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

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BfK No. 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)

‘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...

Where the World Turns Wild

Nicola Penfold

(Stripes Publishing)

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...

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

CRESSIDA COWELL LAUNCHES NEW LAUREATE INITIATIVE IN SUPPORT OF SCHOOL LIBRARIES AND CALLS ON PM TO ACT

‘How can a child become a reader for pleasure if their parents or carers cannot afford books, and their primary school has no library, or that library is woefully insufficient?’

Life-changing Libraries logo

A new mentorship scheme for underrepresented authors launches today, 30 March. All Stories offers fourteen mentorships delivered by expert children’s book editors.

The shortlists for the prestigious CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals are announced today, 18 March. The awards are the UK’s oldest for children and young people.

This year’s judges praised their shortlists for ‘offering hope and escapism during lockdown’ through explorations of freedom, the great outdoors and journeys through the natural world.

The Jhalak Prize has announced the longlist for the inaugural Jhalak Children’s & Young Adult Prize.

Award-winning author and activist, Onjali Raúf takes up the post as the new Writer in Residence for BookTrust, today, International Women’s Day. She takes over from Smriti Halls.

Onjali Q Raúf

The longlist for the 2021 CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals have been announced.

CKG Logo

LONGLIST ANNOUNCED FOR 2021 KLAUS FLUGGE PRIZE

Klaus Flugge Prize logo

Finish a story started by Branford Boase Award winner Liz Hyder

The Henrietta Branford Writing Competition, the annual competition for young people which runs in conjunction with the Branford Boase Award, is now open.

Every two years, IBBY invites nominations for its international List of Outstanding Books for Young People with Disabilities. Nominations are made by IBBY national sections and the final list is selected from these by the IBBY Documentation Centre of Books for Young People with Disabilities, based in Toronto. Because of its international content, the list is unique in the children’s book world. It is a huge voluntary undertaking as every country is encouraged to submit up to twelve titles across the three categories.

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

Digital version – browse, print or download

BfK Newsletter

BfK No. 240 Articles

Editor's Choice

Look Both Ways

New Talent

Where the World Turns Wild

All Children's Book Reviews in BfK No. 240

Under 5s

Goodbye House, Hello House

The Boy Who Loved Everyone

Be More Bernard

What I Like Most

Ages 5-8

The House of Madame M

Hansel & Gretel

The Princess Rules

Greta and the Giants

Snow Leopard, Grey Ghost of the Mountain

The Big Book of Birds

Forgotten Fairy Tales of Brave and Brilliant Girls

How Many Points for a Panda?

Winter Sleep A Hibernation Story

How the Stars Came to Be

The Red Suitcase

Mustafa’s Jumper

Ages 8-10

The Big Book of Birds

Forgotten Fairy Tales of Brave and Brilliant Girls

The Cure for a Crime

The House in Hawthorn Road

Trailblazers – Harriet Tubman - A Journey to Freedom

Rebel Girls Ada Lovelace Cracks the Code

Son of the Circus: A Victorian Story

The Undefeated

Ages 10-14

Look Both Ways

Where the World Turns Wild

Tiger Heart

Prisoners of Geography Our World in 12 Simple Maps

A House without Walls

The Missing

Evernight

Orion Lost

Sofa Surfer

Ages 14+

Paper Avalanche paperback

Yes No Maybe So

Slay

Jackpot

A Throne of Swans

The Good Hawk

BfK News