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Books for Keeps 240 - the children's book magazine online

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BfK No. 240 - January 2020
BfK 240 January 2020

This issue’s cover illustration is from Evernight written by Ross MacKenzie, cover illustration by Amy Grimes. Thanks to Andersen Press for their help with this January cover.
Digital Edition
By clicking here you can view, print or download the fully artworked Digital Edition of BfK 240 January 2020.

BfK No. 240 Articles

Editorial 240

2020: a big year for BfK
2020: New Year Predictions

What will be the big issues for children’s books in the year ahead?
2020: a look ahead Part One

Books of the Year as chosen by their editors
2020: a look ahead Part Two

More picks for 2020 from children's editors
2020: A Look Ahead Part Three

More children’s editors share their picks
Ten Essential Children’s Books chosen by Philip Reeve

Philip Reeve selects a top ten
Authorgraph 240: Ross MacKenzie

Ross MacKenzie interviewed by Jane Sandell
Windows into Illustration: Ken Wilson-Max

Illustrator Ken Wilson-Max describes his technique and approach.
Picturebooks: the best art form for something you to have to say

An extract from the new edition of Children's Picturebooks: The Art of Visual Storytelling
Knights of

Meet the publisher doing things differently
A House Without Walls: an interview with Elizabeth Laird

An interview with Elizabeth Laird
Beyond the Secret Garden: A Sporting Chance

Sports and children's books.
I Wish I’d Written Roopa Farooki

Roopa Farooki chooses
Good Reads 240

Good Reads chosen by pupils at Kingston Grammar School
Jan Mark Is Here!

A new website for the acclaimed author and new story collection

Classics in Short No.139 What Katy Did

What on earth did Katy do to become a classic?
THE MISSING. AN INTERVIEW WITH MICHAEL ROSEN

Michael Rosen interviewed about the family stories that inspired his new book.
AN INTERVIEW WITH MICHELLE HARRISON

Michelle Harrison talks sisters, sorcery and sequels
A Q&A INTERVIEW WITH CERRIE BURNELL

The stories behind The Ice Bear Miracle.
HARRY POTTER AND ME: AN INTERVIEW WITH LEVI PINFOLD

Carey Fluker Hunt interviews Levi Pinfold about his illustrations for the House Editions of the Harry Potter books.
CRACKING CODES AND CRACKING JOKES: AN INTERVIEW WITH ANNE MILLER

Louise Lamont interviews Anne Miller about her debut novel, Mickey and the Animal Spies
A Q&A INTERVIEW WITH TAYLOR DOLAN

Meet the creator of the Ghoul Scouts
A Q&A INTERVIEW WITH ISZI LAWRENCE

The author answers our questions on her debut children's novel The Unstoppable Letty Pegg.

Editor's Choice

Look Both Ways
Jason Reynolds
(Knights Of)
5

‘A tale told in ten blocks’ – in ten short stories we meet the pupils of the local High School who all live in these blocks down the road. Boys, girls, friends or not, as they walk they talk, dream, worry – or even imagine a school bus falling...

read more

New Talent

Where the World Turns Wild
Nicola Penfold
(Stripes Publishing)
5

Where the World Turns Wild was selected for the 2018 Undiscovered Voices anthology and shortlisted for the Joan Aiken Future Classics prize in 2017. It is a prescient and convincing story of a...

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All Children's Book Reviews in BfK No. 240

