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BfK No. 220 - September 2016

This issue’s cover illustration is from Thank You, Mr Panda by Steve Antony. Thanks to Hodder Children’s Books for their help with this cover.
Digital Edition
By clicking here you can view, print or download the fully artworked Digital Edition of BfK 220 September 2016.

BfK No. 220 Articles

Editorial 220

Comment from the editor

Am I Normal? Exploring mental health issues in YA fiction

Author Holly Bourne on the way YA fiction addresses mental health

Reading Gladiators

Nikki Gamble on a scheme to encourage high attainers

The Wonder of Wilson

Rebecca Butler in conversation with Jacqueline Wilson

Windows into Illustration: Helen Hancocks

It’s raining dogs for Helen Hancocks

Authorgraph Steve Antony

Steve Antony interviewed by Michelle Pauli

Visual Literacy: reading the signs

Piet Grobler on visual codes and symbols in picture books

Ten of the Best Heirs to Roald Dahl

chosen by Nicholas Tucker

Dig into the Story on Scoop

Introducing Scoop the new magazine for children

Independence day

Imogen Russell Williams on books for independent readers

Two Children Tell: Rebecca and Literary Language

Rebecca’s literary language

I Wish I’d Written: Katherine Rundell

The author of The Wolf Wilder chooses Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Introducing the new words & pictures list from Quarto

Quarto’s new list impresses Margaret Mallett

Classics in Short No 118 Old Possum and his Cats

If Or Perhaps Or But: Old Possum and his Cats

AN INTERVIEW WITH JANE HISSEY

Jane Hissey talks Old Bear with Ferelith Hordon.

AN INTERVIEW WITH KLAUS FLUGGE PRIZE WINNER NICHOLAS JOHN FRITH

The winer of the inaugural Klaus Flugge Prize talks to Michelle Pauli

AN INTERVIEW WITH SANTA MONTEFIORE

Santa Montefiore introduces The Royal Rabbits of London.

AN INTERVIEW WITH LEIGH HOBBS, AUSTRALIAN CHILDREN’S LAUREATE

Ferelith Hordon chats to the creator of Old Tom, Mr Chicken and Mr Badger

Editor's Choice

Hiding Heidi

Fiona Woodcock

(Simon & Schuster Children's UK)

Heidi has a special talent, and the young reader meeting Heidi as she lies on the sofa will quickly guess what it is; Heidi is good at hiding. Her clothes always match her background. However, always being the best can prove unsatisfactory....

Cogheart

Peter Bunzl

(Usborne Publishing Ltd)

When Lily’s deportment teacher confiscates the magazine she’s reading telling her it has no educational value at all Lily replies, ‘It teaches piracy and air combat.’ ‘And what young lady needs to know that?’ asks her teacher. Actually it turns...

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

Under 5s

There's an Owl in my Towel

Julia Donaldson

5
Animal Surprises

Nicola Davies

5
The Lonely Giant

Sophie Ambrose

5
Watch out for Muddy Puddles

Ben Faulks

4
Nothing! Yasmeen Ismail

Yasmeen Ismail

4
The Greedy Goat

Petr Horácek

4
Hiding Heidi

Fiona Woodcock

0

Ages 5-8

Oi Dog!

Kes Gray
Claire Gray

5
D is for Duck

David Melling

5
Don’t Cross the Line!

Isabel Minhós Martins

5
Billy Button: Telegram Boy

Sally Nicholls

5
The Cat and the King

Nick Sharratt

5
Paws McDraw

Connah Brecon

4
Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam The Diamond Chase

Tracey Corderoy

4
The Truth According to Arthur

Tim Hopgood

4
Dog on a Digger

Kate Prendergast

3
The Secret Railway

Wendy Meddour

3

Ages 8-10

The Great Fire of London

Emma Adams

5
Cats and Curses: Marsh Road Mysteries

Elen Caldecott

4
Cogheart

Peter Bunzl

4
The Racehorse Who Wouldn’t Gallop

Clare Balding

4
Crimson Poison

Susan Moore

4
In Focus: 101 Close-ups, Cross sections, Cutaways

Libby Walden

4
Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World

Kate Pankhurst

4
Invisible Inc.

Steve Cole

4
The Accidental Pirates Voyage to Magical North

Claire Fayers

4
Missing Arabella

Kathryn Siebel

3

Ages 10-14

Binny Bewitched

Hilary McKay

5
Geis: A Matter of Life and Death

Alexis Deacon

5
The Bone Sparrow

Zana Fraillon

5
The Creeping Shadow

Jonathan Stroud

5
A Very Good Chance

Sarah Moore Fitzgerald

5
Time after Time

Judi Curtin

5
A Child of Books

Oliver Jeffers
Sam Winston

4
Born Scared

Kevin Brooks

4
Swimming to the Moon

Jane Elson

4
The Wrong Train

Jeremy De Quidt

4
Lydia. The Wild Girl of Pride & Prejudice

Natasha Farrant

4
Booked

Kwame Alexander

4
Kings of the Boyne

Nicola Pierce

4

Ages 14+

The Stars at Oktober Bend

Glenda Millard

5
What’s a Girl Gotta Do?

Holly Bourne

5
Beck

Mal Peet
Meg Rosoff

5
Bad Blood: Part 1

Jane Brittan

5
Here I Stand: Stories that Speak for Freedom

Amnesty International

4
How Not To Disappear

Clare Furniss

4
Cuckoo

Keren David

4
Nothing Tastes as Good

Claire Hennessy

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.’

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.

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

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)

CLPE Reflecting Realities Report 2020

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

Blue Peter Book Award logo

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.

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.

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.

Tom Palmer

Books for Keeps 220 - the children's book magazine online

Digital version – browse, print or download

BfK Newsletter

BfK No. 220 Articles

Editor's Choice

Hiding Heidi

New Talent

Cogheart

All Children's Book Reviews in BfK No. 220

Under 5s

There's an Owl in my Towel

Animal Surprises

The Lonely Giant

Watch out for Muddy Puddles

Nothing! Yasmeen Ismail

The Greedy Goat

Hiding Heidi

Ages 5-8

Oi Dog!

D is for Duck

Don’t Cross the Line!

Billy Button: Telegram Boy

The Cat and the King

Paws McDraw

Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam The Diamond Chase

The Truth According to Arthur

Dog on a Digger

The Secret Railway

Ages 8-10

The Great Fire of London

Cats and Curses: Marsh Road Mysteries

Cogheart

The Racehorse Who Wouldn’t Gallop

Crimson Poison

In Focus: 101 Close-ups, Cross sections, Cutaways

Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World

Invisible Inc.

The Accidental Pirates Voyage to Magical North

Missing Arabella

Ages 10-14

Binny Bewitched

Geis: A Matter of Life and Death

The Bone Sparrow

The Creeping Shadow

A Very Good Chance

Time after Time

A Child of Books

Born Scared

Swimming to the Moon

The Wrong Train

Lydia. The Wild Girl of Pride & Prejudice

Booked

Kings of the Boyne

Ages 14+

The Stars at Oktober Bend

What’s a Girl Gotta Do?

Beck

Bad Blood: Part 1

Here I Stand: Stories that Speak for Freedom

How Not To Disappear

Cuckoo

Nothing Tastes as Good

BfK News