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Books for Keeps 195 - the children's book magazine online

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BfK No. 195 - July 2012
BfK 195 July 2012

This issue’s cover illustration by Steve Stone is from Darke by Angie Sage. Thanks to Bloomsbury for their help with this July cover.

Digital Edition
By clicking here you can view, print or download the fully artworked Digital Edition of BfK 195 July 2012 .

BfK No. 195 Articles

Sarah Mussi interview

Sarah Mussi talks to Anne Joseph about her new book Angel Dust

A Q&A with F.R. Hitchock

F.R. Hitchcock answers questions on her debut novel Shrunk

Editorial July 2012

Editorial

The Virtual World of Magic Town

Laura Fraine investigates digital stories.

A Monster Calls

Children’s book experts comment on the award winning phenomenon.

Windows into Illustration: Jim Kay

Jim Kay on how he went about illustrating A Monster Calls.

Ten of the Best: Teenage novels with gay or lesbian characters

Ju Gosling chooses her top ten.

The Arab Spring

Sue Unstead reports on children’s books in the Arabic speaking world

The Dream-Like Images of Sara Fanelli

Gill Robins discusses the illustrator’s approach.

Authorgraph No.195 Angie Sage

Angie Sage interviewed by Nicholas Tucker.

White Rose Books, Thirsk, North Yorkshire

The White Rose Bookshop, Thirsk, North Yorkshire.

Briefing July 2012

Awards, Obituary

Hal’s Reading Diary July 2012

Roger Mills on the impact of lively history teaching.

I Wish I'd Written by Annabel Pitcher

2012 Branford Boase Award winner Annabel Pitcher chooses Meg Rosoff’s How I Live Now

Good reads July 2012

Reviews from Craigholme School, Glasgow.

Classics in Short No. 94

Brian Alderson on High Street by J M Richards, ill. Eric Ravilious

An Audience with Kai Meyer

Clive Barnes meets Kai Meyer, one of Germany’s most popular and ambitious writers for young people. Two of Meyer’s fantasy trilogies have already been translated into English, and the first book of the Arcadia trilogy, Arcadia Awakens, was published earlier this year.

A Q&A with Sophie McKenzie

Award-winning author Sophie McKenzie answers questions on her new book Missing Me.

DARREN SHAN’s New Twelve Part Series

Graham Marks interviews Darren Shan for Books for Keeps.

Editor's Choice

Azzi in Between

Sarah Garland
(Frances Lincoln Children's Books)
5

‘There was a country at war, and that is where this story begins. It is the story of Azzi.’ Thus begins this picture book graphic novel which immediately capturing the reader’s attention with a framed illustration in blacks and greys depicting...

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New Talent

Ibarajo Road

Harry Allen
(Frances Lincoln Children's Books)
4

Set in the West African city of Ilaju in the 1980s, this coming-of-age tale centres on 17-year-old Charlie, a white English boy who has spent the last year at a privileged international school, taken there each morning by Samson, the chauffeur...

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All Children's Book Reviews in BfK No. 195

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

Under 5s

  • My Friend Nigel

    Jo Hodgkinson
    5
  • Shadow!

    Robie H Harris
    5
  • Babies, Babies, Babies

    Catherine Anholt
    5
  • Moon Dreams

    Gleb Toropov
    4
  • Foxly’s Feast

    Owen Davey
    4
  • Jonathan and Martha

    Petr Horácek
    4
  • The Great Snortle Hunt

    Claire Freedman
    4
  • Keith the Cat with the Magic Hat

    Sue Hendra
    4
  • Everybody Poos

    Taro Gomi
    4
  • Let’s Find Mimi: At Home

    Katherine Lodge
    3
  • Olive and the Big Secret

    Tor Freeman
    2

Ages 5-8

  • The Scar

    Charlotte Moundlic
    4
  • The Bug Next Door

    Beatrice Alemagna
    4
  • The Elephant’s Friend and other Tales from Ancient India

    Marcia Williams
    4
  • Mr Leon's Paris

    Barroux
    4
  • Thawing Frozen Frogs

    Brian Patten
    4
  • Grandma Bendy

    Izy Penguin
    3

Ages 8-10

  • The Abominables

    Eva Ibbotson
    5
  • Big Change for Stuart

    Lissa Evans
    5
  • Azzi in Between

    Sarah Garland
    5
  • Shrinking Violet

    Lou Kuenzler
    4
  • A Treasury of Welsh Heroes

    Tudur Dylan Jones
    4
  • The Mystery of Wickworth Manor

    Elen Caldecott
    4
  • Fizzlebert Stump The Boy Who Ran Away From the Circus and Joined the Library

    A.F. Harrold
    3
  • Bill Badger and the ‘Wandering Wind’

    B B - D J Watkins-Pitchford
    2

Ages 10-14

  • Wonder test title

    R J Palacio
    5
  • Love at Second Sight

    Cathy Hopkins
    4
  • Next

    4
  • Earthfall

    Mark Walden
    4
  • Scarlet

    A. C. Gaughen
    4
  • The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of her Own Making

    Catherynne M. Valente
    4
  • Dork Diaries: Skating Sensation

    Rachel Renee Russell
    4
  • Dark Thread

    Pauline Chandler
    3
  • The Girl Who Could Silence the Wind

    Meg Medina
    3
  • Chime

    Franny Billingsley
    3
  • Victory over Abu Derya: The Quest for Pearls in the Arabian Gulf

    Mohammed Ali
    2

Ages 14+

  • My Brother Simple

    Marie-Aude Murail
    5
  • Dying to Know You

    Aidan Chambers
    5
  • Saving June

    Hannah Harrington
    5
  • The Double Shadow

    Sally Gardner
    5
  • Grave Mercy

    Robin LaFevers
    4
  • Ibarajo Road

    Harry Allen
    4
  • The Selection

    Keira Cass
    3
  • A Brighter Fear

    Kerry Drewery
    3
  • The Seeing

    Diana Hendry
    3
  • Fishtailing

    Wendy Phillips
    3
  • Wentworth Hall

    Abby Grahame
    1

Books About Children's Books

  • Reflections on the Magic of Writing

    Diana Wynne Jones
    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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