Home
Blood Red Road Banner Ad
  • Home
  • Latest Issue
  • Past Issues
  • Authors & Artists
  • Articles
  • Reviews
  • News
  • Forums
  • Search

Books for Keeps 161 - the children's book magazine online

Digital version – browse, print or download

BfK Newsletter

Receive the latest news & reviews direct to your inbox!

BfK No. 161 - November 2006

Cover Story
This issue’s cover shows Neil Gaiman (photo © Kelli Bickman) with his book The Comical Tragedy or Tragical Comedy of Mr Punch illustrated by Dave McKean. Neil Gaiman is interviewed by Nicholas Tucker. Thanks to Bloomsbury for their help with this November cover.

BfK No. 161 Articles

Editorial - November 2006

News and comment from the Editor.
BfK Profile: Kevin Crossley-Holland

Colin Mills discusses Kevin Crossley-Holland’s sequel to his ‘Arthur’ trilogy, Gatty’s Tale.
Can children learn to love punctuation?

Lynne Truss on her junior version of Eats, Shoots & Leaves.
Windows into Illustration: Chris Riddell

Chris Riddell explains his approach to The Emperor of Absurdia.
Hal’s Reading Diary - November 2006

Roger Mills on how Hal finds list of words boring.
Diversity matters - Multi-cultural Publishing: What it took to get to where we are

Rosemary Stones on the history of multi-cultural publishing.
Take 3: Father Christmases

The Santas of Clement C Moore, J R R Tolkien and Raymond Briggs.
Authorgraph No.161: Neil Gaiman

Neil Gaiman interviewed by Nicholas Tucker.
BfK Briefing – November 2006

Letters to the Editor * Publications * Obituary
Useful Organisations No.47: Just One More Book!

A thrice-weekly audio on demand broadcast discussing children’s books.
I Wish I’d Written… The Homeward Bounders

Margaret Mahy chooses Diana Wynne Jones' The Homeward Bounders.
Good Reads: The King’s School, Worcester

Reviews from
The King’s School, Worcester.
Classics in Short No.60: The Stone Book Quartet

Brian Alderson on Alan Garner's The Stone Book Quartet.

Editor's Choice

Just in Case
Meg Rosoff
(Puffin)
5

The precariousness of existence is driven home to the reader from the opening pages of Rosoff’s stonking new novel when 15-year-old David only just catches hold of his baby brother in time as Charlie launches himself out of an upstairs window in...

read more

New Talent

Breathe
Anne-Sophie Brasme
(W&N)
4

Told in a lucidly reflective style, this first person narrative is recounted by a 19-year-old Parisian, Charlene, who murdered her best friend when she was 16. Brasme takes us back to the time when the lonely, suicidal 13-year-old Charlene first...

read more

All Children's Book Reviews in BfK No. 161

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

Under 5s

  • Uan the Little Lamb
    Sandra Klaassen
    5

  • Melrose and Croc: Friends for Life
    Emma Chichester Clark
    5

  • Lettice: The Birthday Party
    Mandy Stanley
    4

  • The Lamb Who Came for Dinner
    Steve Smallman
    4

  • Hello Twins
    Charlotte Voake
    4

  • Harry and the Dinosaurs Go To School
    Ian Whybrow
    4

  • Happy Birthday to You, Blue Kangaroo!
    Emma Chichester Clark
    4

  • Alphabet Ice Cream
    Sue Heap
    Nick Sharratt
    4

  • Very Interesting!
    Yokococo
    3

  • Together
    Jane Simmons
    3

  • There once was a boy called Tashi
    Anna Fienberg
    Barbara Fienberg
    3

  • A Tale of Two Kitties
    Liz Pichon
    3

  • Chunky, bumpy, dumpy Trucks
    Dawn Sirett
    3

  • Mama's Going to Heaven Soon
    Kathe Martin Copeland
    2

Ages 5-8

  • My Body Book
    Mick Manning
    Brita Granström
    4

  • Minnie Piper: Undercover Puzzler
    Caroline Juskus
    4

  • Mia's Story: A Sketchbook of Hopes and Dreams
    Michael Foreman
    4

  • Mario's Angels
    Mary Arrigan
    4

  • J is for Jamaica
    Benjamin Zephaniah
    4

  • The Cowgirl Aunt of Harriet Bean; The Five Lost Aunts of Harriet Bean; Harriet Bean and the League of Cheats
    Alexander McCall Smith
    4

