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Books for Keeps 143 - the children's book magazine online

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Books for Keeps is packed with articles, interviews comment and, of course, reviews.

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BfK No. 143 - November 2003

Cover Story

This issue's cover illustration is from John Burningham's Borka. Burningham's work is discussed by Brian Alderson. Thanks to Random House Children's Books for their help with this November cover.

BfK No. 143 Articles

Editorial - November 2003

News and comment from the Editor.
On the Tightrope in Burningham-land

Brian Alderson on the career of John Burningham.
Christmas Treats

Rosemary Stones chooses books to give.
A Little Piece of Ground

Michael Rosen on Elizabeth Laird's latest novel.
Poetry Slam! Respect Slam!

Ceri Worman on competitive performance poetry.
Hal’s Reading Diary - November 2003

Roger Mills on Hal at 2 years and 9 months.
Authorgraph No.143: Bob Graham

Bob Graham interviewed by Joanna Carey.
BfK Briefing - November 2003

News *Events * Publications * Awards * Letter to the Editor
Useful Organisations No.30: Read Together!

The Scottish Executive's Home Reading Initiative.
I Wish I’d Written... Where the Wild Things Are

Marcia Williams chooses Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are.
Good Reads: King Solomon High School, Ilford, Essex

Reviews from pupils of King Solomon High School, Ilford, Essex.
Classics in Short No.42: The Night Before Christmas

Brian Alderson on Clement Clarke Moore's The Night Before Christmas.

Editor's Choice

A Sterkarm Kiss
Susan Price
(Scholastic Press)
5

The sequel to The Sterkarm Handshake, Price's outstanding time slip novel in which people from the 21st century can return to the 16th, A Sterkarm Kiss tantalises the reader by bringing the protagonists together...

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New Talent

Eager
Helen Fox
(Hodder Children's Books)
3

'Eager' is the name that the Bell family give to their latest robot as it seems to sum up his personality - for Eager is a new kind of robot who can learn things and have feelings. Meanwhile the technocrat Morris family, who are rich enough to...

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All Children's Book Reviews in BfK No. 143

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

Under 5s

  • Captain Duck
    Jez Alborough
    5

  • Little One Step
    Simon James
    5

  • Line and Circle
    Radhika Menon
    5

  • The Sheep Fairy: When Wishes Have Wings
    Ruth Louise Symes
    4

  • Go Maisy, Go!
    Lucy Cousins
    4

  • Five in the bed and the little one said...
    4

  • Hide & Speak French
    Catherine Bruzzone
    Susan Martineau
    3

  • The Rainbow Book of Nursery Tales
    Sam Childs
    3

  • Under the Bed
    Paul Bright
    3

  • Tinka
    Rainy Dohaney
    3

  • The Gossipy Parrot
    Shen Roddie
    3

  • Mary Had a Little Lamb
    Sam Childs
    3

  • The Moon; Minibeasts; The Sea; Chocolate; Teeth; Homes
    Claire Llewellyn
    2

  • Goldilocks and the Three Bears
    Kate Clynes
    2

Ages 5-8

  • Evie and the Man Who Helped God; Always and Forever
    Michael Foreman
    5

  • The Shape Game
    Anthony Browne
    5

  • Crispin and the Three Little Piglets
    Ted Dewan
    4

  • The Little Dictionary
    3

  • Violet and the Mean and Rotten Pirates
    Richard Hamilton
    3

  • Bold Bad Ben the Beastly Bandit
    Ann Jungman
    3

  • Spud
    Alison Prince
    3

  • A Winter's Tale
    Marcus Sedgwick
    3

  • Paddington and the Grand Tour
    Michael Bond
    3

  • Katie in London
    James Mayhew
    3

  • Be Boy Buzz
    Bell Hooks
    3

  • Sandbear
    Shen Roddie
    3

  • The Night Before Christmas
    Clement Clarke Moore
    1

Ages 8-10

  • Overheard on a Saltmarsh: Poets' Favourite Poems
    5

  • Children's World Atlas
    Simon Adams
    Mary Atkinson
    Sarah Phillips
    4

