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Books for Keeps 126 - the children's book magazine online

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BfK No. 126 - January 2001

Cover Story
This issue’s cover, illustrated by David Wyatt, is from Geraldine McCaughrean’s The Kite Rider. Geraldine McCaughrean is interviewed by Stephanie Nettell. Thanks to Oxford University Press for their help in producing this January 2001 cover.

BfK No. 126 Articles

Editorial - January 2001

News and comment from the Editor.

The Proliferation of Modern ‘Classics’

Julia Eccleshare on a new publishing trend.

‘Not Dissimilar to a Folk Tale’

Head chef, Henry Harris, on cookery books for children.

Authorgraph No.126: Geraldine McCaughrean

Geraldine McCaughrean interviewed by Stephanie Nettell.

What Hope for Children’s Poetry?

Robert Hull finds limited choices.

BfK Briefing - January 2001

Awards * Events * Publication * Obituary * Letters to the Editor

Useful Organisations No.13: The Children’s Book Circle

Discussion forum for anyone involved in children's books via newsletter, events and monthly meetings.

I Wish I’d Written... Holes

Kaye Umansky chooses Louis Sachar's Holes.

Good Reads: Stanchester Community School

Reviews from pupils of Stanchester Community School, Stoke sub Hamdon, Somerset.

Classics in Short No.25: Pinocchio

Brian Alderson on Carlo Collodi's Pinocchio.

Editor's Choice

Coram Boy

Jamila Gavin
(Mammoth)
5

14-year-old Meshak is thought to be a simpleton but it is this traumastised boy's longing for love and security that leads him to save the life of one of the many illegitimate babies that his sinister father collects from desperate women,...

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New Talent

The Curse of the Dolphin

Beth Swinnerton
(Andersen Press Ltd)
4

Kept back at school to do extra homework, best friends Jack and Olly see someone they think is a burglar so they triumphantly save the environment prize - a model dolphin - from the 'burglar's clutches. They realise their mistake too late and a...

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All Children's Book Reviews in BfK No. 126

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

Under 5s

  • Again!

    John Prater
    5
  • Rocket Countdown

    Nick Sharratt
    5
  • Look! There's Elmer

    David McKee
    5
  • Owen and the Mountain

    Malachy Doyle
    4
  • Once Upon an Everyday

    Toby Forward
    4
  • Harry's Home

    Catherine Anholt
    Laurence Anholt
    4
  • Max

    Bob Graham
    4
  • My Most Favourite Thing

    Nicola Moon
    4
  • Do I have to go to the dentist?

    Diane Louise Jordan
    3
  • Animals Scare Me Stiff

    Babette Cole
    2
  • Incey Wincey Spider

    Frances Cony
    Iain Smith
    2
  • Busy Babies Go to the Gym ¦ Busy Babies Go Swimming ¦ Tiny Trumpet; Ten Sleepy Bunnies ¦ Rocket to the Rescue ¦ The Piggy Race

    Jane Kemp
    Clare Walters
    2

Ages 5-8

  • A Sunday with Grandpa

    Philippe Dupasquier
    5
  • My Uncle is a Hunkle says Clarice Bean

    Lauren Child
    5
  • Ebele's Favourite: A Book of African Games

    Ifeoma Onyefulu
    4
  • Willy's Pictures

    Anthony Browne
    4
  • The Sam Pig Storybook

    Alison Uttley
    4
  • Down in the Dump with Dinsmore; The Too-Tight Tutu; No One; Ginger

    Margaret Mahy
    3
  • The Bedtime Book

    3
  • Madlenka

    Peter Sis
    3
  • little.com

    Ralph Steadman
    3
  • No Worries!

    Marcia Williams
    3
  • Tarquin the Wonder Horse; The Impossible Parents Go Green

    June Crebbin
    1

Ages 8-10

  • Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

    J K Rowling
    5
  • Black Maria

    Diana Wynne Jones
    4
  • The Song of Arthur

    Robert Leeson
    4
  • The Curse of the Dolphin

    Beth Swinnerton
    4
  • The Mum-Minder

    Jacqueline Wilson
    4
  • Enchantment

    Kevin Crossley-Holland
    4
  • Charmed Life

    Diana Wynne Jones
    3
  • House of Ghosts

    Ann Turnbull
    3
  • Adventures in the Middle Ages; Adventures in Ancient Egypt

    Linda Bailey
    2
  • The Green Hawk

    Aeres Twigg
    2

Ages 10-14

  • Coram Boy

    Jamila Gavin
    5
  • Counting Stars

    David Almond
    5
  • Beyond the Bin:The Livewire Guide to Reusing and Recycling

    Jo Budd
    5
  • His Dark Materials I: Northern Lights; His Dark Materials II: The Subtle Knife

    Philip Pullman
    5
  • Billy the Kid

    Michael Morpurgo
    5
  • Born to be Wild: The Livewire Guide to Saving Animals

    Juliet Gellatley
    4
  • Stormbreaker

    Anthony Horowitz
    4
  • Where Were You, Robert?

    Hans Magnus Enzensberger
    4
  • Mahabharata

    Margaret Simpson
    4
  • The Lady and the Squire

    Terry Jones
    4
  • Vicky Angel

    Jacqueline Wilson
    4
  • Do Not Read This Book

    Pat Moon
    4
  • The Ghost Behind the Wall

    Melvin Burgess
    4
  • Great Wonders of the World

    Russell Ash
    3
  • Dear Venny, Dear Saffron

    Gary Crew
    Libby Hathorn
    3
  • Oxford Children's History of the World

    Neil Grant
    3
  • The Romantic Poets; Thomas Hardy

    Nicola Barber
    Patrick Lee-Browne
    3
  • The Tale of Jessica Sweetapple

    Linda Kempton
    3
  • Natasha's Will

    Joan Lingard
    3
  • Silkscreen

    Caroline Pitcher
    3
  • Collins Children's Encyclopedia

    John Farndon
    2
  • How the Future Began: Everyday Life

    Clive Gifford
    2
  • Sick! Bloody Moments in the History of Medicine

    Gael Jennings
    1

Books About Children's Books

  • Words and Pictures

    Quentin Blake
    5
  • Readers Who Don't ... and how to persuade them otherwise

    Chris Powling
    4
  • Enid Blyton and the Mystery of Children's Literature

    David Rudd
    3
  • The Encyclopaedia of School Stories Vol. 1: Girls' School Stories; The Encyclopaedia of School Stories Vol. 2: Boys' School Stories

    Sue Sims
    Hilary Clare
    3
  • The Oxford Companion to Fairy Tales

    2

BfK News

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...
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...
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.

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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.

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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.

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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:

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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:

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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...
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