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Books for Keeps 170 - the children's book magazine online

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BfK No. 170 - May 2008

Cover Story
This issue’s cover illustration is from Frank Cottrell Boyce’s Cosmic. Frank Cottrell Boyce is interviewed by George Hunt. Thanks to Macmillan Children’s Books for their help with this May cover.

BfK No. 170 Articles

Editorial – May 2008

News and comment from the Editor.
Libraries for Living: the KidsLibs Trust Kenya

Beverley Naidoo describes how recent events have affected community libraries.

Laureate Log - May 2008

Michael Rosen reports on his laureateship.
Reading in the Middle Years (9-11): Including all children

Kimberly Safford stresses the importance of inclusion.
Windows into Illustration: Neal Layton

Neal Layton explains his approach to Emily Brown and the THING.
The Branford Boase Award

Julia Eccleshare discusses its impact.
Authorgraph No.170: Frank Cottrell Boyce

Frank Cottrell Boyce interviewed by George Hunt.
I Wish I’d Written... The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Graham Marks chooses Brian Selznick's The Invention of Hugo Cabret.
Hal’s Reading Diary - May 2008

Roger Mills on how Hal's frustration can get in his way.
Letter to the Editor - May 2008

Theresa Heine writes about Ally Kennen's Berserk.
Classics in Short No.69: A Picture History of Britain

Brian Alderson on Clarke Hutton's A Picture History of Britain.

Editor's Choice

The Island
Armin Greder
(Allen & Unwin)
5

First published in Germany in 2002, this large format picture book is a powerful fable for our times. A man is washed up on a beach and his arrival provokes fear in the people that find him because ‘he wasn’t like them’. Grudgingly they allow him...

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New Talent

Evil Weasel
Hannah Shaw
(Jonathan Cape)
4

Small children love a thoroughly bad character and Evil Weasel is a rich and powerful show-off, a bully and a sneak who plays mean tricks on everyone. But when no one comes to his party, Weasel feels let down: after all it ‘isn’t much fun when...

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All Children's Book Reviews in BfK No. 170

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

Under 5s

  • Mammoth Pie
    Jeanne Willis
    5

  • The Little Rabbit Who Liked to Say MOO
    Jonathan Allen
    5

  • Molly and the Night Monster
    Chris Wormell
    4

  • Lucy Goosey
    Margaret Wild
    4

  • How Big Is the World?
    Britta Teckentrup
    4

  • A Hole in the Road
    Jakki Wood
    4

  • Fleabag
    Helen Stephens
    4

  • Evil Weasel
    Hannah Shaw
    4

  • The Three Wishes
    David Melling
    3

  • Ten on a Train
    John O'Leary
    3

Ages 5-8

  • Rumblewick Letters, The: My Unwilling Witch!
    Hiawyn Oram
    4

  • The Reluctant Dragon
    Kenneth Grahame
    4

  • A Mummy for Owen
    Marion Dane Bauer
    4

  • The Moon in Swampland
    4

  • Don't Be Horrid, Henry!
    Francesca Simon
    4

  • Catch that Crocodile!
    Anushka Ravishankar
    4

  • Big Ben
    Rachel Anderson
    4

  • Ape
    Martin Jenkins
    4

  • Anna Hibiscus
    Atinuke
    4

  • Elephant's Story
    Harriet Blackford
    3

  • Best Dog Bonnie
    Bel Mooney
    3

  • Boys Are Best!
    Manuela Olten
    2

  • Growing Green: A young person's guide to taking care of the planet
    Christina Goodings
    1

  • The Beeman
    Laurie Krebs
    1

Ages 8-10

  • Dinomummy
    Dr Phillip Lars Manning
    5

  • What's Eating You? Parasites - the Inside Story
    Nicola Davies
    4

  • Philippa Fisher's Fairy Godsister
    Liz Kessler
    4

  • The Oxford Book of Bible Stories
    Berlie Doherty
    4

  • The Island that Moved
    Meredith Hooper
    4

  • Mr Gum and the Power Crystals
    Andy Stanton
    3

  • The Dragon of Krakow and other Polish Stories; A Fistful of Pearls and other tales from Iraq
    Richard Monte
    3

  • The Cursed Sword
    Rosalind Kerven
    3

  • The Urban Turbans
    Dahlian Kirby
    2

  • The Other Book
    Philip Womack
    2

  • The Curious Boy's Book of Adventure
    Sam Martin
    2

Ages 10-14

  • The Master of the Fallen Chairs
    Henry Porter
    5

  • Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City
    Kirsten Miller
    5

