BfK News: May 2005
NEWS
Based on a sample of about a quarter of all UK library loans, recently released Public Lending Right figures show that Jacqueline Wilson was the most borrowed author the second year running. More than two million copies of her books were loaned in the year to June 2004. The most borrowed book of the year was J K Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Bloomsbury). Jacqueline Wilson recently sponsored the Branford Boase Award (which recognises the special relationship between writer and editor) to the tune of £5000. This gift complements long-standing support from Walker Books and Peters Bookselling Services.
EVENT
Shock of the New: Innovation in Children’s Books
Booking for this conference run by the Children’s Writers and Illustrators Group of the Society of Authors is now open to all children’s authors, illustrators and industry professionals. It will be held at St Catherine’s College, Oxford from 16-18 September. Speakers include Michael Morpurgo, Sara Fanelli, Arts Council representatives on their children’s literature initiatives, Nicola Davies and David Fickling. Further information from Enid Stephenson, 21 Royd Terrace, Hebden Bridge HX7 7BT. Email: enid.stephenson@3-c.coop
PEOPLE
Congratulations to Michael Rosen who has been appointed Visiting Professor by Middlesex University. His inaugural lecture, ‘Are books for children worth reading?’ will be published in BfK later this year.
Elaine McQuade has been appointed Consumer Development Director at Penguin with a brief to research and focus on new readers. She was formerly Puffin’s Marketing and Publicity Director. Adèle Minchin has been promoted to Head of Puffin Publicity and Kirsten Grant to Head of Puffin Marketing.
Correction: Scholastic’s new Group Managing Director is, of course, Kate Wilson . Apologies for incorrect information in our last issue.
REGIONAL AWARDS
Medway Schools Book Award
The first winner of this new award for the best debut novel for teenagers is Eleanor Updale’s Montmorency (Scholastic).
Berkshire Children’s Book Award 2004
Anthony Horowitz’s Scorpia (Walker) was voted favourite ‘Good Read’ in this new award for the best, recently published, book written for young people. This Award differs from similar Award schemes by enabling young people to both nominate the titles and select the winner. Over 50 schools across the county involved pupils aged between 11 and 14 in reviewing the shortlisted titles. Their reviews can be read on the award website – www.berkshire-els.gov.uk/bba
North East Book Award winner 2004
400+ teenagers from 30 schools voted Kevin Brooks the winner for Lucas (Chicken House).
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Dear Editor
I am not often moved to write to publications on points of grammar, and I am not really a pedant (I make too many mistakes myself), but I was appalled to see the use of ‘peninsular’ as a noun (‘The Turning Point Conference’, BfK No 150, p7). Of course you know perfectly well that peninsular is the adjective and the noun is peninsula – don’t you? I think the reason I am so incensed is that I notice more and more solecisms creeping in to otherwise outstanding publications because they sound right, such as the increasing use of ‘of’ instead of ‘have’ (she would of done something) – in other words we are basing our written language on what we hear spoken. Also I am reading John Humphrys’ excellent book Lost for Words , so perhaps I am more sensitive than usual! But I do feel strongly that this is the sort of thing that copy editors should pick up, and, for me anyway, it spoils an otherwise enjoyable article.
I will end on a positive note by saying how helpful and informative Books for Keeps is.
Lesley Martin
Librarian, Culford School, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP28 6TX
Hal’s Reading Diary: Knights for under 5s
Dear Editor
I feel for Hal; I often need stories about knights and castles at work (school library service) and find it amazingly difficult to find many good ones for really young children. My favourite is David Melling’s The Kiss That Missed – though Hal may find the knight a trifle hapless (but in his own way brave; he reminds me of the knight in Carroll’s Alice ). I would plead with artists and authors to forget the cuddly animals (oh SO many picture books showing animals!) for a while and give us some picture books with an historic theme (apart from anything else, a way in for children to look back at the past).
Harriet Cox (librarian)
Dear Editor
Re Hal’s Diary – I reviewed a lovely little book, Knights and Castles in BfK No.149 published by Cherrytree. Lots of detail to pore over. Did anyone mention David McKee’s King Rollo ?
Sue Unstead
Dear Editor
I thought you might like to pass on to Roger Mills this title we find goes down very well with young knights and castles readers: The Castle (First Discovery series, Moonlight Publishing, 1 85103 112 X, £6.99). The simple text, very clear pictures an occasional acetate overlay page make it irresistible. Other than that, Usborne publishing do a range of young information books on knights and castles. I hope this is helpful.
Angela Haward
Children’s Dept, The Clifton Bookshop, 84 Whiteladies Road, Bristol BS8 2QP
Dear Editor
George and the Dragon (by Chris Wormell, Red Fox, see BfK No. 150) has long been popular with grandson Aethan, born 2001. Studying every detail of the illustration is very important and must not be rushed! And it is this that makes all the information books so interesting for him too. In the ‘Children’s Books of World History’ (Skylark series) we find that Early Man to the Fall of Rome and The Dark Ages to 1914 provide great sharing time, along with Usborne’s Great Castle Search . Macmillan’s ‘History in Pictures’ series has supplied us with The Roman World , The Rise of Christian Europe and The Age of the Crusades , where Aethan has many favourite pages, as well as those he refuses to stop for. Macdonald’s ‘History of Everyday Things’ has The Roman Empire and The Dark Ages which he seems quite happy to study closely too. Dorling Kindersley has Gary Chalk’s The Forebears , my daughter reminds me, and Jarrold’s tiny books have Look Out, Naughty Knights . Walker Books has Marcia Williams’s King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table , while Time Life Books has The Enchanted World – Dragons . Marjke Rieesink’s The Princess Who Ran Away is not a high priority read but is certainly enjoyed for its knights. The Orchard Book of Swords, Sorcerers and Super Heroes is looked at but is perhaps more of an also-ran at the moment.
We had begun to worry a little that Aethan’s boisterous exuberance and destruction were tied with frustration at not being able yet to make himself understood verbally. (Aethan was born with no airway through his nasal passages, just very thick bone. Eventually last year he had an operation to give him normal breathing and the trachi tube could come out, then speech development could begin, or rather vocal speech, for of course his language development has been ongoing throughout.) Reading of Hal’s exploits is very reassuring. All that energy has to go somewhere. We look forward to the next episode of Hal’s Reading Diary and to hearing of any other reader suggestions for ‘obsession books’.
Anne Beckitt
Ardchonnel School House, By Dalmally, Argyll PA33 1BW
Letters may be shortened for space reasons. Ed