  • The Hair Scare
    Jeffrey Fisher
    4

  • Dirty Bertie: Worms!
    Alan MacDonald
    4

  • Dino-Dinners
    Mick Manning
    Brita Granström
    4

  • Wizzbang Wizard: Super Splosh
    Scoular Anderson
    3

  • Witch-in-Training: The Last Task
    Maeve Friel
    3

  • The Magic Wand; When Anna Slept Over
    Ursula Dubosarsky
    3

  • The Deep Blue Sea
    Jakki Wood
    3

Ages 8-10

  • You're a Bad Man, Mr Gum!
    Andy Stanton
    4

  • The Tail of The Trinosaur
    Charles Causley
    4

  • The Picture History of Great Explorers
    Gillian Clements
    4

  • Breathe: A Ghost Story
    Cliff McNish
    4

  • Tiger
    Joanna Skipwith
    3

  • Sam stars at Shakespeare's Globe
    Pauline Francis
    3

  • Id-ul-Fitr
    Saviour Pirotta
    3

  • Hurricane Wills
    Sally Grindley
    3

  • Emily Windsnap and the Castle in the Mist
    Liz Kessler
    3

  • The Dog in the Diamond Collar
    Rebecca Lisle
    3

  • Blart - The Boy Who Didn't Want to Save the World
    Dominic Barker
    3

  • Araminta Spook Book 1: My Haunted House; Araminta Spook Book 2: The Sword in the Grotto
    Angie Sage
    3

  • Purple Class and the Skelington
    Sean Taylor
    2

  • The Monstrous Memoirs of a Mighty McFearless
    Ahmet Zappa
    2

Ages 10-14

  • Wintersmith: A Story of Discworld
    Terry Pratchett
    5

  • Soul Eater
    Michelle Paver
    5

  • The Dragon's Eye
    Durgald Steer
    5

  • The Duke of Wellington: The Gentleman Soldier; William the Conqueror: The Norman King
    Joshua Doder
    4

