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

LONGLISTS ANNOUNCED FOR 2021 CILIP CARNEGIE AND KATE GREENAWAY MEDALS

The longlist for the 2021 CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals have been announced.

CKG Logo

LONGLIST ANNOUNCED FOR 2021 KLAUS FLUGGE PRIZE

Klaus Flugge Prize logo

Finish a story started by Branford Boase Award winner Liz Hyder

The Henrietta Branford Writing Competition, the annual competition for young people which runs in conjunction with the Branford Boase Award, is now open.

Every two years, IBBY invites nominations for its international List of Outstanding Books for Young People with Disabilities. Nominations are made by IBBY national sections and the final list is selected from these by the IBBY Documentation Centre of Books for Young People with Disabilities, based in Toronto. Because of its international content, the list is unique in the children’s book world. It is a huge voluntary undertaking as every country is encouraged to submit up to twelve titles across the three categories.

LONGLIST FOR THE 2021 BRANFORD BOASE AWARD

The longlist for the 2021 Branford Boase Award has been announced. Set up in memory of award-winning author Henrietta Branford and her editor Wendy Boase, one of the founders of Walker Books, the Branford Boase Award is given annually to the author of an outstanding debut novel for children.

Natasha Farrant

Writer and literary scout Natasha Farrant has won the 2020 Costa Children’s Book Award for Voyage of the Sparrowhawk, a book which the judges described as ‘pure heavenly escapism and a purely joyful read.’

The winner of the 2020 ALCS Educational Writers’ Award is Black History Matters: The Story of Black History, From African Kingdoms to Black Lives Matter. Written by acclaimed Black historian, Robin Walker, the 2020 judges praised this accessible, comprehensive and inspiring book which provides a timely introduction both to Black history and the Black Lives Matter movement.

IBBY UK has announced that Marcus Sedgwick and David McKee will be the UK nominations for the 2022 Hans Christian Andersen Award.

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

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