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Books for Keeps 201 - the children's book magazine online

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BfK No. 201 - July 2013
BfK 201 July 2013

This issue’s cover illustration is from The Knowhow Book of Spycraft by Falcon Travis and Judy Hindley, illustrated by Colin King. Thanks to Usborne Children’s Books for their help with this July cover and to Walker Books for their support of the Authorgraph interview with Petr Horacek.

Digital Edition
By clicking here you can view, print or download the fully artworked Digital Edition of BfK 201 July 2013 .

BfK No. 201 Articles

Editorial 201

Editorial: Ferelith Hordon
Inclusive Minds: working to include ALL children in books

Inclusive Minds: working to include ALL children in books
Ten of the Best Books to Make Reading Irresistible

Irresistible reads for reluctant readers chosen by Marilyn Brocklehurst
Windows into Illustration: Nicola Bayley

Windows into Illustration Nicola Bayley on the methods that create her jewel-like illustrations
Choosing and Using Activity Books

Choosing and Using Activity Books Margaret Mallet on the best activity books
Authorgraph interview Petr Horacek

Authorgraph No. 201 illustrator Petr Horacek interviewed by Carol Thompson.
The Phoenix – a gateway to reading

The Phoenix Comic introduced by David Fickling
Publishing for the long-term: something to celebrate

Laura Fraine finds out what publishers have to celebrate
Jon Klassen interview

Julia Eccleshare interviews the creator of I Want my Hat Back
BfK's Brilliant Libraries

The Summer Reading Challenge in Essex Libraries
Good Reads the Carnegie Shadowing Group Stanway School Essex

The Carnegie Shadowing group at the Stanway School, Colchester, Essex choose their Good Reads.
I Wish I'd Written by Simon Mason

Simon Mason on Winnie the Pooh
Briefing 201

Awards and News
Classics in Short The Water Babies

Brian Alderson examines Charles Kingsley’s fantasy The
Water Babies
ANGEL DELIGHT: An Interview with LA Weatherly

Angel author LA Weatherly interviewed by Caroline Sanderson
Keeping it thrilling by C.J. Daugherty

Night School author C.J. Daugherty chooses her favourite YA thriller.

Editor's Choice

It Wasn't Me
Oliver Jeffers
(HarperCollinsChildren'sBooks)
5

The Hueys (The New Jumper) are given another brilliant airing by Oliver Jeffers. Here, five of the six egg shaped friends or siblings are arguing and late-comer Gillespie tries to find out what it’s about, only to be caught up in...

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New Talent

Bob and Rob
Sue Pickford
(Frances Lincoln Children's Books)
4

Bling is Rob’s thing – preferably of the stolen variety, for Rob’s occupation is burgling. Indeed, he’s a really bad burglar who loves to torment unsuspecting victims. In complete contrast, Bob, his dog is a thoroughly good sort, baking cakes and...

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All Children's Book Reviews in BfK No. 201

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

Under 5s

  • Time for Bed
    Petr Horácek
    5

  • The Book of Dreams
    Shirin Adl
    5

  • Look Back!
    Trish Cooke
    4

  • Can I Come Too?
    Brian Patten
    4

  • My Busy Being Bella Day
    Rebecca Patterson
    4

  • No!
    Tracey Corderoy
    4

  • Robot Rumpus
    Sean Taylor
    4

  • Dominic Grows Sweetcorn
    Mandy Ross
    3

  • Never Ever
    Jo Empson
    3

  • Smallman Bear's Big Bottom
    Steve Smallman
    3

Ages 5-8

  • Max the Champion
    Alexandra Strick
    Sean Stockdale
    5

  • It Wasn't Me
    Oliver Jeffers
    5

  • Look Back!
    Trish Cooke
    4

  • The Royal Nappy
    Nicholas Allan
    4

  • Bob and Rob
    Sue Pickford
    4

  • Pittipat’s Saucer of Moon
    Geraldine McCaughrean
    4

  • The Very Noisy House
    Julie Rhodes
    4

  • Drat that Cat!
    Tony Ross
    4

  • Small Knight and George and the Pirates
    Rhonda Armitage
    4

  • Too Many Hats
    Hilda Offen
    3

Ages 8-10

  • The Many Worlds of Albie Bright
    Christopher Edge
    5

  • The Great Ice-Cream Heist
    Elen Caldecott
    4

  • The Butterfly Heart
    Paula Leyden
    4

  • Hide! The Tiger's Mouth is Open Wide!
    Adam Frost
    4

  • Space in 30 Seconds
    Clive Gifford
    4

  • Off By Heart
    3

  • Maisie Hitchins: The Case of the Stolen Sixpence
    Holly Webb
    3

  • Anton and Piranha
    Milena Baisch
    3

  • 4F for Freaks
    Leigh Hobbs
    3

  • Plague: A Cross on the Door
    Ann Turnbull
    3

  • Stan Stinky
    Hannah Shaw
    3

  • Oliver Fibbs and the Giant Boy-Munching Bugs
    Steve Hartley
    3

  • Hot Air
    Sandrine Dumas Roy
    3

Ages 10-14

  • Alex, the dog and the unopenable door
    Ross Montgomery
    5

  • The Interactive Art Book
    Ron Van Der Meer
    Frank Whitford
    5

  • Keep Your Cool : How to deal with life’s worries and stress
    Aaron Balick
    5

