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Books for Keeps 169 - the children's book magazine online

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BfK No. 169 - March 2008

Cover Story
This issue’s cover (photograph by Kamil Vojnar) is from Siobhan Dowd’s Bog Child. Siobhan Dowd is remembered by Julia Eccleshare. Thanks to Random House Children’s Books for their help with this January cover.

BfK No. 169 Articles

Editorial - March 2008

News and comment from the Editor.

Don’t Take It as Read: a disturbing bedtime story

Joanna Oldham explains the research into bedtime reading

 

Laureate Log - March 2008

Michael Rosen reports on his laureateship.

Hal’s Reading Diary - March 2008

Roger Mills on how a story on tape gave Hal reading confidence.

Using Children’s Literature to Challenge Homophobia in Primary Schools

Elizabeth Atkinson and Renée DePalma report on research conducted by the No Outsiders project.

Reading in the Middle Years (9-11): Assessing the uses and quality of laughter and subversion in children’s poetry

Andrew Lambirth explores the role of subversive poetry.

What happened to England’s National Literacy Strategy?

Henrietta Dombey assesses the evidence.

Authorgraph No.169: Siobhan Dowd

Siobhan Dowd remembered by Julia Eccleshare.

I Wish I’d Written… Sylvester and the Magic Pebble

Sarah Garland chooses William Steig's Sylvester and the Magic Pebble.

Good Reads: Bookworms Club

Reviews from Bookworms Book Club,

Classics in Short No.68: Pippi Longstocking

Brian Alderson on Astrid Lindgren's Pippi Longstocking.

Editor's Choice

Emily Brown and the Thing

Cressida Cowell
(Orchard)
5

Emily Brown and her old grey rabbit Stanley first featured in That Rabbit Belongs to Emily Brown. In this new picture book the pair are trying to get to sleep but a Thing keeps disturbing them – first it wants its cuddly, then...

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New Talent

Alis

Naomi Rich
(Andersen)
3

When Alis, soon to be 15, is told by her parents that she is to marry the 40-year-old Minister of her church, she is horrified. But Alis’s mother is the Senior Elder of Freeborne, a small rural community with fundamentalist religious beliefs,...

read more

All Children's Book Reviews in BfK No. 169

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

Under 5s

  • Emily Brown and the Thing

    Cressida Cowell
    5
  • The Way Back Home

    Oliver Jeffers
    5
  • Eddie's Kitchen and How to Make Good Things to Eat

    Sarah Garland
    5
  • The Bear in the Cave

    Michael Rosen
    5
  • My Two Grannies

    Floella Benjamin
    4
  • The Frog Bride

    4
  • A Bell for Ursli

    Selina Chonz
    3
  • Two Tough Teddies

    Kilmeny Niland
    3
  • The Day the Baby Blew Away

    Simon Puttock
    2

Ages 5-8

  • Voices of the Rainforest

    Mick Manning
    Brita Granström
    5
  • Stone Age Boy

    Satoshi Kitamura
    5
  • Tracks of a Panda

    Nick Dowson
    4
  • The Big Book of Betsey Biggalow

    Malorie Blackman
    4
  • The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor

    James Riordan
    3
  • The Littlest Pirate in a Pickle

    Sherryl Clark
    3
  • Bullies and Gangs ¦ Bullying

    Julie Johnson
    3

Ages 8-10

  • The Thousand Nights and One Night

    5
  • The Invention of Hugo Cabret

    Brian Selznick
    5
  • The Ice Cream Con

    Jimmy Docherty
    4
  • How to Turn Your Parents Green

    James Russell
    4
  • Greek Hero

    Mick Manning
    Brita Granström
    4
  • Dust 'n' Bones

    Chris Mould
    4
  • The Cupcake Diaries: Emma on Thin Icing

    Coco Simon
    3
  • Viking

    Carrie Love
    Lorrie Mack
    3
  • Triskellion

    Will Peterson
    3
  • Sensible Hare and the Case of Carrots

    Daren King
    3
  • Quest for the Lost City of Gold

    Stephen Biesty
    3
  • How the Incredible Human Body Works by the Brainwaves

    Richard Walker
    3
  • Pandora's Box ¦ Sephy's Story ¦ Wings of Icarus ¦ The Story Thief ¦ The Little Puppet Boy ¦ The Hound of Ulster

    Rose Impey
    3
  • A Good Day for Haunting

    Louise Arnold
    3
  • Elephants: a book for children

    3
  • The Cat Who Decided

    Margaret Forrester
    3
  • The Far Planets

    Ian Graham
    2

Ages 10-14

  • Starcross

    Philip Reeve
    5
  • Dragon Horse

    Peter Ward
    5
  • Shadow Web

    N M Browne
    4
  • New Materials

    Robin Kerrod
    4
  • Nevermore

    Linda Newbery
    4
  • Joe Rat

    Mark Barratt
    4
  • Black Heart of Jamaica

    Julia Golding
    4
  • Before Wings

    Beth Goobie
    4
  • Young People's History of the United States, A: Vol. 1

    Howard Zinn
    3
  • Vampirates: Blood Captain

    Justin Somper
    3
  • The Tiger's Egg

    Jon Berkeley
    3
  • The Red Necklace: a story of the French Revolution

    Sally Gardner
    3
  • Jigsaw

    Garry Kilworth
    3
  • If a Tree Falls at Lunch Break

    Gennifer Choldenko
    3
  • Hootcat Hill

    Lucy Coats
    3
  • Crowboy

    David Calcutt
    3
  • The Castle Corona

    Sharon Creech
    3
  • The Secret Garden

    Frances Hodgson Burnett
    2
  • Barnaby Grimes: Return of the Emerald Skull

    Paul Stewart
    Chris Riddell
    2
  • Energy Crisis

    Ewan McLeish
    1

Ages 14+

  • Black Rabbit Summer

    Kevin Brooks
    5
  • Between Two Seas

    Marie-Louise Jensen
    5
  • The Teenager's Guide to Money

    Jonathan Self
    4
  • Powers

    Ursula Le Guin
    4
  • Anila's Journey

    Mary Finn
    4
  • Alis

    Naomi Rich
    3
  • Wall

    Ellen Phethean
    3
  • The Stone Testament

    Celia Rees
    3
  • Blue Sky Freedom

    Gaby Halberslam
    2

Books About Children's Books

  • Play Pen: New Children's Book Illustration ¦ Sometimes I Think, Sometimes I Am

    Martin Salisbury
    5

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:

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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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