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Books for Keeps 164 - the children's book magazine online

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BfK No. 164 - May 2007

Cover Story
This issue’s cover is from Philip Reeve’s Here Lies Arthur. Philip Reeve is interviewed by Geoff Fox. Thanks to Scholastic Children’s Books for their help with this May cover.

BfK No. 164 Articles

Editorial - May 2007

News and comment from the Editor.

BfK Profile: Julia Golding

Stephanie Nettell on the 'Cat Royal' trilogy.

The Depiction of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict in Contemporary Children’s Fiction: Part 1

Professor Fouad Moughrabi discusses Lynne Reid Banks' Broken Bridge.

‘Teaching’ Poems for Children: A Chinese Poem

Robert Hull explores how to use a Chinese poem.

Authorgraph No.164: Philip Reeve

Philip Reeve interviewed by Geoff Fox.

Turning Young Readers on to the Classics

Peter Hollindale looks at editions aimed at young readers.

An Innovative Publisher: Tara Books

Nicky Potter meets the peole behind the imprint.

I Wish I’d Written… The Outsiders

Justin Somper chooses S E Hinton's The Outsiders.

Hal’s Reading Diary - May 2007

Roger Mills is read to by Hal.

Useful Organisations No.49: Children’s Book Sequels

Ever wondered ‘What comes next?’ when you’re reading a really good book?

BfK Briefing - May 2007

News * Letter to the Editor * Event

Good Reads: Hitchin Boys’ School

Reviews from Hitchin Boys’ School, Hertfordshire.

Classics in Short No.63: English Fairy Tales

Brian Alderson on Joseph Jacobs's English Fairy Tales and More English Fairy Tales.

Editor's Choice

Ottoline and the Yellow Cat

Chris Riddell
(Macmillan Children's Books)
5

Told in a seamless combination of words and line drawings, this story introduces Ottoline and her small hairy companion Mr Munroe whom Ottoline’s explorer parents found in a bog in Norway. Ottoline lives in what looks like a New York skyscraper...

read more

New Talent

The Inventors

Alexander Gordon Smith
Jamie Webb
(Faber and Faber)
3

Nate and Cat love inventing and although things often go wrong (a mechanical dresser makes great gashes in Nate’s bedroom wall) the friends’ passion for creating gadgets is undiminished. They make a good team as Nate is the one who comes up with...

read more

All Children's Book Reviews in BfK No. 164

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

Under 5s

  • Monkey and Me

    Emily Gravett
    5
  • The Little Fish who cried Shark!

    Trish Phillips
    4
  • How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night?

    Jane Yolen
    4
  • Elmer's First Counting Book ¦ Elmer's Opposites

    David McKee
    4
  • Piglet and Papa

    Margaret Wild
    3
  • Lulu loves the Library

    Anna McQuinn
    3

Ages 5-8

  • The Wild Girl

    Chris Wormell
    5
  • The Tale of Tales

    Tony Mitton
    5
  • Home Now

    Lesley Beake
    5
  • Trains

    Robert Crowther
    4
  • The Saddest King

    Chris Wormell
    4
  • The Enchanted Lake

    Leena Jamil
    4
  • Wizzbang Wizard: Dragon Danger/Grasshopper Glue

    Scoular Anderson
    3
  • Weather

    Penelope Arlon
    3
  • Victoria's Day

    Maria De Fatima Campos
    3
  • Sharks and other dangers of the deep

    Simon Mugford
    3
  • Milo Mouse and the Scary Monster

    Louis Baum
    3
  • Fox Tale

    Michael Foreman
    3
  • Handa's Surprising Day

    Eileen Browne
    2
  • Brave Charlotte

    Anu Stohner
    2

Ages 8-10

  • Ottoline and the Yellow Cat

    Chris Riddell
    5
  • Beauty and the Beast

    5
  • How to Cheat a Dragon's Curse by Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III

    Cressida Cowell
    4
  • Dragonsdale

    Salamanda Drake
    4
  • Circus Shoes

    Noel Streatfeild
    4
  • Christophe's Story

    Nicki Cornwell
    4
  • Chaucer's Canterbury Tales

    4
  • Young Gardener

    Stefan Buczacki
    Beverley Buczacki
    3
  • The Inventors

    Alexander Gordon Smith
    Jamie Webb
    3
  • Arts and Crafts of Ancient China ¦ China

    Ting Morris
    3

Ages 10-14

  • Tug of War

    Catherine Forde
    5
  • Silverhorse

    Lene Kaaberbol
    5
  • Jacky Daydream

    Jacqueline Wilson
    5
  • I was a Schoolboy Bridegroom

    Alex Shearer
    5
  • Here Lies Arthur

    Philip Reeve
    5
  • Blart II: The Boy Who Was Wanted Dead or Alive - or Both

    Dominic Barker
    5
  • The Wind Eye

    Robert Westall
    4
  • A Thief in the House of Memory

    Tim Wynne-Jones
    4
  • Slave Girl

    Jackie French
    4
  • The Killing Sea

    Richard Lewis
    4
  • Give Me Shelter

    4
  • Emil and Karl

    Yankev Glatshteyn
    4
  • The Dream Quake

    Elizabeth Knox
    4
  • Shark!; Thing

    Michaela Morgan
    3
  • The Starlight Conspiracy

    Steve Voake
    3
  • Rubies in the Snow

    Kate Hubbard
    3
  • Resistance

    Craig Simpson
    3
  • Kate

    Siobhan Parkinson
    3
  • The Highwayman's Footsteps

    Nicola Morgan
    3
  • Chasing the Sun: Stories from Africa

    3
  • Being

    Kevin Brooks
    3
  • Un Lun Dun

    China Mieville
    2
  • Castle

    Richard Platt
    2

Ages 14+

  • Set in Stone

    Linda Newbery
    5
  • The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Vol I: The Pox Party

    M T Anderson
    5
  • Specials

    Scott Westerfeld
    4
  • Red Tears

    Joanna Kenrick
    4
  • Are We There Yet?

