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Books for Keeps 190 - the children's book magazine online

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BfK No. 190 - September 2011
BfK 190 September 2011

This issue's cover illustration by Tony Ross is from Francesca Simon's Horrid Henry and the Zombie Vampire.  Thanks to Orion Children's Books for their help with this September cover.

By clicking here you can view, print or download the fully artworked Digital Edition of BfK 190 September 2011.

BfK No. 190 Articles

Ian Beck on The Haunting of Charity Delafield

Ian Beck on The
Haunting of Charity Delafield

Editorial - September 2011

News and comment from the Editor.

Tomi Ungerer: A Life of Contrasts

Brian Alderson assesses Ungerer’s career as a picture book creator.

Ten of the Best: 'Lyrical' Non-Fiction Books

Margaret Mallett chooses her top ten ‘lyrical’ non-fiction
books.

BfK Basics: Buying Reference Books for Your Child

Sue Unstead makes recommendations.

Uncle Tom's Cabin Reassessed

Clive Barnes determines the relevance to today's young readers

BfK's Brilliant Bookshops: The Main Street Trading Company

The Main Street Trading Company

Windows into Illustration: John Fardell

John Fardell on how he went about illustrating The Day Louis Got Eaten.

Authorgraph No. 190: Francesca Simon

Francesca Simon interviewed by Julia Eccleshare.

BfK Briefing - September 2011

Awards * news

Hal's Reading Diary - September 2011

Roger Mills on reading versus writing.

I Wish I'd Written... The Iron Man

Andy Stanton chooses Ted Hughes' The Iron Man.

Good Reads: The Stephen Perse Foundation

Reviews from the pupils of The Stephen Perse Foundation, Cambridge.

Classics in Short No. 89: Black Beauty

Brian Alderson on Anna Sewell's Black Beauty

K.M.Peyton by Meg Rosoff

The winner of the Carnegie Award in 1969 with The Edge of the Cloud , the second part of the ‘Flambards’ trilogy, K M Peyton had her first book published while she was still at school. Her friend Meg Rosoff pays tribute to K M Peyton’s long and distinguished career.

Dredging the Past: Sally Gardner’s new novel

Sally Gardner delves into uncharted waters for her new novel, The Double Shadow. Damian Kelleher gets his toes wet for Books for Keeps.

Christopher Paolini: Growing up with dragons

Melissa Hyder caught up with Christopher Paolini for Books for Keeps at the beginning of a hectic four-day UK visit.

Tony DiTerliz interviewed

Graham Marks talks to Tony DiTerlizzi

Editor's Choice

Wonderstruck

Brian Selznick
(Scholastic)
5

Brian Selznick won the 2008 Caldecott Medal for his first book, www.scholastic.com/hugocabret/">The Invention of Hugo Cabret, a novel that broke new ground with its dual visual...

read more

New Talent

Good Little Wolf

Nadia Shireen
(Jonathan Cape (PB))
5

First picture books are so often let down by a story that doesn’t really work but Nadia Shireen’s debut picture book which she wrote and illustrated, is wittily and tightly constructed and perfectly pitched to engage young readers.

Rolf is...

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All Children's Book Reviews in BfK No. 190

  • Under 5s
  • Ages 5-8
  • Ages 8-10
  • Ages 10-14
  • Ages 14+

Under 5s

  • Good Little Wolf

    Nadia Shireen
    5
  • The Rhyming Rabbit

    Julia Donaldson
    4
  • The Queen of France

    Tim Wadham
    4
  • What Will You Be Grandma?

    Nanette Newman
    4
  • The Animal Bop Won't Stop

    Jan Ormerod
    4
  • My Dad is Beautiful

    Jessica Spanyol
    4
  • Silly Doggy

    Adam Stower
    3

Ages 5-8

  • Painting Out the Stars

    Elspeth Graham
    4
  • Detective Brother: Jamie’s Amazing Cape Adventure

    Pete Johnson
    3
  • Queen of the Falls

    Chris Van Allsburg
    3
  • When Chico went fishing

    Robin Tzannes
    3
  • Fetlocks Hall: The Curse of the Pony Vampires

    Babette Cole
    3
  • Grub's Pups

    Abi Burlingham
    3
  • Hubble Bubble Granny Trouble

    Tracey Corderoy
    3
  • Dear Fairy Godmother

    Michael Rosen
    2

Ages 8-10

  • Wonderstruck

    Brian Selznick
    5
  • Secret Horse

    Jane Smiley
    4
  • The Filth Licker

    Cristy Burne
    4
  • The Sleeping Army

    Francesca Simon
    4
  • Stitch Head

    Guy Bass
    3
  • My Name is Rose

    Sally Grindley
    3
  • For the Record

    Ellie Irving
    3
  • The Deeping Secrets

    Victor Watson
    2

Ages 10-14

  • Immortal War

    Justin Somper
    5
  • A Monster Calls

    Patrick Ness
    5
  • Undead

    Kirsty McKay
    4
  • Edda

    Conor Kostick
    4
  • How to be a boy

    Tony Bradman
    4
  • Caddy’s World

    Hilary McKay
    4
  • Siz Words and a Wish

    Karen McCombie
    4
  • A Year without Autumn

    Liz Kessler
    3
  • Muhammad Ali – fifteen rounds with the greatest ¦ Charles Dickens – Hard Times and Great Expectations ¦ John Lennon- the story of the original Beatle ¦ J.K. Rowling – the mystery of fiction

    Hugh MacDonald
    3
  • Outlaw

    Stephen Davies
    3
  • An Act of Love

    Alan Gibbons
    3
  • Trapped

    Isla Whitcroft
    3
  • Angel's Fury

    Bryony Pearce
    3

Ages 14+

  • Strings Attached

    Judy Blundell
    5
  • Paradise

    Joanna Nadin
    5
  • Pretty Twisted

    Gina Blaxill
    4
  • Shift

    Jeri Smith Ready
    4
  • Salem Brownstone: All Along the Watchtowers

    John Harris Dunning
    4
  • Cold Hands, Warm Heart

    Jill Wolfson
    4
  • Legend

    Marie Lu
    4
  • Closer

    Maxine Linnell
    4
  • Belle's Song

    K M Grant
    4
  • Marcelo in the Real World

    Francisco X Stork
    3
  • Unearthly

    Cynthia Hand
    3
  • Here Lies Bridget

    Paige Harbison
    3
  • Out of Towners

    Dan Tunstall
    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

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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