Books for Keeps 156 - the children's book magazine online

Digital version – browse, print or download

Can't see the preview?
Click here!

How to print the digital edition of Books for Keeps: click on this PDF file link - click on the printer icon in the top right of the screen to print.

BfK Newsletter

Receive the latest news & reviews direct to your inbox!

BfK No. 156 - January 2006

Cover Story
This issue’s cover illustration is from Graham Marks’ Tokyo. Graham Marks is interviewed by Julia Eccleshare. Thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing for their help with this January cover.

BfK No. 156 Articles

Editorial - January 2006

News and comment from the Editor.

J K Rowling by Stuart Pearson Wright at the National Portrait Gallery

Brian Sewell on the recently commissioned portrait.

Malorie Blackman’s ‘Noughts & Crosses’ Trilogy

Errol Lloyd assesses its appeal.

How should we teach children to read?

Henrietta Dombey debates synthetic phonics.

Story of the Storeys or Seven at one go

Brian Alderson discusses the new centre for the study of children's literature.

Authorgraph No.156: Graham Marks

Graham Marks interviewed by Julia Eccleshare.

BfK Briefing - January 2006

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

Useful Organisations No.42: Children's Poetry Bookshelf

Children's poetry for 7-11 year-olds.

Hal’s Reading Diary - January 2006

Roger Mills on Hal being taught to read.

I Wish I’d Written… Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key

Kevin Brooks chooses Jack Gantos's Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key.

Good Reads: Maidenhill School, Gloucestershire

Reviews from Maidenhill School, Gloucestershire.

Classics in Short No.55: Mary Poppins

Brian Alderson on P L Travers' Mary Poppins.

Editor's Choice

Hubert Horatio Bartle Bobton-Trent

Lauren Child

(Hodder Children's Books)

A natural at almost everything (reading, swimming, table tennis, Japanese, Maths), Hubert Horatio Bartle Bobton-Trent has ‘frightfully, frightfully rich’ parents with houses in London, New York and Milan. Extremely sociable and generous, the...

Fly By Night

Frances Hardinge

(Macmillan Children's Books)

When 12-year-old Mosca Mye burns down her uncle’s mill (accidentally or on purpose?), it is time for her to leave the village of Clough and seek her fortune with storyteller, poet and petty crook Eponymous Clent. On their arrival in the capital,...

Under 5s
Ages 5-8
Ages 8-10
Ages 10-14
Ages 14+

Under 5s

Opposites

Robert Crowther

5
Hit the Ball Duck

Jez Alborough

5
Mixed Up Fairy Tales

Hilary Robinson

4
Hieronymus Betts and his Unusual Pets

M P Robertson

4
Bored Bill

Liz Pichon

4
Alligator Alphabet

Stella Blackstone

4
Pablo the Artist

Satoshi Kitamura

3
Kidogo

Anik McGrory

3
Just Like You Did

Marjorie Newman

3
I Wish I Were a Dog

Lydia Monks

3
Fantastic Mr Wani, The

Kanako Usui

3
Elmer and Rose

David McKee

3
Whose nose?; Whose teeth?

Jeannette Rowe

2
Robot Dog

Mark Oliver

2
Myron's Magic Cow

Marlene Newman

2
Whatever

William Bee

1

Ages 5-8

Wizard, the Ugly and the Book of Shame, The

Pablo Bernascon

5
I Dreamt I Was a Dinosaur

Stella Blackstone

5
Hubert Horatio Bartle Bobton-Trent

Lauren Child

5
Fairy Tales, The

Charles Perrault
The Brothers Grimm

5
Tractor Trouble

Steve Augarde

4
Mortimer and the Sword Excalibur

Joan Aiken

4
Witch Pigs

Colin Hawkins
Jacqui Hawkins

3
Belonging; Celebrating Harvest; Gifts at Christmas; Jewish Faith, The; Visiting a Church; Visiting a Gurdwara; Visiting a Mandir; Visiting a Mosque; Visiting a Synagogue

