Books for Keeps 217 - the children's book magazine online

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BfK No. 217 - March 2016

Cover Story
This issue’s cover illustration is from Love Song by Sophia Bennett. Thanks to Chicken House for their help with this cover.

Digital Edition
By clicking here you can view, print or download the fully artworked Digital Edition of BfK 217 March 2016.

BfK No. 217 Articles

Editorial 217

by Ferelith Hordon

Our (Shakespeare) revels are now just beginning…

Tony Bradman on the lasting appeal of the Bard

Prospero’s Island

Teresa Cremin reports on a fascinating experiential theatre project

Windows into Illustration: Ben Newman

Ben Newman on illustrating Professor Astro Cat

Authorgraph 217 Sophia Bennett

Sophia Bennett interviewed by Ferelith Hordon

Ten of the Best Books to Introduce Children to the Great Outdoors

Chosen by Margaret Mallett

Animal at the Story Museum

Geraldine McCaughrean on a new exhibition

The Write Course

MA courses in writing for children appraised by Geraldine Brennan

Funny Girls

Jenny McLachlan interviewed by Damian Kelleher

Louise Rennison Obituary

Louise Rennison remembered by her publisher Brenda Gardner

Good Reads 217

Chosen by members of Baring Bookworms Chatterbooks

I Wish I’d Written: Abi Elphinstone

Abi Elphinstone chooses

Two Children Tell: Rebecca and Nick And Michael

Rebecca and Nick and Michael Foreman

Classics in Short No 116

Brian Alderson on the magic saving of Racketty-Packetty House

A Q&A INTERVIEW WITH KENNETH OPPEL

The author answers questions on his new book The Nest.

HOMOPHONES AND LOST DOGS: AN INTERVIEW WITH ANN M MARTIN

The author of the Babysitters' Club talks about her new novel How to Look for a Lost Dog

AN INTERVIEW WITH BRITTA TECKENTRUP

Britta Teckentrup interviewed by Pam Dix

Editor's Choice

Where My Feet Go

Birgitta Sif

(Andersen Press)

When Little Panda wakes up in the morning, he is ready for adventure. Where will his feet take him as he travels through the day?

Birgitta Sif's endearing quirky little panda is the archetypal toddler. His world is that of the child as he...

‘I am Medusa Girl. Cold as rock, hard as stone’. This is how Fran armours herself against a world that in her eyes offers nothing but betrayal. The only brightness in her life, her step-brother, Monkey. Then even he is taken away, and Fran finds...

