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Books for Keeps 163 - the children's book magazine online

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BfK No. 163 - March 2007

Cover Story
This issue’s cover illustration is from Meg Rosoff’s Just In Case. Meg Rosoff is interviewed by Nicholas Tucker. Thanks to Penguin Books for their help with this March cover.

BfK No. 163 Articles

Editorial - March 2007

News and comment from the Editor.
Teenagers Promoting Books – A Novel Idea

Nicola Morgan on how her new novel was promoted.
The Best Books of 2006

Rosemary Stones discusses the books that came to the top.
The Oxford Encyclopedia of Children’s Literature

Brian Alderson assesses this new work of reference.
Windows into Illustration: Mairi Hedderwick

Mairi Hedderwick explains the thinking behind her illustration.
Authorgraph No.163: Meg Rosoff

Meg Rosoff interviewed by Nicholas Tucker.
‘Teaching’ Poems for Children: A Praise Poem

Robert Hull explores how to use a praise poem.
Take 3: Eponymous Imprints

David Fickling Books, Jane Nissen Books and Marion Lloyd Books.
Hal’s Reading Diary - March 2007

Roger Mills on Hal and thank you letters.
BfK Briefing - March 2007

News * Obituaries * Letter to the Editor
Cool to be Clever: Getting Boys to Read

Philip Wilkinson discusses boys and reading.
I Wish I’d Written... Warrior Scarlet

Stuart Hill chooses Rosemary Sutcliff's Warrior Scarlet.
Good Reads: Broadwater School, Godalming, Surrey

Reviews from Broadwater School, Godalming, Surrey.
Classics in Short No.62: The Battle of Bubble and Squeak

Brian Alderson on Philippa Pearce's The Battle of Bubble and Squeak.
The Oxford Encyclopedia of Children’s Literature - additional information

Brian Alderson discusses further.

Editor's Choice

Beware of the Storybook Wolves
Lauren Child
(Hodder Children's Books)
5

Too often, publishers impose the bells and whistles of paper engineering on stories because they can, rather than with any discernable purpose. Lauren Child’s Beware of the Storybook Wolves worked very well as a picture book...

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New Talent

Waves
Sharon Dogar
(Scholastic US)
4

A year has gone by since Charlie went surfing at night and was discovered the next morning lying on the rocks by her younger brother, 15-year-old Hal. It has been a year for the family of visiting Charlie in hospital where she lies in a coma. Is...

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All Children's Book Reviews in BfK No. 163

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

Under 5s

  • Follow the Swallow
    Julia Donaldson
    5

  • Rotten and Rascal: The Two Terrible Pterosaur Twins
    Paul Geraghty
    4

  • Elmer and the Lost Teddy
    David McKee
    4

  • Hello, Who's There?
    Satoshi Kitamura
    3

  • The Amazing Lift-The-Flap ABC
    Colin Hawkins
    Jacqui Hawkins
    3

  • Max Moves to Moscow
    Winifred Riser
    2

Ages 5-8

  • Mustard, Custard, Grumble Belly and Gravy
    Michael Rosen
    5

  • The Lost Happy Endings
    Carol Ann Duffy
    5

  • Beware of the Storybook Wolves
    Lauren Child
    5

  • The Barefoot Book of Classic Poems
    5

  • Uneversaurus
    Aidan Potts
    4

  • The Orchard Book of Goblins, Ghouls & Ghosts & Other Magical Stories
    Martin Waddell
    4

  • Amazing Bugs
    Richard Ferguson
    4

  • Actual Size
    Steve Jenkins
    4

  • Finding Fizz ¦ Nothing But Trouble ¦ On the Ghost Trail ¦ Scratch and Sniff ¦ Taking Flight ¦ The Thing in the Basement
    J Alexander
    3

  • That's Why!
    Babette Cole
    3

  • Sahir Goes to the Dentist
    Chris Petty
    3

  • Miss Fox
    Simon Puttock
    3

  • The Littlest Pirate and the Hammerheads
    Sherryl Clark
    3

  • I Very Really Miss You
    Jane Kemp
    Clare Walters
    3

  • The Courageous Cats Compete
    Steve Wood
    3

  • Tom and Sofia Start School
    Henriette Barkow
    2

Ages 8-10

  • The Adventures of Odysseus
    Hugh Lupton
    Daniel Morden
    5

  • Viking Longship
    Mick Manning
    Brita Granström
    4

  • Jake Jellicoe and the Dread Pirate Redbeard
    Joanna Nadin
    4

  • The Dragon Detective Agency: The Case of the Missing Cats
    Gareth Jones
    4

  • Clarice Bean, Don't Look Now
    Lauren Child
    4

  • Beware! Killer Tomatoes
    Jeremy Strong
    4

  • Sir Gadabout Goes to Knight School
    Martyn Beardsley
    3

  • The Silver Donkey
    Sonya Hartnett
    3

  • I Am a Tree
    Kaye Umansky
    3

  • Topaz on Ice ¦ Topaz Takes a Break ¦ Topaz Takes the Stage
    Helen Bailey
    2

