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Books for Keeps 178 - the children's book magazine online

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BfK No. 178 - September 2009

Cover Story

This issue’s cover illustration by Tony Ross is from Big Bad Bun by Jeanne Willis. Tony Ross writes about his illustration here. Thanks to Andersen Press for their help with this September cover.

BfK No. 178 Articles

Editorial – September 2009

News and comment from the Editor.
Morris Gleitzman: writing about the Holocaust for children

Julia Eccleshare interviews Morris Gleitzman about his new novel, Then.
Windows into Illustration: Tony Ross

Tony Ross explains how he went about illustrating Big Bad Bun.
Why Don’t All Schools Have a Literary Events Co-ordinator? Or Lucy Shepherd’s Lonely Job Club Stand

Lucy Shepherd puts the case.
Ten of the Best Books for Children about France

Rosemary Stones chooses ten outstanding titles.
Authorgraph No.178: Andy Stanton

Andy Stanton interviewed by Clive Barnes.
BfK Briefing – September 2009

News * Awards * Letter to the Editor * Obituary
Hal’s Reading Diary – September 2009

Roger Mills finds an exciting plot helps.
I Wish I’d Written… Eloise

Cressida Cowell chooses Kay Thompson and Hilary Knight’s Eloise.
Good Reads: High School for Girls, Gloucester

Reviews from pupils of The High School for Girls, Gloucester.
Classics in Short No.77: The Thirteen Clocks and The Wonderful O

Brian Alderson on James Thurber’s The Thirteen Clocks and The Wonderful O.

Editor's Choice

One True Bear
Ted Dewan
(Orchard Books)
5

Reporting for duty didn’t do Democrat Presidential candidate John Kerry much good but teddy bear Darcy Brewster has better luck when he volunteers for a dangerous mission – to become the One True Bear of a troubled little boy, Damian, who has...

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New Talent

How Kirsty Jenkins Stole the Elephant
Elen Caldecott
(Bloomsbury Publishing PLC)
3

When Kirsty’s grandad is dying, he asks her to look after his allotment and she promises she will. Easier said than done however, as the allotment is rented from the council. Kirsty needs help to persuade the council’s Mr Thomas to allow her to...

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All Children's Book Reviews in BfK No. 178

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

Under 5s

  • The Littlest Dinosaur’s Big Adventure
    Michael Foreman
    5

  • Duck
    Janet H Holmes
    4

  • Elmer’s Special Day
    David McKee
    4

  • Oliver Who Was Small But Mighty
    Mara Bergman
    4

  • Mimi and Moochie Go Shopping
    Margaret Chamberlain
    4

  • Crocodiles are the Best Animals of All!
    Sean Taylor
    4

  • How High is the Sky?
    Anna Milbourne
    4

  • Captain Small Pig
    Martin Waddell
    3

  • Go Hare and Tortoise Go! ¦ Run Little Chicken Run!
    Elena Pasquali
    2

Ages 5-8

  • The Princess' Blankets
    Carol Ann Duffy
    5

  • Millie's Marvellous Hat
    Satoshi Kitamura
    5

  • It's a Secret
    John Burningham
    5

  • One True Bear
    Ted Dewan
    5

  • Big Noisy Book of Dinosaurs
    5

  • My First Nursery Book
    Franciszka Themerson
    4

  • Handsome Hog
    Mwenye Hadithi
    4

  • Inventions: Pop-up models from the drawings of Leonardo da Vinci
    Leonardo da Vinci
    4

