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Books for Keeps 120 - the children's book magazine online

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BfK No. 120 - January 2000

Cover Story
This issue’s cover is from Edward Ardizzone’s Little Tim and the Brave Sea Captain. Brian Alderson discusses this classic picture book, now reissued in a beautiful new edition by Scholastic in ‘Classics in Short’. Thanks to Scholastic Children’s Books for their help in producing this January cover.

BfK No. 120 Articles

Editorial - January 2000

News and comment from the Editor.
Young Children Growing Up in a Drug Using World

Noreen Wetton on the role of children's books in early drugs education.
Series Fiction for Young Readers

Annabel Gibb assesses recent books for 'beginner' and 'confident' readers.
Good Reads: Immanuel College, Bushey and Humphry Davy School, Penzance

Reviews from pupils of Immanuel College, Bushey, Hertfordshire, and Humphry Davy School, Penzance, Cornwall.
Authorgraph No.120: Magdalen Nabb

Magdalen Nabb interviewed by Rosemary Stones.
BfK Briefing - January 2000

News * Events * Awards * Best Seller Chart * Publications * Letter to the Editor
Useful Organisations No.9: Listening Books

Postal library for those with physical as well as print disabilities.
I Wish I'd Written... The Stones are Hatching

Linda Newbery chooses Geraldine McCaughrean's The Stones are Hatching.
Classics in Short No.19: Little Tim and the Brave Sea Captain

Brian Alderson on Edward Ardizzone's Little Tim and the Brave Sea Captain.

Editor's Choice

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Lewis Carroll
(Walker Books Ltd)
5

First published in 1865 and never out of print, Alice is to Tenniel as Winnie-the-Pooh is to E H Shepard. Bold the illustrators (and in Alice ’s case there have been quite a few, from...

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New Talent

Fire Bringer
David Clement-Davies
(Macmillan Children's Books)
3

When a fawn is born with a patch of white fur on its forehead in the shape of an oak leaf, it seems that an ancient prophecy has come true and Herne, the god of the deer, has sent a saviour. But Rannock, the fawn, is now in danger and must flee...

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All Children's Book Reviews in BfK No. 120

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

Under 5s

  • Snore!
    Michael Rosen
    5

  • Merrymaid of Zennor, The
    Charles Causley
    5

  • Tale of the Turnip, The
    Brian Alderson
    4

  • Snow-white
    Josephine Poole
    4

  • Queen of the Night
    Ronda Armitage
    4

  • Happy Birthday, Amelia
    Nicola Moon
    4

  • Goo-Goo Gorilla
    Ian Whybrow
    4

  • Your World: A First Encyclopedia
    Angela Wilkes
    3

  • Word in Pig's Ear, A
    Nick Ward
    3

  • If You Should Meet a Crocodile; Poems about Animals
    3

  • One, Two, Three, Oops!
    Michael Coleman
    Gwyneth Williamson
    3

  • The Big Wide-Mouthed Frog; Mission Ziffoid
    Ana Martin Larranaga
    3

Ages 5-8

  • Elf Hill: Tales from Hans Christian Andersen
    Naomi Lewis
    5

  • Celtic Fairy Tales; Favourite Fairy Tales
    4

  • Christy's Dream
    Caroline Binch
    4

  • Lunch Boxes Don't Fly; Poppet; Super Molly and the Lolly Rescue
    Michael Rosen
    3

  • Injury Time; Rivals United; Soccer Secret; Striker's Boots
    Michael Hardcastle
    3

  • Shimmy with my Granny
    3

  • 'Excuse Me' Learning About Politeness; 'I'll Do It!' Taking Responsibility; 'It Wasn't Me!' Learning About Honesty
    Brian Moses
    3

