Books for Keeps 197 - the children's book magazine online

Digital version – browse, print or download

Can't see the preview?
Click here!

How to print the digital edition of Books for Keeps: click on this PDF file link - click on the printer icon in the top right of the screen to print.

BfK Newsletter

Receive the latest news & reviews direct to your inbox!

BfK No. 197 - November 2012

This issue's cover illustration is by Quentin Blake and is from Christmas Stories by Michael Morpurgo. Thanks to Egmont for their help with this November cover.

Digital Edition
By clicking here you can view, print or download the fully artworked Digital Edition of BfK 197 November 2012 .

BfK No. 197 Articles

ANNABEL PITCHER'S NEW NOVEL KETCHUP CLOUDS

Annabel Pitcher was one of last year’s biggest breakthroughs in children’s publishing. Laura Fraine talks to her about her new book Ketchup Clouds

Editorial 197

Editorial

Books for Giving Christmas 2012

The pick of the Christmas books.

Marion Lloyd: an editor’s life in children’s books

Marion Lloyd lays bare the inner world of publishing

Ten of the Best: picture books valuing children’s diverse families

Ten of the Best: picture books valuing diverse families

Debi Gliori Windows into Illustration

Debi Gliori on how she went about illustrating What's the Time, Mr Wolf?

Testing Times for Writing

Henrietta Dombey explains what learning to write involves

Bali Rai Authorgraph

Bali Rai interviewed by Caroline Sanderson..

Briefing 197

News and Awards

Hal's Reading Diary 197

Hal’s Reading Diary Roger Mills thinks Hal may yet be a reader

Sharon Creech I Wish I'd Written

Sharon Creech chooses Anne of Green Gables

ABC International School, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Good Reads

Good Reads Reviews from the ABC International School, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Seven Stories Brilliant Bookshop

The brilliant Seven Stories Bookshop

Brian Alderson on The Jolly Christmas Postman

Brian Alderson on The Jolly Christmas Postman by Allan and Janet Ahlberg

Edith Pattou talks about North Child

Edith Pattou talks to Books for Keeps about writing North Child.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Adventure

New Zealand screenwriter and director Peter Jackson brought
The Lord of The Rings to the screen
ten years ago. He is back with a trilogy of film adaptations of The Hobbit. An Unexpected Adventure is the first film
in the series. Laura Fraine went to the cinema to watch it for Books for Keeps.

An Interview with C.J. Daugherty

C.J. Daugherty interviewed about her Night School series.

Editor's Choice

This Moose Belongs to Me

Oliver Jeffers

(HarperCollinsChildren'sBooks)

Against splendid depictions of the American wilderness with its snow covered peaks, forest and lakes (reminiscent of the photographs of Ansel Adams), Oliver Jeffers playfully situates Wilfred and the gigantic moose he decides to make his pet....

Anthem for Jackson Dawes

Celia Bryce

(Bloomsbury Childrens)

13-year-old (‘almost 14’) Megan is disconcerted to find, on her arrival in hospital, that she’s been put in the ‘baby ward’ which is indeed full of crying babies, plastic toys and cheerful posters. The only other teenager on the ward is tall,...

