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Books for Keeps 231 - the children's book magazine online

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BfK No. 231 - July 2018
BfK 231 July 2018

This issue’s cover illustration is from Supertato Veggies in the Valley of Doom by Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet. Thanks to Simon and Schuster for their help with this July cover.
Digital Edition
By clicking here you can view, print or download the fully artworked Digital Edition of BfK 231 July 2018 .

BfK No. 231 Articles

Editorial 231

Carnegie medal winner Geraldine McCaughrean praises words
Celebrating 20 years of the Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award

The key competition for young poets.
Rhythm and Poetry: Karl Nova, CLiPPA winner 2018

An interview with the 2018 CLiPPA winner
Reflecting Realities in children’s literature: my reality and fictional reality

Professor Vini Lander reports on Reflecting Realities, the new study into ethnic representation in children’s literature, and draws on her own personal experiences.
Authorgraph 231 Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet

Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet interviewed by Michelle Pauli
Windows into Illustration: Bruce Ingman

Windows into Illustration: Bruce Ingman
Ten of the Best Island Stories

Ten of the Best: a summer special on the best books set on islands, chosen by Tricia Adams
Beyond the Secret Garden? Portrayals of Mixedness

The latest in our new series looking at representations of BAME characters in children's literature
IBBY UK and books about disability

Choosing the IBBY List of Outstanding Books for Young People with Disabilities, by Rebecca Butler
Two Children Tell: ‘I Weigh Infinity Metres’

Two Children Tell: Virginia Lowe describes her children’s early understanding of numbers
I Wish I’d Written: Emily Gravett

Emily Gravett selects books that inspire her.
We wish we'd written: Honor and Perdita Cargill

Double whammy! The mother and daughter team choose a book they both wish they'd written.
Good Reads 231

Chosen by children in the Petts Wood Library Chatterbooks groups
AN INTERVIEW WITH CATHERINE DOYLE

Catherine Doyle talks about her new book The Storm Keeper's Island
Classics in Short No 130: Peep Behind the Scenes

A Peep Behind the Scenes 

 
A Q&A INTERVIEW WITH JANINA RAMIREZ

The author of Riddle of the Runes answers our questions.
AN INTERVIEW WITH JASON REYNOLDS

The American author Jason Reynolds interviewed by Imogen Russell Williams.
AN INTERVIEW WITH PAOLA PERETTI

The author is interviewed by Ferelith Hordon.

Editor's Choice

The Weight of a Thousand Feathers
Brian Conaghan
(Bloomsbury YA)
5

Bobby Seed will soon be 18. But he is still 17 – and the weight of the world lies on his shoulders. He is the carer for his mother who is in the final stages of MS. His younger brother, Danny also needs to be cared for. But Bobby longs for a...

read more

New Talent

Boy Underwater
Adam Baron
(HarperCollinsChildren'sBooks)
4

Cymbeline Igloo (his father was an actor, hence the name) can’t swim. His mother appears to have an aversion to the sea, swimming pools, any kind of expanse of water and has never allowed him to have swimming lessons. Not that that stops Cym from...

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All Children's Book Reviews in BfK No. 231

  • Under 5s
  • Ages 5-8
  • Ages 8-10
  • Ages 10-14
  • Ages 14+
  • Books About Children's Books

