1. Families
2. Grandfathers
3. Poetry
4. Schools
5. Teachers

Melly really likes poetry but she likes hers to rhyme, so she is not happy when her teacher, Mrs Lane, reads them some poems that are blank verse and then sets the homework task of writing a four-line poem which must not rhyme. While visiting her Grandpa in hospital, Melly tells him about the poems and he recites one he wrote years ago while droving. He also helps her come up with an unrhyming poem about hospital food. Then Mrs Lane announces a poetry competition with two winners to read their poems at the Family Day assembly. Melly can’t concentrate while worrying about Grandpa and really wanting him and Mum to be at Family Day but there is a happy ending all round.

Sally Morgan belongs to the Palyku people from the eastern Pilbara region of Western Australia.

1. Indigenous Australia: Sally Morgan https://ia.anu.edu.au/biography/morgan-sally-17816
2. BBC Teach: Poetry Teaching Resources https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/poetry-resources/zr6yd6f
3. The Poetry Society: Poetryclass https://resources.poetrysociety.org.uk/
4. Kenn Nesbitt’s Poetry4Kids.com: Poetry Writing Lessons for Kids https://www.poetry4kids.com/lessons/poetry-writing-lessons/