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Books for Keeps 184 - the children's book magazine online

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BfK No. 184 - September 2010
BfK 184 September 2010

Cover Story
This issue’s cover illustration is from Nick Sharrat’s One Fluffy Baa-Lamb, Ten Hairy Caterpillars. Nick Sharratt is interviewed by Joanna Carey. Thanks to Alison Green Books for their help with this September cover.

Digital Edition
By clicking here you can view, print or download the fully artworked Digital Edition of BfK 184 September 2010.

BfK No. 184 Articles

A Books for Keeps extract from Stories for a Fragile Planet

From Stories for a Fragile Planet

Rick Riordan - our featured author this week

2010 has already proved a phenomenal year for Rick Riordan...

Editorial – September 2010

News and comment from the Editor.

David Almond: a retrospective

Clive Barnes assesses Almond’s contribution to children’s
literature.

Ten of the Best Gothic Novels

Geraldine Brennan chooses her top ten titles.

BfK BASICS: helping your child enjoy books and reading

Liz Attenborough advises how to share books with babies.

Windows into Illustration: Eric Hill

Eric Hill on his now classic title, Where’s Spot?

Authorgraph No.184: Nick Sharratt

Nick Sharratt is interviewed by Joanna Carey.

Pullman’s Progress

Nicholas Tucker discusses Pullman’s
views on religion.

Briefing – September 2010

News * Exhibitions * Awards * Obituary

Hal’s Reading Diary – September 2010

Roger Mills on Hal’s increasing motivation to read.

I Wish I’d Written… Tom’s Midnight Garden

Chris Priestley chooses Philippa Pearce’s Tom’s Midnight Garden.

Good Reads: St Stithians Girls’ Preparatory School, South Africa

Reviews from pupils of St Stithians Girls’ Preparatory School, Randburg, South Africa.

Classics in Short No.83: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Brian Alderson on Mark Twain’s The
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

A Books for Keeps extract from Dancing in the Dark

From Dancing in the Dark

A Books for Keeps extract from Boy Called M.O.U.S.E.

From Boy Called M.O.U.S.E.

Michael Rosen publishes Big Book of Bad Things

Thursday 7 October is National Poetry Day and Books for Keeps talks to Michael Rosen

Books of 2010 chosen by the new School Librarian Of The Year

Books for Keeps asked Duncan Wright and Kevin Sheehan to select their books of 2010

A Books for Keeps extract from Heroes of Olympus: The Lost Hero

A new novel by Rick Riordan.

A Books for Keeps extract from Worse Things Happen At Sea!

From Worse Things Happen At Sea!

Books for Hallowe'en

Books for Keeps’ selection of Hallowe'en titles.

A Books for Keeps extract from Pull Out All The Stops!

From Pull Out All The Stops! by Geraldine McCaughrean

Editor's Choice

The 10pm Question

Kate De Goldi
(Templar Publishing)
4

12-year-old Frankie’s mum works from home making cakes for restaurants. Frankie, who suffers from chronic anxiety and imagines every worst case scenario is about to happen, takes comfort in asking her at bedtime about his latest anxieties – hence...

read more

New Talent

Apple Pie ABC

Alison Murray
(Orchard)
4

According to the Opies, the nursery rhyme ‘A was an apple-pie’ was ‘well known in the reign of Charles II’ and by the nineteenth century ‘was a favourite for ABC instruction’. Kate Greenaway’s A Apple Pie, for example, which was...

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All Children's Book Reviews in BfK No. 184

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

Under 5s

  • Look Out Leon

    Jez Alborough
    5
  • The Fly

    Petr Horácek
    5
  • My Sister is an Alien

    Rachel Bright
    4
  • Baby Ruby Bawled

    Malaika Rose Stanley
    4
  • Apple Pie ABC

    Alison Murray
    4
  • The Night Iceberg

    Helen Stephens
    4
  • Bedtime Hullabaloo!

