Books for Keeps 129 - the children's book magazine online

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BfK No. 129 - July 2001

Cover Story
This issue’s cover is from Jane Hissey’s Old Bear’s All-Together Painting. Jane Hissey writes about her approach to illustration in this issue's Windows into Illustration. Thanks to Hutchinson Children’s Books for their help with this July cover.

BfK No. 129 Articles

Editorial - July 2001

News and comment from the Editor.

Babies and Books

Harriet Griffey explores the thinking behind giving books to babies.

Enjoying Books with Babies

Rosemary Stones on recent cloth, board and picture books.

The Great - and the Good

Elaine Moss on classic picture books.

Jack's First Books - July 2001

Gary McKeone on his baby son's reading diary.

Authorgraph No.129: Paul Jennings

Paul Jennings interviewed by George Hunt.

Stories to Live By

Nikki Gamble on short stories in the curriculum.

BfK Profile: Kate Cann

Val Randall on the novels of Kate Cann

Windows into Illustration: Jane Hissey

Jane Hissey on her recent picture book, Old Bear's All-Together Painting.

BfK Briefing - July 2001

News * Awards * Events * Publications * Letters to the Editor

Useful Organisations No.16: Polka Theatre

The UK's only permanent performance space for young audiences.

I Wish I'd Written... All the Things I See

Jamila Gavin chooses Jenny Joseph's All the Things I See.

Good Reads: Broomhill Junior School

Reviews from pupils of Broomhill Junior School, Nottingham.

Classics in Short No.28: Madeline

Brian Alderson on Ludwig Bemelmans' Madeline.

Editor's Choice

Georgie

Malachy Doyle

(Bloomsbury Publishing PLC)

This powerful novel begins dramatically with Georgie, unable to communicate in words, smearing the lavatory walls with his own shit. Told alternately in the first person by Georgie and Shannon, both boarders in some kind of therapeutic community...

The Beat Goes On

Adele Minchin

(Livewire Books for Teenagers)

In Britain until recently HIV/AIDS has been seen as a ‘gay disease’ despite the fact that worldwide it is predominantly a heterosexual disease. The percentage of gay and bisexual men infected in Britain has recently fallen while the percentage of...

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

Under 5s

Katie Morag and the Riddles; Katie Morag's Rainy Day Book

Mairi Hedderwick

4
Engines, Engines

Lisa Bruce

4
Please Don't Chat to the Bus Driver

Shen Roddie

4
Mamy Wata and the Monster

Véronique Tadjo

3
There's an Octopus Under my Bed!

Dawn Apperley

3
Down the Lane: Sights and Sounds through the Seasons

Valerie Greeley

3
Getting-to-Grandad Bears

Hiawyn Oram

3
Don't Wake the Baby!

Dawn Apperley

3

Ages 5-8

Little Turtle and the Song of the Sea

Sheridan Cain

4
Just you wait, Winona!

Jenny Oldfield

4
Irish Myths & Legends

4
Uncle Billy Being Silly

Michael Rosen

4
Jack and the Beanstalk and The Three Wishes; Cinderella and The Sleeping Beauty; Hansel and Gretel and The Princess and the Pea; Rapunzel and Rumpelstilt-skin

