Books for Keeps 220 - the children's book magazine online

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BfK No. 220 - September 2016

This issue’s cover illustration is from Thank You, Mr Panda by Steve Antony. Thanks to Hodder Children’s Books for their help with this cover.
Digital Edition
By clicking here you can view, print or download the fully artworked Digital Edition of BfK 220 September 2016.

BfK No. 220 Articles

Editorial 220

Comment from the editor

Am I Normal? Exploring mental health issues in YA fiction

Author Holly Bourne on the way YA fiction addresses mental health

Reading Gladiators

Nikki Gamble on a scheme to encourage high attainers

The Wonder of Wilson

Rebecca Butler in conversation with Jacqueline Wilson

Windows into Illustration: Helen Hancocks

It’s raining dogs for Helen Hancocks

Authorgraph Steve Antony

Steve Antony interviewed by Michelle Pauli

Visual Literacy: reading the signs

Piet Grobler on visual codes and symbols in picture books

Ten of the Best Heirs to Roald Dahl

chosen by Nicholas Tucker

Dig into the Story on Scoop

Introducing Scoop the new magazine for children

Independence day

Imogen Russell Williams on books for independent readers

Two Children Tell: Rebecca and Literary Language

Rebecca’s literary language

I Wish I’d Written: Katherine Rundell

The author of The Wolf Wilder chooses Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Introducing the new words & pictures list from Quarto

Quarto’s new list impresses Margaret Mallett

Classics in Short No 118 Old Possum and his Cats

If Or Perhaps Or But: Old Possum and his Cats

AN INTERVIEW WITH JANE HISSEY

Jane Hissey talks Old Bear with Ferelith Hordon.

AN INTERVIEW WITH KLAUS FLUGGE PRIZE WINNER NICHOLAS JOHN FRITH

The winer of the inaugural Klaus Flugge Prize talks to Michelle Pauli

AN INTERVIEW WITH SANTA MONTEFIORE

Santa Montefiore introduces The Royal Rabbits of London.

AN INTERVIEW WITH LEIGH HOBBS, AUSTRALIAN CHILDREN’S LAUREATE

Ferelith Hordon chats to the creator of Old Tom, Mr Chicken and Mr Badger

Editor's Choice

Hiding Heidi

Fiona Woodcock

(Simon & Schuster Children's UK)

Heidi has a special talent, and the young reader meeting Heidi as she lies on the sofa will quickly guess what it is; Heidi is good at hiding. Her clothes always match her background. However, always being the best can prove unsatisfactory....

Cogheart

Peter Bunzl

(Usborne Publishing Ltd)

When Lily’s deportment teacher confiscates the magazine she’s reading telling her it has no educational value at all Lily replies, ‘It teaches piracy and air combat.’ ‘And what young lady needs to know that?’ asks her teacher. Actually it turns...

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

Under 5s

There's an Owl in my Towel

Julia Donaldson

5
Animal Surprises

Nicola Davies

5
The Lonely Giant

Sophie Ambrose

5
Watch out for Muddy Puddles

Ben Faulks

4
Nothing! Yasmeen Ismail

Yasmeen Ismail

4
The Greedy Goat

Petr Horácek

4
Hiding Heidi

Fiona Woodcock

0

Ages 5-8

Oi Dog!