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

Under 5s

  • Goodbye House, Hello House
    Margaret Wild
    5

  • The Boy Who Loved Everyone
    Jane Porter
    4

  • Be More Bernard
    Simon Philip
    4

  • What I Like Most
    Mary Murphy
    4

Ages 5-8

  • The House of Madame M
    Clotilde Perrin
    5

  • Hansel & Gretel
    Bethan Woollvin
    5

  • The Princess Rules
    Philippa Gregory
    5

  • Greta and the Giants
    Zoe Tucker
    5

  • Snow Leopard, Grey Ghost of the Mountain
    Justin Anderson
    5

  • The Big Book of Birds
    Yuval Zommer
    5

  • Forgotten Fairy Tales of Brave and Brilliant Girls
    Various Authors
    4

  • How Many Points for a Panda?
    Hilda Offen
    4

  • Winter Sleep A Hibernation Story
    Sean Taylor
    Alex Morss
    4

  • How the Stars Came to Be
    Poonam Mistry
    4

  • The Red Suitcase
    Gilles Baum
    4

  • Mustafa’s Jumper
    Coral Rumble
    4

Ages 8-10

  • The Big Book of Birds
    Yuval Zommer
    5

  • Forgotten Fairy Tales of Brave and Brilliant Girls
    Various Authors
    4

  • The Cure for a Crime
    Roopa Farooki
    4

  • The House in Hawthorn Road
    Megan Wynne
    4

  • Trailblazers – Harriet Tubman - A Journey to Freedom
    Sandra A. Agard
    4

  • Rebel Girls Ada Lovelace Cracks the Code
    Corinne Purtill
    4

  • Son of the Circus: A Victorian Story
    E.L. Norry
    3

  • The Undefeated
    Kwame Alexander
    0

Ages 10-14

  • Look Both Ways
    Jason Reynolds
    5

  • Where the World Turns Wild
    Nicola Penfold
    5

  • Tiger Heart
    Penny Chrimes
    5

  • Prisoners of Geography Our World in 12 Simple Maps
    Tim Marshall
    5

  • A House without Walls
    Elizabeth Laird
    5

  • The Missing
    Michael Rosen
    5

  • Evernight
    Ross MacKenzie
    4

  • Orion Lost
    Alastair Chisholm
    4

  • Sofa Surfer
    Malcolm Duffy
    3

Ages 14+

  • Paper Avalanche paperback
    Lisa Williamson
    5

  • Yes No Maybe So
    Becky Albertalli
    Aisha Saeed
    5

  • Slay
    Brittney Morris
    5

  • Jackpot
    Nic Stone
    4

  • A Throne of Swans
    Katharine Corr
    Elizabeth Corr
    4

  • The Good Hawk
    Joseph Elliott
    4

BfK News

NATASHA FARRANT WINS 2020 COSTA CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD

Natasha Farrant

Writer and literary scout Natasha Farrant has won the 2020 Costa Children’s Book Award for Voyage of the Sparrowhawk, a book which the judges described as ‘pure heavenly escapism and a purely joyful read.’

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ROBIN WALKER WINS THE 2020 ALCS EDUCATIONAL WRITERS’ AWARD FOR BLACK HISTORY MATTERS

The winner of the 2020 ALCS Educational Writers’ Award is Black History Matters: The Story of Black History, From African Kingdoms to Black Lives Matter. Written by acclaimed Black historian, Robin Walker, the 2020 judges praised this accessible, comprehensive and inspiring book which provides a timely introduction both to Black history and the Black Lives Matter movement.

read more...
IBBY UK nominate Marcus Sedgwick and David McKee for the Hans Christian Andersen Award 2022

IBBY UK has announced that Marcus Sedgwick and David McKee will be the UK nominations for the 2022 Hans Christian Andersen Award.

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SHORTLIST FOR THE COSTA CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD 2020

Debut authors Darren Charlton and Jenny Pearson join Natasha Farrant and Meg Rosoff on the shortlist for the 2020 Costa Children’s Book Award.

The shortlist for the 2020 Costa Children’s Book Award has been announced. No less than 146 books were submitted and from those the judges have chosen a shortlist of four. They are:

Wranglestone by Darren Charlton (Little Tiger)

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BOOKTRUST’S REPRESENTS INTERIM RESEARCH & CLPE REFLECTING REALITIES SURVEY 2020

CLPE Reflecting Realities Report 2020

read more...
SHORTLIST FOR THE 2021 BLUE PETER BOOK AWARDS REVEALED

The six books shortlisted for the 2021 Blue Peter Book Awards have been announced.

Blue Peter Book Award logo

read more...
Happy National Non-Fiction November 2020

It’s National Non-Fiction November! Organised by the Federation of Children’s Book Groups, National Non-Fiction November is an annual celebration of the power of non-fiction to inspire children and celebrate readers who have a passion for information and facts. 2020 is the 10th anniversary of National Non-Fiction November.

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JANE PORTER AND MAISIE PARADISE SHEARRING 2020 LITTLE REBELS AWARD WINNERS

Jane Porter and Maisie Paradise Shearring have won the 2020 Little Rebels Award for their picture book The Boy who Loved Everyone. They will share the £2000 prize.

Little Rebels logo 2020

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OU AND MACMILLAN CHILDREN’S BOOKS LAUNCH BOOK CHAT SCHEME

The Open University (OU) is launching Book Chat: Reading with your Child, a resource which comprises three short films and support materials to help parents, families and carers read books conversationally and creatively to children. Working with Macmillan Children’s Books, the films use a selection of their picture books and a poetry collection to support families with reading to different ages of children.

read more...
TOM PALMER WINS THE CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD 2020

Tom Palmer

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