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Books for Keeps 140 - the children's book magazine online

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BfK No. 140 - May 2003

Cover Story
This issue's cover illustration is from Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler's A Squash and a Squeeze. Julia Donaldson is interviewed by Lindsey Fraser. Thanks to Macmillan Children's Books for their help with this May cover.

BfK No. 140 Articles

Editorial - May 2003

News and comment from the Editor.
Childbirth in Children’s Books

Sarah Hunt on how pregnancy and birth are depicted.
Hal’s Reading Diary - May 2003

Roger Mills on his son Hal at 26 months.
Picture Books with Something to Say

Joanna Carey finds titles of quality and originality.
Whose Dark Materials?

Gillian Cross on theology and Philip Pullman's trilogy.
Authorgraph No.140: Julia Donaldson

Julia Donaldson interviewed by Lindsey Fraser.
Survivors

John Rowe Townsend on the 'golden age' titles that are still in print.
BfK Briefing - May 2003

News * Awards * Events * Letters to the Editor * Obituary
Useful Organisations No.27: CustomEyes Books

Customised large print books for visually impaired children.
I Wish I’d Written... The Eclipse of the Century

Keith Gray chooses Jan Mark's The Eclipse of the Century.
Good Reads: Craigholme School

Reviews from pupils of Craigholme School, Glasgow.
Classics in Short No.39: Mr Gumpy's Outing

Brian Alderson on John Burningham's Mr Gumpy's Outing.

Editor's Choice

Hal the Highwayman
June Crebbin
(Walker Books)
5

If only more first reading books were written and illustrated with the dash and panache of this highly entertaining short tale in which the integration of text and illustration is seamless. Hal is a highwayman and at dead of night, in the Alfred...

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New Talent

A Gathering Light
Jennifer Donnelly
(Bloomsbury Publishing PLC)
5

Can you have love and books? For 17-year-old Mattie, growing up by Big Moose Lake on the edge of the Adirondack Mountains in the early 1900s, the only option appears to be marriage and life on a farm. Even her teacher, the stylish Miss Wilcox,...

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All Children's Book Reviews in BfK No. 140

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

Under 5s

  • The Swirling Hijaab
    Na'ima Bint Robert
    5

  • Little Rabbit Lost
    Harry Horse
    5

  • Lullaby Lion
    Vivian French
    5

  • The River
    Nik Pollard
    4

  • The Magic Paintbrush
    Julia Donaldson
    4

  • Full, Full, Full of LOVE
    Trish Cooke
    4

  • A Bit More Bert
    Allan Ahlberg
    4

  • Hello, Sailor
    André Sollie
    3

  • Sleepyhead
    Nicola Smee
    3

  • Hamish
    Moira Munro
    2

  • Number Chains
    2

Ages 5-8

  • Hal the Highwayman
    June Crebbin
    5

  • Everybody Poos; The Holes in Your Nose
    Taro Gomi
    5

  • Our Gracie Aunt
    Jacqueline Woodson
    5

  • Death; Divorce; Hospital; Moving
    Janine Amos
    4

  • Precious Potter
    Rose Impey
    4

  • Hidden Tales from Eastern Europe; The Clever Rat and other African Tales
    4

  • Lake of Shadows
    Malachy Doyle
    4

  • Riley, Kylie and Smiley
    Malachy Doyle
    3

  • Jabberwocky
    Lewis Carroll
    3

  • Atuk
    Mischa Damjan
    3

  • Jennifer Jones won't Leave Me Alone
    Frieda Wishinsky
    3

  • Pandora's Box
    3

  • You've Got Dragons
    Kathryn Cave
    3

  • The Usborne Internet-linked First Encyclopedia of Science
    Rachel Firth
    2

Ages 8-10

  • Atticus the Storyteller's 100 Greek Myths; Viking! Myths of Gods and Monsters
    Lucy Coats
    5

  • The Four Ugly Cats in Apartment 3D
    Marilyn Sachs
    5

  • How to Train Your Dragon
    Cressida Cowell
    4

  • Utterly Me, Clarice Bean
    Lauren Child
    4

  • Good Enough to Eat
    Roger McGough
    4

  • The Last Castaways
    Harry Horse
    4

  • Little King December
    Axel Hacke
    4

  • The Book of Books: The Bible Retold
    Trevor Dennis
    3

  • The Deadly Secret of Dorothy W.
    Jon Blake
    3

  • Pigface
    Catherine Robinson
    3

  • Way Home
    Libby Hathorn
    3

  • The Kingfisher Book of Living Worlds
    Clive Gifford
    Jerry Cadle
    2

Ages 10-14

  • A Life Like Mine
    5

  • The Merlin Conspiracy
    Diana Wynne Jones
    5

  • The Land
    Mildred D Taylor
    5

  • The Oracle
    Catherine Fisher
    5

  • Hoot
    Carl Hiaasen
    5

  • Bad Alice
    Jean Ure
    5

  • The Way the Universe Works
    Robin Kerrod
    Giles Sparrow
    4

  • Ada Lovelace
    Lucy Lethbridge
    4

  • Journey to the River Sea
    Eva Ibbotson
    4

  • The Wish List
    Eoin Colfer
    4

  • Happy
    Keith Gray
    4

  • Harvey Angell; Harvey Angell Beats Time
    Diana Hendry
    4

  • The Animal Garden
    William Mayne
    4

  • Locomotion
    Jacqueline Woodson
    4

  • Coraline
    Neil Gaiman
    3

  • The Dungeon
    Lynne Reid Banks
    3

  • Dog
    Daniel Pennac
    3

  • Dragon's Tear
    Sue Lawson
    3

  • The Magician of Samarkand
    Alan Temperley
    3

  • Wheels
    Catherine MacPhail
    2

  • Wolf Wing
    Tanith Lee
    1

Ages 14+

  • Palestine
    Joe Saccho
    5

  • Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast
    Robin McKinley
    5

  • A Gathering Light
    Jennifer Donnelly
    5

  • If You Come Softly
    Jacqueline Woodson
    5

  • Abortion; Love Stings; 4 Boys; Periods; 4 Girls; Pregnancy; Is Everybody Doing It?
    4

  • Catalyst
    Laurie Halse Anderson
    4

  • Bread and Sugar; Daisy Chain Dream
    Joan O'Neill
    4

  • Can You Keep a Secret?
    Sandra Glover
    4

  • Dreamland
    Sarah Dessen
    3

  • Who The Man
    Chris Lynch
    3

  • Last Chance
    Patrick Cave
    3

  • Lucas
    Kevin Brooks
    2

  • Doll
    Nicky Singer
    2

Books About Children's Books

  • Terry Pratchett: Guilty of Literature; Terry Pratchett
    4

  • Pinocchio Goes Postmodern: Perils of a Puppet in the United States
    Richard Wunderlich
    Thomas J Morrissey
    3

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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