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Books for Keeps 213 - the children's book magazine online

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BfK No. 213 - July 2015
BfK 213 July 2015

COVER STORY
This issue’s cover illustration is from Crowns and Codebreakers (The Marsh Road Mysteries) by Elen Caldecott. The illustration is by Nathan Reed. Thanks to Bloomsbury Children’s Books 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 213 July 2015 .

BfK No. 213 Articles

Editorial 213

Comment from the editor
Life's Too Short

Life’s Too Short for long books says Barrington Stoke MD Mairi Kidd
Ten of the Best:books about other places

Daniel Hahn selects books to take you ‘elsewhere’ this summer.
AN INTERVIEW WITH LOUIS SACHAR

Graham Marks to the bestselling author about his new book Fuzzy Mud.
Windows into Illustration: William Grill

The Kate Greenaway Medal Winner says illustration is all about communication
Brenda, Books and Full-Frontal Publishing

Queen of Teen Brenda Gardner of Piccadilly Press looks back over 30 years of publishing for children
Drawing with words, writing with pictures: children who make comics

Get children hooked on drawing through cartoons says Hannah Sackett
Authorgraph 213 Elen Caldecott

Elen Caldecott interviewed by Amanda Mitchison

Happy Birthday, Little Island!

Ireland’s first Children’s Laureate Siobhan Parkinson on creating her children’s list Little Island
CLiPPA Poetry Award 2015

The 2015 CLPE Poetry Award by Roger McGough
I wish I’d written: Guy Bass

Guy Bass chooses
Good Reads 213

Good Reads chosen by pupils at Manor High School, Oadby, Leicester
Book Events for Children – This Summer’s Highlights

This summer’s best events for children chosen by Clare Burkhill-Howarth of Book Events for Children
Two Children Tell: The Wiz-a-Woz and Nicholas

The real and the pretend in stories.
INFECTING TEACHERS WITH THE READING BUG!

Joy Court praises the UKLA (United Kingdom Literacy Association) Book Awards
Classics in Short No. 112

The Old Woman who found ... what?
STYLE AND SUBSTANCE: AN INTERVIEW WITH CARINA AXELSSON

An interview with the author of the Model Under Cover series.
LAUREN CHILD RETROSPECTIVE: MOTTISFONT HOUSE

Clive Barnes visits the first retrospective exhibition of Lauren Child's illustrative work.
AN INTERVIEW WITH CLiPPA WINNER JOSEPH COELHO

Ferelith Hordon speaks to poet Joseph Coelho.
A Q&A INTERVIEW WITH C.J. DAUGHERTY, ABOUT THE SECRET FIRE

The best-selling author of the Night School series talks about her new series and collaborating with another author

Editor's Choice

This is Not a Love Story
Keren David
(Atom)
5

What is it about Amsterdam that inspires authors? First we had Postcards from No Man's Land; now Keren David visits that city in her latest novel...

read more

New Talent

The Baby
Lisa Drakeford
(Chicken House Ltd)
4

The party is a great success in Olivia's opinion- too many people (not all invited), too loud music, too much alcohol, - even Jonty, her boyfriend, is in a good mood. Then she finds her best friend, Nicola, in the bathroom - and she is giving...

read more

All Children's Book Reviews in BfK No. 213

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

Under 5s

  • Black Cat, White Cat
    Silvia Borando
    5

  • Heather Has Two Mummies
    Leslea Newman
    5

  • There’s a Bear on My Chair
    Ross Collins
    5

  • Help! The Wolf is Coming!
    Cedric Ramadier
    5

  • Soon
    Timothy Knapman
    4

  • The Cloudspotter
    Tom McLaughlin
    4

  • Betty goes Bananas in her Pyjamas
    Steve Antony
    3

Ages 5-8

  • Footpath Flowers
    JonArno Lawson
    5

  • It's a Groovy World, Alfredo
    Sean Taylor
    5

  • What the Jackdaw Saw
    Julia Donaldson
    5

  • A Tower of Giraffes - Animal Bunches
    Anna Wright
    5

  • Little Red and the Very Hungry Lion
    Alex T Smith
    5

  • The Most Wonderful Thing in the World
    Vivian French
    5

  • Katie and the Starry Night
    James Mayhew
    4

  • Don’t Forget Tiggs!
    Michael Rosen
    4

  • Eddie’s Tent and How to Go Camping
    Sarah Garland
    4

  • Sardines of Love
    Zuriñe Aguirre
    4

  • The Paradise Bird
    Marcus Pfister
    4

  • The Cleo Stories: The Necklace and the Present
    Libby Gleeson
    3

  • Sixteen String Jack and the Garden of Adventure: Where Peter Pan Began
    Tom Pow
    3

  • Millie’s Chickens
    Brenda Williams
    3

  • Have You Seen My Monster?
    Steve Light
    3

  • That Naughty Meerkat
    Ian Whybrow
    3

  • Dinosaur Police
    Sarah McIntyre
    3

Ages 8-10

  • From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs Basil E Frankweiler
    E L Konigsburg
    5

