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Books for Keeps 219 - 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. 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...

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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

ALL STORIES, A NEW MENTORSHIP PROGRAMME FOR UNDERREPRESENTED CHILDREN’S BOOK WRITERS

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

All Stories logo

read more...
2021 SHORTLISTS ANNOUNCED FOR CILIP CARNEGIE AND KATE GREENAWAY MEDALS

CKG Logo

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.

read more...
INAUGURAL LONGLIST ANNOUNCED FOR THE JHALAK CHILDREN’S AND YOUNG ADULT PRIZE

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

Jhalak Prize logo

read more...
ONJALI RAÚF BECOMES WRITER IN RESIDENCE FOR BOOKTRUST

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

read more...
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

read more...
LONGLIST ANNOUNCED FOR 2021 KLAUS FLUGGE PRIZE

Klaus Flugge Prize logo

read more...
NOW OPEN: 2021 HENRIETTA BRANFORD WRITING COMPETITION

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.

read more...
TWO UK ENTRIES ON IBBY LIST OF OUTSTANDING BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

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.

read more...
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.

read more...
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...
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