  • Vampirates: Tide of Terror
    Justin Somper
    4

  • The Story of Costume
    John Peacock
    4

  • The Penalty
    Mal Peet
    4

  • Martin Luther King: Father of the Civil Rights Movement
    Liz Gogerly
    4

  • Iraq
    Simon Ponsford
    4

  • H.I.V.E.
    Mark Walden
    4

  • The Curse of the Toads
    Rebecca Lisle
    4

  • Attica
    Garry Kilworth
    4

  • Stormbreaker - the graphic novel
    Anthony Horowitz
    3

  • The Princess and the Captain
    Anne-Laure Bondoux
    3

  • The Pig Who Saved the World by Gryllus the Pig
    Paul Shipton
    3

  • The Moneylender's Daughter
    V A Richardson
    3

  • Kat Got Your Tongue
    Lee Weatherly
    3

  • How nearly everthing was invented by the Brainwaves
    Jilly MacLeod
    3

  • Fur
    Meg Harper
    3

  • Dream Chaser
    Joan O'Neill
    3

  • Do the Creepy Thing
    Graham Joyce
    3

  • The Coming of Dragons
    A J Lake
    3

  • Will Shakespeare and the Pirate's Fire
    Robert J Harris
    2

Ages 14+

  • Just in Case
    Meg Rosoff
    5

  • Innocent
    Anne Cassidy
    5

  • The Hollow People
    Brian Keaney
    5

  • Song for Eloise
    Leigh Sauerwein
    4

  • Inexcusable
    Chris Lynch
    4

  • The Earth, My Butt and Other BIG Round Things
    Carolyn Mackler
    4

  • Breathe
    Anne-Sophie Brasme
    4

  • The Story of my Life
    Anne Cassidy
    3

  • 32C, That's Me
    Chris Higgins
    3

  • A Nicer Way to Die
    Sam Mills
    2

BfK News

DICKENS AND CHILDHOOD CONFERENCE

Dickens and Childhood Conference and Symposium Monday 18 June

It is not too late to book places on this special one-day conference on Dickens and Childhood, which will include walks, lectures, readings, and parallel sessions on topics that will appeal to students, teachers, Dickens experts, and the ‘interested reader’.

Marcia Williams Dickens

read more...
Siobhan Dowd Trust launches competition to help encourage a love of reading

The Siobhan Dowd Trust launches competition to help encourage a love of reading

The Siobhan Dowd Trust is proud to announce that Michael Rosen, Poet and ex-Childrens’ Laureate will be on the judging panel of a schools campaign, which is asking teachers and librarians for their ideas about how they encourage a love of books in their schools. The Trust will use the entries to build up a database of ideas which can be shared and swapped… and the ten best or most innovative ideas will receive £1000 worth of books.

read more...
Maurice Sendak June 1928 – May 2012

Maurice Sendak, who has died at the age of 83 was one of the most important illustrators of the twentieth century. Joanna Carey assesses his career for Books for Keeps

read more...
2012 Branford Boase Shortlist

Branford Boase Award logoSeven authors are on the shortlist for the 2012 Branford Boase Award, announced today, Monday 30 April.

The Branford Boase Award is given annually to the author of an outstanding debut novel for children. Uniquely, it also honours the editor of the winning title and highlights the importance of the editor in nurturing new talent.

read more...
Riddell and Stewart Guest Speakers at IBBY UK AGM 2 May

Chris Riddell and Paul Stewart will be guest speakers at the IBBY UK AGM on Wednesday 2 May at Random House 20 Vauxhall Bridge Road, London SW1V 2SA, London. The meeting is free and non-members are welcome. Refreshments will be available from 6.30pm with Chris and Paul speaking at 7pm. Book sales and a signing will take place after the meeting. To book a place email bicarrington@nasuwt.net

read more...
2012 CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medal Shortlists

2012 CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medal Shortlists

The shortlists have been announced for the 2012 CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals, the oldest and most prestigious of all the UK’s children’s book awards.

There are eight books on each shortlist, two more than has been usual: a sign perhaps of the difficulty the judges had in making their final choice.

read more...
GUUS KUIJER TO RECEIVE THE ASTRID LINDGREN MEMORIAL AWARD 2012

The 2012 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award is to be awarded to the Dutch author Guus Kuijer.

read more...
FIRST BRITISH EXHIBITION OF CHINESE PICTURE BOOK ILLUSTRATION

In April, London hosts the first exhibitions in Britain of Chinese children’s and picture book illustration. The exhibitions feature eighty individual illustrations by China’s most celebrated children’s illustrators, and is organised by the Zhejiang Publishing Group, the Publishers’ Association of China, Propeller TV, and the Chinese Board on Books for Young People (CBBY); with the cooperation of the UK section of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY UK).

read more...
NEW AWARD SHORTLISTS ANNOUNCED

As we wait for the announcement of the shortlists for this year’s CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals, two other interesting and unusual award shortlists have just been revealed.

read more...
Transfer for Once Upon A Wartime exhibition

The Once Upon A Wartime exhibition is now at IWM North Manchester, until 2 September 2012

Based on five war-based children’s novels, the exhibition explores the history of real life conflicts from 1914 to the present day through the eyes of fictional children.

Read Kate Agnew’s Books for Keeps review of the exhibition here.

read more...
more
  • About us
  • Contact us
  • Help/FAQ
  • My Account
website developed by purkiss