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Books for Keeps 103 - the children's book magazine online

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BfK No. 103 - March 1997

Cover Story
The cover of this issue is a design incorporating illustrations from four books illustrated by the subject of our Authorgraph, Ian Beck. The top left illustration is from Five Little Ducks (Orchard), the top right from Poppy and Pip's Picnic (to be published Autumn '97 by HarperCollins), the bottom left from The Owl and the Pussy-cat (Transworld) and the bottom right from Home Before Dark (to be published September '97 by Scholastic). Ian Beck's Picture Book (Hippo) is reviewed in this issue.
Beck talks to BfK's interviewer, Julia Eccleshare, also in this issue. His distinctive decorative style with its sensitive pen line and cross hatching has a nostalgic but sometimes also a surreal quality - he describes it as 'a look that is floating, strong and wistful all at the same time'.

Thanks to Orchard, HarperCollins, Transworld and Scholastic for their help in producing this composite cover.

BfK No. 103 Articles

Editorial – March 1997

News and comment from the Editor.

At Mother’s (or Father’s) Knee

Deborah Maby on preschoolers who are ready to read.

Good? Good as? Good for...?

Peter Hunt discusses criteria for book selection.

Publishing Profiles No.2: The Production Manager

Liz Attenborough goes behind the scenes in publishing.

Authorgraph No.103: Ian Beck

Ian Beck interviewed by Julia Eccleshare

BfK Briefing – March 1997

News * Events * Awards * Obituary * Poetry Best Seller Charts * Letters to the Editor

Good Reads: Coalway Junior School, Gloucestershire

Reviews from pupils of Coalway Junior School, Gloucestershire.

Classics in Short No.2: Five Children and It

Helen Levene on E Nesbit's Five Children and It.

Editor's Choice

Disguises and Surprises

Claire Llewellyn
(Walker Books Ltd)
5

The soil is crawling with earthworms. There could easily be a million in an area the size of your school games pitch.

Although they feel rubbery, worms are actually covered with hundreds of tiny bristles. The bristles help them to...

read more

New Talent

Creepers

Keith Gray
(Mammoth)
5

I clenched and unclenched my fists, my heart was beating fast fast. I looked at my best friend and saw his freckles and characteristic grin riding high. If I could make the distance with anyone it was Jamie. I was glad he was here, I wouldn...

read more

All Children's Book Reviews in BfK No. 103

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

Under 5s

  • What Newt Could Do for Turtle

    Jonathan London
    4
  • Cinderella

    Prue Theobalds
    4
  • Michael's Monsters

    Gus Clarke
    4
  • Ian Beck's Picture Book

    Ian Beck
    4
  • A Cheese and Tomato Spider

    Nick Sharratt
    3
  • Little Elephant Thunderfoot

    Sally Grindley
    3
  • The Bad Day ABC

    Hilda Offen
    3
  • Lottie's Letter

    Gordon Snell
    3
  • The Treasure Hunt

    Nick Butterworth
    3
  • Mrs Pig Gets Cross ¦ Wicked William

    Mary Rayner
    3
  • Chanting Rhymes ¦ Action Rhymes ¦ Finger Rhymes ¦ Counting Rhymes

    3
  • Papa, please get the moon for me

    Eric Carle
    3
  • Let's Look Inside the Yellow Truck ¦ Let's Look Inside the Red Car

    Amanda Leslie
    3
  • Charlie's Choice

    Nicola Smee
    3
  • Dem Bones

    Bob Barner
    2
  • Sweetapple Farm

    Wendy Smith
    1

Ages 5-8

  • The Orchard Book of Irish Fairy Tales and Legends

    Una Leavy
    5
  • Disguises and Surprises

    Claire Llewellyn
    5
  • Wings, Stings and Wriggly Things

    Martin Jenkins
    5
  • The Orchard Book of Stories from the Seven Seas

    Pomme Clayton
    4
  • The King of Ireland's Son

    Brendan Behan
    4
  • Mr MacMurdo's Guide to Ghostkeeping

    Gerald Hawksley
    4
  • Too Much Talk

    Angela Shelf Medearis
    4
  • The Sea of Tranquility

    Mark Haddon
    4
  • Tales of Trotter Street

    Shirley Hughes
    4
  • Food ¦ Clothes & Uniforms

    Kath Cox
    Pat Hughes
    3
  • The Five Sisters

    Margaret Mahy
    3
  • Sulky Suzy/Jittery Jack

    Joan Lingard
    3
  • Hogsel and Gruntel

    Dick King-Smith
    3
  • Minty; Freedom Child of the Sea

    Alan Schroeder
    3
  • Cloudland

    John Burningham
    3
  • Take Care On Your Own ¦ Take Care Near Water

    Carole Wale
    1
  • The Animals of Paradise

    Noura Durkee
    0

Ages 8-10

  • Clockwork or All Wound Up

    Philip Pullman
    5
  • The Terrible Trins

    Dick King-Smith
    5
  • Chuck and Danielle

    Peter Dickinson
    5
  • Secret Friends

    Elizabeth Laird
    5
  • Wayland Atlas of Threatened Cultures

    4
  • Virtual World

    Chris Westwood
    4
  • Pictures in the Dark

    Gillian Cross
    4
  • Daughter of the Sea

    Berlie Doherty
    4
  • Oxford Children's Encyclopedia

    4
  • The World of the Medieval Knight

    Christopher Gravett
    4
  • We Animals Would Like a Word with You

    John Agard
    4
  • The Hundred-Mile-An-Hour Dog

    Jeremy Strong
    4
  • Daft Jack and the Bean Stack ¦ Cinderboy

    Laurence Anholt
    4
  • The 20th Century

    Terry Deary
    3
  • Metropolis

    Albert Lorenz
    Joy Schleh
    3
  • Bypass

    Anthony Masters
    3
  • Similon

    Kathryn Cave
    3
  • Can You Sue Your Parents for Malpractice?

    Paula Danziger
    3
  • Superstructures

    Mike Corbishley
    3
  • Belly Flop

    Morris Gleitzman
    3
  • Creep and Chase

    Ruth Dowley
    3
  • Crocodile Tears

    Marjorie Ann Watts
    3
  • Connie and the Water Babies

    Jacqueline Wilson
    3
  • Charlie the Champion Traveller

    Hazel Townson
    3
  • Claude Monet ¦ Emmeline Pankhurst ¦ Frederic Chopin ¦ Isambard Kingdom Brunel ¦ Vincent van Gogh

    John Malam
    2
  • Robert Burns: Maker of Rhymes

    Elisabeth Jane McNair
    2
  • What Do We Know about Plains Indians? ¦ What Do We Know about Prehistoric People?

    Colin Taylor
    1
  • The Complete Poetical Works of Phoebe Flood

    John Whitworth
    1

Ages 10-14

  • Escape

    June Oldham
    5
  • Creepers

    Keith Gray
    5
  • Death or Glory Boys ¦ Broken Bridge

    Theresa Breslin
    4
  • The Car

    Gary Paulsen
    4
  • Listen to the Dark

    Maeve Henry
    4
  • The Spark Gap

    Julie Bertagna
    4
  • Sex Matters

    Julian Cohen
    3
  • The Vision

    Pete Johnson
    3

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.’

read more...
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.

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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

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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

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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.

read more...
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

read more...
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.

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TOM PALMER WINS THE CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD 2020

Tom Palmer

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