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

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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

NATASHA FARRANT WINS 2020 COSTA CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD

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

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

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