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Books for Keeps 233 - the children's book magazine online

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BfK No. 233 - November 2018
BfK 233 November 2018

This issue’s cover illustration is from The Afterwards by A.F. Harrold illustrated by Emily Gravett. Thanks to Bloomsbury Children’s Books for their help with this November cover.
Digital Edition
By clicking here you can view, print or download the fully artworked Digital Edition of BfK 233 November 2018 .

BfK No. 233 Articles

Editorial 233

Editorial comment

Fairy Tales: holding the old stories tight by Deirdre Sullivan

Fairy Tale special

Books of the Year 2018

The best of 2018 selected by a BfK panel

Books for Giving 2018

What to put under the tree

Books for Giving Christmas 2018 book list

A list of the books we are recommending for Christmas giving 2018

Authorgraph 233: A.F. Harrold

A.F. Harrold interviewed by Charlotte Hacking

Ten of the best: films of children’s books

A celluloid special by Laura Fraine

Windows into Illustration: Fabi Santiago

Fabi Santiago

‘We English’: Nonfiction and Belonging in Children’s Literature

Darren Chetty and Karen Sands-O'Connor

I Wish I’d Written: Candy Gourlay

Candy Gourlay chooses

Good Reads 233

Chosen by Saint Wilfrid’s C of E Academy in Blackburn

Two Children Tell: Growing up with John Burningham and Helen Oxenbury

By Virginia Lowe

Voices from the Past: Tom Palmer on writing the Great War

The author of Armistice Runner on creating his new book

Never Such Innocence: young people’s responses to the Great War

Review of two books published by the official First World War Centenary charity

AN INTERVIEW WITH COSTA SHORTLISTED AUTHOR HILARY MCKAY

Philip Womack interviews Hilary McKay about The Skylarks' War

Classics in Short No 132: How about spending Christmas with the Savages?

A festive special

AN INTERVIEW WITH COSTA SHORTLISTED AUTHOR DAVID ALMOND

David Almond discusses his new book, the Costa shortlisted The Colour of the Sun

AN INTERVIEW WITH COSTA SHORTLISTED AUTHOR CANDY GOURLAY

The author discusses her Costa shortlisted book Bone Talk

AN INTERVIEW WITH GARTH NIX AND SEAN WILLIAMS

The authors discuss their new fantasy series with Philip Womack

AN INTERVIEW WITH COSTA SHORTLISTED AUTHOR MATT KILLEEN

The author of Orphan Monster Spy interviewed by Michelle Pauli.

MY MUM TRACY BEAKER - THE LAUNCH

Rebecca Butler reports on the launch celebration for My Mum Tracy Beaker

AN INTERVIEW WITH PETER BROWN

Peter Brown's complete robot

Editor's Choice

The Afterwards

A.F. Harrold
(Bloomsbury Children's Books)
5

December (or as she is usually called, Ember) and Ness are the very best friends. Then Ness dies. Ember’s life has an empty hole. Ness was so alive and she should be alive. Ember decides she must rescue Ness. There will be consequences ... but...

read more

New Talent

Maybe the Moon

Frances Ives
(LOM Art)
4

Frances Ives won the 2016 LOM Art prize, and this is her debut picture book. Based on her own experience of moving to the city from the countryside, she shows the happy life of Eric in the country as he helps his mother in their...

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All Children's Book Reviews in BfK No. 233

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

Under 5s

  • I Was Made For You

    David Lucas
    5
  • Little Robin Red Vest

    Jan Fearnley
    5
  • Santa Claus vs the Easter Bunny

    Fred Blunt
    5
  • The Pooka Party

    Shona Shirley Macdonald
    4
  • Maybe the Moon

    Frances Ives
    4
  • My Bed is an Air Balloon

    Julia Copus
    4
  • You're Snug with Me

    Chitra Soundar
    4
  • The Lost Property Office

    Emily Rand
    4
  • Mini Rabbit: Not Lost

    John Bond
    4
  • Counting Blessings

    Emma Dodd
    3
  • Mummy Time

    Judith Kerr
    3

Ages 5-8

  • Hubert Horatio: How to Raise Your Parents

    Lauren Child
    5
  • Me and my Fear

    Francesca Sanna
    5
  • Once Upon a Snowstorm

    Richard Johnson
    5
  • Happy: A Children’s Book of Mindfulness

    Nicola Edwards
    5
  • Santa Claus vs the Easter Bunny

    Fred Blunt
    5
  • Inside the Villains

    Clotilde Perrin
    5
  • Drawing Europe Together

    Various Illustrators
    5
  • The Pooka Party

    Shona Shirley Macdonald
    4
  • Armadillo and Hare

    Jeremy Strong
    4
  • Two Kings

    Emma Lewis
    4
  • The Dog That Saved Christmas

    Nicola Davies
    4
  • Sonam and the Silence

    Eddie Ayres
    4
  • The Truth Pixie

    Matt Haig
    3
  • Once Upon a Magic Book

    Lily Murray
    3
  • Ten Nasty Little Toads

    Steve Cole
    3

Ages 8-10

  • The Clockwork Crow

    Catherine Fisher
    5
  • The Afterwards

    A.F. Harrold
    5
  • Alastair Humphreys’ Great Adventurers

    Alastair Humphreys
    5
  • Corey’s Rock

    Sita Brahmachari
    5
  • My Mum Tracy Beaker

    Jacqueline Wilson
    5
  • Drawing Europe Together

    Various Illustrators
    5
  • Blazing a Trail: Irish Women Who Changed the World

