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Books for Keeps 145 - the children's book magazine online

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BfK No. 145 - March 2004

Cover Story
This issue's cover illustration is from Satoshi Kitamura's Once Upon an Ordinary School Day. Satoshi Kitamura is interviewed by Martin Salisbury. Thanks to Andersen Press for their help with this March cover.

BfK No. 145 Articles

Editorial - March 2004

News and comment from the Editor.
The Dog That Kept Barking and the other top titles of 2003

Children's books experts look back at the previous year's publishing.
Authorgraph No.145: Satoshi Kitamura

Satoshi Kitamura interviewed by Martin Salisbury.
BfK Profile: Marcus Sedgwick

Nicholas Tucker on the novels of Marcus Sedgwick.
Responding to Young Adult Fiction

Julie Bertagna on controversial subjects for teens.
Pullman's Daemons

Margaret Rustin on daemons in Philip Pullman's 'His Dark Materials'.
Maple Ridge School Book Trail

Liz Taylor on setting up a book trail in a day special school
BfK Briefing - March 2004

News * Awards * Obituaries * Letter to the Editor
Useful Organisations No.32: Talk to Your Baby

The National Literacy Trust's Early Language Campaign.
Hal's Reading Diary - March 2004

Roger Mills on how Hal no longer depends on pictures in books.
I Wish I'd Written... Mortal Engines

Anthony Horowitz chooses Philip Reeve's Mortal Engines.
Good Reads: Lanesborough School, Guildford, Surrey

Reviews from pupils of Lanesborough School, Guildford, Surrey.
Classics in Short No.44: Father Christmas

Brian Alderson on Raymond Briggs' s Father Christmas.

Editor's Choice

All Kinds of Beliefs
Emma Damon
(Mantra Lingua)
5

The republication of this charming introduction for young readers to the major religions in a dual language edition appears timely. Even-handedly reflecting difference both within particular religious communities ('Some Sikh boys wear a patka...

read more

New Talent

Millions
Frank Cottrell Boyce
(Macmillan Children's Books)
5

Cottrell Boyce is an accomplished screenwriter (Welcome to Sarajevo, Hilary and Jackie etc as well as a stint on Coronation Street) so the confidence, vitality and wit of this ambitiously structured first novel astonish the reader...

read more

All Children's Book Reviews in BfK No. 145

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

Under 5s

  • Woolly Jumper: The Story of Wool
    Meredith Hooper
    5

  • Frog is Sad
    Max Velthuijs
    4

  • Winnie's New Computer
    Valerie Thomas
    4

  • Little Yellow Dog Says Look at Me; Little Yellow Dog Gets a Shock
    Francesca Simon
    4

  • Precious Water: A Book of Thanks; Little Apple: A Book of Thanks; Good Bread: A Book of Thanks
    Brigitte Weninger
    3

  • Milet Mini Picture Dictionary
    Sedat Turhan
    3

  • Rastamouse and the Crucial Plan
    Michael De Souza
    3

  • Jingle Jangle Jungle
    3

  • The Alphabet Room
    Sara Pinto
    3

  • Blue Rabbit
    Angela McAllister
    2

  • Cluck, Cluck Who's There?
    James Mayhew
    2

Ages 5-8

  • I Hate School
    Jeanne Willis
    5

  • Oxford Treasury of Fairy Tales
    Geraldine McCaughrean
    5

  • All Kinds of Beliefs
    Emma Damon
    5

  • Who is Mrs Green?
    David McKee
    4

  • The Blue Whale
    Christine Corning Malloy
    4

  • Jason and the Golden Fleece
    James Riordan
    3

  • The Bogey Man
    Shoo Rayner
    3

  • Cinderlily: A Floral Fairy Tale
    Christine Tagg
    3

  • The Orchard Book of Swords, Sorcerers and Superheroes
    Tony Bradman
    3

  • Rocky; Chicken in a Basket
    Rebecca Lisle
    3

  • The Bee-man of Orn
    Frank R Stockton
    2

  • Lemmy was a Diver
    Colin McNaughton
    2

Ages 8-10

  • Seriously Weird
    Gene Kemp
    5

  • Millions
    Frank Cottrell Boyce
    5

  • The Jesse Tree
    Geraldine McCaughrean
    5

  • Ancient Rome; Dinosaur
    Peter Chrisp
    4

  • Cat and the Stinkwater War
    Kate Saunders
    4

  • The Tempest: A Shakespeare Story; Hamlet: A Shakespeare Story
    4

  • When Mum Threw out the Telly
    E F Smith
    3

  • Running Wilde; Wilde Child
    Jenny Oldfield
    3

  • Free Lance and the Lake of Skulls
    Paul Stewart
    3

  • Dog Days
    Geraldine McCaughrean
    3

  • The Legend of the Fish
    Gita Wolf
    Sirish Rao
    Emanuele Scanziani
    3