  • 101 Things You Need To Know (… and Some You Don't!)
    Richard Horne
    Tracey Turner
    1

Ages 10-14

  • Weedflower
    Cynthia Kadohata
    5

  • The Thing with Finn
    Tom Kelly
    5

  • I Am the Great Horse
    Katherine Roberts
    5

  • Urgum the Axeman
    Kjartan Poskitt
    4

  • Kiss of Death
    Malcolm Rose
    4

  • The Hunchback of Notre-Dame
    Victor Hugo
    4

  • Catcall
    Linda Newbery
    4

  • Bec
    Darren Shan
    4

  • Amethyst
    Rebecca Lisle
    4

  • The Witches' Mark
    Donald Lightwood
    3

  • River Secrets
    Shannon Hale
    3

  • The Lurkers
    Charles Butler
    3

  • In the Nick of Time
    Robert Swindells
    3

  • I Don't Want an Avocado for an Uncle
    Chrissie Gittins
    3

  • I Am a Cloud, I Can Blow Anywhere
    Jonathan Tulloch
    Shirley Tulloch
    3

  • After the Death of Alice Bennett
    Rowland Molony
    3

Ages 14+

  • This Is All: The Pillow Book of Cordelia Kenn
    Aidan Chambers
    5

  • Finding Violet Park
    Jenny Valentine
    5

  • Dirty Work
    Julia Bell
    5

  • The Book Thief
    Markus Zusak
    5

  • Zenith
    Julie Bertagna
    4

  • Waves
    Sharon Dogar
    4

  • Life as We Knew It
    Susan Pfeffer
    4

  • Growing Yams in London
    Sophia Acheampong
    3

  • Inside the Mind of Gideon Rayburn
    Sarah Miller
    2

Books About Children's Books

  • The Invention of Childhood
    Hugh Cunningham
    Michael Morpurgo
    5

  • Universal Verse: Poetry for Children
    4

BfK News

SHORTLIST FOR THE 2018 KLAUS FLUGGE PRIZE

The shortlist for the 2018 Klaus Flugge Prize has been revealed. Set up to honour publisher Klaus Flugge, founder of Andersen Press and a key figure in children’s picture books, this important new award, now in its third year, is for the most promising and exciting newcomer to children’s picture book illustration.

read more...
THE 2018 LITTLE REBELS AWARD SHORTLIST ANNOUNCED

THE 2018 LITTLE REBELS AWARD SHORTLIST

Conflicts, Class and Youth Protest

Islamophobia, young people’s activism, the Syrian conflict, challenges to gendered occupations, the English class system and workers’ pay and conditions are just some of the subjects highlighted by the 8-strong shortlist for this year’s Little Rebels Award for Radical Children’s Fiction.

read more...
DEBUT AUTHORS AND THEIR EDITORS ON 2018 BRANFORD BOASE AWARD SHORTLIST

The shortlist for the 2018 Branford Boase Award has been announced. 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.

BBA shortlist 2018

read more...
CLiPPA 2018 SHORTLIST ANNOUNCED

The Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE) has announced the 2018 shortlist for the CLiPPA (Centre for Literacy in Primary Poetry Award). Established in 2003, the CLiPPA encourages and celebrates outstanding poetry published for children and has done a huge amount to encourage the publishing of children’s poetry.

read more...
THE HATE U GIVE WINS WATERSTONES CHILDREN’S BOOK PRIZE 2018

Angie ThomasWCBP logo

read more...
SHORTLISTS FOR 2018 CILIP CARNEGIE AND KATE GREENAWAY MEDALS ANNOUNCED

CILIP CKG logo

The shortlists for the 2018 CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals, the UK’s oldest book awards for children and young people, are announced today, Thursday 15th March.

read more...
SHORTLIST FOR THE CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD 2018

The Children’s Book Award 2018 shortlist has been announced. Among those shortlisted are this year’s Costa Children’s Book Award winner Katherine Rundell and previously shortlisted author illustrator Jan Fearnley.

read more...
BLUE PETER BOOK AWARD WINNERS 2018

The Wizards of Once

The Wizards of Once by Cressida Cowell and Real-Life Mysteries written by Susan Martineau, illustrated by Vicky Barker, have been revealed as this year’s Blue Peter Book Award winners.

read more...
2018 HENRIETTA BRANFORD WRITING COMPETITION NOW OPEN

Young writers invited to finish a story started by 2017 Branford Boase Award winner, Beetle Boy author M. G. Leonard

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...
LONGLIST FOR THE 2018 KLAUS FLUGGE PRIZE

KFP logoFifteen debut picture books are in the running for the 2018 Klaus Flugge Prize. Now in its third year the prize was set up to honour publisher Klaus Flugge, founder of Andersen Press and a supremely influential figure in picture books.

This year more than fifty books were submitted for consideration from eleven different publishers.

read more...
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