Under 5s

  • Something Fishy
    Polly Dunbar
    5

  • Dinosaur Firefighters
    Sarah McIntyre
    4

  • Cannonball Coralie and the Lion
    Grace Easton
    4

  • Zeki Gets a Checkup
    Anna McQuinn
    4

  • Cinderella of the Nile
    Beverley Naidoo
    4

  • Long Dog
    James Davies
    4

Ages 5-8

  • If All the World Were
    Joseph Coelho
    5

  • Hansel and Gretel
    Bethan Woollvin
    5

  • Big Bunny
    Rowboat Watkins
    5

  • My First Piano Book
    Genevieve Helsby
    Jason Chapman
    4

  • Our Kid
    Tony Ross
    4

  • Rusty the Squeaky Robot
    Neil Clark
    4

  • Baby’s First Bank Heist
    Jim Whalley
    4

  • Rosa Draws
    Jordan Wray
    4

  • Rose’s Dress of Dreams
    Katherine Woodfine
    3

Ages 8-10

  • Boy Underwater
    Adam Baron
    4

  • Embassy of the Dead
    Will Mabbitt
    4

  • The Storm Keeper’s Island
    Catherine Doyle
    4

  • Riddle of the Runes
    Janina Ramirez
    4

  • Ella on the Outside
    Cath Howe
    4

Ages 10-14

  • Mud
    Emily Thomas
    5

  • Suffragette, The Battle for Equality
    David Roberts
    5

  • The Boy Who Hit Play
    Chloe Daykin
    5

  • The Family Tree
    Mal Peet
    5

  • Boy Underwater
    Adam Baron
    4

  • Embassy of the Dead
    Will Mabbitt
    4

  • The Storm Keeper’s Island
    Catherine Doyle
    4

  • Bone Talk
    Candy Gourlay
    4

  • Fighting Fantasy: The Gates of Death
    Charlie Higson
    4

  • In the Mouth of the Wolf
    Michael Morpurgo
    4

  • The Starman and Me
    Sharon Cohen
    4

  • Boy Meets Hamster
    Birdie Milano
    3

  • The Mystery of the Colour Thief
    Ewa Jozefkowicz
    3

  • My Messed-Up Life
    Susin Nielsen
    3

  • Lucky Break
    Rob Stevens
    3

Ages 14+

  • The Weight of a Thousand Feathers
    Brian Conaghan
    5

  • Theatrical
    Maggie Harcourt
    5

  • The Lost Witch
    Melvin Burgess
    5

  • Little Liar
    Julia Gray
    4

  • White Rabbit, Red Wolf
    Tom Pollock
    4

  • The Survival Game
    Nicky Singer
    4

  • Jiddy Vardy
    Ruth Estevez
    3

  • Behind Closed Doors
    Miriam Halahmy
    3

Books About Children's Books

  • A History of Children’s Books in 100 Books
    Roderick Cave
    Sara Ayad
    3

BfK News

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

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CRESSIDA COWELL ANNOUNCED AS NEW WATERSTONES CHILDREN’S LAUREATE

‘Books are transformative because of their unique ability to develop three key magical powers: intelligence, creativity and, most important of all, empathy. Words are power; let’s take magic seriously.’ Cressida Cowell, Waterstones Children’s Laureate

read more...
STEVEN CAMDEN WINS CLiPPA 2019

Steven Camden photo by Ellie Kurttz

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MUHAMMAD KHAN WINS 20TH BRANFORD BOASE AWARD

The winner of the 2019 Branford Boase Award for outstanding debut novel for children is Muhammad Khan for his YA novel I Am Thunder. Set up in memory of author Henrietta Branford and her editor Wendy Boase who both died in 1999, the award also recognizes his editor Lucy Pearse of Macmillan Children’s Books.

read more...
SLA School Librarian of the Year 2019 Announced

Ros Harding School Librarian of the Year

Ros Harding of The King’s School Chester has been awarded the honour of the School Librarian of the Year 2019. 2019 YA Book Prize winner Sara Barnard presented Ros Harding with her award at a special ceremony at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel, Kensington, London Kensington on 27 June.

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The Children's Book Award 2019

Earlier this month, Arree Chung was named overall winner of The Children’s Book Award 2019. His book Mixed, which he wrote and illustrated, also won the Books for Younger Children category before going on to win the overall prize.

read more...
WINNERS OF THE 2019 CILIP CARNEGIE AND KATE GREENAWAY MEDALS

The winners of the CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals have been announced at a ceremony at The British Library, hosted by broadcaster and writer Konnie Huq.

read more...
BRANFORD BOASE AWARD SHORTLIST 2019

The children’s authors to watch: shortlist for the 2019 Branford Boase Award announced

Branford Boase Award shortlist 2019

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