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Books for Keeps 167 - the children's book magazine online

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BfK No. 167 - November 2007

Cover Story
This issue’s cover illustration by Polly Dunbar is from David Almond’s My Dad’s a Birdman. David Almond writes about his new book. Thanks to Walker Books for their help with this November cover.

BfK No. 167 Articles

Editorial – November 2007

News and comment from the Editor.
My Dad’s a Birdman

David Almond on his new novel.
A Hundred Years of Oxford University Press Children’s Books

Ron Heapy traces the history of Oxford University Press.
Reading in the Middle Years (9-11): Novels in the Middle Years

Fiona Collins explores the importance of novels.
The 2007 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award: Banco del Libro

Julia Eccleshare discusses this year's winner, Banco del Libro.
Authorgraph No.167: Mini Grey

Mini Grey interviewed by Joanna Carey.
Laureate Log – November 2007

Michael Rosen reports on his laureateship.
Letter to the Editor - November 2007

James Riordan defends his novel, Rebel Cargo.
Hal’s Reading Diary - November 2007

Roger Mills on Hal's frustration with his literacy homework.
Good Reads: Trafalgar Junior School, Twickenham

Reviews from Trafalgar Junior School, Twickenham.
Classics in Short No.66: The Tailor of Gloucester

Brian Alderson on Beatrix Potter's The Tailor of Gloucester.

Editor's Choice

Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend
Melanie Watt
(Catnip Publishing)
4

This square, small format picture book exudes energy and confidence and is full of pictorial jokes. At the same time, it is an understanding depiction, a self help manual almost, for small children who are scared to venture out into the world and...

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New Talent

Dirty Angels
Andrew Glover
(Hodder Children's Books)
3

Narrated in the first person by 14-year-old Colin, this urban fantasy is set in multi-racial Hackney. Colin, who is 4’ 10” and sounds like a girl, has a hard time with his peers. Every trip to school has to be planned like a military operation –...

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All Children's Book Reviews in BfK No. 167

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

Under 5s

  • Wings, Horns, & Claws: A Dinosaur Book of Epic Proportions
    Chris Wormell
    5

  • Penguin
    Polly Dunbar
    5

  • Shoo!
    Michael Rosen
    4

  • Nail Soup
    Eric Maddern
    4

  • Tickly Octopus
    Ruth Galloway
    3

  • Noko's Surprise Party
    Fiona Moodie
    3

  • Here Comes Cadi
    Viv Sayer
    3

  • I Want My Light On!
    Tony Ross
    3

  • I Spy: Colours in Art
    Lucy Micklethwait
    3

  • The Very Greedy Bee
    Steve Smallman
    3

  • Elephants Never Forget!
    Anushka Ravishankar
    3

  • Hello! Is that Grandma?
    Ian Whybrow
    2

  • Miaow!
    Mick Inkpen
    2

Ages 5-8

  • Seaside Scientist
    Mick Manning
    Brita Granström
    5

  • Little Grey and the Great Mystery
    Rachel Rivett
    5

  • King Ocean's Flute
    Lucy Coats
    5

  • The Gooey, Chewy, Rumble, Plop Book
    Steve Alton
    5

  • Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend
    Melanie Watt
    4

  • Pippi Longstocking
    Astrid Lindgren
    4

  • Wasim the Wanderer
    Chris Ashley
    3

  • Too Ghoul for School: 1. Terror in Cubicle Four; Too Ghoul for School: 2. The Bubonic Builders; Too Ghoul for School: 3. Silent But Deadly; Too Ghoul for School: 4. The In-Spectres Call
    B Strange
    3

  • The Story of Bear
    Hilary McKay
    3

  • Not Like Me
    Marguerite Hann-Syme
    3

  • Class Two at the Zoo
    Julia Jarman
    3

  • Cat
    Victoria Huseby
    3

Ages 8-10

  • Uncle Montague's Tales of Terror
    Chris Priestley
    5

  • A School Like Mine
    Penny Smith
    Zahavit Shalev
    5

  • Ninnyhammer
    Dick King-Smith
    5

  • My Dad's a Birdman
    David Almond
    5

  • Jamie and Angus Together
    Anne Fine
    5

  • Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
    J K Rowling
    5

  • Eggs
    Jerry Spinelli
    5

  • Warriors
    James Harpur
    4

  • Through Georgia's Eyes
    Rachel Rodriguez
    4

  • Thanks for Telling Me, Emily
    Deirdre Madden
    4

  • The Oxford Book of Children's Poetry
    Michael Harrison
    Christopher Stuart-Clark
    4

  • Mr Gum and the Goblins
    Andy Stanton
    4

  • The Ladybird Code
    Caroline Juskus
    4

  • Igraine the Brave
    Cornelia Funke
    4

  • The World's Bellybutton
    Tanya Landman
    3

  • The Shadow World
    Jane Johnson
    3

  • Secret Agent Jack Stalwart: Peril at the Grand Prix (Italy)
    Elizabeth Singer Hunt
    3

  • The Robe of Skulls
    Vivian French
    3

  • Operation Ward Ten
    Sian Pattenden
    3

  • Minna's Quest
    K M Peyton
    3

  • It's Elementary!
    Robert Winston
    3

  • A Special Assembly
    Debjani Chatterjee
    2

  • Dick Turpin: Legends and Lies; Escape from Colditz; The Last Duel
    Terry Deary
    1

