The most poignant moment came when we read about the fate of the lame boy who was denied entry to “a joyous land”. The sessions when we read the poem aloud - sometimes taking it in turns, sometimes as one voice, sometimes quietly, sometimes raucously - remain amongst the most memorable in my ten years with Get Into Reading. In my search for material to read with them all I borrowed a set of wonderfully illustrated copies of Browning’s classic from the school library service. It contained six mums, a granddad and their eight children aged 5 to 8. This all changed when I was appointed Reader-in-Residence at a primary school in Wallasey. To be honest, I don’t recall re-reading this wonderful poem since my childhood and I hadn’t considered reading it in a Get Into Reading group, dismissing it as 'for children'. I can almost hear you chanting this already. Rats! They fought the dogs and killed the cats I absolutely guarantee that someone in your reading group, at your bus stop, on your train or at your supermarket checkout will subliminally know the following: It certainly contains some of the most memorable lines. This is probably one of the most famous stories, or “my ditty” as Browning calls it, in all of literature. This week's Featured Poem selection comes from Amanda Boston, Get Into Reading Wirral Young People Project Worker, who has revisited a childhood favourite into her Get Into Reading groups.
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