"The most important periodical in the world of British children's books."
Sir Philip Pullman, CBE, FRSL
Bfk 272 May 2025
This issue’s cover illustration is from The First Year by Matt Goodfellow, cover illustration by Joe Todd-Stanton. Thanks to Otter-Barry Books for their help with this cover.
Four best friends, Cam, Hetal, Nell and Sasha, head off on the road trip of a lifetime. Instead of the camping trip to the Lake District they’d planned, these young women are driving to Marseille accompanying Sasha to her father’s wedding. There are moments of comedy, e.g. when Nell is knocked into a fountain by a boisterous dog; there’s unexpected romance, when Cam meets a gorgeous French boy in a pet shop (of all p …
Four best friends, Cam, Hetal, Nell and Sasha, head off on the road trip of a lifetime. Instead of the camping trip to the Lake District they’d planned, these young women are driving to Marseille accompanying Sasha to her father’s wedding. There are moments of comedy, e.g. when Nell is knocked into a fountain by a boisterous dog; there’s unexpected romance, when Cam meets a gorgeous French boy in a pet shop (of all places); and there are trials – no petrol, the terrifying rustlings on a dingy campsite that turn out to be cows. Instead of an escapist rom-com though, this is a much deeper and more interesting read, as each young woman frets over problems they feel they can’t share, even with their very best friends. Each of the four is experiencing real pain, whether that’s super-organised Hetal stressing over mistakes she’s maki …
Curiosity, a zeal for life and a yearning for past traditions and crafts are common themes which run through much of the work of Olivia Lomenech Gill. This year’s Carnegie Medal for Illustration winner creates art which embraces an impressive array of media and techniques often challenging readers to look and think in ways that are both detailed and deep. Jake Hope interviewed Olivia for Books fo …
View Full InterviewCuriosity, a zeal for life and a yearning for past traditions and crafts are common themes which run through much of the work of Olivia Lomenech Gill. This year’s Carnegie Medal for Illustration winner creates art …
Jason Reynolds is the award-winning, internationally celebrated author of books for children and young adults. These include Long Way Down, which was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal and All American Boys, co-writ …
Waterstones Children’s Laureate, Frank Cottrell-Boyce and BookTrust have released the Children’s Laureate’s inaugural ‘Reading Rights’ Report. The Reading Rights: Books Build a Brighter Future Interim Report calls o …
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Launched in 1980, we’ve reviewed hundreds of new children’s books each year and published articles on every aspect of writing for children.
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