Home
  • Home
  • Latest Issue
  • Past Issues
  • Authors & Artists
  • Articles
  • Reviews
  • News
  • Forums
  • Search

Books for Keeps 219 - the children's book magazine online

  • View
  • Rearrange

Digital version – browse, print or download

Can't see the preview?
Click here!

How to print the digital edition of Books for Keeps: click on this PDF file link - click on the printer icon in the top right of the screen to print.

BfK Newsletter

Receive the latest news & reviews direct to your inbox!

BfK No. 219 - July 2016
BfK 219 July 2016

This issue’s cover illustration is from The Great Aaa-Ooo by Jonny Lambert. Thanks to Little Tiger Press for their help with this cover.

Digital Edition
By clicking here you can view, print or download the fully artworked Digital Edition of BfK 219 July 2016.

BfK No. 219 Articles

Editorial 219

Comment from the editor.

Michael Rosen stands up for books

Opinion piece

We are such stuff…

Michael Morpurgo interviewed by Nicholas Tucker

Windows into Illustration: Wen Dee Tan

Wen Dee Tan on the fiery Lili

Obituary: Robert Dunbar, 1940 – 2016

Valerie Coghlan remembers Robert Dunbar

Authorgraph 219 Shaun Tan

Shaun Tan interviewed by Andrew McCallum

What shall we do today? Book related activities for the summer holidays!

your comprehensive guide!

It’s summer – let’s be bored!

Jonathan Stroud champions freedom to think

The Savage on stage

Geraldine Brennan on the stage adaptation of David Almond’s book

Ten of the Best Picture Books to promote gender equality and identity

John Newman chooses

AN INTERVIEW WITH LUCY WORSLEY

Geraldine Brennan talks to Lucy Worsley about Eliza Rose, Katherine Howard and Jean Plaidy.

Introducing Otter-Barry Books

A new children's list

Small Press Comics for Children

Small Press Comics for Children introduced by Hannah Sackett

Two Children Tell: Beatrix Potter’s Clothes

What did Rebecca and Nick make of Beatrix Potter?

Good Reads 219

Chosen by pupils at Heartlands High School

I Wish I’d Written: Horatio Clare

Branford Boase Award winner Horatio Clare chooses

How Little Tiger is Changing Its Stripes

What's new from Little Tiger?

Classics in Short No 118

Quentin Blake’s books for beginners

AN INTERVIEW WITH DEIRDRE SULLIVAN

An interview with the author of Needlework and the Prim series

AN INTERVIEW WITH DAVID SOLOMONS

The award-winning author of My Brother is a Superhero talks to John Newman.

Q&A INTERVIEW WITH GLENDA MILLARD

The author answers questions on The Stars at Oktober Bend

AN INTERVIEW WITH BEN FAULKS AND BEN CORT ABOUT WATCH OUT FOR MUDDY PUDDLES!

Author and illustrator interviewed.

Editor's Choice

Unbecoming

Jenny Downham
(David Fickling Books)
5

Katie is confused. Intelligent, destined to aim for a top university, happy to conform, yet she feels hemmed in by her mother's attempts to guide and control. She is unsure about what she feels about boys or why she is so drawn to girls, in...

read more

New Talent

Little Bits of Sky

S.E.Durrant
(Nosy Crow Ltd)
4

Ira (real name Miracle) and Zac (short for Zackery) are ‘children in care and have been in this situation for a long time. Will they ever find a family of their own? Ira starts her diary as they arrive in yet another home - Skilly House. She...

read more

All Children's Book Reviews in BfK No. 219

  • Under 5s
  • Ages 5-8
  • Ages 8-10
  • Ages 10-14
  • Ages 14+
  • Books About Children's Books

