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Books for Keeps 105 - the children's book magazine online

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BfK No. 105 - July 1997

Cover Story
This issue’s cover is from the gift edition of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory illustrated by Quentin Blake and with design and typography by Peter Campbell. The successful collaboration between Roald Dahl and Quentin Blake has played an important part in the popularity of Dahl’s work over the last fifteen years. Blake’s unmistakable artwork truly complements Dahl’s writing. His economical, amiable, illustrative style balances out Dahl’s often expansive language. And the liveliness, humour and pathos of the drawings offer a softer side to Dahl’s sometimes gloriously grotesque, sometimes cruel descriptions of his characters.

Thanks to Penguin Children’s Books for their help in producing this July cover which commemorates the thirty years anniversary of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’s first UK publication.

BfK No. 105 Articles

Editorial – July 1997

News and comment from the Editor.
Classic Cuts

Elaine Moss discusses illustrated versions of classical texts.
Making Sense of Death

Margaret Rustin on recent picture books with death as their theme.
Publishing Profiles No.4: The Sales Manager

Liz Attenborough goes behind the scenes in publishing.
The History of Children’s Books, No.2: From Morals to Magic

John Rowe Townsend looks at the period from Newbery to Lewis Carroll.
Authorgraph No.105: Enid Blyton

Enid Blyton 'interviewed' by Nicholas Tucker.
BfK Briefing – July 1997

News * Awards * Obituary * Events * Publications * Best Seller Chart * Letters to the Editor
What should win the Carnegie and Greenaway Awards?

Books for Keeps asks a selection of experts.
Good Reads: Lanesborough School, Guildford

Reviews from pupils of Lanesborough School, Guildford, Surrey.
Classics in Short No.4: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Helen Levene on Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Editor's Choice

Fog Hounds, Wind Cat, Sea Mice
Joan Aiken
(Hodder Children's Books)
5

Three elegantly crafted short stories resonant with meaning which dexterously weave magic into everyday matters and the everyday into magic. The old king is dying and his menacing Fog Hounds which 'flow over the ground as the wind itself', haunt...

read more

New Talent

Solo Act
Helen Dunwoodie
(Young Corgi)
4

Iris Campion loves being the star of school shows and she is furious when Jimmy Garcia, the drama group's trendy new director, criticises her acting. Meanwhile Iris' best friend, Aly, seems to prefer the company of wimpish Janine to hers. Then to...

read more

All Children's Book Reviews in BfK No. 105

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

Under 5s

  • Little Miss Muffet Counts to Ten
    Emma Chichester Clark
    5

  • Hey Diddle Diddle and Other Mother Goose Rhymes
    Shoo Rayner
    5

  • Into the Castle
    June Crebbin
    5

  • My Little Supermarket
    Caroline Repchuk
    4

  • Billy and the Big New School
    Catherine Anholt
    Laurence Anholt
    4

  • Fur ¦ 'Quack! said the billy-goat
    Jan Mark
    4

  • Billy and the Barglebogle
    Lindsay Camp
    4

  • Toes are to Tickle
    Shen Roddie
    4

  • Cosy Moments with Teddy Bear
    Jacqueline McQuade
    4

  • Baby's Bedtime Lullabies and Verse
    4

  • In the Rain with Baby Duck
    Amy Hest
    3

  • An Adventure with Billy Bunny
    Maurice Pledger
    3

  • Tomcat Takes a Walk
    Pippa Unwin
    2

  • Little Bird
    Rod Campbell
    2

Ages 5-8

  • The World is Full of Babies! ¦ Splish, Splash, Splosh!
    Mick Manning
    Brita Granström
    5

  • The Pebble in my Pocket
    Meredith Hooper
    5

  • The Cat That Scratched
    Jonathan Long
    Korky Paul
    5

  • Fruits: A Caribbean counting poem
    Valerie Bloom
    5

  • Changes
    Anthony Browne
    5

  • Elena the Frog
    Dyan Sheldon
    4

  • The Small Good Wolf
    Mary Rayner
    4

  • Asana and the Animals: A book of pet poems
    Grace Nichols
    4

  • Blair the Winner!
    Theresa Breslin
    3

  • Letters from a Mouse
    Herbie Brennan
    3

  • A Box of Stories for Six Year Olds
    3

  • The Children of Lir
    Sheila MacGill-Callahan
    2

  • One Day in the Jungle ¦ "I Don't Care!" said the Bear ¦ The Caterpillow Fight ¦ The Brave Ones ¦ Contrary Mary ¦ Daisy Dare ¦ Little Pig's Bouncy Ball
    Colin West
    1