  • Magic in Art
    Alexander Sturgis
    3

  • The Unvisibles
    Ian Whybrow
    3

  • Attila, Loolagax and the Eagle
    Nichola McAuliffe
    3

  • Elephant Child
    Mary Ellis
    3

  • Eager
    Helen Fox
    3

  • Encore, Grace!
    Mary Hoffman
    3

  • Agent Spike and the Vegetables of Doom; Aargh, it's an Alien!
    Mark Burgess
    3

  • The Vanishing Rainforest
    Richard Platt
    2

Ages 10-14

  • DK Guide to Mammals
    Ben Morgan
    5

  • Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
    J K Rowling
    5

  • Pictures from the Fire
    Gaye Hiçyilmaz
    5

  • Harrius Potter et Philosophi Lapis
    J K Rowling
    4

  • Surprising Joy
    Valerie Bloom
    4

  • Stratford Boys
    Jan Mark
    4

  • Friction
    E R Frank
    4

  • Private Peaceful
    Michael Morpurgo
    4

  • Scabbit Isle
    Tom Pow
    4

  • Whoop An' Shout!
    Valerie Bloom
    4

  • Nelson Mandela
    Adrian Hadland
    3

  • Esperanza Rising
    Pam Munoz Ryan
    3

  • Going Straight
    Michael Coleman
    3

  • Mouse Attack
    Manjula Padma
    3

  • Feather Boy
    Nicky Singer
    3

  • Faking It
    Pete Johnson
    3

  • When Isla meets Luke meets Isla
    Rhian Tracey
    3

  • Borderland
    Rhiannon Lassiter
    2

Ages 14+

  • Grass
    C Z Nightingale
    5

  • A Sterkarm Kiss
    Susan Price
    5

  • Voices
    Sue Mayfield
    4

  • Small Gains
    K M Peyton
    4

  • No Angels
    Robert Swindells
    4

  • Many Stones
    Carolyn Coman
    4

  • Excluded
    3

  • Wendy
    Karen Wallace
    3

  • Friends, Enemies and Other Tiny Problems
    Rosie Rushton
    3

  • UNICEF; Greenpeace
    Steven Maddocks
    2

Books About Children's Books

  • Ezra Jack Keats, A Bibliography and Catalogue
    5

  • Richmal Crompton, The Woman Behind Just William
    Mary Cadogan
    3

BfK News

CRESSIDA COWELL LAUNCHES NEW LAUREATE INITIATIVE IN SUPPORT OF SCHOOL LIBRARIES AND CALLS ON PM TO ACT

‘How can a child become a reader for pleasure if their parents or carers cannot afford books, and their primary school has no library, or that library is woefully insufficient?’

Life-changing Libraries logo

read more...
SHORTLISTS ANNOUNCED FOR THE 2021 UKLA BOOK AWARDS

UKLA Book Awards logo

read more...
ALL STORIES, A NEW MENTORSHIP PROGRAMME FOR UNDERREPRESENTED CHILDREN’S BOOK WRITERS

A new mentorship scheme for underrepresented authors launches today, 30 March. All Stories offers fourteen mentorships delivered by expert children’s book editors.

All Stories logo

read more...
2021 SHORTLISTS ANNOUNCED FOR CILIP CARNEGIE AND KATE GREENAWAY MEDALS

CKG Logo

The shortlists for the prestigious CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals are announced today, 18 March. The awards are the UK’s oldest for children and young people.

This year’s judges praised their shortlists for ‘offering hope and escapism during lockdown’ through explorations of freedom, the great outdoors and journeys through the natural world.

read more...
INAUGURAL LONGLIST ANNOUNCED FOR THE JHALAK CHILDREN’S AND YOUNG ADULT PRIZE

The Jhalak Prize has announced the longlist for the inaugural Jhalak Children’s & Young Adult Prize.

Jhalak Prize logo

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ONJALI RAÚF BECOMES WRITER IN RESIDENCE FOR BOOKTRUST

Award-winning author and activist, Onjali Raúf takes up the post as the new Writer in Residence for BookTrust, today, International Women’s Day. She takes over from Smriti Halls.

Onjali Q Raúf

read more...
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

read more...
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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