Under 5s

  • Kangaroo Kisses

    Nandana Dev Sen
    5
  • I Will Not Wear Pink

    Joyce Dunbar
    5
  • Bee and Me

    Alison Jay
    4
  • Lottie Potter wants an Otter

    Jeanne Willis
    4
  • The Detective Dog

    Julia Donaldson
    4
  • The Bear Cub Bakers

    Caroline Baxter
    4
  • Copy Cat

    Ali Pye
    3

Ages 5-8

  • The Tree

    Neal Layton
    5
  • Neffy and the Feathered Dinosaurs

    Joe Lillington
    5
  • Archie

    Archie Snufflekins Oliver Valentine Cupcake Tiberius Cat

    Katie Harnett
    5
  • The Dragon and the Nibblesome Knight

    The Dragon and the Nibblesome Knight

    Elli Woollard
    Benji Davies
    5
  • Steven Seagull Action Hero

    Steven Seagull Action Hero

    Elys Dolan
    5
  • My Dad Used to Be So Cool

    My Dad Used to Be So Cool

    Keith Negley
    5
  • Dotty Detective

    Dotty Detective

    Clara Vulliamy
    5
  • Monster in the Hood

    Monster in the Hood

    Steve Antony
    5
  • The Riddlemaster

    Kevin Crossley-Holland
    4
  • The Detective Dog

    Julia Donaldson
    4
  • The Usborne Outdoor Book

    The Usborne Outdoor Book: Inspiring ideas for discovering and exploring outdoors

    Alice James
    Emily Bone
    Briony May Smith
    4
  • A Rainbow in my Pocket

    A Rainbow in my Pocket

    Ali Seidabadi
    4
  • Anna Liza

    Anna Liza and the Happy Practice

    Eoin Colfer
    4
  • Will and Nill

    Farhad Hasanzadeh
    4
  • The Bear Cub Bakers

    Caroline Baxter
    4
  • The Riddlemaster

    Kevin Crossley-Holland
    4
  • Hendrix the Rocking Horse

    Hendrix the Rocking Horse

    Gavin Puckett
    3
  • Perfect

    Nicola Davies
    2
  • The Wonderful Adventure of Nils Holgersson

    The Wonderful Adventure of Nils Holgersson

    Selma Lagerlőf
    2

Ages 8-10

  • The Curiositree Natural World: A Visual Compendium of Wonders from Nature

    Amanda Wood
    Mike Jolley
    5
  • Rent a Bridesmaid

    Rent a Bridesmaid

    Jacqueline Wilson
    5
  • Wildlife in your garden

    Wildlife in your garden

    Mike Dilger
    5
  • A Library of Lemons

    A Library of Lemons

    Jo Cotterill
    5
  • Little Bits of Sky

    S.E.Durrant
    4
  • The Power of Dark

    The Power of Dark

    Robin Jarvis
    4
  • King Flashypants and the Evil Emperor

    King Flashypants and the Evil Emperor

    Andy Riley
    4
  • Bigger and Better

    Bigger and Better

    Kaye Umansky
    4
  • Wings: Flyboy

    Tom Palmer
    4
  • The Unlikely Time traveller

    The Unlikely Time traveller

    Janis Mackay
    4
  • My Gym Teacher is an Alien Overlord

    My Gym Teacher is an Alien Overlord

    David Solomons
    3

Ages 10-14

  • The Wolves of Currumpaw

    William Grill
    5
  • Goodbye Stranger

    Rebecca Stead
    5
  • Oh, Freedom!

    Francesco DAdamo
    4
  • The Best Medicine

    Christine Hamill
    4
  • The King's Revenge

    Philip Womack
    4
  • The Girl of Ink and Stars

    Kiran Millwood Hargrave
    4
  • Girl out of Water

    Nat Luurtsema
    4
  • Ned’s Circus of Marvels

    Justin Fisher
    4
  • Eliza Rose

    Lucy Worsley
    4
  • Sweet Pizza

    G R Gemin
    3

Ages 14+

  • Unbecoming

    Jenny Downham
    5
  • Nightwanderers

    C J Flood
    4
  • If I Was Your Girl

    Meredith Russo
    4
  • Eliza Rose

    Lucy Worsley
    4
  • Eden Summer

    Liz Flanagan
    4

Books About Children's Books

  • Quentin Blake in the Theatre of The Imagination: An Artist At Work

    Ghislaine Kenyon
    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.’

read more...
ROBIN WALKER WINS THE 2020 ALCS EDUCATIONAL WRITERS’ AWARD FOR BLACK HISTORY MATTERS

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.

read more...
IBBY UK nominate Marcus Sedgwick and David McKee for the Hans Christian Andersen Award 2022

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

read more...
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)

read more...
BOOKTRUST’S REPRESENTS INTERIM RESEARCH & CLPE REFLECTING REALITIES SURVEY 2020

CLPE Reflecting Realities Report 2020

read more...
SHORTLIST FOR THE 2021 BLUE PETER BOOK AWARDS REVEALED

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

Blue Peter Book Award logo

read more...
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.

read more...
JANE PORTER AND MAISIE PARADISE SHEARRING 2020 LITTLE REBELS AWARD WINNERS

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.

Little Rebels logo 2020

read more...
OU AND MACMILLAN CHILDREN’S BOOKS LAUNCH BOOK CHAT SCHEME

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.

read more...
TOM PALMER WINS THE CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD 2020

Tom Palmer

read more...
more
  • About us
  • Contact us
  • Help/FAQ
  • My Account