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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

CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals: the winners 2013

Sally Gardner (c) Kate ChristerSally Gardner won her second major award of the year today when she was awarded the CILIP Carnegie Medal for Maggot Moon (Hot Key Books). Earlier this year, Maggot Moon won the Costa Children’s Book Award.

read more...
NEW DANCE THEATRE PROJECT WANTS YOUNG PEOPLES’ STORIES

Tall Tales Big Moves, a new dance theatre project based in Thanet, Kent, is inviting young people aged 5 to 16 to submit stories to its Story Pool.

read more...
MALORIE BLACKMAN APPOINTED AS THE 8TH CHILDREN’S LAUREATE

Malorie Blackman is the new Children’s Laureate. At a ceremony on Tuesday 4 June, hosted by Channel 4’s Krishnan Guru-Murthy, and attended by previous holders of the position including Anne Fine and Anthony Browne, she was presented with the medal by the outgoing Laureate Julia Donaldson.

read more...
2013 ASTRID LINDGREN MEMORIAL AWARD WINNER ISOL RECEIVES HER PRIZE

2013 ASTRID LINDGREN MEMORIAL AWARD WINNER ISOL RECEIVES HER PRIZE

Isol winsIn a ceremony at the Stockholm Concert Hall Monday 27 May, picture book artist Marisol ‘Isol’ Misenta was presented with the 2013 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award by H.R.H. Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden.

read more...
THE FRANCES LINCOLN DIVERSE VOICES CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD 2013

Tariq Mehmood has won the Frances Lincoln Diverse Voices Children’s Book Award 2013 for You’re Not Proper. The announcement was made on 23rd May 2013 by John Nicoll, founder of the award, at Seven Stories - National Centre for Children’s Books.

read more...
DANIEL MORDEN WINS 2013 TIR NA N-OG ENGLISH AWARD

The Welsh Books Council has announced Daniel Morden as winner of the 2013 Tir na n-Og English Award for his collection of stories Tree of Leaf and Flame (Pont Books).

Morden’s first book, Weird Tales from the  Storyteller, was shortlisted for the Tir
na n-Og English-language award in 2004 and he won the award in 2007 for Dark Tales from the Woods.

read more...
ROYAL SOCIETY YOUNG PEOPLE’S BOOK PRIZE 2013 SHORTLIST

The Royal Society has announced the shortlist for their 2013 Young People’s Book Prize, naming the six books the judges consider best communicate science to young people.

Professor John Goodby FRS, Chair of the judges described the shortlist as eclectic, but enthralling.

The six books shortlisted by the judges are:

Build the Human Body by Richard Walker (Templar Publishing)

In the judges’ words: ‘A hands on, fun kit to help learn about the human body, accompanied by a well-illustrated, concise, clear book.’

read more...
SARAH GARLAND WINS INAUGURAL LITTLE REBELS CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD

Sarah Garland has won the first Little Rebels Children’s Book Award for Azzi in Between, which tells the story of a family forced to fell their homeland and settle in a strange and unfamiliar country. The book is based on the author’s own experience of working among refugee families and is endorsed by Amnesty International.

read more...
2013 BRANFORD BOASE AWARD: THE SHORTLIST

‘Seven outstanding debuts, eight really interesting authors, doing really interesting things’

The shortlist for the 2013 Branford Boase Award has been announced. The Branford Boase Award is given annually to the author of an outstanding debut novel for children. Uniquely, it also honours the editor of the winning title and highlights the importance of the editor in nurturing new talent.

read more...
2013 CLPE Poetry Award: Winner

CLPE AwardThe 2013 CLPE Poetry Award has been won by George Szirtes for  In the Land of the Giants, illustrated by Helen Szirtes (Salt Publishing). Szirtes was presented with the award by last year’s winner Rachel Rooney at a ceremony at CLPE on the evening of Tuesday 30 April.

read more...
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