Books for Keeps 232 - the children's book magazine online

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Books for Keeps is packed with articles, interviews comment and, of course, reviews.

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BfK No. 232 - September 2018

This issue’s cover illustration is from The Way Past Winter by Kiran Millwood Hargrave. Thanks to Chicken House for their help with this September cover.

Digital Edition
By clicking here you can view, print or download the fully artworked Digital Edition of BfK 232 September 2018.

BfK No. 232 Articles

Guest editorial: Everyone’s History

By Catherine Johnson

Seven Stories: a collection to treasure

A guided tour by Kristopher Mckie, Collection Manager

Authorgraph 232: Kiran Millwood Hargrave

Kiran Millwood Hargrave interviewed by Michelle Pauli

Windows into Illustration: Tim Hopgood

Illustrating Henry Mancini

Ten of the best: New Children’s Poetry

As National Poetry Day approaches, Charlotte Hacking chooses ten of the best new poetry books for children

Beyond the Secret Garden #ReflectingRealities & #OwnVoices

Darren Chetty and Karen Sands-O’Connor examine representations of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic voices in children’s books

Non-fiction in the Spotlight

New Non-fiction rounded up by Nikki Gamble

Two Children Tell: Invertebrate Encounters

Invertebrate encounters and a warning to illustrators

I Wish I’d Written: Kate Milner

Klaus Flugge Prize winner Kate Milner chooses

Obituary Clive King

Clive King remembered by Nicholas Tucker

Classics in Short No 131: Companions for Alice in The Runaway

The Runaway, a neglected classic

Rosie Loves Jack: an interview with Mel Darbon

The author of Rosie and Jack interviewed by Rebecca Butler

REEVE & MCINTYRE ON THE LEGEND OF KEVIN

Collaboration and inspiration by Reeve and McIntyre

Q&A INTERVIEW WITH CATHERINE FISHER

Catherine Fisher answers questions on The Clockwork Crow

Editor's Choice

Ready to Ride

Sebastien Pelon

(words & pictures)

Learning to ride a bicycle is not easy. Of course, it is fine if you have stabilisers or “little wheels”. But you will need a great deal of encouragement – especially if it rains while you are out.

In this charming picture book Sebastien...

Rose Tremayne is aged sixteen years and ten months. She is a British student at a college in Henley. She also has Down’s syndrome. Her boyfriend Jack also attends the same college, in a specialist unit. Jack had a brain injury when he was very...

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

Under 5s

Loved to Bits

Teresa Heapy

5
Cyril and Pat

Emily Gravett

5
Once Upon a Wild Wood

Chris Riddell

4
Ready to Ride

Sebastien Pelon

4
The Night Dragon

Naomi Howarth

4
Belinda Brown

David McKee

4
Supertato, Veggies in the Valley of Doom

Sue Hendra
Paul Linnet

3

Ages 5-8

The Secret Sky Garden

Linda Sarah

5
How to Help a Hedgehog and Protect a Polar Bear

Jess French

5
The Girls

Lauren Ace

5
The Best Sound in the World

Cindy Wume

5
Once Upon a Wild Wood

Chris Riddell

4
Belinda Brown

David McKee

4
Angry Cookie

Laura Dockrill

4
The Day War Came

Nicola Davies

4
Sorrel and The Sleepover

Corinne Averiss

3

Ages 8-10

The Great Sea Dragon Discovery

Pippa Goodhart

5
The Dodo Made Me Do It

Jo Simmons

4
First Prize for the Worst Witch

Jill Murphy

4
The Day War Came

Nicola Davies

4
A Bleakley Brothers Mystery: What Manor of Murder?

Christopher William Hill

4
Tilly and the Bookwanderers

Anna James

3
The Legend of Kevin

Sarah McIntyre
Philip Reeve

3

Ages 10-14

The Great Sea Dragon Discovery

Pippa Goodhart

5
You've Got a Friend

Judi Curtin

5
A Kid in My Class

Rachel Rooney

5
The Dam

David Almond

5
Dark Sky Park: Poems from the Edge of Nature

Philip Gross

5
The Way Past Winter

Kiran Millwood Hargrave

3

Ages 14+

Rosie Loves Jack

Mel Darbon

5
Across the Divide

Anne Booth

5
Black Snow Falling

L.J MacWhirter

4
Colour Me In

Lydia Ruffles

4
A Boy Called Ocean

Chris Higgins

4
England: Poems from a School

Kate Clanchy

4
What Girls Are Made Of

Elana K. Arnold

4
A Room Away from the Wolves

Nova Ren Suma

3

BfK News

CRESSIDA COWELL LAUNCHES NEW LAUREATE INITIATIVE IN SUPPORT OF SCHOOL LIBRARIES AND CALLS ON PM TO ACT

‘How can a child become a reader for pleasure if their parents or carers cannot afford books, and their primary school has no library, or that library is woefully insufficient?’

Life-changing Libraries logo

A new mentorship scheme for underrepresented authors launches today, 30 March. All Stories offers fourteen mentorships delivered by expert children’s book editors.

The shortlists for the prestigious CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals are announced today, 18 March. The awards are the UK’s oldest for children and young people.

This year’s judges praised their shortlists for ‘offering hope and escapism during lockdown’ through explorations of freedom, the great outdoors and journeys through the natural world.

The Jhalak Prize has announced the longlist for the inaugural Jhalak Children’s & Young Adult Prize.

Award-winning author and activist, Onjali Raúf takes up the post as the new Writer in Residence for BookTrust, today, International Women’s Day. She takes over from Smriti Halls.

Onjali Q Raúf

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.

Books for Keeps 232 - the children's book magazine online

Digital version – browse, print or download

BfK Newsletter

BfK No. 232 Articles

Editor's Choice

Ready to Ride

New Talent

Rosie Loves Jack

All Children's Book Reviews in BfK No. 232

Under 5s

Loved to Bits

Cyril and Pat

Once Upon a Wild Wood

Ready to Ride

The Night Dragon

Belinda Brown

Supertato, Veggies in the Valley of Doom

Ages 5-8

The Secret Sky Garden

How to Help a Hedgehog and Protect a Polar Bear

The Girls

The Best Sound in the World

Once Upon a Wild Wood

Belinda Brown

Angry Cookie

The Day War Came

Sorrel and The Sleepover

Ages 8-10

The Great Sea Dragon Discovery

The Dodo Made Me Do It

First Prize for the Worst Witch

The Day War Came

A Bleakley Brothers Mystery: What Manor of Murder?

Tilly and the Bookwanderers

The Legend of Kevin

Ages 10-14

The Great Sea Dragon Discovery

You've Got a Friend

A Kid in My Class

The Dam

Dark Sky Park: Poems from the Edge of Nature

The Way Past Winter

Ages 14+

Rosie Loves Jack

Across the Divide

Black Snow Falling

Colour Me In

A Boy Called Ocean

England: Poems from a School

What Girls Are Made Of

A Room Away from the Wolves

BfK News