Kes Gray
Claire Gray

5
D is for Duck

David Melling

5
Don’t Cross the Line!

Isabel Minhós Martins

5
Billy Button: Telegram Boy

Sally Nicholls

5
The Cat and the King

Nick Sharratt

5
Paws McDraw

Connah Brecon

4
Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam The Diamond Chase

Tracey Corderoy

4
The Truth According to Arthur

Tim Hopgood

4
Dog on a Digger

Kate Prendergast

3
The Secret Railway

Wendy Meddour

3

Ages 8-10

The Great Fire of London

Emma Adams

5
Cats and Curses: Marsh Road Mysteries

Elen Caldecott

4
Cogheart

Peter Bunzl

4
The Racehorse Who Wouldn’t Gallop

Clare Balding

4
Crimson Poison

Susan Moore

4
In Focus: 101 Close-ups, Cross sections, Cutaways

Libby Walden

4
Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World

Kate Pankhurst

4
Invisible Inc.

Steve Cole

4
The Accidental Pirates Voyage to Magical North

Claire Fayers

4
Missing Arabella

Kathryn Siebel

3

Ages 10-14

Binny Bewitched

Hilary McKay

5
Geis: A Matter of Life and Death

Alexis Deacon

5
The Bone Sparrow

Zana Fraillon

5
The Creeping Shadow

Jonathan Stroud

5
A Very Good Chance

Sarah Moore Fitzgerald

5
Time after Time

Judi Curtin

5
A Child of Books

Oliver Jeffers
Sam Winston

4
Born Scared

Kevin Brooks

4
Swimming to the Moon

Jane Elson

4
The Wrong Train

Jeremy De Quidt

4
Lydia. The Wild Girl of Pride & Prejudice

Natasha Farrant

4
Booked

Kwame Alexander

4
Kings of the Boyne

Nicola Pierce

4

Ages 14+

The Stars at Oktober Bend

Glenda Millard

5
What’s a Girl Gotta Do?

Holly Bourne

5
Beck

Mal Peet
Meg Rosoff

5
Bad Blood: Part 1

Jane Brittan

5
Here I Stand: Stories that Speak for Freedom

Amnesty International

4
How Not To Disappear

Clare Furniss

4
Cuckoo

Keren David

4
Nothing Tastes as Good

Claire Hennessy

4

BfK News

CRESSIDA COWELL LAUNCHES NEW LAUREATE INITIATIVE IN SUPPORT OF SCHOOL LIBRARIES AND CALLS ON PM TO ACT

‘How can a child become a reader for pleasure if their parents or carers cannot afford books, and their primary school has no library, or that library is woefully insufficient?’

Life-changing Libraries logo

A new mentorship scheme for underrepresented authors launches today, 30 March. All Stories offers fourteen mentorships delivered by expert children’s book editors.

The shortlists for the prestigious CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals are announced today, 18 March. The awards are the UK’s oldest for children and young people.

This year’s judges praised their shortlists for ‘offering hope and escapism during lockdown’ through explorations of freedom, the great outdoors and journeys through the natural world.

The Jhalak Prize has announced the longlist for the inaugural Jhalak Children’s & Young Adult Prize.

Award-winning author and activist, Onjali Raúf takes up the post as the new Writer in Residence for BookTrust, today, International Women’s Day. She takes over from Smriti Halls.

Onjali Q Raúf

The longlist for the 2021 CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals have been announced.

CKG Logo

LONGLIST ANNOUNCED FOR 2021 KLAUS FLUGGE PRIZE

Klaus Flugge Prize logo

Finish a story started by Branford Boase Award winner Liz Hyder

The Henrietta Branford Writing Competition, the annual competition for young people which runs in conjunction with the Branford Boase Award, is now open.

Every two years, IBBY invites nominations for its international List of Outstanding Books for Young People with Disabilities. Nominations are made by IBBY national sections and 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.

Books for Keeps 220 - the children's book magazine online

Digital version – browse, print or download

BfK Newsletter

BfK No. 220 Articles

Editor's Choice

Hiding Heidi

New Talent

Cogheart

All Children's Book Reviews in BfK No. 220

Under 5s

There's an Owl in my Towel

Animal Surprises

The Lonely Giant

Watch out for Muddy Puddles

Nothing! Yasmeen Ismail

The Greedy Goat

Hiding Heidi

Ages 5-8

Oi Dog!

D is for Duck

Don’t Cross the Line!

Billy Button: Telegram Boy

The Cat and the King

Paws McDraw

Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam The Diamond Chase

The Truth According to Arthur

Dog on a Digger

The Secret Railway

Ages 8-10

The Great Fire of London

Cats and Curses: Marsh Road Mysteries

Cogheart

The Racehorse Who Wouldn’t Gallop

Crimson Poison

In Focus: 101 Close-ups, Cross sections, Cutaways

Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World

Invisible Inc.

The Accidental Pirates Voyage to Magical North

Missing Arabella

Ages 10-14

Binny Bewitched

Geis: A Matter of Life and Death

The Bone Sparrow

The Creeping Shadow

A Very Good Chance

Time after Time

A Child of Books

Born Scared

Swimming to the Moon

The Wrong Train

Lydia. The Wild Girl of Pride & Prejudice

Booked

Kings of the Boyne

Ages 14+

The Stars at Oktober Bend

What’s a Girl Gotta Do?

Beck

Bad Blood: Part 1

Here I Stand: Stories that Speak for Freedom

How Not To Disappear

Cuckoo

Nothing Tastes as Good

BfK News