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Books for Keeps 221 - the children's book magazine online

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BfK No. 221 - November 2016
BfK 221 November 2106

This issue’s cover illustration is from The White Giraffe series: Operation Rhino by Lauren St John. Thanks to Orion 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 221 November 2016.

BfK No. 221 Articles

Editorial 221

Comment from the editor

Books for Giving Christmas 2016

Ferelith Hordon makes Christmas shopping easy

Books for Giving 2016: the Book List

Bibliographic details for all the books featured in our Christmas Gift selection

2016 The Books of the Year

Selected by regular contributors to Books for Keeps

Authorgraph 221 Lauren St John

Lauren St John interviewed by Nicholas Tucker

Ten of the Best Books about Refugees

Books about refugees chosen by Fen Coles of Letterbox Library

Jewell Parker Rhodes: a profile

Wendy Meddour profiles inspiring US author Jewell Parker Rhodes

Goodbye Ruby Redfort: an interview with Lauren Child

Lauren Child on the conclusion to her girl detective series

Inside The Chamber of Secrets: an interview with illustrator Jim Kay

An interview with the award-winning illustrator

TWO CHILDREN TELL: CHRISTMAS WITH REBECCA AND NICK

A Christmas special

I Wish I’d Written: Judi Curtin

Judi Curtin chooses

Good Reads 221

selected by pupils at Corby Business Academy

Once upon a storytelling

Author and storyteller Lari Don on the appeal of old stories

AN INTERVIEW WITH COSTA SHORTLISTED AUTHOR BRIAN CONAGHAN

An interview with the Costa shortlisted author

AN INTERVIEW WITH COSTA SHORTLISTED AUTHOR PATRICE LAWRENCE

The Costa shortlisted author interviewed by Anna James

AN INTERVIEW WITH COSTA SHORTLISTED AUTHOR ROSS WELFORD

An interview with the author of Time Travelling with a Hamster

AN INTERVIEW WITH COSTA SHORTLISTED AUTHOR FRANCESCA SIMON

Francesca Simon talks about The Monstrous Child with Anna James.

A Q&A INTERVIEW WITH CATHRYN CONSTABLE

The author talks about her new book The White Tower

Classics in Short No. 120: The Little Bookroom

The Little Bookroom by Eleanor Farjeon

AN INTERVIEW WITH SUSIN NIELSEN

An interview with the award winning author of We are All Made of Molecules

AN INTERVIEW WITH MARIANNE DUBUC

An interview with the award-winning author of The Lion and the Bird

Editor's Choice

The Hypnotist

Laurence Anholt
(Corgi Childrens)
4

It is the 1960s - the time of Martin Luther King and a rise of the Ku Klux Klan. Jack is looking forward to his new position as Head of Neurological Research in southern USA. Pip is trying to adapt to a life as a servant to Zachary and the...

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New Talent

Erica's Elephant

Sylvia Bishop
(Scholastic)
5

When Erica opens the front door to find an elephant on the doorstep, she not only acquires a companion and, yes, a friend, but also a great deal of trouble. An elephant is conspicuous and little girls of ten should not be living by themselves -...

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All Children's Book Reviews in BfK No. 221

  • Under 5s
  • Ages 5-8
  • Ages 8-10
  • Ages 10-14
  • Ages 14+
  • Books About Children's Books

Under 5s

  • Goodnight Everyone

    Chris Haughton
    5
  • Plenty of Love to Go Round!

    Emma Chichester Clark
    5
  • The Storm Whale in Winter

    Benji Davies
    5
  • Meltdown

    Jill Murphy
    5
  • Odd Dog Out

    Rob Biddulph
    4
  • Hello, Mr Dodo

    Nicholas John Frith
    4
  • The Night the Stars Went Out

    Suz Hughes
    3

Ages 5-8

  • Erica's Elephant

    Sylvia Bishop
    5
  • Midnight at the Zoo

    Faye Hanson
    5
  • Danny McGee Drinks the Sea

    Andy Stanton
    4
  • Odd Dog Out

    Rob Biddulph
    4
  • The Road Home

    Katie Cotton
    4
  • The Building Boy

    Ross Montgomery
    4
  • The Great Big Body Book

    Mary Hoffman
    4
  • The Dragon’s Hoard

    Lari Don
    4
  • Where is the Bear?