Ruth Nason

3
Mr Large In Charge

Jill Murphy

3
Man of the Match

Sophie Smiley

3
Harry the Poisonous Centipede Goes to Sea

Lynne Reid Banks

3
Burger Boy

Alan Durant

3
Billy Wizard

Chris Priestley

3

Ages 8-10

Nicholas

Rene Goscinny

5
Imagine

Norman Messenger

5
Connor's Eco Den; Doomsday Virus, The; Last Viking, The; Space Ace; Stat Man; Traitor's Gate

Pippa Goodhart

4
Three Cheers for Inventors!

Marcia Williams

4
Here Be Monsters! (The Ratbridge Chronicles, Volume 1)

Alan Snow

4
Girl with the Broken Wing, The

Heather Dyer

4
Christopher Mouse: The Tale of a Small Traveller

William Wise

4
Super Zeroes

Rhiannon Lassiter

3
Story of Chocolate, The

Katie Daynes

3
She's All That! Poems About Girls

3
Outsiders

Kevin Crossley-Holland

3
Ragwitch, The

Garth Nix

2
Dawn Undercover

Anna Dale

1

Ages 10-14

Framed

Frank Cottrell Boyce

5
Writers and their tall tales

Tracey Turner

4
Return of Death Eric, The

Sam Llewellyn

4
Forensics

Richard Platt

4
Fly By Night

Frances Hardinge

4
Clay

David Almond

4
Chasing Vermeer

Blue Balliett

4
Body

Richard Walker

4
Fire!; Shouting at the Stars; Witness

David Orme

3
Walking with the Dead

Tim Bowler

3
Spirit Walker

Michelle Paver

3
Blade; Mutant; Respect!; Smoke

Chris Powling

3
Mrs Marridge Project, The

Pauline Fisk

3
Jazz A.B.Z

Wynton Marsalis

3
Jane Austen: The Girl with the Magic Pen!

Gill Hornby

3
Flush

Carl Hiaasen

3
Fire Star

Chris D'Lacey

3
Electric Telepath, The

Jan Mark

3
Amadans Alert

Malachy Doyle

3
Aids Orphan: Mary's Story

Louise Armstrong

3
Riddles of Epsilon, The

Christine Morton-Shaw

2
Ingo

Helen Dunmore

2
Arthur and the Minimoys

Luc Besson

2

Ages 14+

Innocent's Story, The

Nicky Singer

5
Tell Me What You See

Zoran Drvenkar

4
Story of Stone, The

N M Browne

4
Passion Flower Massacre, The

Nicola Morgan

4

BfK News

EMPATHYLAB ANNOUNCES 2020 READ FOR EMPATHY BOOK COLLECTION

Raising A Generation of Empathic Citizens

Empathy Day logo

Jasbinder Bilan

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.

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.

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

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, 26^th 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

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.

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.

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

2020 UKLA BOOK AWARDS THE LONGLISTS

UKLA Awards

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

Books for Keeps 156 - the children's book magazine online

Digital version – browse, print or download

BfK Newsletter

BfK No. 156 Articles

Editor's Choice

Hubert Horatio Bartle Bobton-Trent

New Talent

Fly By Night

All Children's Book Reviews in BfK No. 156

Under 5s

Opposites

Hit the Ball Duck

Mixed Up Fairy Tales

Hieronymus Betts and his Unusual Pets

Bored Bill

Alligator Alphabet

Pablo the Artist

Kidogo

Just Like You Did

I Wish I Were a Dog

Fantastic Mr Wani, The

Elmer and Rose

Whose nose?; Whose teeth?

Robot Dog

Myron's Magic Cow

Whatever

Ages 5-8

Wizard, the Ugly and the Book of Shame, The

I Dreamt I Was a Dinosaur

Hubert Horatio Bartle Bobton-Trent

Fairy Tales, The

Tractor Trouble

Mortimer and the Sword Excalibur

Witch Pigs

Belonging; Celebrating Harvest; Gifts at Christmas; Jewish Faith, The; Visiting a Church; Visiting a Gurdwara; Visiting a Mandir; Visiting a Mosque; Visiting a Synagogue

Mr Large In Charge

Man of the Match

Harry the Poisonous Centipede Goes to Sea

Burger Boy

Billy Wizard

Ages 8-10

Nicholas

Imagine

Connor's Eco Den; Doomsday Virus, The; Last Viking, The; Space Ace; Stat Man; Traitor's Gate

Three Cheers for Inventors!

Here Be Monsters! (The Ratbridge Chronicles, Volume 1)

Girl with the Broken Wing, The

Christopher Mouse: The Tale of a Small Traveller

Super Zeroes

Story of Chocolate, The

She's All That! Poems About Girls

Outsiders

Ragwitch, The

Dawn Undercover

Ages 10-14

Framed

Writers and their tall tales

Return of Death Eric, The

Forensics

Fly By Night

Clay

Chasing Vermeer

Body

Fire!; Shouting at the Stars; Witness

Walking with the Dead

Spirit Walker

Blade; Mutant; Respect!; Smoke

Mrs Marridge Project, The

Jazz A.B.Z

Jane Austen: The Girl with the Magic Pen!

Flush

Fire Star

Electric Telepath, The

Amadans Alert

Aids Orphan: Mary's Story

Riddles of Epsilon, The

Ingo

Arthur and the Minimoys

Ages 14+

Innocent's Story, The