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Books for Keeps 127 - the children's book magazine online

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BfK No. 127 - March 2001

Cover Story
This issue’s cover is Sharon Creech’s The Wanderer. Sharon Creech is interviewed by Suzanne Manczuk. Our thanks to Macmillan Children’s Books for their help in producing this March cover.

BfK No. 127 Articles

Editorial - March 2001

News and comment from the Editor.
A Sailboat in the Sky

Children's Laureate, Quentin Blake, describes an unusual picture book project.
Windows into Illustration: Sara Fanelli

Sara Fanelli on her picture book, Dear Diary.
Inspiring ‘Reluctant’ Readers

Gwynneth Bailey and David Bennett on books that have worked for them.
Authorgraph No.127: Sharon Creech

Sharon Creech interviewed by Suzanne Manczuk.
Doing a School Visit

Vivian French offers some practical suggestions.
Whose History? The Atlantic Slave Trade

Errol Lloyd examines Frances Mary Hendry's Chains.
BfK Briefing - March 2001

News * Events * Obituaries * Awards
Useful Organisations No.14: Young Writer

Triennial magazine or tape providing platform for young writers aged 18 and under.
I Wish I’d Written… Mossop’s Last Chance

Ann Jungman chooses Michael Morpurgo and Shoo Rayner's Mossop's Last Chance.
Good Reads: Cwmtawe Comprehensive School

Reviews from pupils of Cwmtawe Comprehensive School, Swansea.
Classics in Short No.26: Songs of Innocence

Brian Alderson on William Blake's Songs of Innocence.

Editor's Choice

Noughts and Crosses
Malorie Blackman
(Doubleday Childrens)
5

Fifteen-year-old Callum is a Nought, a member of a despised racial group which is also an underclass. Meggie, his mother, works as a servant for the Hadleys (rich Crosses who are members of the racial elite) so Callum has grown up knowing and...

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New Talent

The Road to Somewhere
Helen Armstrong
(Orion Children's Books)
3

When Cow tells Ratty that farmer is sending her to never-come-back, action is needed. Ratty is known to be a good thinker and he comes up with a plan to leave the farm and find Somewhere-else. As the two friends escape, they are joined by Woolly...

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All Children's Book Reviews in BfK No. 127

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

Under 5s

  • Hungry! Hungry! Hungry!
    Malachy Doyle
    5

  • The Kingfisher Book of Fairy Tales
    5

  • Mei Ling's Hiccups
    David Mills
    5

  • Do Little Mermaids Wet Their Beds?
    Jeanne Willis
    5

  • What am I?
    Aurélie Lanchais
    Alain Crozon
    5

  • Splosh!
    Philippe Corentin
    Sarah Pakenham
    4

  • Ellie and the Butterfly Kitten
    Gill Lobel
    4

  • Good Night, Sleep Tight
    4

  • The Oxford Nursery Treasury
    Ian Beck
    4

  • Flora the Frog
    Shirley Isherwood
    3

  • The Selfish Giant
    Oscar Wilde
    3

  • Buri and the Marrow
    Henriette Barkow
    3

  • The Rabbit Who Couldn't Say No
    Elena Goldoni
    3

  • The Big White Book with <i>almost</i> nothing in it
    Mike Brownlow
    3

  • Ten Little Ladybirds
    Melanie Gerth
    Laura Huliska-Beith
    3

Ages 5-8

  • The Birdman
    Melvin Burgess
    5

  • Nanu, Penguin Chick
    Theresa Radcliffe
    4

  • Down the Dragon's Tongue
    Margaret Mahy
    4

  • Katie and the Sunflowers
    James Mayhew
    4

  • Inside Mary Elizabeth's House
    Pamela Allen
    4

  • Start Writing Adventure Stories; Start Writing About Things I Do; Start Writing Amazing Stories; Start Writing About People and Places; Teachers' Resource Book for Start Writing
    Penny King
    Ruth Thomson
    3

  • Zeus Conquers the Titans and other Greek Myths; Athena and the Olive Tree and other Greek Myths
    3

  • The Muddled Monsters; The Perfect Pizza; The Posh Party; The Potty Panto; Circle Magic; Crazy Magic; Magic Hotel; Mouse Magic
    Scoular Anderson
    3

  • Sitting Ducks
    Michael Bedard
    3

  • The Phantom Cat of the Opera
    David Wood
    3

  • The Lion Book of World Stories
    3

  • Why Be Bossy?; Why Be Unfriendly?; Why Fight?; Why Lose Your Temper?; Why Not Share?; Why Tease?
    Janine Amos
    Annabel Spenceley
    3

Ages 8-10

  • Ballet School: What it takes to make a dancer
    Camilla Jessel
    5

  • Firewords: A Book of Wordplay Poems
    5

  • The Orchard Book of Love and Friendship
    Geraldine McCaughrean
    5

  • The Names Upon the Harp
    Marie Heaney
    5

  • Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
    5

  • Ice Trap! Shackleton's Incredible Expedition
    Meredith Hooper
    4

  • The Book About Books
    Chris Powling
    3

  • The Oldest Girl in the World; The Emperor's Watchmaker; Points of View with Professor Peekaboo
    Carol Ann Duffy
    3

  • The Road to Somewhere
    Helen Armstrong
    3

  • Dirty Rotten Tricks
    Simon Cheshire
    3

  • Ghost at the Window
    Margaret McAllister
    3

  • Aftershock!; Hurricane!
    Tony Bradman
    3

  • Slimy Science and Awesome Experiments
    Susan Martineau
    2

Ages 10-14

  • Noughts and Crosses
    Malorie Blackman
    5

  • In My Hands
    Irene Gut Opdyke
    Jennifer Taylor
    4

  • Causes; The Death Camps
    Pat Levy
    4

  • World War II
    Simon Adams
    4

  • The Hard Man of the Swings
    Jeanne Willis
    4

  • Missing
    Catherine MacPhail
    4

  • In Flame
    Gaye Hiçyilmaz
    4

  • The Perfect Journey: Winners of The Guardian/Piccadilly teenage writing competition
    Michael Palin
    4

  • The Kingfisher Science Encyclopedia
    4

  • The Kingfisher illustrated Animal Encyclopedia
    David Burnie
    4

  • Year of the Griffin
    Diana Wynne Jones
    4

  • The Lady with Iron Bones
    Jan Mark
    4

  • The Right Moment; Final Victory; Blitz Boys; Blood and Ice
    David Belbin
    4

  • In and Out the Shadows
    Sandy Brownjohn
    4

  • And Baby Makes Two
    Dyan Sheldon
    3

  • The Drop
    Anthony Masters
    3

  • River Boy
    Tim Bowler
    3

  • Control-Shift
    Nick Manns
    3

  • When the Guns Fall Silent
    James Riordan
    3

  • The Unidentified Frying Omelette
    Andrew Fusek Peters
    3

Books About Children's Books

  • Picture Books Sans Frontières
    Penni Cotton
    5

  • Edward Ardizzone: Sketches for Friends
    5

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.’

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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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SHORTLIST FOR THE 2021 BLUE PETER BOOK AWARDS REVEALED

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

Blue Peter Book Award logo

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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.

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JANE PORTER AND MAISIE PARADISE SHEARRING 2020 LITTLE REBELS AWARD WINNERS

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.

Little Rebels logo 2020

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OU AND MACMILLAN CHILDREN’S BOOKS LAUNCH BOOK CHAT SCHEME

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.

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TOM PALMER WINS THE CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD 2020

Tom Palmer

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