    Camilla De La Bedoyere
    4
  • Ada Twist, Scientist

    Andrea Beaty
    4
  • Ossiri and the Bala Mengro

    Richard O’Neill
    Katharine Quarmby
    4
  • Leafy the Pet Leaf

    Philip Ardagh
    4
  • A Jar of Pickles and a Pinch of Justice

    Chitra Soundar
    3

Ages 8-10

  • Dinosaurs and Dinner Ladies

    John Dougherty
    5
  • The Secret Horses of Briar Hill

    Megan Shepherd
    5
  • They didn't teach THIS in worm school!

    Simone Lia
    5
  • The Road to Ever After

    Moira Young
    4
  • Spellchasers: The Beginner’s Guide to Curses

    Lari Don
    4
  • Martin Brown’s Lesser-Spotted Animals

    Martin Brown
    4
  • Adder, Bluebell, Lobster, Wild Poems

    Chrissie Gittins
    4
  • Podkin One Ear

    Kieran Larwood
    4
  • The Dragon’s Hoard

    Lari Don
    4
  • Finding Black Beauty

    Lou Kuenzler
    4
  • The Ministry of SUITs

    Paul Gamble
    4

Ages 10-14

  • The Secret of Nightingale Wood

    Lucy Strange
    5
  • Master Will and the Spanish Spy

    Tony Bradman
    5
  • Clover Moon

    Jacqueline Wilson
    5
  • There May Be a Castle

    Piers Torday
    4
  • The Road to Ever After

    Moira Young
    4
  • The Call

    Peadar O’ Guilin
    4
  • The Hypnotist

    Laurence Anholt
    4
  • The Ministry of SUITs

    Paul Gamble
    4
  • Scrambled

    Huw Davies
    3
  • A Message to the Sea

    Alex Shearer
    3

Ages 14+

  • Alpha

    Bessora
    5
  • Every Falling Star

    Sungju Lee
    Susan McClelland
    5
  • The Call

    Peadar O’ Guilin
    4
  • Holding Up the Universe

    Jennifer Niven
    4
  • Unboxed

    Non Pratt
    4
  • The Deviants

    C J Skuse
    4
  • Tales of the Peculiar

    Ransom Riggs
    4
  • I’ll Be Home for Christmas

    Various Authors
    4

Books About Children's Books

  • Children's Literature (Readers' Guide to Essential Criticism)

    Pat Pinsent
    2

BfK News

LONGLISTS ANNOUNCED FOR 2021 CILIP CARNEGIE AND KATE GREENAWAY MEDALS

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

CKG Logo

read more...
LONGLIST ANNOUNCED FOR 2021 KLAUS FLUGGE PRIZE

Klaus Flugge Prize logo

read more...
NOW OPEN: 2021 HENRIETTA BRANFORD WRITING COMPETITION

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.

read more...
TWO UK ENTRIES ON IBBY LIST OF OUTSTANDING BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

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.

read more...
LONGLIST FOR THE 2021 BRANFORD BOASE AWARD

The longlist for the 2021 Branford Boase Award has been announced. Set up in memory of award-winning author Henrietta Branford and her editor Wendy Boase, one of the founders of Walker Books, the Branford Boase Award is given annually to the author of an outstanding debut novel for children.

read more...
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.’

read more...
ROBIN WALKER WINS THE 2020 ALCS EDUCATIONAL WRITERS’ AWARD FOR BLACK HISTORY MATTERS

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.

read more...
IBBY UK nominate Marcus Sedgwick and David McKee for the Hans Christian Andersen Award 2022

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

read more...
SHORTLIST FOR THE COSTA CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD 2020

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)

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BOOKTRUST’S REPRESENTS INTERIM RESEARCH & CLPE REFLECTING REALITIES SURVEY 2020

CLPE Reflecting Realities Report 2020

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