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Books for Keeps 225 - the children's book magazine online

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BfK No. 225 - July 2017
BfK 225

This issue’s cover illustration is from Poppy and the Blooms by Fiona Woodcock. Thanks to Simon and Schuster 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 225 July 2017 .

BfK No. 225 Articles

Editorial 225

Guest editorial: Chris Riddell reflects on his time as Children’s Laureate
Hopeful Activism … because what we DO as well as what we say matters

A piece of passion from Sita Brahmachari
Hip Hip Hooray for Harry

Imogen Russell Williams considers Harry Potter at twenty.
Windows into Illustration: Guy Parker-Rees

Guy Parker-Rees on drawing Dylan
Authorgraph 225 Chris Priestley

Chris Priestley interviewed by Philip Womack
Ten of the Best Audiobooks for Children

Summer listening chosen by Nicolette Jones
‘The pictures are better’: audio books explained

Thoughts from Nicholas Jones of Strathmore about what an audio producer does.
The Art of Submitting for BIB

Piet Grobler on the art of submitting for BIB, the Biennial of Illustrations Bratislava 2107
AN INTERVIEW WITH DAVID MACKINTOSH

David Mackintosh interviewed by Robyn Sheahan-Bright
Making Room for Children, Swedish-style

Ferelith Hordon explores a new Southbank library
An Interview with Philip Pullman

Philip Pullman interviewed by Nicholas Tucker
Ron Heapy – An Appreciation

David Fickling remembers the great children’s editor Ron Heapy
Two Children and Dick Bruna: a Tribute

Two Children Tell: a tribute to Dick Bruna
I Wish I’d Written: Liz Flanagan

Liz Flanagan chooses
Good Reads 225

chosen by pupils at Worth School, West Sussex
Classics in Short No. 124:The King of the Golden River

Classics in Short No. 124 Climate Change by courtesy of John Ruskin and The King of the Golden River
JACQUELINE WILSON AT THE FOUNDLING MUSEUM

Rebecca Butler talks to Jacqueline Wilson about the new Hetty Feather exibition at the Foundling Museum.
THE EXPLORER: AN INTERVIEW WITH KATHERINE RUNDELL

Imogen Russell Williams interviews Katherine Rundell about her new book The Explorer.
AN INTERVIEW WITH E. LOCKHART

The author of We Were Liars talks about her new book.
AN INTERVIEW WITH A. F. HARROLD

An interview with the author of The Imaginary and the Fizzlebert Stump books.

Editor's Choice

The Pond
Nicola Davies
(Graffeg Limited)
5

How to deal with death and grief? This is the theme of Nicola Davies’ latest book. There is nothing mawkish or sentimental. The young narrator does not hide the anger that grief can bring, both in young and old. The death of the father leaves a...

read more

New Talent

Moon Juice
Kate Wakeling
(The Emma Press)
5

A collection of poems by a new voice writing for children is an event to be celebrated. Moon Juice by the poet, Kate Wakeling is just such an event. However, these are not poems created to grab the attention with the quick laugh...

read more

All Children's Book Reviews in BfK No. 225

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

Under 5s

  • Say Zoop
    Hervé Tulley
    5

  • Never Take a Bear to School
    Mark Sperring
    4

  • My Daddy is a Silly Monkey
    Dianne Hofmeyr
    4

  • The Bad Bunnies’ Magic Show
    Mini Grey
    4

  • Poppy and the Blooms
    Fiona Woodcock
    4

  • Monster Baby
    Sarah Dyer
    3

Ages 5-8

  • My Name is Not Refugee
    Kate Milner
    5

  • Storm Whale
    Sarah Brennan
    5

  • Everybody’s Welcome
    Patricia Hegarty
    5

  • Six Blind Mice and an Elephant
    Jude Daly
    5

  • Big Brown Bear’s Cave
    Yuval Zommer
    5

  • The Bad Bunnies’ Magic Show
    Mini Grey
    4

  • The Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors
    Drew Daywalt
    4

