Books for Keeps 226 - the children's book magazine online

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BfK No. 226 - September 2017

This issue’s cover illustration is from Things A Bright Girl Can Do by Sally Nicholls. Thanks to Andersen Press for their help with this September cover.
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By clicking here you can view, print or download the fully artworked Digital Edition of BfK 226 September 2017.

BfK No. 226 Articles

Editorial 226

Remembering Jonny Zucker with Striker Boy

How to write poems

In advance of National Poetry Day, inspiration from Joseph Coelho

Windows into Illustration: Francesca Sanna

Francesca Sanna winner of the 2017 Klaus Flugge Prize

Authorgraph 226 Sally Nicholls

Sally Nicholls interviewed by Michelle Pauli

Ten of the Best Historical Novels for Children

Ten of the Best historical novels chosen by Tony Bradman

Attending BIB in Bratislava

Pam Dix reports on BIB, the Biennial of Illustrations Bratislava 2107

Using Picturebooks in the Classroom

Picture books opening up the world for children

Culture, class and J G Ballard: an interview with Philip Reeve

Philip Reeve interviewed by Philip Womack

Fast, Slow, High, Low – vale Peter Spier

Two Children Tell: a tribute to Peter Spier and relational reasoning

I Wish I’d Written: A F Harrold

A.F. Harrold chooses

Classics in Short No.125 Children of the New Forest

Is this the earliest English fiction for children never to have gone out of print?

Rhian Ivory Q&A interview on Hope

The author answers questions on her new novel.

AN INTERVIEW WITH WILLIAM SUTCLIFFE

An interview with the author of The Wall and Concentr8.

AN INTERVIEW WITH GILL LEWIS

The award-winning author talks about her new book Sky Dancer

AN INTERVIEW WITH LISA LUEDDECKE

Lisa Lueddeke interviewed about her debut novel A Shiver of Snow and Sky

AN INTERVIEW WITH KAYE UMANSKY

The bestselling author talks about her new book Witch for a Week

Editor's Choice

Overheard in a Tower Block

Joseph Coelho

(Otter-Barry Books)

Growing up on an urban estate in a tower block is not a comfortable experience. Joseph Coelho’s poems in this his second collection, are not comfortable. They are sharp, disconcerting, intelligent. They are also quite often humorous. They...

Hannah and Sugar

Kate Berube

(Abrams Books)

Everyday Hannah’s dad is waiting for her at the bus stop; a lovely moment to look forward to. But Sugar is always at the bus stop too. Sugar is a dog. Hannah is frightened of dogs. Then Sugar goes missing. She is still missing when night falls....

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

Under 5s

Hannah and Sugar

Kate Berube

5
Mr Darcy the Dancing Duck

Alex Field

4
I Want to Go First

Richard Byrne

4
Lulu Gets a Cat

Anna McQuinn

4
Tiny Tantrum

Caroline Crowe

4
Yoga Babies

Fearne Cotton

4

Ages 5-8

Perfectly Norman

Tom Percival

5
Rapunzel

Bethan Woollvin

5
Nothing Rhymes with Orange

Adam Rex

5
Dread Cat

Michael Rosen

5
Troll Stroll

Elli Woollard

4
Piggy Handsome: Guinea pig destined for stardom

Pip Jones

3
Have you seen my Giraffe?

Michelle Robinson

3

Ages 8-10

The Wizards of Once

Cressida Cowell

5
Spy Toys: Out of Control

Mark Powers

4
Stand by Me

Judi Curtin

4
My Mum’s Growing Down

Laura Dockrill

3

Ages 10-14

The Empty Grave

Jonathan Stroud

5
Overheard in a Tower Block

Joseph Coelho

5
Skeleton Tree

Kim Ventrella

5
Stand by Me

Judi Curtin

4
Kick

Mitch Johnson

4
The Island at The End of Everything

Kiran Millwood Hargrave

4

Ages 14+

Things A Bright Girl Can Do

Sally Nicholls

5
A Jigsaw of Fire and Stars

Yaba Badoe

5
We See Everything

William Sutcliffe

5
Spellbook of the Lost and Found

Moïra Fowley-Doyle

4
Hope

Rhian Ivory

4
Everybody Hurts

Joanna Nadin
Anthony McGowan

4
A Change Is Gonna Come

Darren Chetty

4

BfK News

SHORTLIST FOR THE COSTA CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD 2020

Debut authors Darren Charlton and Jenny Pearson join Natasha Farrant and Meg Rosoff on the shortlist for the 2020 Costa Children’s Book Award.

The shortlist for the 2020 Costa Children’s Book Award has been announced. No less than 146 books were submitted and from those the judges have chosen a shortlist of four. They are:

Wranglestone by Darren Charlton (Little Tiger)

CLPE Reflecting Realities Report 2020

The six books shortlisted for the 2021 Blue Peter Book Awards have been announced.

Blue Peter Book Award logo

Happy National Non-Fiction November 2020

It’s National Non-Fiction November! Organised by the Federation of Children’s Book Groups, National Non-Fiction November is an annual celebration of the power of non-fiction to inspire children and celebrate readers who have a passion for information and facts. 2020 is the 10th anniversary of National Non-Fiction November.

Jane Porter and Maisie Paradise Shearring have won the 2020 Little Rebels Award for their picture book The Boy who Loved Everyone. They will share the £2000 prize.

The Open University (OU) is launching Book Chat: Reading with your Child, a resource which comprises three short films and support materials to help parents, families and carers read books conversationally and creatively to children. Working with Macmillan Children’s Books, the films use a selection of their picture books and a poetry collection to support families with reading to different ages of children.

Tom Palmer

The winners of the CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Shadowers’ Choice Awards, voted for by children and young people, have been announced.

The Black Flamingo

Poet Zaro Weil was today announced the winner of the annual poetry award, CLiPPA (Centre for Literacy in Primary Poetry Award) for her collection of nature poems, Cherry Moon, published by ZaZaKids Books/ Troika Books and illustrated by Junli Song.

Books for Keeps 226 - the children's book magazine online

Digital version – browse, print or download

BfK Newsletter

BfK No. 226 Articles

Editor's Choice

Overheard in a Tower Block

New Talent

Hannah and Sugar

All Children's Book Reviews in BfK No. 226

Under 5s

Hannah and Sugar

Mr Darcy the Dancing Duck

I Want to Go First

Lulu Gets a Cat

Tiny Tantrum

Yoga Babies

Ages 5-8

Perfectly Norman

Rapunzel

Nothing Rhymes with Orange

Dread Cat

Troll Stroll

Piggy Handsome: Guinea pig destined for stardom

Have you seen my Giraffe?

Ages 8-10

The Wizards of Once

Spy Toys: Out of Control

Stand by Me

My Mum’s Growing Down

Ages 10-14

The Empty Grave

Overheard in a Tower Block

Skeleton Tree

Stand by Me

Kick

The Island at The End of Everything

Ages 14+

Things A Bright Girl Can Do

A Jigsaw of Fire and Stars

We See Everything

Spellbook of the Lost and Found

Hope

Everybody Hurts

A Change Is Gonna Come

BfK News