Ages 8-10

  • After the War Was Over
    Michael Foreman
    5

  • Fog Hounds, Wind Cat, Sea Mice
    Joan Aiken
    5

  • The Owl-Tree
    Jenny Nimmo
    5

  • The Nubbler
    Pam Ayres
    4

  • Be Smart, Stay Safe ¦ Beat the Bullies
    Michele Elliott
    4

  • We Was Robbed: Yet More Football Poems
    4

  • Hazel the Guinea-Pig
    A N Wilson
    4

  • Roman Aromas ¦ Tudor Odours ¦ Victorian Vapours
    Mary Dobson
    3

  • Irish Sagas & Folk Tales
    Eileen O'Faolain
    3

  • Bag of Bones
    Helen Cresswell
    3

  • The Ghost of Able Mabel ¦ The Cleaning Witch ¦ Hands Off Our Hens! ¦ Big Puss, Little Mouse
    Penny Dolan
    3

  • About the Weather
    Barbara Taylor
    2

Ages 10-14

  • Tenderness
    Robert Cormier
    5

  • Calling Home
    Michael Cadnum
    5

  • All for Love
    5

  • More Letters to Uncle Albert
    Russell Stannard
    5

  • Comfort Herself
    Geraldine Kaye
    5

  • Granny the Pag
    Nina Bawden
    5

  • The Midwife's Apprentice
    Karen Cushman
    5

  • The Pebble in my Pocket
    Meredith Hooper
    5

  • Martin Farrell
    Janni Howker
    4

  • Freedom
    Ali Buchanan
    4

  • The History Detective Investigates Local History
    Martin Parsons
    4

  • My Friend's a Werewolf
    Pete Johnson
    4

  • Becky Bananas - This is your Life!
    Jean Ure
    4

  • Solo Act
    Helen Dunwoodie
    4

  • Butterfingers
    Roger Collinson
    4

  • Olivia
    Rosie Rushton
    3

  • The Noctuary of Narcissus Batt ¦ Dibby Dubby Dhu ¦ The Red-All-Over Riddle Book
    Paul Muldooon
    3

  • Dancing Through the Shadows
    Theresa Tomlinson
    3

  • Ancient Greece ¦ The Human Body ¦ Incredible Plants ¦ Sports and Games
    Judith Simpson
    2

  • Blood Brother
    J H Brennan
    2

BfK News

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...
THE 2013 CLPE POETRY AWARD SHORTLIST

Weight of WaterFour outstanding poetry books are shortlisted for the 2013 CLPE Poetry Award. Established in 2003, the annual Poetry Award encourages and celebrates outstanding new children’s poetry.

 

 

 

 

 

The four books on the shortlist are:

read more...
2013 ENGLISH 4 – 11 PICTURE BOOK AWARDS: THE WINNERS

The winners of the 2013 English 4 – 11 Picture Book Awards have been announced. Established in 1995, the awards are presented annually to the best picture books of the previous year, in four categories, Fiction 4 – 7 and 7 – 11 years, and Non-Fiction 4 – 7 and 7 – 11 years.

From a 15 strong shortlist, the winners are:

Fiction 4 – 7 years

Hippospotamus by Jeanne Willis illustrated by Tony Ross (Andersen Press)

Fiction 7 – 11 years

read more...
IBBY Announces the 2014 Hans Christian Andersen Award Nominees

The nominees for the 2014 Hans Christian Andersen Award have been announced.

The Hans Christian Andersen Award is the highest international distinction given to authors and illustrators of children's books. Awarded every other year by IBBY, the award recognizes lifelong achievement and is given to an author and an illustrator whose complete works have made an important, lasting contribution to children's literature.

For the 2014 Awards 29 authors and 31 illustrators have been nominated from 34 countries. They are:

read more...
New Little Rebels Children’s Book Award: Shortlist Announced

The shortlist has been announced for The Little Rebels Children’s Book Award, a new award for radical children’s fiction.

The Little Rebels Children’s Book Award recognises fiction for ages 0-12 which promotes or celebrates social justice and equality. It is awarded by the Alliance of Radical Booksellers (ARB) and administered by Letterbox Library. Wendy Cooling, Bookstart co-founder & editor and author Elizabeth Laird are both judges.

The four books on the inaugural shortlist are:

read more...
School Library Association Information Book Award 2013 Short List Announcement

The School Library Association has announce the shortlist for the 2013 prize. The Information Book Award is an annual event, in its third year its aim is to reinforce the importance of non-fiction whilst highlighting the high standard of resources available.

The judges - a panel of experienced librarians, SLA board members and a member of Peters Bookselling Services - have produced what they describe as ‘a strong and very varied selection of titles for the shortlist’. These are

Under 7s

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