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Books for Keeps 218 - the children's book magazine online

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BfK No. 218 - May 2016
BfK 218 May 2016

COVER STORY
This issue’s cover illustration is from Lulu Loves Flowers by Anna McQuinn and Rosalind Beardshaw. Thanks to Alanna Books for their help with this cover and to Hachette Children’s Books for their support of the Authorgraph interview with Caroline Lawrence

Digital Edition
By clicking here you can view, print or download the fully artworked Digital Edition of BfK 218 May 2016 .

BfK No. 218 Articles

Editorial 218

Comment from the editor

Radical books for children: the Little Rebels Award

Little Rebels judge Catherine Johnson on this year’s award

Alanna Books by Anna McQuinn: an inadvertent publisher…

Ten years of child-centred publishing

Windows into Illustration: Richard Collingridge

Richard Collingridge on the cinematic Lionheart

Authorgraph 218 Caroline Lawrence

Caroline Lawrence interviewed by Philip Womack

Ten of the Best Books on space exploration

Chosen by Sue Unstead

Setting out to sea with Otter-Barry Books

Jackie Morris on the very special launch for The Seal Children

The CILIP Carnegie Medal 2016. And the winner is …

The Carnegie Medal shortlist appraised by Nicholas Tucker

The CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal 2016. And the winner is …

The Kate Greenaway Medal shortlist appraised by Piet Grobler

What Katy did in the 21st century

Jacqueline Wilson talks to Rebecca Butler about her version of What Katy Did

Obituary: Nicholas Fisk

Clive Barnes on the taboo-breaking Sci Fi author.

Good Reads 218

chosen by pupils at Leighton Park School

I Wish I’d Written: Robin Stevens

Robin Stevens chooses a museum mystery

Two Children Tell: Ramona and Rebecca

Beverley Cleary's heroine inspires Rebecca

On Co-Authoring

When two is better than one; Prentice and Weill on co-authoring

Junk at twenty

Twenty years since publication of Junk, Geraldine Brennan assesses its impact

Classics in Short No 117

The Dolls' House by Rumer Godden

AN INTERVIEW WITH ROSALIND BEARDSHAW

The illustrator of the popular Lulu books talks to Mike Farren

A Q&A INTERVIEW WITH FAYE BIRD

Faye Bird answers questions on What I Couldn't Tell You

CLASS ACT: AN INTERVIEW WITH PAMELA BUTCHART

Damian Kelleher interviews the winner of the 2016 Children's Book Award

A Q&A INTERVIEW WITH C J FLOOD ON NIGHTWANDERERS

The award-winning author answers questions on her new novel Nightwanderers

AN INTERVIEW WITH TIMOTHÉE DE FOMBELLE

Timothée de Fombelle discusses his books with Joy Court

Editor's Choice

Life is Magic

Meg McLaren
(Andersen Press)
5

When his magician slips on a banana skin (literally), it is up to Houdini, the rabbit, to take over. Houdini loves magic; he is a natural. He is a great success. But life is hollow without a proper partner. Can Houdini rectify the situation?...

read more

New Talent

Why I Went Back

James Clammer
(Andersen Press)
4

Suppose your mother has died, your father seems to have lost his grip on life. Keeping everything going is up to you - but you are only fourteen. Your prized possession is that bicycle, all eighteen gears and shining frame. It is your salvation....

read more

All Children's Book Reviews in BfK No. 218

  • Under 5s
  • Ages 5-8
  • Ages 8-10
  • Ages 10-14
  • Ages 14+

Under 5s

  • Let’s Play

    Hervé Tulley
    5
  • Tidy

    Emily Gravett
    5
  • There’s a Tiger in the Garden

    Lizzy Stewart
    5
  • A Brave Bear

    Sean Taylor
    5
  • Hiccups

    Holly Sterling
    4
  • Albert’s Tree

    Jenni Desmond
    4
  • Are You Sitting Comfortably?

    Leigh Hodgkinson
    3

Ages 5-8

  • Life is Magic

    Meg McLaren
    5
  • Little Red

    Bethan Woollvin
    5
  • Lucinda Belinda Melinda McCool

    Jeanne Willis
    5
  • The Big Book of Mr Badger

    Leigh Hobbs
    5
  • The Seal Children reissue

    Jackie Morris
    5
  • There is a Tribe of Kids

    Lane Smith
    5
  • Image Not Available

    Where’s the starfish?

    Barroux
    5
  • Image Not Available

    Tufty

    Michael Foreman
    5
  • Freddie Mole: Lion Tamer

    Alexander McCall Smith
    4
  • All Aboard for the Bobo Road

    Stephen Davies
    4
  • We Are Not Frogs

    Michael Morpurgo
    4
  • Image Not Available

    The Hole Story

    Paul Bright
    4
  • Image Not Available

    Dave Pigeon

    Swapna Haddow
    4
  • Image Not Available

    The Jasmine Sneeze

    Nadine Kaadan
    4
  • Image Not Available

    Isaac and His Amazing Asperger Superpowers!