  • Erika's Story
    Ruth Vander Zee
    3

  • Survivor's Science in the Desert; Survivor's Science on an Island; Survivor's Science in the Rainforest; Survivor's Science at Sea
    Peter D Riley
    1

Ages 10-14

  • Encyclopedia of People; The Kingfisher Geography Encyclopedia
    4

  • The Rough Guide to Books for Teenagers
    Nicholas Tucker
    Julia Eccleshare
    4

  • The Cup of the World
    John Dickinson
    4

  • The Amulet of Samarkand
    Jonathan Stroud
    4

  • August '44
    Carlo Gébler
    4

  • The Lastling
    Philip Gross
    4

  • Saskia's Journey
    Theresa Breslin
    4

  • Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Ancient Rome
    Mike Corbishley
    3

  • Eureka! Great Inventors and their Brilliant Brainwaves
    Richard Platt
    3

  • Fundamentalism; Nationalism
    Alex Woolf
    3

  • Tales of the Dead: Ancient Egypt
    Stewart Ross
    3

  • Inkheart
    Cornelia Funke
    3

  • Hello H2O
    John Agard
    3

  • Blood Red Horse
    K M Grant
    3

  • Deep Secret
    Berlie Doherty
    3

  • The Twelve Tasks of Flavia Gemina
    Caroline Lawrence
    3

  • Hope was Here
    Joan Bauer
    3

  • The Last Resort
    J Patrick Lewis
    3

  • The Good Child's Guide to Rock'n' Roll
    Carol Ann Duffy
    2

  • Dead Teachers Don't Talk
    David Belbin
    2

Ages 14+

  • Looking for JJ
    Anne Cassidy
    5

  • Milkweed
    Jerry Spinelli
    5

  • Boy 2 Girl
    Terence Blacker
    4

  • Star
    John Singleton
    4

  • Knife Edge
    Malorie Blackman
    3

  • Yoss
    Odo Hirsch
    2

Books About Children's Books

  • You're a Brick, Angela!
    Mary Cadogan
    Patricia Craig
    4

BfK News

JASBINDER BILAN WINS COSTA CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD WITH HER DEBUT NOVEL

Jasbinder Bilan

read more...
COSTA CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD 2019: SHORTLIST FEATURES

Former Children’s Laureate Malorie Blackman and acclaimed author Jenny Downham are on the shortlist for the 2019 Costa Children’s Book Award alongside newcomers Jasbinder Bilan and Nicholas Downing.

Costa Book Awards logo

Click the links below to read new Books for Keeps feature articles on each of the shortlisted authors.

read more...
THE IBBY LIST OF OUSTANDING BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

Dr Rebecca Butler writes.

Readers of Books for Keeps will remember that IBBY (the International Board on Books for Young People) arranges every two years a competition to identify the very best books for young readers featuring disability or designed to be read by young people with disabilities. Last time this list was compiled in 2017/18 I was the coordinator for the UK section.

read more...
ALASTAIR HUMPHREYS’ GREAT ADVENTURERS WINS THE 2019 EDUCATIONAL WRITERS’ AWARD

The winner of the 2019 Educational Writers’ Award is Alastair Humphreys’ Great Adventurers: The Incredible Expeditions of 20 Explorers (Big Picture Press).

Alastair Humphreys Great Adventures

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BLACKMAN AND DOWNHAM ON SHORTLIST FOR 2019 COSTA CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD

Former Children’s Laureate Malorie Blackman and acclaimed author Jenny Downham are on the shortlist for the 2019 Costa Children’s Book Award, which was announced today, 26th November 2020. Alongside them on the list are newcomers Jasbinder Bilan and Nicholas Downing, both of whom are published by Chicken House.

The 2019 Costa Children’s Award shortlist

read more...
2019 ALCS EDUCATIONAL WRITERS’ AWARD SHORTLIST

Shortlist announced for the UK’s only award for creative educational writing

The Society of Authors and the Authors’ Licensing& Collecting Society have announced the shortlist for the 2019 ALCS Educational Writers’ Award, the UK’s only award for educational writing which stimulates and enhances the learning experience.

read more...
‘INSPIRING’: CONTENDERS FOR THE 2020 BLUE PETER BOOK AWARDS REVEALED

Blue Peter Book Award logo

Six books have made it onto the shortlists for the 2020 Blue Peter Book Awards. There are two categories: Best Story, and – in non-fiction November – Best Book with Facts.

read more...
NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED FOR THE 2020 CARNEGIE AND KATE GREENAWAY MEDALS

And we’re off… the nominations for the 2020 Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals are announced today, Monday 4th November.

read more...
2020 UKLA BOOK AWARDS THE LONGLISTS

UKLA Awards

A record number of submissions and a new category to highlight information books marks the 12th longlists for the UKLA Awards, the only national awards judged by active classroom teachers.

read more...
JESSICA LOVE NAMED WINNER OF THE KLAUS FLUGGE PRIZE 2019 FOR JULIAN IS A MERMAID

Jessica Love

read more...
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