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Books for Keeps 154 - the children's book magazine online

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BfK No. 154 - September 2005

Cover Story
This issue’s cover illustration is from the 20th Anniversary Edition of Lynley Dodd’s Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy. Lynley Dodd is interviewed by Joanna Carey. Thanks to Puffin for their help with this September cover.

BfK No. 154 Articles

Editorial - September 2005

News and comment from the Editor.
Are Books for Children Worth Reading?

Michael Rosen on how literacy is undermining literature.
Are Books for Children Worth Reading - full speech text

Full text of Michael Rosen's inaugural lecture as Visiting Professor at Middlesex University.
Early Years Reading: ICT and early literacy: multiple literacies at work

Olivia O'Sullivan encourages multiple literacy.
Picture Books - Real or Synthetic?

Jeff Hynds discusses synthetic phonics and new picture books.
Typography in Children's Books

Sue Walker explores the influence of typefaces.
BfK Profile: Rodman Philbrick

Nicholas Tucker looks at the books of Rodman Philbrick.
Take 3: Children's Book Characters

Revelations about the Gruffalo, Spot and Thomas the Tank Engine.
Hal's Reading Diary - September 2005

Roger Mills discusses what makes Hal laugh.
Authorgraph No.154: Lynley Dodd

Lynley Dodd interviewed by Joanna Carey.
I Wish I'd Written... Truckers

Frank Cottrell Boyce chooses Terry Pratchett's Truckers.
Foyle Young Poets of the Year

Mandy Coe discusses Thanbir Ahmed's untitled poem.
BfK Briefing - September 2005

News * Awards * Events
Useful Organisations No.40: Seven Stories, the Centre for Children's Books

Major archive collection plus regular exhibitions and events.
Classics in Short No.53: The Magic Pudding

Brian Alderson on Norman Lindsay's The Magic Pudding.

Editor's Choice

The Worst Witch Saves the Day
Jill Murphy
(Puffin)
5

Mildred Hubble, the eponymous worst witch in Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches, made her debut in 1974 and instantly broke new ground with Murphy's delicious combination of an accessible and entertaining text interspersed with plentiful sharply...

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New Talent

The Diary of Pelly-D
L J Adlington
(Hodder Children's Books)
4

In a society founded centuries ago by settlers from planet Earth, the official line is that there is no racism in this brave new world despite genetic differences between the Atsumisi, the Mazzini and the Galrezi. Confident, rich and gorgeous, 14...

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All Children's Book Reviews in BfK No. 154

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

Under 5s

  • Harold and the Duck
    Bruce Robinson
    5

  • Clapping Games: Whole Brain Workouts for Lively Children ¦ Skipping Games: Energetic Workouts for Lively Children ¦ Playground Games: Co-operative Learning for Lively Children
    Jenny Mosley
    Helen Sonnet
    5

  • Stan and His Gran
    Sarah Garland
    5

  • Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs
    Giles Andreae
    4

  • Colours: A First Art Book
    Lucy Micklethwait
    4

  • Under the Sea ¦ One Scary Night ¦ At the Circus
    Benedicte Guettier
    3

  • Milet Picture Dictionary: English/Tamil
    Sedat Turhan
    3

  • Three Monsters
    David McKee
    3

Ages 5-8

  • Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves
    5

  • The Worst Witch Saves the Day
    Jill Murphy
    5

  • Coral Reef
    Caroline Bingham
    4

  • The Haunted Piccolo
    Gene Kemp
    4

  • Lotsa de Casha
    Madonna
    4

  • Slam!
    Adam Stower
    4

  • The Topsy-Turvies
    Francesca Simon
    4

  • Don't Cook Cinderella
    Francesca Simon
    3

  • Meet Wild Boars
    Meg Rosoff
    Sophie Blackall
    3

  • Mr Pod and Mr Piccalilli
    Penny Dolan
    3

  • Welcome to the World Baby!
    Na'ima Bint Robert
    3

  • Frida
    Jonah Winter
    2

  • Polly the Party Fun Fairy ¦ Honey the Sweet Fairy
    Daisy Meadows
    2

  • DK Human Body Encyclopedia
    1

Ages 8-10

  • The Jungle Book
    Rudyard Kipling
    5

  • Jammy Dodgers go Underground
    Bowering Sivers
    4

  • A Kick in the Head: An Everyday Guide to Poetic Forms
    Paul B Janeczko
    4

