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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

EMPATHYLAB ANNOUNCES 2020 READ FOR EMPATHY BOOK COLLECTION

Raising A Generation of Empathic Citizens

Empathy Day logo

read more...
JASBINDER BILAN WINS COSTA CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD WITH HER DEBUT NOVEL

Jasbinder Bilan

read more...
COSTA CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD 2019: SHORTLIST FEATURES

Former Children’s Laureate Malorie Blackman and acclaimed author Jenny Downham are on the shortlist for the 2019 Costa Children’s Book Award alongside newcomers Jasbinder Bilan and Nicholas Downing.

Costa Book Awards logo

Click the links below to read new Books for Keeps feature articles on each of the shortlisted authors.

read more...
THE IBBY LIST OF OUSTANDING BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

Dr Rebecca Butler writes.

Readers of Books for Keeps will remember that IBBY (the International Board on Books for Young People) arranges every two years a competition to identify the very best books for young readers featuring disability or designed to be read by young people with disabilities. Last time this list was compiled in 2017/18 I was the coordinator for the UK section.

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ALASTAIR HUMPHREYS’ GREAT ADVENTURERS WINS THE 2019 EDUCATIONAL WRITERS’ AWARD

The winner of the 2019 Educational Writers’ Award is Alastair Humphreys’ Great Adventurers: The Incredible Expeditions of 20 Explorers (Big Picture Press).

Alastair Humphreys Great Adventures

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BLACKMAN AND DOWNHAM ON SHORTLIST FOR 2019 COSTA CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD

Former Children’s Laureate Malorie Blackman and acclaimed author Jenny Downham are on the shortlist for the 2019 Costa Children’s Book Award, which was announced today, 26th November 2020. Alongside them on the list are newcomers Jasbinder Bilan and Nicholas Downing, both of whom are published by Chicken House.

The 2019 Costa Children’s Award shortlist

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2019 ALCS EDUCATIONAL WRITERS’ AWARD SHORTLIST

Shortlist announced for the UK’s only award for creative educational writing

The Society of Authors and the Authors’ Licensing& Collecting Society have announced the shortlist for the 2019 ALCS Educational Writers’ Award, the UK’s only award for educational writing which stimulates and enhances the learning experience.

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‘INSPIRING’: CONTENDERS FOR THE 2020 BLUE PETER BOOK AWARDS REVEALED

Blue Peter Book Award logo

Six books have made it onto the shortlists for the 2020 Blue Peter Book Awards. There are two categories: Best Story, and – in non-fiction November – Best Book with Facts.

read more...
NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED FOR THE 2020 CARNEGIE AND KATE GREENAWAY MEDALS

And we’re off… the nominations for the 2020 Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals are announced today, Monday 4th November.

read more...
2020 UKLA BOOK AWARDS THE LONGLISTS

UKLA Awards

A record number of submissions and a new category to highlight information books marks the 12th longlists for the UKLA Awards, the only national awards judged by active classroom teachers.

read more...
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