Ages 10-14

  • Time of the Eagle
    Sherryl Jordan
    4

  • The Stuff of Nightmares
    Malorie Blackman
    4

  • The Spook's Battle; The Spook's Secret
    Joseph Delaney
    4

  • The Slave-girl from Jerusalem
    Caroline Lawrence
    4

  • The Rule of Claw
    John Brindley
    4

  • Kiss
    Jacqueline Wilson
    4

  • High Crag Linn
    Margaret McAllister
    4

  • Fearless
    Tim Lott
    4

  • Energy
    Chris Oxlade
    4

  • Campaigners for Change
    Ann Kramer
    4

  • Hazel
    Julie Hearn
    3

  • Dirty Angels
    Andrew Glover
    3

  • Biomass Power
    Isabel Thomas
    3

  • Bad Blood
    Rhiannon Lassiter
    3

  • At the House of the Magician
    Mary Hooper
    3

  • The Sticky Rock Café
    Susie Cornfield
    2

  • Scientists and their Discoveries
    Christine Hatt
    2

Ages 14+

  • Unzipped: A Toolkit for Life
    Matt Whyman
    5

  • Sight
    A M Vrettos
    4

  • The Highwayman's Curse
    Nicola Morgan
    4

  • Omega Place
    Graham Marks
    3

  • Looking Forward
    3

  • The Boys Who Saved the World
    Sam Mills
    3

Books About Children's Books

  • Stories, Pictures and Reality: Two children tell
    Virginia Lowe
    4

  • Reading Round Edinburgh: A Guide to Children's Books of the City
    4

BfK News

A Passion for Picture books

‘Although interest in the art of the picture book seems to have grown greatly in recent years, study of the field has remained polarised in its nature and perceptions,’ claim the authors of an important new book, Children’s Picturebooks: The art of visual storytelling.

Books for Keeps invited co-writers Martin Salisbury and Morag Styles to explain their aim to bring together ideas from the world of literature and education with ideas from the field of art and design.

read more...
BLOOD RED ROAD WINS 2011 COSTA CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD

For the second year in succession, a debut novel has won the Costa Children’s Book Award. The 2011 prize went to Jason Wallace for his novel Out of Shadows; this year’s prize has gone to Moira Young for her book Blood Red Road.

Set in a dystopian future world, Blood Red Road tells the story of 18-year-old Saba, a tough young woman who embarks on an epic quest to rescue her twin brother when he is kidnapped by four mysterious horsemen.

read more...
Behind the Bookshelf

A new way of bringing authors into the classroom – and a special competition for Books for Keeps readers.

read more...
2011 Educational Writers’ Award Winner Announced

The winner of the 2011 Educational Writers’ Award is Moon: Apollo 11 and Beyond…The Ultimate Guide to Our Nearest Neighbour by Stewart Ross.

The Educational Writers’ Award was established in 2008 by ALCS and The Society of Authors to celebrate educational writing that inspires creativity and encourages students to read widely and build up their understanding of a subject beyond the requirements of exam specifications.

read more...
Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize winner announced

The winner of the 2011 Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize is How the World Works, an interactive opus that uses illustrations, pop ups, flaps and more to make children think about the impact of human actions on our environment, while encouraging respect for the natural world.

read more...
Muslim Writers Awards 2011

Na'ima B Robert's Far from Home (Frances Lincoln) has won the Published Children's Book category of the Muslim Writers Awards.

The Awards were held at the Globe Theatre on Tuesday 22nd November and acknowledged dramatists and young journalists as well as authors.

read more...
2011 Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize

After a two year gap when, due to funding issues it was not awarded, The Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize 2011 will be awarded on Thursday 1st December, thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor.

The prize celebrates the books that best communicate science to young people aged up to 14 and there are six books on the shortlist. They are:

The Icky Sticky Blood and Snot Book by Steve Alton and Nick Sharratt (Bodley Head)

read more...
Liz Pichon and Peter Bently: Roald Dahl Funny Prize Winners

Winners Roald Dahl Prize 2011 2Tuesday 8th November saw the fourth annual Roald Dahl Funny Prize ceremony, which again took place at the Unicorn Theatre. This year Chair, and instigator of the prize, Michael Rosen was joined on the judging panel by author and broadcaster Grace Dent, illustrator Tony Ross, Horrid Henry creator Francesca Simon and journalist/scriptwriter Danny Wallace.

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PIRATE CATS AND DOODLING SCHOOLBOY WIN THE 2011 ROALD DAHL FUNNY BOOK PRIZE

Roald Dahl Winners 2011Peter Bently and Liz Pichon have been announced as winners of the 2011 Roald Dahl Funny Book Prize. 

read more...
FIRST SLA INFORMATION BOOK AWARD: WINNERS ANNOUNCED

Adrian Dingle’s book How to make a Universe with 92 Ingredients (Scholastic) and The Life and Times of William Shakespeare by Kirsten McDermott and Ari Berk (Templar) were announced winners of the first SLA Information Book Award at a celebration event in London last night, Wednesday 2nd November.

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