect mine eyes!“ Did you know that poems have feet? No? Well if you were to learn about poetry in a formal way, you’d be bombarded by all sort of funny terms which are used to describe the way verse is written, including metric feet, meter and iambs. It can all get very technical, but you don’t necessarily need to know that stuff. All you need to understand is that poems and rhymes normally have rhythm. But not everyone can see he’s the winner. The Mayor seems to have a particular blindspot . . . That is until Ava and her invisible pet foil a dastardly robbery! Finally, April hosts ‘ Say Hello with Jazz Hands Day” to celebrate Jazz Day at the end of the month. A great idea to introduce in assemblies – students, staff and parents can greet each other with Jazz Hands all day.When Ava discovers an imaginary cat in the cabbage patch, she knows she's found a new best friend. Together, Ava and Squishy McFluff get up to all kinds of mischief . . . Lesbian Visibility Week– held in the last week of April. Stonewall’s Lesbian hub offers a range of articles and information that will be useful for secondary schools. Squishy McFluff has been blow-dried and primped to perfection. He must win the Country Fair prettiest pet competition – and will if Ava has anything to do with it . . . When you’re writing in rhyme, it’s easy to become obsessed with finding the ending words that go together. But if you concentrate on the rhyme more than you do on the plot, you’ll probably end up with a story that doesn’t feel all that satisfying. It might not have a good focus, or make sense, or be as entertaining as it should be. The rule to remember is: the story is just as important as the rhyme.

Told in full colour throughout, this is the perfect stepping stone from picture books to older fiction. Bright new talent Pip Jones gives a hilarious, quirky twist to everyday experiences for readers aged 5+.Another joyful, hilarious, instant classic of a tale for five year olds and upwards, stunningly illustrated by Ella Okstad.

These hashtag days might provide current and relevant talking points for secondary-aged pupils aged 13+ in KS3, KS4 and KS5, especially when linked to related literature.

Follow us

From the funniest voice in young fiction today, the first in an irresistible series for young readers about imaginary friends in hilarious rhyming text and with adorable illustrations by Ella Okstad. Perhaps you need to add a syllable to fix your rhythm, or maybe you need to take one away. It might be that you need to swap one word for another, to make sure the syllable emphasis falls in the right place for your rhyme’s beat.