  • The Island
    Armin Greder
    5

  • The Arrival
    Shaun Tan
    5

  • Airman
    Eoin Colfer
    5

  • Ways to Live Forever
    Sally Nicholls
    4

  • Space Encyclopedia
    Caroline Bingham
    4

  • The Prison Runner
    Deborah Ellis
    4

  • The Nostradamus Prophecy
    Theresa Breslin
    4

  • The Game
    Diana Wynne Jones
    4

  • Dragonfly
    Julia Golding
    4

  • Chicken Dance
    Jacques Couvillon
    4

  • The Book of a Thousand Days
    Shannon Hale
    4

  • Space Cowboy
    Justin Stanchfield
    3

  • Hox
    Annemarie Allan
    3

  • The Anglo-Saxons in Britain; The Celts in Britain
    Robert Hull
    3

  • The Case of the Limehouse Laundry
    Anthony Read
    3

  • The Fire of Ares
    Michael Ford
    2

  • Eye of the Moon
    Dianne Hofmeyr
    2

  • Tom Fletcher and the Angel of Death
    Sarah Matthias
    1

  • The Arab-Israeli Conflict
    Cath Senker
    1

Ages 14+

  • Extras
    Scott Westerfeld
    5

  • The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian
    Sherman Alexie
    5

  • Shakespeare's Apprentice
    Veronica Bennett
    4

  • Secret Schemes and Daring Dreams
    Rosie Rushton
    4

  • Newes from the Dead
    Mary Hooper
    4

  • Bog Child
    Siobhan Dowd
    4

  • Blade: Playing Dead
    Tim Bowler
    4

  • Black Mail
    Thomas Feibel
    4

  • The Kissing Club
    Julia Clarke
    3

  • Slave Harvest
    Andrew Butcher
    2

  • Eclipse
    Stephenie Meyer
    2

Books About Children's Books

  • The Ultimate First Book Guide
    5

  • A Child's History of England
    Charles Dickens
    3

BfK News

DICKENS AND CHILDHOOD CONFERENCE

Dickens and Childhood Conference and Symposium Monday 18 June

It is not too late to book places on this special one-day conference on Dickens and Childhood, which will include walks, lectures, readings, and parallel sessions on topics that will appeal to students, teachers, Dickens experts, and the ‘interested reader’.

Marcia Williams Dickens

read more...
Siobhan Dowd Trust launches competition to help encourage a love of reading

The Siobhan Dowd Trust launches competition to help encourage a love of reading

The Siobhan Dowd Trust is proud to announce that Michael Rosen, Poet and ex-Childrens’ Laureate will be on the judging panel of a schools campaign, which is asking teachers and librarians for their ideas about how they encourage a love of books in their schools. The Trust will use the entries to build up a database of ideas which can be shared and swapped… and the ten best or most innovative ideas will receive £1000 worth of books.

read more...
Maurice Sendak June 1928 – May 2012

Maurice Sendak, who has died at the age of 83 was one of the most important illustrators of the twentieth century. Joanna Carey assesses his career for Books for Keeps

read more...
2012 Branford Boase Shortlist

Branford Boase Award logoSeven authors are on the shortlist for the 2012 Branford Boase Award, announced today, Monday 30 April.

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...
Riddell and Stewart Guest Speakers at IBBY UK AGM 2 May

Chris Riddell and Paul Stewart will be guest speakers at the IBBY UK AGM on Wednesday 2 May at Random House 20 Vauxhall Bridge Road, London SW1V 2SA, London. The meeting is free and non-members are welcome. Refreshments will be available from 6.30pm with Chris and Paul speaking at 7pm. Book sales and a signing will take place after the meeting. To book a place email bicarrington@nasuwt.net

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2012 CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medal Shortlists

2012 CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medal Shortlists

The shortlists have been announced for the 2012 CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals, the oldest and most prestigious of all the UK’s children’s book awards.

There are eight books on each shortlist, two more than has been usual: a sign perhaps of the difficulty the judges had in making their final choice.

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GUUS KUIJER TO RECEIVE THE ASTRID LINDGREN MEMORIAL AWARD 2012

The 2012 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award is to be awarded to the Dutch author Guus Kuijer.

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FIRST BRITISH EXHIBITION OF CHINESE PICTURE BOOK ILLUSTRATION

In April, London hosts the first exhibitions in Britain of Chinese children’s and picture book illustration. The exhibitions feature eighty individual illustrations by China’s most celebrated children’s illustrators, and is organised by the Zhejiang Publishing Group, the Publishers’ Association of China, Propeller TV, and the Chinese Board on Books for Young People (CBBY); with the cooperation of the UK section of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY UK).

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NEW AWARD SHORTLISTS ANNOUNCED

As we wait for the announcement of the shortlists for this year’s CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals, two other interesting and unusual award shortlists have just been revealed.

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Transfer for Once Upon A Wartime exhibition

The Once Upon A Wartime exhibition is now at IWM North Manchester, until 2 September 2012

Based on five war-based children’s novels, the exhibition explores the history of real life conflicts from 1914 to the present day through the eyes of fictional children.

Read Kate Agnew’s Books for Keeps review of the exhibition here.

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