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Books for Keeps 171 - the children's book magazine online

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BfK No. 171 - July 2008

Cover Story
This issue’s cover illustration by James Mayhew is from Katie and the British Artists. James Mayhew discusses his work here. Thanks to Orchard Books for their help with this July cover.

BfK No. 171 Articles

Editorial - July 2008

News and comment from the Editor.

Katie’s Picture Show

James Mayhew on books which teach about art via a story.

Age Guidance

Caroline Horn explores the issues.

Illustrators in the Picture: the top ten ‘new’ picture book artists

Joanna Carey on the UK's 'top ten' new illustrators.

British Children’s Fiction in the Second World War

Nicholas Tucker discusses a recent history.

Authorgraph No.171: Jerry Spinelli

Jerry Spinelli interviewed by Jeanne Clancy Watkins.

Laureate Log - July 2008

Michael Rosen launches the Funny Prize amidst school visits.

Letter to the Editor - July 2008

Mary Sutcliffe on teacher training.

Good Reads: Wycombe High School

Reviews from pupils of Wycombe High School, Buckinghamshire.

Obituary: John Bell

Brian Alderson remembers John Bell.

I Wish I’d Written… Ottoline and the Yellow Cat

Paul Stewart chooses Chris Riddell’s Ottoline and the Yellow Cat.

Hal’s Reading Diary – July 2008

Roger Mills is thrilled that Hal has read a whole book by himself.

Classics in Short No.70: Just William

Brian Alderson on Richmal Crompton's Just William.

Editor's Choice

Harris Finds His Feet

Catherine Rayner
(Little Tiger Press)
5

Harris is a ‘small hare with very big feet’ and a loving grandad to introduce him to the world and encourage him to set out confidently on his own.

That Beatrix Potter came into my mind when I was thinking about Catherine Rayner’s...

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New Talent

Eliot Jones, Midnight Superhero

Anne Cottringer
(Scholastic)
5

A quiet boy by day, Eliot is transformed at the stroke of midnight into a superhero. He retrieves the queen’s stolen jewels, confronts escaped lions, prevents a ship from being wrecked and saves the planet from extinction when a meteor threatens...

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All Children's Book Reviews in BfK No. 171

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

Under 5s

  • You're Not So Scary, Sid!

    Sam Lloyd
    5
  • Snap!

    Mick Manning
    Brita Granström
    5
  • Posy

    Linda Newbery
    5
  • The Odd Egg

    Emily Gravett
    5
  • Minty and Tink

    Emma Chichester Clark
    5
  • Harris Finds His Feet

    Catherine Rayner
    5
  • The Squirrel Wife

    Philippa Pearce
    4
  • The Perfect Bear

    Gillian Shields
    4
  • Fine As We Are

    Algy Craig Hall
    4
  • Beware of the Frog

    William Bee
    4
  • Is This My Nose?

    3
  • I'm Not Cute!

    Jonathan Allen
    3
  • I don't want a posh dog

    Emma Dodd
    3
  • Counting in the Sea 123!

    Sue Hendra
    3
  • Conker and Nudge

    Adria Meserve
    3
  • The Old Animals' Forest Band

    Sirish Rao
    2

Ages 5-8

  • Say Hello

    Jack Foreman
    5
  • Eliot Jones, Midnight Superhero

    Anne Cottringer
    5
  • The Witch's Children Go to School

    Ursula Jones
    4
  • The Sacred Banana Leaf

    Nathan Kumar Scott
    4
  • Round About Six

    4
  • Horse

    Malachy Doyle
    4
  • The Wizard's Warning

    Hilda Offen
    3
  • Josh and Jaz have three mums ¦ Morris and the Bundle of Worries ¦ Picnic in the Park ¦ Spark learns to fly

    Hedi Argent
    3
  • Max the Missing Puppy

    Holly Webb
    3
  • Littlenose the Leader

    John Grant
    3
  • The Lion Book of Wisdom Stories from Around the World

    3
  • The Extraordinary Adventures of Ordinary Basil

    Wiley Miller
    3
  • Flotsam and Jetsam and the Grooof

    Tanya Landman
    2

Ages 8-10

  • The Savage

    David Almond
    5
  • Grow It, Eat It

    5
  • The Hundred-Towered City

    Garry Kilworth
    4
  • Bearkeeper

    Josh Lacey
    4
  • My Sister Jodie

    Jacqueline Wilson
    3
  • The Great Snake: Stories from the Amazon

    Sean Taylor
    3
  • Gervelie's Journey

    Anthony Robinson
    Annemarie Young
    3
  • Firestorm: Dragon Orb

    Mark Robson
    3
  • Earth Matters: an encyclopedia of ecology

    3
  • Skulduggery Pleasant: Playing with Fire

    Derek Landy
    2
  • Greek Myths and Legends

    2
  • The Battle for Gullywith

    Susan Hill
    2

Ages 10-14

  • A World Away

    Pauline Francis
    5
  • Sovay

    Celia Rees
    5
  • Once Upon a Time in the North

    Philip Pullman
    5
  • Waste and Recycling

    Fiona Macdonald
    4
  • Traitor!

    John Pilkington
    4
  • Toby Alone

    Timothée De Fombelle
    4
  • Selina Penaluna

    Jan Page
    4
  • Message in a Bottle

    Valerie Zenatti
    4
  • Lost Riders

    Elizabeth Laird
    4
  • The Last of the Warrior Kings

    Sarah Mussi
    4
  • The Knife of Never Letting Go

    Patrick Ness
    4
  • Hugging the Rock

    Susan Taylor Brown
    4
  • Divided Loyalties

    Dennis Hamley
    4
  • Crash

    Jan-Andrew Henderson
    4
  • Bloodline

    Katy Moran
    4
  • Three's a Crowd

    Sophie McKenzie
    3
  • Musicians

    Michael Johnstone
    3
  • M is for Magic

    Neil Gaiman
    3
  • Just Henry

    Michelle Magorian
    3
  • Inside Out: Children's poets discuss their work

    3
  • I am Rembrandt's Daughter

    Lynn Cullen
    3
  • Blue Flame

    K M Grant
    3
  • Blood Ties

    Sophie McKenzie
    3
  • The Great Famine ¦ War and Change: Ireland 1918-1924

    Feargal Brougham
    Caroline Farrell
    2
  • The H-Bomb Girl

    Stephen Baxter
    2
  • Hazel's Phantasmagoria

    Leander Deeny
    2

Ages 14+

  • Ostrich Boys

    Keith Gray
    5
  • The Amethyst Child

    Sarah Singleton
    5
  • Accidental Friends

    Helena Pielichaty
    4
  • A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl

    Tanya Lee Stone
    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.’

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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.

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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.

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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.

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TOM PALMER WINS THE CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD 2020

Tom Palmer

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