  • Football
    Jason Page
    3

Ages 8-10

  • Ring of Words, The: An Anthology of Poetry for Children
    5

  • Leaf in Time, A
    David Walker
    5

  • Castle Diary: the Journal of Tobias Burgess, Page
    Richard Platt
    5

  • Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
    Lewis Carroll
    5

  • My Dear Noel: The Story of a Letter from Beatrice Potter; Quentin Blake
    Jane Johnson
    4

  • Living with Cerebral Palsy; Living with Leukaemia
    Dr Paul Pimm
    4

  • Trevor McDonald's World of Poetry
    Trevor McDonald
    3

  • Day in the Life of a World War II Evacuee, A
    Alan Childs
    3

  • Bathrooms Through the Ages; Bedrooms Through the Ages
    Richard Wood
    3

  • What Do We Know About Hinduism?; What Do We Know About Judaism?
    Anita Ganeri
    2

Ages 10-14

  • Story of the Holocaust, The
    Clive A Lawton
    5

  • Mister Spaceman
    Lesley Howarth
    5

  • Escape from Shangri-La; Kensuke's Kingdom
    Michael Morpurgo
    5

  • An Interview with Anne Fine ¦ An Interview with Gillian Cross ¦ An Interview with Jenny Nimmo ¦ An Interview with Michael Morpurgo ¦ An Interview with Michelle Magorian ¦ An Interview with Theresa Breslin

    4

  • Eating Disorders; Family Violence
    Jenny Bryan
    4

  • Day My Parents Ran Away, The
    Josephine Feeney
    4

  • Kingfisher History Encyclopedia, The
    3

  • Kingfisher Book of Religions, The
    Trevor Barnes
    3

  • Fire Bringer
    David Clement-Davies
    3

  • Survivor's Guide to School, A
    Jeanette Baker
    2

  • Kingfisher Book of Planet Earth, The
    Martin Redfern
    2

  • Hutchinson Book of Kings and Queens of England, The
    Tony Robinson
    2

Ages 14+

  • Streetlife
    5

  • The Sterkarm Handshake
    Susan Price
    5

  • Little Soldier
    Bernard Ashley
    5

  • Holes
    Louis Sachar
    5

  • What's Your Problem?
    Sherry Ashworth
    4

  • Crime and Punishment: Changing Attitudes 1900-2000; Medical Ethics: Changing Attitudes 1900-2000
    Alison Brownlie
    4

  • Breathing Fear
    Malcolm Rose
    4

  • Reality Bites Back!
    Caroline Plaisted
    2

Books About Children's Books

  • Reading Otherways
    Lissa Paul
    4

  • Children's Books in England: Third Edition
    4

BfK News

LONGLISTS ANNOUNCED FOR 2021 CILIP CARNEGIE AND KATE GREENAWAY MEDALS

The longlist for the 2021 CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals have been announced.

CKG Logo

read more...
LONGLIST ANNOUNCED FOR 2021 KLAUS FLUGGE PRIZE

Klaus Flugge Prize logo

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NOW OPEN: 2021 HENRIETTA BRANFORD WRITING COMPETITION

Finish a story started by Branford Boase Award winner Liz Hyder

The Henrietta Branford Writing Competition, the annual competition for young people which runs in conjunction with the Branford Boase Award, is now open.

read more...
TWO UK ENTRIES ON IBBY LIST OF OUTSTANDING BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

Every two years, IBBY invites nominations for its international List of Outstanding Books for Young People with Disabilities. Nominations are made by IBBY national sections and the final list is selected from these by the IBBY Documentation Centre of Books for Young People with Disabilities, based in Toronto. Because of its international content, the list is unique in the children’s book world. It is a huge voluntary undertaking as every country is encouraged to submit up to twelve titles across the three categories.

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LONGLIST FOR THE 2021 BRANFORD BOASE AWARD

The longlist for the 2021 Branford Boase Award has been announced. Set up in memory of award-winning author Henrietta Branford and her editor Wendy Boase, one of the founders of Walker Books, the Branford Boase Award is given annually to the author of an outstanding debut novel for children.

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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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