    David Conway
    3
  • Ants in Your Pants!

    Julia Jarman
    3
  • Bumping Buffalo

    Mwenye Hadithi
    3
  • A Walk in the Wild Woods

    Lis Jones
    3
  • The Sunflower Sword

    Mark Sperring
    3
  • The Great Big Book of Families

    Mary Hoffman
    3

Ages 5-8

  • April Underhill, Tooth Fairy

    Bob Graham
    5
  • E is for Ethiopia ¦ S is for South Africa

    Ashenafi Gudeta
    5
  • Gracie the Lighthouse Cat

    Ruth Brown
    4
  • Mary’s Penny

    Tanya Landman
    3
  • Ella Moves House

    Angela Hassall
    3
  • The Day the Rains Fell

    Anne Faundez
    3
  • Thomas the Tank Engine - 65th anniversary edition

    Rev W Awdry
    3
  • My Favourite Animal Families

    Steve Bloom
    3

Ages 8-10

  • My Uncle's Dunkirk

    Mick Manning
    Brita Granström
    5
  • Goal!

    Mina Javaherbin
    3
  • Road Horse

    Caroline Binch
    3
  • Ship's Cat Doris

    Jane Simmons
    3
  • Bitter Chocolate

    Sally Grindley
    3
  • How Ali Ferguson Saved Houdini

    Elen Caldecott
    3
  • Would You Believe… two cyclists invented the aeroplane?! ¦ ... in Mexico, people picnic at Granny's grave?! ¦ ... bed testers get paid to sleep?! ¦ ... Vatican City is a country?!

    Richard Platt
    3
  • Dead Man's Cove

    Lauren St John
    2
  • Dewey: The true story of a world famous library cat

    Vicki Myron
    2

Ages 10-14

  • An Elephant in the Garden

    Michael Morpurgo
    5
  • Wasted

    Nicola Morgan
    5
  • A Web of Air

    Philip Reeve
    5
  • Annexed

    Sharon Dogar
    5
  • My Name is Mina

    David Almond
    5
  • Reckless

    Cornelia Funke
    5
  • The 10pm Question

    Kate De Goldi
    4
  • Dark Goddess

    Sarwat Chadda
    4
  • The Lambton Curse

    Malachy Doyle
    3
  • Theodore Boone

    John Grisham
    3
  • Spirit Hunter

    Katy Moran
    3
  • Mistress of the Storm

    M L Welsh
    3
  • Space Crime Conspiracy

    Gareth P Jones
    3
  • Sisters Red

    Jackson Pearce
    3
  • Reducing the Carbon Footprint ¦ Waste Disposal ¦ Climate Change ¦ Water ¦ Resources ¦ Feeding the World

    Anne Rooney
    3
  • Me, Myself and I: All about sex and puberty

    Louise Spilsbury
    3
  • The Moonstone Legacy

    Diana de Gunzburg
    Tony Wild
    1

Ages 14+

  • Losing It

    5
  • Burning Mountain

    L J Adlington
    5
  • The Last Summer of the Death Warriors

    Francisco X Stork
    5
  • I'm Not Scared

    Niccolo Ammaniti
    4
  • Girl, 16: Five-Star Fiasco

    Sue Limb
    4
  • Pretty Monsters

    Kelly Link
    4
  • Beautiful Malice

    Rebecca James
    3
  • White Cat

    Holly Black
    3
  • The Glass Demon

    Helen Grant
    3
  • Lies

    Michael Grant
    3
  • Monsters of Men

    Patrick Ness
    3

Books About Children's Books

  • Children’s Literature and Social Change. Some Case Studies from Barbara Hofland to Philip Pullman

    Dennis Butts
    4
  • School Blues

    Daniel Pennac
    4
  • Spoilt Rotten: the Toxic Cult of Sentimentality

    Theodore Dalrymple
    0

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

read more...
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.

read more...
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.

read more...
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).

read more...
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.

read more...
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.

read more...
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