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

Under 5s

A Beginner's Guide to Bear Spotting

Michelle Robinson

5
Where My Feet Go

Birgitta Sif

5
I’ll Wait, Mr Panda

Steve Antony

5
How to Find Gold

Viviane Schwarz

5
Quick Quack Quentin

Kes Gray

5
Pass It On

Sophy Henn

4
Little Home Bird

Jo Empson

4

Ages 5-8

A Beginner's Guide to Bear Spotting

Michelle Robinson

5
Oscar the Guardian Cat

Chiara Valentina Segre

5
Quick Quack Quentin

Kes Gray

5
Do You Hear What I Hear?

Helen Borten

5
Before I Wake Up …

Britta Teckentrup

5
One Day on our Blue Planet in the Antartic

Ella Bailey

4
Pocket Pirates: The Great Drain Escape

Chris Mould

3
Finding Winnie

Lindsay Mattick

3
Unicorn in New York: Louie Lets Loose

Rachel Hamilton

3

Ages 8-10

Wildwitch Wildfire

Lene Kaaberbol

5
The Box of Demons

Daniel Whelan

5
Spooks and Scooters

Elen Caldecott

4
Perijee and Me

Ross Montgomery

4
Complete Bird Spotter’s Kit and National Trust Complete Bird Spotter Guide: A children’s guide to bird watching

Robin Swift

4
Beetle Boy

M.G. Leonard

4
The Secret Life of Daisy Fitzjohn

Tania Unsworth

4
Jim Reaper: Son of Grim

Rachel Delahaye

4

Ages 10-14

Rugby Flyer

Gerard Siggins

4
Perijee and Me

Ross Montgomery

4
Lois Lane Fallout

Gwenda Bond

4
The Mystery of the Jewelled Moth

Katherine Woodfine

4
Car Wash Wish

Sita Brahmachari

4
Moth Girls

Anne Cassidy

4
North Face

Matt Dickinson

4
Rebel of the Sands

Alwyn Hamilton

4
Time Travelling with a Hamster

Ross Welford

3
Trickster

Tom Moorhouse

3
A Dark Trade

Mary Hooper

0

Ages 14+

Needlework

Deirdre Sullivan

5
Crongton Knights

Alex Wheatle

5
How Hard Can Love Be?

Holly Bourne

5
Underwater

Marisa Reichardt

5
The Island

Olivia Levez

4
Salt to the Sea

Ruta Sepetys

4
More Of Me

Kathryn Evans

3

BfK News

NATASHA FARRANT WINS 2020 COSTA CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD

Natasha Farrant

Writer and literary scout Natasha Farrant has won the 2020 Costa Children’s Book Award for Voyage of the Sparrowhawk, a book which the judges described as ‘pure heavenly escapism and a purely joyful read.’

The winner of the 2020 ALCS Educational Writers’ Award is Black History Matters: The Story of Black History, From African Kingdoms to Black Lives Matter. Written by acclaimed Black historian, Robin Walker, the 2020 judges praised this accessible, comprehensive and inspiring book which provides a timely introduction both to Black history and the Black Lives Matter movement.

IBBY UK has announced that Marcus Sedgwick and David McKee will be the UK nominations for the 2022 Hans Christian Andersen Award.

Debut authors Darren Charlton and Jenny Pearson join Natasha Farrant and Meg Rosoff on the shortlist for the 2020 Costa Children’s Book Award.

The shortlist for the 2020 Costa Children’s Book Award has been announced. No less than 146 books were submitted and from those the judges have chosen a shortlist of four. They are:

Wranglestone by Darren Charlton (Little Tiger)

CLPE Reflecting Realities Report 2020

The six books shortlisted for the 2021 Blue Peter Book Awards have been announced.

Blue Peter Book Award logo

Happy National Non-Fiction November 2020

It’s National Non-Fiction November! Organised by the Federation of Children’s Book Groups, National Non-Fiction November is an annual celebration of the power of non-fiction to inspire children and celebrate readers who have a passion for information and facts. 2020 is the 10th anniversary of National Non-Fiction November.

Jane Porter and Maisie Paradise Shearring have won the 2020 Little Rebels Award for their picture book The Boy who Loved Everyone. They will share the £2000 prize.

The Open University (OU) is launching Book Chat: Reading with your Child, a resource which comprises three short films and support materials to help parents, families and carers read books conversationally and creatively to children. Working with Macmillan Children’s Books, the films use a selection of their picture books and a poetry collection to support families with reading to different ages of children.

Tom Palmer

Books for Keeps 217 - the children's book magazine online

Digital version – browse, print or download

BfK Newsletter

BfK No. 217 Articles

Editor's Choice

Where My Feet Go

New Talent

The Island

All Children's Book Reviews in BfK No. 217

Under 5s

A Beginner's Guide to Bear Spotting

Where My Feet Go

I’ll Wait, Mr Panda

How to Find Gold

Quick Quack Quentin

Pass It On

Little Home Bird

Ages 5-8

A Beginner's Guide to Bear Spotting

Oscar the Guardian Cat

Quick Quack Quentin

Do You Hear What I Hear?

Before I Wake Up …

One Day on our Blue Planet in the Antartic

Pocket Pirates: The Great Drain Escape

Finding Winnie

Unicorn in New York: Louie Lets Loose

Ages 8-10

Wildwitch Wildfire

The Box of Demons

Spooks and Scooters

Perijee and Me

Complete Bird Spotter’s Kit and National Trust Complete Bird Spotter Guide: A children’s guide to bird watching

Beetle Boy

The Secret Life of Daisy Fitzjohn

Jim Reaper: Son of Grim

Ages 10-14

Rugby Flyer

Perijee and Me

Lois Lane Fallout

The Mystery of the Jewelled Moth

Car Wash Wish

Moth Girls

North Face

Rebel of the Sands

Time Travelling with a Hamster

Trickster

A Dark Trade

Ages 14+

Needlework

Crongton Knights

How Hard Can Love Be?

Underwater

The Island

Salt to the Sea

More Of Me

BfK News