  • The Many Worlds of Albie Bright
    Christopher Edge
    5

  • Chasing the Dark
    Sam Hepburn
    4

  • The Diaries of Bluebell Gadsby: After Iris
    Natasha Farrant
    4

  • The Boy with Two Heads
    Andy Mulligan
    4

  • Just Peachy
    Jean Ure
    4

  • The Arabian Nights
    Brian Alderson
    4

  • In a Glass Grimmly
    Adam Gidwitz
    4

  • Doll Bones
    Holly Black
    4

  • Ethan's Story
    Rachel Carter
    4

  • Nowhere
    Jon Robinson
    4

  • The Princess and Curdie
    George Macdonald
    4

  • Kite Spirit
    Sita Brahmachari
    4

  • A Tale without a Name
    Penelope S Delta
    3

  • Itch Rocks
    Simon Mayo
    3

  • Mysterium: The Black Dragon
    Julian Sedgwick
    3

  • Jack and the German Spy
    Bernard Ashley
    3

  • The Year of Big Dreams
    Karen McCombie
    3

Ages 14+

  • Only Ever Always
    Penni Russon
    5

  • Noble Conflict
    Malorie Blackman
    4

  • The Lucy Variations
    Sara Zarr
    4

  • Tales from the Tower: The Wilful Eye
    4

  • Yellow Cake
    Margo Lanagan
    3

BfK News

BRANFORD BOASE AWARD SHORTLIST 2019

The children’s authors to watch: shortlist for the 2019 Branford Boase Award announced

Branford Boase Award shortlist 2019

read more...
THE YEAR'S BEST POETRY FOR CHILDREN: CLiPPA 2019 SHORTLIST ANNOUNCED

The Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE) has announced the 2019 shortlist for their poetry award, CLiPPA (The Centre for Literacy in Primary Poetry Award). Children’s poetry is booming and there were a record number of entries for the CLiPPA, the only award for children’s poetry.

read more...
THE LITTLE REBELS AWARD SHORTLIST 2019

Little Rebels prize logoThe shortlist for the 2019 Little Rebels Award has been announced. Seven books have made the list with war and conflict recurring themes.

read more...
SHORTLISTS FOR 2019 CILIP CARNEGIE AND KATE GREENAWAY MEDALS

The shortlists for the CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals have been announced. Selected by volunteer Youth Librarians from longlists of 20 books per medal, there are eight on each shortlist.

Alongside previously shortlisted authors and illustrators, there are newcomers on each shortlist, and as the poetry boom for young readers continues, three verse novels make the Carnegie shortlist by US authors Elizabeth Acevedo, Kwame Alexander and Jason Reynolds.

The 2019 shortlists are as follows:

read more...
BLUE PETER BOOK AWARD WINNERS 2019

The Boy at the Back of the Class by Onjali Q Raúf and The Colours of History by Clive Gifford, illustrated by Marc-Etienne Peintre, have been revealed as the 2019 Blue Peter Book Award winners.

read more...
LONGLISTS FOR 2019 CILIP CARNEGIE AND KATE GREENAWAY MEDALS ANNOUNCED

The longlists for the CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals have been announced. Members of YLG have selected 20 books for each list from no less than 254 nominations.

read more...
WINNERS OF THE LAUGH OUT LOUD BOOK AWARDS 2019

Funny Women win the Lollies!

Lollies winners 2019

Elys Dolan, Emer Stamp and Tom Gates creator Liz Pichon have been named the winners of the 2019 Laugh Out Loud Awards, or Lollies.

read more...
HILARY MCKAY WINS COSTA CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD WITH ‘PERFECT’ NOVEL

Hilary McKay has won the Costa Children’s Book Award for the second time for The Skylarks’ War, a story following the loves and losses of a family growing up against the backdrop of World War One. The judges described The Skylarks’ War as ‘as perfect a novel as you could ever want to read’. She receives £5,000 and her book is now eligible for the ultimate prize - the 2018 Costa Book of the Year.

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FAR FROM HOME WINS THE 2018 EDUCATIONAL WRITERS’ AWARD

The winner of the 2018 Educational Writers’ Award, the UK’s sole award for creative educational writing, is Far From Home: Refugees and Migrants Fleeing War, Persecution and Poverty by Cath Senker, a topical and richly illustrated book which sensitively examines the root causes of mass migrations of people in the 21st century.

Cath Senker wins EWA 2018

read more...
SHORTLIST ANNOUNCED FOR THE 2018 EDUCATIONAL WRITERS’ AWARD

Canvases, Codes, Clean Water & Empathy

read more...
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