  • A Tower of Giraffes - Animal Bunches
    Anna Wright
    5

  • Mad About Monkeys
    Owen Davey
    5

  • Catching Falling Stars
    Karen McCombie
    5

  • The Bolds
    Julian Clary
    5

  • My Brother Is a Superhero
    David Solomons
    4

  • The Hero's Tomb
    Conrad Mason
    4

  • Stop Those Monsters
    Steve Cole
    4

  • Car-jacked
    Ali Sparkes
    4

  • Uncle Gobb and The Dread Shed
    Michael Rosen
    4

  • Dara Palmer’s Major Drama
    Emma Shevah
    4

  • Pucker Power: The Super-powered Superpug
    Kevin Stevens
    4

Ages 10-14

  • Binny in Secret cover

    Binny in Secret
    Hilary McKay
    5

  • From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs Basil E Frankweiler
    E L Konigsburg
    5

  • Too Close to Home
    Aoife Walsh
    5

  • Whistling in the Dark
    Shirley Hughes
    5

  • Minus Me
    Ingelin Rossland
    5

  • The Year It All Ended
    Kirsty Murray
    4

  • Sun Thief
    Jamie Buxton
    4

  • The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow
    Katherine Woodfine
    4

  • In Darkling Wood
    Emma Carroll
    4

  • Dead End Kids: Heroes of the Blitz
    Bernard Ashley
    4

  • 50 Things You Should Know About the Second World War
    Simon Adams
    4

  • Song For A Scarlet Runner
    Julie Hunt
    4

  • The Potion Diaries
    Amy Alward
    3

  • To Hold the Bridge
    Garth Nix
    3

Ages 14+

  • Blood & Ink
    Stephen Davies
    5

  • This is Not a Love Story
    Keren David
    5

  • Nest
    Esther Ehrlich
    5

  • A Small Madness
    Dianne Touchell
    4

  • The Year It All Ended
    Kirsty Murray
    4

  • The Baby
    Lisa Drakeford
    4

  • Concentr8
    William Sutcliffe
    4

  • All My Secrets
    Sophie McKenzie
    4

  • House of Windows
    Alexia Casale
    2

BfK News

ALASTAIR HUMPHREYS’ GREAT ADVENTURERS WINS THE 2019 EDUCATIONAL WRITERS’ AWARD

The winner of the 2019 Educational Writers’ Award is Alastair Humphreys’ Great Adventurers: The Incredible Expeditions of 20 Explorers (Big Picture Press).

Alastair Humphreys Great Adventures

read more...
BLACKMAN AND DOWNHAM ON SHORTLIST FOR 2019 COSTA CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD

Former Children’s Laureate Malorie Blackman and acclaimed author Jenny Downham are on the shortlist for the 2019 Costa Children’s Book Award, which was announced today, 26th November 2020. Alongside them on the list are newcomers Jasbinder Bilan and Nicholas Downing, both of whom are published by Chicken House.

The 2019 Costa Children’s Award shortlist

read more...
2019 ALCS EDUCATIONAL WRITERS’ AWARD SHORTLIST

Shortlist announced for the UK’s only award for creative educational writing

The Society of Authors and the Authors’ Licensing& Collecting Society have announced the shortlist for the 2019 ALCS Educational Writers’ Award, the UK’s only award for educational writing which stimulates and enhances the learning experience.

read more...
‘INSPIRING’: CONTENDERS FOR THE 2020 BLUE PETER BOOK AWARDS REVEALED

Blue Peter Book Award logo

Six books have made it onto the shortlists for the 2020 Blue Peter Book Awards. There are two categories: Best Story, and – in non-fiction November – Best Book with Facts.

read more...
NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED FOR THE 2020 CARNEGIE AND KATE GREENAWAY MEDALS

And we’re off… the nominations for the 2020 Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals are announced today, Monday 4th November.

read more...
2020 UKLA BOOK AWARDS THE LONGLISTS

UKLA Awards

A record number of submissions and a new category to highlight information books marks the 12th longlists for the UKLA Awards, the only national awards judged by active classroom teachers.

read more...
JESSICA LOVE NAMED WINNER OF THE KLAUS FLUGGE PRIZE 2019 FOR JULIAN IS A MERMAID

Jessica Love

read more...
LOLLIES 2020 SHORTLIST THE YEAR’S FUNNIEST CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Michael Rosen, children’s novelist, poet and former Children’s Laureate, has announced the shortlist for the 2020 Laugh Out Loud Awards (The Lollies), the awards that celebrate the funniest children’s books.

Lollies logo

read more...
HOOD, RUNDELL AND REYNOLDS UKLA BOOK AWARD WINNERS 2019

Morag Hood, Katherine Rundell and Jason Reynolds have been announced as the winners of the UKLA Book Awards 2019 for I Am Bat, The Explorer and Long Way Down respectively.

read more...
CATHERINE JOHNSON WINS LITTLE REBELS CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD

The Alliance of Radical Booksellers (ARB) is delighted to announce that the winner of this year’s Little Rebels Children’s Book Award for Radical Fiction is Catherine Johnson for her book, Freedom (Scholastic 2018).

Catherine Johnsonn photo Andy Donohoe

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