    David Levithan
    4
  • Star-Crossed

    Rachael Wing
    3
  • Slut?

    Kerry Cohen Hoffmann
    3
  • Ophelia

    Lisa Klein
    3
  • Finding Grace

    Alyssa Brugman
    3
  • Across the Wall: A Tale of the Abhorsen and Other Stories

    Garth Nix
    3
  • The Raven Queen

    Pauline Francis
    2

BfK News

DANIEL MORDEN WINS 2013 TIR NA N-OG ENGLISH AWARD

The Welsh Books Council has announced Daniel Morden as winner of the 2013 Tir na n-Og English Award for his collection of stories Tree of Leaf and Flame (Pont Books).

Morden’s first book, Weird Tales from the  Storyteller, was shortlisted for the Tir
na n-Og English-language award in 2004 and he won the award in 2007 for Dark Tales from the Woods.

read more...
ROYAL SOCIETY YOUNG PEOPLE’S BOOK PRIZE 2013 SHORTLIST

The Royal Society has announced the shortlist for their 2013 Young People’s Book Prize, naming the six books the judges consider best communicate science to young people.

Professor John Goodby FRS, Chair of the judges described the shortlist as eclectic, but enthralling.

The six books shortlisted by the judges are:

Build the Human Body by Richard Walker (Templar Publishing)

In the judges’ words: ‘A hands on, fun kit to help learn about the human body, accompanied by a well-illustrated, concise, clear book.’

read more...
SARAH GARLAND WINS INAUGURAL LITTLE REBELS CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD

Sarah Garland has won the first Little Rebels Children’s Book Award for Azzi in Between, which tells the story of a family forced to fell their homeland and settle in a strange and unfamiliar country. The book is based on the author’s own experience of working among refugee families and is endorsed by Amnesty International.

read more...
2013 BRANFORD BOASE AWARD: THE SHORTLIST

‘Seven outstanding debuts, eight really interesting authors, doing really interesting things’

The shortlist for the 2013 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.

read more...
2013 CLPE Poetry Award: Winner

CLPE AwardThe 2013 CLPE Poetry Award has been won by George Szirtes for  In the Land of the Giants, illustrated by Helen Szirtes (Salt Publishing). Szirtes was presented with the award by last year’s winner Rachel Rooney at a ceremony at CLPE on the evening of Tuesday 30 April.

read more...
THE 2013 CLPE POETRY AWARD SHORTLIST

Weight of WaterFour outstanding poetry books are shortlisted for the 2013 CLPE Poetry Award. Established in 2003, the annual Poetry Award encourages and celebrates outstanding new children’s poetry.

 

 

 

 

 

The four books on the shortlist are:

read more...
2013 ENGLISH 4 – 11 PICTURE BOOK AWARDS: THE WINNERS

The winners of the 2013 English 4 – 11 Picture Book Awards have been announced. Established in 1995, the awards are presented annually to the best picture books of the previous year, in four categories, Fiction 4 – 7 and 7 – 11 years, and Non-Fiction 4 – 7 and 7 – 11 years.

From a 15 strong shortlist, the winners are:

Fiction 4 – 7 years

Hippospotamus by Jeanne Willis illustrated by Tony Ross (Andersen Press)

Fiction 7 – 11 years

read more...
IBBY Announces the 2014 Hans Christian Andersen Award Nominees

The nominees for the 2014 Hans Christian Andersen Award have been announced.

The Hans Christian Andersen Award is the highest international distinction given to authors and illustrators of children's books. Awarded every other year by IBBY, the award recognizes lifelong achievement and is given to an author and an illustrator whose complete works have made an important, lasting contribution to children's literature.

For the 2014 Awards 29 authors and 31 illustrators have been nominated from 34 countries. They are:

read more...
New Little Rebels Children’s Book Award: Shortlist Announced

The shortlist has been announced for The Little Rebels Children’s Book Award, a new award for radical children’s fiction.

The Little Rebels Children’s Book Award recognises fiction for ages 0-12 which promotes or celebrates social justice and equality. It is awarded by the Alliance of Radical Booksellers (ARB) and administered by Letterbox Library. Wendy Cooling, Bookstart co-founder & editor and author Elizabeth Laird are both judges.

The four books on the inaugural shortlist are:

read more...
School Library Association Information Book Award 2013 Short List Announcement

The School Library Association has announce the shortlist for the 2013 prize. The Information Book Award is an annual event, in its third year its aim is to reinforce the importance of non-fiction whilst highlighting the high standard of resources available.

The judges - a panel of experienced librarians, SLA board members and a member of Peters Bookselling Services - have produced what they describe as ‘a strong and very varied selection of titles for the shortlist’. These are

Under 7s

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