  • Magyk
    Angie Sage
    4

  • Pirate
    Deborah Lock
    4

  • Animals Like Us
    Andrea Mills
    3

  • Ellie and the Cat
    Malorie Blackman
    3

  • Fairy Tales: A Classic Collection
    3

  • King Matt the First
    Janusz Korczak
    3

  • Shakespeare's Globe
    Toby Forward
    3

  • Alexander the Great: the life of a king and conqueror ¦ Spartacus: the life of a Roman gladiator
    Rob Shone
    Anita Ganeri
    3

  • Waking Merlin
    Tanya Landman
    3

  • Cock Crow: Poems about life in the countryside
    2

Ages 10-14

  • Inkspell
    Cornelia Funke
    5

  • Jacob's Ladder
    Brian Keaney
    5

  • Boy Soldier
    Andy McNab
    Robert Rigby
    4

  • The Diary of Pelly-D
    L J Adlington
    4

  • Einstein's Theories of Relativity; Splitting the Atom; The Discovery of DNA; The Discovery of Penicillin; The First Computers; The First Polio Vaccine
    Alan Morton
    4

  • The Foreshadowing
    Marcus Sedgwick
    4

  • The Heaven Shop
    Deborah Ellis
    4

Ages 14+

  • Bloodsong
    Melvin Burgess
    5

  • Surrender
    Sonya Hartnett
    5

  • Tessa in Love
    Kate Le Vann
    5

  • Hunter's Heart
    Julia Green
    4

  • '...then he ate my boy entrancers.'
    Louise Rennison
    4

  • Odin's Voice
    Susan Price
    3

  • Paralysed
    Sherry Ashworth
    3

  • The Wrong Hands
    Nigel Richardson
    3

Books About Children's Books

  • The 'Creating a Reading Culture' Handbook (Primary and Secondary Versions) ¦ Animating Literacy: Inspiring Children's Learning through Teacher and Artist Partnerships ¦ The Core Booklist
    Reading Connects Team
    5

BfK News

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...
LOLLIES 2020 SHORTLIST THE YEAR’S FUNNIEST CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Michael Rosen, children’s novelist, poet and former Children’s Laureate, has announced the shortlist for the 2020 Laugh Out Loud Awards (The Lollies), the awards that celebrate the funniest children’s books.

Lollies logo

read more...
HOOD, RUNDELL AND REYNOLDS UKLA BOOK AWARD WINNERS 2019

Morag Hood, Katherine Rundell and Jason Reynolds have been announced as the winners of the UKLA Book Awards 2019 for I Am Bat, The Explorer and Long Way Down respectively.

read more...
CATHERINE JOHNSON WINS LITTLE REBELS CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD

The Alliance of Radical Booksellers (ARB) is delighted to announce that the winner of this year’s Little Rebels Children’s Book Award for Radical Fiction is Catherine Johnson for her book, Freedom (Scholastic 2018).

Catherine Johnsonn photo Andy Donohoe

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CRESSIDA COWELL ANNOUNCED AS NEW WATERSTONES CHILDREN’S LAUREATE

‘Books are transformative because of their unique ability to develop three key magical powers: intelligence, creativity and, most important of all, empathy. Words are power; let’s take magic seriously.’ Cressida Cowell, Waterstones Children’s Laureate

read more...
STEVEN CAMDEN WINS CLiPPA 2019

Steven Camden photo by Ellie Kurttz

read more...
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