  • Dino Diggers, Digger Disaster
    Rose Impey
    4

  • Norman the Norman from Normandy
    Philip Ardagh
    3

Ages 8-10

  • The Boy, the Bird & the Coffin Maker
    Matilda Woods
    5

  • Moon Juice
    Kate Wakeling
    5

  • The Pond
    Nicola Davies
    5

  • The Last Duchess
    Laura Powell
    4

  • Travels with My Sketchbook
    Michael Foreman
    4

  • The City of Secret Rivers
    Jacob Sager Weinstein
    4

  • The Earth Book
    Jonathan Litton
    4

  • King of the Sky
    Nicola Davies
    4

  • You Can’t Make Me Go to Witch School
    Em Lynas
    4

  • Knighthood for Beginners
    Elys Dolan
    3

  • Help! I’m a Genius
    Jo Franklin
    3

  • The Amber Pendant
    Imogen White
    3

Ages 10-14

  • Moon Juice
    Kate Wakeling
    5

  • Walking Mountain
    Joan Lennon
    5

  • The Incredible Billy Wild
    Joanna Nadin
    5

  • The Evil Within
    Catherine MacPhail
    5

  • Rook Anthony McGowan
    Anthony McGowan
    4

  • The Last Duchess
    Laura Powell
    4

  • Being Miss Nobody
    Tamsin Winter
    4

  • Letters From the Lighthouse
    Emma Carroll
    4

  • Never Say Die
    Anthony Horowitz
    4

  • Defender of the Realm
    Mark Huckerby
    4

  • The Guggenheim Mystery
    Robin Stevens
    Siobhan Dowd
    3

Ages 14+

  • Like Other Girls
    Claire Hennessy
    5

  • Encounters
    Jason Wallace
    5

  • A Berlin Love Song
    Sarah Matthias
    5

  • No Filter
    Orlagh Collins
    4

  • Forgetting Foster
    Dianne Touchell
    4

  • Goodnight, Boy
    Nikki Sheehan
    4

BfK News

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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CRESSIDA COWELL ANNOUNCED AS NEW WATERSTONES CHILDREN’S LAUREATE

‘Books are transformative because of their unique ability to develop three key magical powers: intelligence, creativity and, most important of all, empathy. Words are power; let’s take magic seriously.’ Cressida Cowell, Waterstones Children’s Laureate

read more...
STEVEN CAMDEN WINS CLiPPA 2019

Steven Camden photo by Ellie Kurttz

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MUHAMMAD KHAN WINS 20TH BRANFORD BOASE AWARD

The winner of the 2019 Branford Boase Award for outstanding debut novel for children is Muhammad Khan for his YA novel I Am Thunder. Set up in memory of author Henrietta Branford and her editor Wendy Boase who both died in 1999, the award also recognizes his editor Lucy Pearse of Macmillan Children’s Books.

read more...
SLA School Librarian of the Year 2019 Announced

Ros Harding School Librarian of the Year

Ros Harding of The King’s School Chester has been awarded the honour of the School Librarian of the Year 2019. 2019 YA Book Prize winner Sara Barnard presented Ros Harding with her award at a special ceremony at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel, Kensington, London Kensington on 27 June.

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The Children's Book Award 2019

Earlier this month, Arree Chung was named overall winner of The Children’s Book Award 2019. His book Mixed, which he wrote and illustrated, also won the Books for Younger Children category before going on to win the overall prize.

read more...
WINNERS OF THE 2019 CILIP CARNEGIE AND KATE GREENAWAY MEDALS

The winners of the CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals have been announced at a ceremony at The British Library, hosted by broadcaster and writer Konnie Huq.

read more...
BRANFORD BOASE AWARD SHORTLIST 2019

The children’s authors to watch: shortlist for the 2019 Branford Boase Award announced

Branford Boase Award shortlist 2019

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THE YEAR'S BEST POETRY FOR CHILDREN: CLiPPA 2019 SHORTLIST ANNOUNCED

The Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE) has announced the 2019 shortlist for their poetry award, CLiPPA (The Centre for Literacy in Primary Poetry Award). Children’s poetry is booming and there were a record number of entries for the CLiPPA, the only award for children’s poetry.

read more...
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