Trains in the distance, man, the world rumbles by
waitin for the stars now to tear back the sky.

Every wall must rattle when this change comes crashin in
before we start let’s fall apart tomorrow, we begin.

—

A powerful new collection of contemporary poems for teenagers from five-time CLiPPA nominated poet Matt Goodfellow, author of Let’s Chase Stars Together and The Final Year.
Ideal for young people aged 11+

With poems about everything from navigating your first day of secondary school at eleven to finding your first love at sixteen, this collection explores the highs, lows and messy middles of teenage life. Told in Matt Goodfellow’s engaging and powerful style, this book takes the reader on an emotional rollercoaster; from anger at your teachers to those blissful, simple days with your mates. With poems that sensitively deal with difficult issues, there is a space in Matt’s poetry for all teens to feel seen, whether poetry is their thing or not!

‘Goodfellow has the knack for choosing all the right words’ – The Guardian

Matt Goodfellow is one of the best children’s poets working in the UK today and is the winner of the CLiPPA 2024, the UK’s premier children’s poetry prize. He spends his time writing and touring the UK and beyond visiting schools, libraries and festivals to deliver high-energy, inspirational poetry performances and workshops. Before embarking on his poetry career, Matt spent over 10 years as a primary school teacher. His poetry collections Bright Bursts of Colour, Caterpillar Cake (Otter-Barry Books) and Let’s Chase Stars Together have all been nominated for the CLiPPA, among other awards. His first novel in verse, The Final Year, won the CLiPPA in 2024 and was published by Otter-Barry Books. Follow Matt on social media @EarlyTrain.