Cloud Busting is a story about Dave who is a new student in the school who stays few doors away from Sam’s house and Sam who is a bully. Could be coupled along with 'Love my dog' by Sharon Creech which is another story told through poetry, albeit structured on specific poems. This resource contains three differentiated texts, questions and answers about the amazing author Malorie Blackman.

If you are a teacher and you would like a quirky short novel to read to your KS2 class (or even KS3 like me) this one has so much to offer. In the afterword, Malorie Blackman explains a bit about her love for poetry and her reasons behind writing the book in this format.Cloud Busting, in my humble opinion, is a perfect tool for ‘busting’ children’s misconceptions of poetry as ‘boring’ and ‘for old people’ while vividly yet sensitively addressing the issue of bullying. Be aware that the limerick form is challenging and children are likely to need support, particularly with achieving the rhyme scheme. The novel won the Nestlé Children's Book Prize Silver Award [1] and was longlisted for the Carnegie Medal.

Have children think about other stories from books, television and film where “difference” defines a character and marks them out for bullying, for greatness, or maybe both. This will be useful to children who are developing their poetry techniques in English, by having relatable characters and different use of poetry. An easy-to-follow plan, a set of thought-provoking slides, differentiated activity ideas and printable resources are all included in this Cloud Busting KS2 lesson pack. The unusual form is very obvious, yet not at all distracting as the strong story line urges the reader on. In 2008 she received an OBE for her services to children's literature, and between 2013 and 2015 she was the Children's Laureate.My only criticism is it's just not long enough; I wanted more of the story - it does feel a bit 'half done'. In their independent activities, children will explore how different characters reacted to the peanut allergy incident by inferring their thoughts and feelings.