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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.

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

ADA TWIST, SCIENTIST AND WINNER OF THE LITTLE REBELS CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD

Little Rebels logo 2017The Alliance of Radical Booksellers (ARB) has announced that the winners of this year’s Little Rebels Children’s Book Award are Andrea Beaty and David Roberts for their book, Ada Twist, Scientist (Abrams & Chronicle Books).

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RUTA SEPETYS AND LANE SMITH NAMED WINNERS IN CARNEGIE GREENAWAY ANNIVERSARY YEAR

The winners of the 2017 CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals are announced today, Monday 19 June. In its 80th year, Ruta Sepetys was named winner of the Carnegie Medal for her book Salt to the Sea, while Lane Smith was awarded the 60th Kate Greenaway Medal for his picture book There is a Tribe of Kids.

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HAPPY EMPATHY DAY, 13 JUNE

EmpathyLab illus

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CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD WINNERS 2017

Children's Book Award logoMichael Morpurgo

read more...
LAUREN CHILD ANNOUNCED AS 10th WATERSTONES CHILDREN’S LAUREATE

Lauren Child, artist and author and illustrator of the award-winning Charlie and Lola and Clarice Bean picture books and Ruby Redfort novels, is the 10th Waterstones Children’s Laureate.

read more...
SCHOLASTIC UK ANNOUNCE LOLLIES 2017 SHORTLIST

Lollies 2017 logoSCHOLASTIC UK ANNOUNCE LOLLIES 2017 SHORTLIST: FUNNIEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR

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PATRICE LAWRENCE WINS THE BOOKSELLER’S YA BOOK PRIZE

Patrice Lawrence

Patrice Lawrence has won the Bookseller’s YA Book Prize for Orangeboy.

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UK ENTRANTS FOR BIB, THE BIENNIAL OF ILLUSTRATIONS BRATISLAVA 2107 ANNOUNCED

The International Centre for the Picture Book in Society based at Worcester University and IBBY UK (International Board of Books for Young People) are delighted to announce a collaboration to select UK illustrators for the Biennial of Illustrations Bratislava (BIB) 2017.

read more...
2017 LITTLE REBELS AWARD SHORTLIST

Little Rebels logo 2017

The shortlist for the 2017 Little Rebels Award has been revealed. Now in its fifth year, the award recognises radical children’s fiction for readers aged 0-12. Andrea Beatty and David Roberts are shortlisted for the second time, joining a six-strong shortlist.

read more...
THE CLiPPA SHORTLIST 2017

The Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE) has announced the 2017 shortlist for the Centre for Literacy in Primary Poetry Award (CLiPPA). Established in 2003, CLiPPA encourages and celebrates outstanding poetry published for children. 2017 is the 15th anniversary of the award, which remains the only annual award in the UK for published poetry for children.

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