Right Way Down and other poems compiled by Rebecca M Newman and Sally Murphy illustrated by Briony Stewart

Over thirty-five Australian poets, many from Western Australia, have poems in this sweet little anthology which would be a perfect addition to your own shelves and should be an essential addition to every Primary school library. 

The poems are organised under five headings - Come on in; Creative Thinkers; Creature Features; The View from here; and Heading Home.

The title comes from a poem by Sally Murphy (one of the compilers of this book the other is Rebecca Newman). Several of the poems have been previously published (these details are included at the back of the book), and some are from our wonderful NSW School Magazine. There are also brief biographical details about each poet.

Right Way Down by Sally Murphy 
(in the book the words are upside down and you need to rotate the book!)

This is a poem
best read
while you balance
on hand or on head.

It isn't

upside down.

It isn't

wrong way round.

It's simply set

out this way so 

you can maybe

have a go

at reading

while you stand

on your head

or on your hands.

I read this book straight after I purchased it while I enjoyed a cup of tea in the bookshop. I read the whole book and I kept changing my mind about my favourite poem - there are so many great ones selected for this anthology. Some are funny, some are emotional, some are lyrical and some are sure to make you think!

There are so many ways you could share the poems from this book with your class in Grade 2 right up to Grade 6. You could pair the poem above for example with the double page of poems about shoelaces in the book A Whale of a Time page 182.

Here are a couple of other poems from Right Way down:

Cutting Reply by Sharron Hough

You're just a piece of paper
How can you scare me?
Without a pen or pencil
You're blank for all to see
Not a line or picture
Not a scratch or scrawl
Plain and dull, uninteresting
No character at all
Look how straight your edge is
You lie there, flat, inert
My fingers glide so easily
Ouch! That really hurt!

Puppy Love by Lisa van der Wielen

Pick me! Pick me! I really want a home.

I promise to follow you, wherever you roam.

I might bark at the postie or chew uour best socks

Or even dig holes or ruin my box ...

I might fetch my lead, and beg for a walk.

Whenever there's food: I'll watch like a hawk.

But please take me home, and hug me with pride,

I promise to love you and be by your side.

For I might be cheeky, and act like I'm royal,

But I'm playfulk, devoted, affectionate, loyal.

I'm cuddly, adoring, and awfully smart,

If you give me a home - I'll give you my heart.

Autumn Leaves by Sian Turner

Orange plumes take flight

Fluttering in the wind

Fragile gossamer wings that stretch to kiss the sky,

They leave your trunk bare.

Your flamboyant masquerade has slipped away.

Now you stand still

And exposed to the coming chill.

It will be a full season before you are clothed again

And your mask is mended.

But your leaves, blown away,

Are even now a gift - 

Leaf litter.

The reviewer from Lamont Books has listed his favourite poems and I am thrilled to see this book was included with their first standing order offering this year. See more pages inside Right Way Down here. The publisher have also written some general teaching notes. 

BUT I so wish the publisher of this book (Fremantle Press) had been braver and that this book had colour illustrations, a larger format and perhaps even be hardcover. Briony Stewart has added glorious illustrations to Right Way Down but they would really shine if they were in colour.  This IS a poetry anthology to cherish but I think it will be overlooked partly because the format is fairly plain and partly because bookshops do not really feature Poetry books. I had to hunt through two of our city bookstores to find my copy and this book was only published last month. In the 'olden days' Australian publishers were prepared to take risks as evidenced by the wonderful book Beetle Soup - later renamed And the Roo jumped over the Moon complied by Dr Robin Morrow illustrated by Stephen Michael King.