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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

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

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STEVEN CAMDEN WINS CLiPPA 2019

Steven Camden photo by Ellie Kurttz

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MUHAMMAD KHAN WINS 20TH BRANFORD BOASE AWARD

The winner of the 2019 Branford Boase Award for outstanding debut novel for children is Muhammad Khan for his YA novel I Am Thunder. Set up in memory of author Henrietta Branford and her editor Wendy Boase who both died in 1999, the award also recognizes his editor Lucy Pearse of Macmillan Children’s Books.

read more...
SLA School Librarian of the Year 2019 Announced

Ros Harding School Librarian of the Year

Ros Harding of The King’s School Chester has been awarded the honour of the School Librarian of the Year 2019. 2019 YA Book Prize winner Sara Barnard presented Ros Harding with her award at a special ceremony at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel, Kensington, London Kensington on 27 June.

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The Children's Book Award 2019

Earlier this month, Arree Chung was named overall winner of The Children’s Book Award 2019. His book Mixed, which he wrote and illustrated, also won the Books for Younger Children category before going on to win the overall prize.

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WINNERS OF THE 2019 CILIP CARNEGIE AND KATE GREENAWAY MEDALS

The winners of the CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals have been announced at a ceremony at The British Library, hosted by broadcaster and writer Konnie Huq.

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BRANFORD BOASE AWARD SHORTLIST 2019

The children’s authors to watch: shortlist for the 2019 Branford Boase Award announced

Branford Boase Award shortlist 2019

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THE YEAR'S BEST POETRY FOR CHILDREN: CLiPPA 2019 SHORTLIST ANNOUNCED

The Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE) has announced the 2019 shortlist for their poetry award, CLiPPA (The Centre for Literacy in Primary Poetry Award). Children’s poetry is booming and there were a record number of entries for the CLiPPA, the only award for children’s poetry.

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