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

Under 5s

Superworm

Julia Donaldson

5
Fly, Chick, Fly!

Jeanne Willis

5
Grandpa Green

Lane Smith

5
What About Bear?

Suzanne Bloom

5
This Moose Belongs to Me

Oliver Jeffers

5
Hey Presto!

Nadia Shireen

5
Rosie's Magic Horse

Russell Hoban

4

Ages 5-8

The Paper Dolls

Julia Donaldson

4
The Factory Made Boy

Christine Nostlinger

4
Penguin and Pinecone

Salina Yoon

3
Bagpipes, Beasties and Bogles

Tim Archbold

3
Horrid Henry's Christmas Play

Francesca Simon

3
Claude in the Country

Alex T Smith

3
Lousy Thinking

Mike Davies

3

Ages 8-10

Osbert the Avenger

Christopher William Hill

5
The Boy Who Swam with Piranhas

David Almond

5
An Illustrated Treasury of Scottish Folk and Fairy Tales

Theresa Breslin

5
Viking Boy

Tony Bradman

4
Hero Girls

Bernard Ashley

4
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and the Race Against Time

Frank Cottrell Boyce

4
Ruby Redfort Take Your Last Breath

Lauren Child

4
The Dreadful Dragon

Kaye Umansky

4
Can it be about me?

Cheryl Moskowitz

4
Molecule Mayhem!

Tom Adams

3
Ratburger

David Walliams

3
Sammy Feral's Diaries of Weird

Eleanor Hawken

3
Short Christmas Stories

Maggie Pearson

2

Ages 10-14

Rebecca's Rules

Anna Carey

5
Liar and Spy

Rebecca Stead

5
A Medal for Leroy

Michael Morpurgo

5
The Apothecary

Maile Meloy

4
The Cloud Hunters

Alex Shearer

4
Lemonade Sky

Jean Ure

4
Anthem for Jackson Dawes

Celia Bryce

4
In the Sea There Are Crocodiles

Fabio Geda

4
Ghost Knight

Cornelia Funke

4
The Fire Chronicle

John Stephens

4
Winterling

Sarah Prineas

3
Guardian Angel

Robert Muchamore

3

Ages 14+

Such Wicked Intent

Kenneth Oppel

4
Blink Once

Cylin Busby

4
Eleven Eleven

Paul Dowswell

3
Jepp, Who Defied the Stars

Katherine Marsh

2

BfK News

EVA ELAND NAMED WINNER OF THE FIFTH KLAUS FLUGGE PRIZE

Eva Eland has won the 2020 Klaus Flugge Prize for the most exciting and promising newcomer to children’s picture book illustration. She won for her book When Sadness Comes to Call (Andersen Press), in which a young child opens the door to an unexpected visitor, Sadness, personified as a semi-transparent amorphous shape.

Jhalak Prize logo

Branford Boase Award logo

Every two years, IBBY invites nominations from national sections for its international list of Outstanding Books for Young People with Disabilities. The final list is selected from these by the IBBY Documentation Centre of Books for Young People with Disabilities, based in Toronto. Because of its international content, the list is unique in the children’s book world. It is a huge voluntary undertaking as every country is encouraged to submit up to twelve titles across the three categories.

Children’s Laureate of Wales, Eloise Williams and author Matt Brown have launched a new crowdfunded project, The Mab.

The Mab

THE 2020 LITTLE REBELS AWARD SHORTLIST

The shortlist for the 2020 Little Rebels Award has been announced. The Little Rebels Award celebrates children’s fiction which challenges stereotypes, promotes social justice and advocates for a more peaceful and fairer world.

UKLA BOOK AWARD WINNERS 2020

The winners of the 2020 UKLA Book Awards have been announced.

UKLA award

The UKLA Book Awards are the only awards to be judged entirely by teachers and highlight texts that can ‘enhance all aspects of literacy learning’.

CHILDREN READING MORE IN LOCKDOWN

Silly Squad Laura Ellen Anderson

Books for Keeps 197 - the children's book magazine online

Digital version – browse, print or download

BfK Newsletter

BfK No. 197 Articles

Editor's Choice

This Moose Belongs to Me

New Talent

Anthem for Jackson Dawes

All Children's Book Reviews in BfK No. 197

Under 5s

Superworm

Fly, Chick, Fly!

Grandpa Green

What About Bear?

This Moose Belongs to Me

Hey Presto!

Rosie's Magic Horse

Ages 5-8

The Paper Dolls

The Factory Made Boy

Penguin and Pinecone

Bagpipes, Beasties and Bogles

Horrid Henry's Christmas Play

Claude in the Country

Lousy Thinking

Ages 8-10

Osbert the Avenger

The Boy Who Swam with Piranhas

An Illustrated Treasury of Scottish Folk and Fairy Tales

Viking Boy

Hero Girls

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and the Race Against Time

Ruby Redfort Take Your Last Breath

The Dreadful Dragon

Can it be about me?

Molecule Mayhem!

Ratburger

Sammy Feral's Diaries of Weird

Short Christmas Stories

Ages 10-14

Rebecca's Rules

Liar and Spy

A Medal for Leroy

The Apothecary

The Cloud Hunters

Lemonade Sky

Anthem for Jackson Dawes

In the Sea There Are Crocodiles

Ghost Knight

The Fire Chronicle

Winterling

Guardian Angel

Ages 14+

Such Wicked Intent

Blink Once

Eleven Eleven

Jepp, Who Defied the Stars

BfK News