  • Doctor Doctor
    Mick Manning
    Brita Granström
    4

  • Brother William's Year: A Monk at Westminster Abbey
    Jan Pancheri
    4

  • Victoria Goes to Brazil
    Maria De Fatima Campos
    4

  • B is for Bangladesh
    Urmi Rahman
    3

  • Jake - a Friend Indeed ¦ Jake in Danger
    Annette Butterworth
    3

  • Cat Tales - Shop Cat
    Linda Newbery
    3

Ages 8-10

  • Planet Patrol
    Mick Manning
    Brita Granström
    5

  • The Ogress and the Snake and other stories from Somalia
    4

  • Mathmagicians
    Johnny Ball
    4

  • Explaining Down’s Syndrome
    Angela Royston
    4

  • Who Am I? The Family Tree Explorer
    Anthony Adolph
    4

  • The Slant Book
    Peter Newell
    3

  • Granny Ting Ting ¦ Ever Clever Eva ¦ Bamba Beach
    Patrice Lawrence
    3

  • On the March: Bridgewood High FC
    Dave Spurdens
    3

  • Out of Control, Ms Wiz
    Terence Blacker
    3

  • The Pirates’ Treasure
    Emily Bearn
    3

  • The Mummy Snatcher of Memphis
    Natasha Narayan
    3

  • Member of Parliament
    Rebecca Hunter
    3

  • How Kirsty Jenkins Stole the Elephant
    Elen Caldecott
    3

  • Shadow Goblins
    David Melling
    2

Ages 10-14

  • The Eyeball Collector
    F E Higgins
    5

  • The Silver Blade
    Sally Gardner
    5

  • The Witching Hour
    Elizabeth Laird
    5

  • Breathing Underwater
    Julia Green
    4

  • Revolver
    Marcus Sedgwick
    4

  • Pig City
    Louis Sachar
    4

  • Bang, Bang, You’re Dead!
    Narinder Dhami
    4

  • Threads
    Sophia Bennett
    4

  • Wishing for Tomorrow
    Hilary McKay
    4

  • Wolf Cry
    Julia Golding
    4

  • Heriot
    Margaret Mahy
    4

  • The Time Book
    Martin Jenkins
    4

  • Animals up Close
    Igor Siwanowicz
    4

  • Revenge!
    John Pilkington
    3

  • The Missing, Book One: Found
    Margaret Peterson Haddix
    3

  • The Doomsday Machine
    Catherine Webb
    3

  • The Agency: A Spy in the House
    Y S Lee
    3

  • Pocket Timeline of Islamic Civilizations
    Nicholas Badcott
    3

  • Payback
    Rosemary Hayes
    2

  • Out of the Blue
    Val Rutt
    2

  • Beautiful Dead, Book 1: Jonas
    Eden Maguire
    2

  • Climate Change ¦ Climate Change
    Richard Spilsbury
    2

Ages 14+

  • Lifegame
    Alison Allen-Gray
    5

  • City of Ghosts
    Bali Rai
    5

  • Tender Morsels
    Margo Lanagan
    5

  • Slavery: real people and their stories of enslavement
    Reg Grant
    5

  • Skim
    Mariko Tamaki
    4

  • Saving Rafael
    Leslie Wilson
    4

  • Mine
    Joanna Kenrick
    3

  • Sprout
    Dale Peck
    3

  • Thirteen Reasons Why
    Jay Asher
    2

  • I Am Not a Serial Killer
    Dan Wells
    1

Books About Children's Books

  • Book Power: Literacy through Literature, Year 1
    Jane Bunting
    5

  • Juicy Writing: inspiration and techniques for young writers
    Brigid Lowry
    4

  • Enchanted Hunters: the power of stories in childhood
    Maria Tatar
    2

BfK News

ALASTAIR HUMPHREYS’ GREAT ADVENTURERS WINS THE 2019 EDUCATIONAL WRITERS’ AWARD

The winner of the 2019 Educational Writers’ Award is Alastair Humphreys’ Great Adventurers: The Incredible Expeditions of 20 Explorers (Big Picture Press).

Alastair Humphreys Great Adventures

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BLACKMAN AND DOWNHAM ON SHORTLIST FOR 2019 COSTA CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD

Former Children’s Laureate Malorie Blackman and acclaimed author Jenny Downham are on the shortlist for the 2019 Costa Children’s Book Award, which was announced today, 26th November 2020. Alongside them on the list are newcomers Jasbinder Bilan and Nicholas Downing, both of whom are published by Chicken House.

The 2019 Costa Children’s Award shortlist

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2019 ALCS EDUCATIONAL WRITERS’ AWARD SHORTLIST

Shortlist announced for the UK’s only award for creative educational writing

The Society of Authors and the Authors’ Licensing& Collecting Society have announced the shortlist for the 2019 ALCS Educational Writers’ Award, the UK’s only award for educational writing which stimulates and enhances the learning experience.

read more...
‘INSPIRING’: CONTENDERS FOR THE 2020 BLUE PETER BOOK AWARDS REVEALED

Blue Peter Book Award logo

Six books have made it onto the shortlists for the 2020 Blue Peter Book Awards. There are two categories: Best Story, and – in non-fiction November – Best Book with Facts.

read more...
NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED FOR THE 2020 CARNEGIE AND KATE GREENAWAY MEDALS

And we’re off… the nominations for the 2020 Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals are announced today, Monday 4th November.

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2020 UKLA BOOK AWARDS THE LONGLISTS

UKLA Awards

A record number of submissions and a new category to highlight information books marks the 12th longlists for the UKLA Awards, the only national awards judged by active classroom teachers.

read more...
JESSICA LOVE NAMED WINNER OF THE KLAUS FLUGGE PRIZE 2019 FOR JULIAN IS A MERMAID

Jessica Love

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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

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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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