4
Red Riding Hood's Maths Adventure

Lalie Harcourt
Ricki Wortzman

4
Rabbit's Wish

Paul Stewart

4
Pi-shu the little panda

John Butler

3
The Ice Cream Cowboys

Adrian Boote

3
Auntie Ayesha is coming to visit

Abu Jamella

3
Space Dog and the Space Egg; Space Dog Goes to Planet Purrgo

Vivian French

3

Ages 8-10

Deadly Diseases; Microscopic Monsters

Nick Arnold

4
Kensuke's Kingdom

Michael Morpurgo

4
Loudmouth Louis

Anne Fine

4
Wild Robert

Diana Wynne Jones

3
The Lion Children's Treasury of Classic Verse

2
My Friend's a Werewolf

Pete Johnson

2

Ages 10-14

Bartlett and the City of Flames

Odo Hirsch

5
Billy Elliot

Melvin Burgess

5
People and Places; Resources and Conservation

Michael Chinery

5
Georgie

Malachy Doyle

4
Witch Hill

Marcus Sedgwick

4
Only Human; The Missing Link

Kate Thompson

4
Milo's Wolves

Jenny Nimmo

3
Pure Dead Magic

Debi Gliori

3
Queen of the Wolves

Tanith Lee

3
Jade's Story

Helena Pielichaty

3
My Mum and the Gruesome Twosome

Meg Harper

3
Riding the Storm

Susan Holliday

3
Slaves of the Mastery

William Nicholson

3
The Angel Factory

Terence Blacker

2
In the Money

Helen Dunmore

2
The Nazi Dagger Incident

Terrance Dicks

2

Ages 14+

The Beat Goes On

Adele Minchin

4
All Change; The Dogs; Joe's Story; The Wedding Present

3

Books About Children's Books

Making gender work

Judith Baxter

4

BfK News

EVA ELAND NAMED WINNER OF THE FIFTH KLAUS FLUGGE PRIZE

Eva Eland has won the 2020 Klaus Flugge Prize for the most exciting and promising newcomer to children’s picture book illustration. She won for her book When Sadness Comes to Call (Andersen Press), in which a young child opens the door to an unexpected visitor, Sadness, personified as a semi-transparent amorphous shape.

Jhalak Prize logo

Branford Boase Award logo

Every two years, IBBY invites nominations from national sections for its international list of Outstanding Books for Young People with Disabilities. 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.

Children’s Laureate of Wales, Eloise Williams and author Matt Brown have launched a new crowdfunded project, The Mab.

The Mab

THE 2020 LITTLE REBELS AWARD SHORTLIST

The shortlist for the 2020 Little Rebels Award has been announced. The Little Rebels Award celebrates children’s fiction which challenges stereotypes, promotes social justice and advocates for a more peaceful and fairer world.

UKLA BOOK AWARD WINNERS 2020

The winners of the 2020 UKLA Book Awards have been announced.

UKLA award

The UKLA Book Awards are the only awards to be judged entirely by teachers and highlight texts that can ‘enhance all aspects of literacy learning’.

CHILDREN READING MORE IN LOCKDOWN

Silly Squad Laura Ellen Anderson

Books for Keeps 129 - the children's book magazine online

Digital version – browse, print or download

BfK Newsletter

BfK No. 129 Articles

Editor's Choice

Georgie

New Talent

The Beat Goes On

All Children's Book Reviews in BfK No. 129

Under 5s

Katie Morag and the Riddles; Katie Morag's Rainy Day Book

Engines, Engines

Please Don't Chat to the Bus Driver

Mamy Wata and the Monster

There's an Octopus Under my Bed!

Down the Lane: Sights and Sounds through the Seasons

Getting-to-Grandad Bears

Don't Wake the Baby!

Ages 5-8

Little Turtle and the Song of the Sea

Just you wait, Winona!

Irish Myths & Legends

Uncle Billy Being Silly

Jack and the Beanstalk and The Three Wishes; Cinderella and The Sleeping Beauty; Hansel and Gretel and The Princess and the Pea; Rapunzel and Rumpelstilt-skin

Red Riding Hood's Maths Adventure

Rabbit's Wish

Pi-shu the little panda

The Ice Cream Cowboys

Auntie Ayesha is coming to visit

Space Dog and the Space Egg; Space Dog Goes to Planet Purrgo

Ages 8-10

Deadly Diseases; Microscopic Monsters

Kensuke's Kingdom

Loudmouth Louis

Wild Robert

The Lion Children's Treasury of Classic Verse

My Friend's a Werewolf

Ages 10-14

Bartlett and the City of Flames

Billy Elliot

People and Places; Resources and Conservation

Georgie

Witch Hill

Only Human; The Missing Link

Milo's Wolves

Pure Dead Magic

Queen of the Wolves

Jade's Story

My Mum and the Gruesome Twosome

Riding the Storm

Slaves of the Mastery

The Angel Factory

In the Money

The Nazi Dagger Incident

Ages 14+

The Beat Goes On

All Change; The Dogs; Joe's Story; The Wedding Present

Books About Children's Books

Making gender work

BfK News