    Melanie Walsh
    4
  • Image Not Available

    Mr Moon Wakes Up

    Jemima Sharpe
    4
  • Image Not Available

    The Secret of the Kelpie

    Lari Don
    4
  • Image Not Available

    The Journey

    Francesca Sanna
    4
  • Image Not Available

    Superbot and the Terrible Toy Destroyer

    Nick Ward
    3
  • Image Not Available

    Julius Zebra: Bundle with the Britons

    Gary Northfield
    2
  • Perfect by Nicola Davies

    Nicola Davies
    2

Ages 8-10

  • The Story of a Seagull and the Cat Who Taught her to Fly

    5
  • Knitbone Pepper Ghost Dog and the Last Circus Tiger

    Claire Barker
    5
  • The Boy and the Globe

    Tony Bradman
    4
  • Image Not Available

    Spangles McNasty and the Fish of Gold

    Steve Webb
    4
  • Image Not Available

    The Bears' Famous Invasion of Sicily

    Dino Buzzati
    3

Ages 10-14

  • Knights of the Borrowed Dark

    Dave Rudden
    5
  • Image Not Available

    The Book of Pearl

    Timothée De Fombelle
    5
  • The House on Hummingbird Island

    Sam Angus
    5
  • Image Not Available

    The Uncommoners: The Crooked Sixpence

    Jennifer Bell
    5
  • The Nest

    Kenneth Oppel
    4
  • Storm Weaver

    Matt Griffin
    4
  • Arrivals: How Long Can a Secret Be Kept

    Brian Gallagher
    4
  • Why I Went Back

    James Clammer
    4
  • Raymie Nightingale

    Kate DiCamillo
    4
  • A Seven Letter Word

    Kim Slater
    4
  • Sophie Someone paperback

    Hayley Long
    4
  • Devil's Blood

    Andrew Prentice
    Jonathan Weil
    3
  • Voices from the Second World War: witnesses share their stories with the children of today

    3
  • Death or Ice Cream

    Gareth P Jones
    3
  • Image Not Available

    Pax

    Sara Pennypacker
    3
  • Image Not Available

    Alone

    D J Brazier
    3
  • Sputnik’s Guide to Life on Earth

    Frank Cottrell Boyce
    3

Ages 14+

  • The Monstrous Child

    Francesca Simon
    5
  • The Girl in the Blue Coat

    Monica Hesse
    5
  • Plain Jane

    Kim Hood
    4
  • The Bombs that Brought Us Together

    Brian Conaghan
    4
  • The Square Root of Summer

    Harriet Reuter Hapgood
    4
  • What I Couldn't Tell You

    Faye Bird
    4
  • Rebel, Bully, Geek, Pariah

    Erin Lange
    3
  • Highly Illogical Behaviour

    John Corey Whaley
    3
  • Image Not Available

    Riverkeep

    Martin Stewart
    3

BfK News

ALASTAIR HUMPHREYS’ GREAT ADVENTURERS WINS THE 2019 EDUCATIONAL WRITERS’ AWARD

The winner of the 2019 Educational Writers’ Award is Alastair Humphreys’ Great Adventurers: The Incredible Expeditions of 20 Explorers (Big Picture Press).

Alastair Humphreys Great Adventures

read more...
BLACKMAN AND DOWNHAM ON SHORTLIST FOR 2019 COSTA CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD

Former Children’s Laureate Malorie Blackman and acclaimed author Jenny Downham are on the shortlist for the 2019 Costa Children’s Book Award, which was announced today, 26th November 2020. Alongside them on the list are newcomers Jasbinder Bilan and Nicholas Downing, both of whom are published by Chicken House.

The 2019 Costa Children’s Award shortlist

read more...
2019 ALCS EDUCATIONAL WRITERS’ AWARD SHORTLIST

Shortlist announced for the UK’s only award for creative educational writing

The Society of Authors and the Authors’ Licensing& Collecting Society have announced the shortlist for the 2019 ALCS Educational Writers’ Award, the UK’s only award for educational writing which stimulates and enhances the learning experience.

read more...
‘INSPIRING’: CONTENDERS FOR THE 2020 BLUE PETER BOOK AWARDS REVEALED

Blue Peter Book Award logo

Six books have made it onto the shortlists for the 2020 Blue Peter Book Awards. There are two categories: Best Story, and – in non-fiction November – Best Book with Facts.

read more...
NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED FOR THE 2020 CARNEGIE AND KATE GREENAWAY MEDALS

And we’re off… the nominations for the 2020 Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals are announced today, Monday 4th November.

read more...
2020 UKLA BOOK AWARDS THE LONGLISTS

UKLA Awards

A record number of submissions and a new category to highlight information books marks the 12th longlists for the UKLA Awards, the only national awards judged by active classroom teachers.

read more...
JESSICA LOVE NAMED WINNER OF THE KLAUS FLUGGE PRIZE 2019 FOR JULIAN IS A MERMAID

Jessica Love

read more...
LOLLIES 2020 SHORTLIST THE YEAR’S FUNNIEST CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Michael Rosen, children’s novelist, poet and former Children’s Laureate, has announced the shortlist for the 2020 Laugh Out Loud Awards (The Lollies), the awards that celebrate the funniest children’s books.

Lollies logo

read more...
HOOD, RUNDELL AND REYNOLDS UKLA BOOK AWARD WINNERS 2019

Morag Hood, Katherine Rundell and Jason Reynolds have been announced as the winners of the UKLA Book Awards 2019 for I Am Bat, The Explorer and Long Way Down respectively.

read more...
CATHERINE JOHNSON WINS LITTLE REBELS CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD

The Alliance of Radical Booksellers (ARB) is delighted to announce that the winner of this year’s Little Rebels Children’s Book Award for Radical Fiction is Catherine Johnson for her book, Freedom (Scholastic 2018).

Catherine Johnsonn photo Andy Donohoe

read more...
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