    Sarah Webb
    4
  • Wiggott’s Wonderful Waxworld: Terror Train

    Terry Deary
    4
  • Into the Jungle Stories for Mowgli

    Katherine Rundell
    4
  • Mr Tiger, Betsy and the Blue Moon

    Sally Gardner
    4
  • A Dangerous Game

    Malorie Blackman
    4
  • Picklewitch and Jack

    Claire Barker
    4
  • Sonam and the Silence

    Eddie Ayres
    4
  • The Missing Barbegazi

    H.S. Norup
    3
  • The Pony with No Name

    Tracey Corderoy
    3
  • The Girl, the Cat and the Navigator

    Matilda Woods
    3

Ages 10-14

  • The Skylarks’ War

    Hilary McKay
    5
  • Louisiana’s Way Home

    Kate DiCamillo
    5
  • My Mum Tracy Beaker

    Jacqueline Wilson
    5
  • Drawing Europe Together

    Various Illustrators
    5
  • Wiggott’s Wonderful Waxworld: Terror Train

    Terry Deary
    4
  • She is Fierce

    Ana Sampson
    4
  • The Blue Cat

    Ursula Dubosarsky
    4
  • Race to the Frozen North: the Matthew Henson story

    Catherine Johnson
    3
  • Firebird

    Elizabeth Wein
    3
  • The Lost Magician

    Piers Torday
    2

Ages 14+

  • The Key to Flambards

    Linda Newbery
    5
  • The Chaos of Now

    Erin Lange
    5
  • Glass Town Wars

    Celia Rees
    5
  • Only the Ocean

    Natasha Carthew
    4
  • She is Fierce

    Ana Sampson
    4
  • The Punk Factor

    Rebecca Denton
    3
  • The Price Guide to the Occult

    Leslye Walton
    3

Books About Children's Books

  • Reading & Rebellion. An Anthology of Radical Writing for Children 1900-1960

    Kimberley Reynolds
    Michael Rosen
    Jane Rosen
    4

BfK News

ALASTAIR HUMPHREYS’ GREAT ADVENTURERS WINS THE 2019 EDUCATIONAL WRITERS’ AWARD

The winner of the 2019 Educational Writers’ Award is Alastair Humphreys’ Great Adventurers: The Incredible Expeditions of 20 Explorers (Big Picture Press).

Alastair Humphreys Great Adventures

read more...
BLACKMAN AND DOWNHAM ON SHORTLIST FOR 2019 COSTA CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD

Former Children’s Laureate Malorie Blackman and acclaimed author Jenny Downham are on the shortlist for the 2019 Costa Children’s Book Award, which was announced today, 26th November 2020. Alongside them on the list are newcomers Jasbinder Bilan and Nicholas Downing, both of whom are published by Chicken House.

The 2019 Costa Children’s Award shortlist

read more...
2019 ALCS EDUCATIONAL WRITERS’ AWARD SHORTLIST

Shortlist announced for the UK’s only award for creative educational writing

The Society of Authors and the Authors’ Licensing& Collecting Society have announced the shortlist for the 2019 ALCS Educational Writers’ Award, the UK’s only award for educational writing which stimulates and enhances the learning experience.

read more...
‘INSPIRING’: CONTENDERS FOR THE 2020 BLUE PETER BOOK AWARDS REVEALED

Blue Peter Book Award logo

Six books have made it onto the shortlists for the 2020 Blue Peter Book Awards. There are two categories: Best Story, and – in non-fiction November – Best Book with Facts.

read more...
NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED FOR THE 2020 CARNEGIE AND KATE GREENAWAY MEDALS

And we’re off… the nominations for the 2020 Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals are announced today, Monday 4th November.

read more...
2020 UKLA BOOK AWARDS THE LONGLISTS

UKLA Awards

A record number of submissions and a new category to highlight information books marks the 12th longlists for the UKLA Awards, the only national awards judged by active classroom teachers.

read more...
JESSICA LOVE NAMED WINNER OF THE KLAUS FLUGGE PRIZE 2019 FOR JULIAN IS A MERMAID

Jessica Love

read more...
LOLLIES 2020 SHORTLIST THE YEAR’S FUNNIEST CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Michael Rosen, children’s novelist, poet and former Children’s Laureate, has announced the shortlist for the 2020 Laugh Out Loud Awards (The Lollies), the awards that celebrate the funniest children’s books.

Lollies logo

read more...
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

read more...
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