Books for Keeps 225 - the children's book magazine online

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BfK No. 225 - July 2017

This issue’s cover illustration is from Poppy and the Blooms by Fiona Woodcock. Thanks to Simon and Schuster for their help with this July cover.
Digital Edition
By clicking here you can view, print or download the fully artworked Digital Edition of BfK 225 July 2017.

BfK No. 225 Articles

Editorial 225

Guest editorial: Chris Riddell reflects on his time as Children’s Laureate

Hopeful Activism … because what we DO as well as what we say matters

A piece of passion from Sita Brahmachari

Hip Hip Hooray for Harry

Imogen Russell Williams considers Harry Potter at twenty.

Windows into Illustration: Guy Parker-Rees

Guy Parker-Rees on drawing Dylan

Authorgraph 225 Chris Priestley

Chris Priestley interviewed by Philip Womack

Ten of the Best Audiobooks for Children

Summer listening chosen by Nicolette Jones

‘The pictures are better’: audio books explained

Thoughts from Nicholas Jones of Strathmore about what an audio producer does.

The Art of Submitting for BIB

Piet Grobler on the art of submitting for BIB, the Biennial of Illustrations Bratislava 2107

AN INTERVIEW WITH DAVID MACKINTOSH

David Mackintosh interviewed by Robyn Sheahan-Bright

Making Room for Children, Swedish-style

Ferelith Hordon explores a new Southbank library

An Interview with Philip Pullman

Philip Pullman interviewed by Nicholas Tucker

Ron Heapy – An Appreciation

David Fickling remembers the great children’s editor Ron Heapy

Two Children and Dick Bruna: a Tribute

Two Children Tell: a tribute to Dick Bruna

I Wish I’d Written: Liz Flanagan

Liz Flanagan chooses

Good Reads 225

chosen by pupils at Worth School, West Sussex

Classics in Short No. 124:The King of the Golden River

Classics in Short No. 124 Climate Change by courtesy of John Ruskin and The King of the Golden River

JACQUELINE WILSON AT THE FOUNDLING MUSEUM

Rebecca Butler talks to Jacqueline Wilson about the new Hetty Feather exibition at the Foundling Museum.

THE EXPLORER: AN INTERVIEW WITH KATHERINE RUNDELL

Imogen Russell Williams interviews Katherine Rundell about her new book The Explorer.

AN INTERVIEW WITH E. LOCKHART

The author of We Were Liars talks about her new book.

AN INTERVIEW WITH A. F. HARROLD

An interview with the author of The Imaginary and the Fizzlebert Stump books.

Editor's Choice

The Pond

Nicola Davies

(Graffeg Limited)

How to deal with death and grief? This is the theme of Nicola Davies’ latest book. There is nothing mawkish or sentimental. The young narrator does not hide the anger that grief can bring, both in young and old. The death of the father leaves a...

Moon Juice

Kate Wakeling

(The Emma Press)

A collection of poems by a new voice writing for children is an event to be celebrated. Moon Juice by the poet, Kate Wakeling is just such an event. However, these are not poems created to grab the attention with the quick laugh...

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

Under 5s

Say Zoop

Hervé Tulley

5
Never Take a Bear to School

Mark Sperring

4
My Daddy is a Silly Monkey

Dianne Hofmeyr

4
The Bad Bunnies’ Magic Show

Mini Grey

4
Poppy and the Blooms

Fiona Woodcock

4
Monster Baby

Sarah Dyer

3

Ages 5-8

My Name is Not Refugee

Kate Milner

5
Storm Whale

Sarah Brennan

5
Everybody’s Welcome

Patricia Hegarty

5
Six Blind Mice and an Elephant

Jude Daly

5
Big Brown Bear’s Cave

Yuval Zommer

5
The Bad Bunnies’ Magic Show

Mini Grey

4
The Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors

Drew Daywalt

4
Dino Diggers, Digger Disaster

Rose Impey

4
Norman the Norman from Normandy

Philip Ardagh

3

Ages 8-10

The Boy, the Bird & the Coffin Maker

Matilda Woods

5
Moon Juice

Kate Wakeling

5
The Pond

Nicola Davies

5
The Last Duchess

Laura Powell

4
Travels with My Sketchbook

Michael Foreman

4
The City of Secret Rivers

Jacob Sager Weinstein

4
The Earth Book

Jonathan Litton

4
King of the Sky

Nicola Davies

4
You Can’t Make Me Go to Witch School

Em Lynas

4
Knighthood for Beginners

Elys Dolan

3
Help! I’m a Genius

Jo Franklin

3
The Amber Pendant

Imogen White

3

Ages 10-14

Moon Juice

Kate Wakeling

5
Walking Mountain

Joan Lennon

5
The Incredible Billy Wild

Joanna Nadin

5
The Evil Within

Catherine MacPhail

5
Rook Anthony McGowan

Anthony McGowan

4
The Last Duchess

Laura Powell

4
Being Miss Nobody

Tamsin Winter

4
Letters From the Lighthouse

Emma Carroll

4
Never Say Die

Anthony Horowitz

4
Defender of the Realm

Mark Huckerby

4
The Guggenheim Mystery

Robin Stevens
Siobhan Dowd

3

Ages 14+

Like Other Girls

Claire Hennessy

5
Encounters

Jason Wallace

5
A Berlin Love Song

Sarah Matthias

5
No Filter

Orlagh Collins

4
Forgetting Foster

Dianne Touchell

4
Goodnight, Boy

Nikki Sheehan

4

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.

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.

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.’

Books for Keeps 225 - the children's book magazine online

Digital version – browse, print or download

BfK Newsletter

BfK No. 225 Articles

Editor's Choice

The Pond

New Talent

Moon Juice

All Children's Book Reviews in BfK No. 225

Under 5s

Say Zoop

Never Take a Bear to School

My Daddy is a Silly Monkey

The Bad Bunnies’ Magic Show

Poppy and the Blooms

Monster Baby

Ages 5-8

My Name is Not Refugee

Storm Whale

Everybody’s Welcome

Six Blind Mice and an Elephant

Big Brown Bear’s Cave

The Bad Bunnies’ Magic Show

The Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors

Dino Diggers, Digger Disaster

Norman the Norman from Normandy

Ages 8-10

The Boy, the Bird & the Coffin Maker

Moon Juice

The Pond

The Last Duchess

Travels with My Sketchbook

The City of Secret Rivers

The Earth Book

King of the Sky

You Can’t Make Me Go to Witch School

Knighthood for Beginners

Help! I’m a Genius

The Amber Pendant

Ages 10-14

Moon Juice

Walking Mountain

The Incredible Billy Wild

The Evil Within

Rook Anthony McGowan

The Last Duchess

Being Miss Nobody

Letters From the Lighthouse

Never Say Die

Defender of the Realm

The Guggenheim Mystery

Ages 14+

Like Other Girls

Encounters

A Berlin Love Song

No Filter

Forgetting Foster

Goodnight, Boy

BfK News