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Books for Keeps 230 - 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. 230 - May 2018
BfK 230 May 2018

This issue’s cover illustration is from The House with Chicken Legs by Sophie Anderson, illustrated by Elisa Paganelli. Thanks to Usborne Publishing for their help with this May cover.
Digital Edition
By clicking here you can view, print or download the fully artworked Digital Edition of BfK 230 May 2018.

BfK No. 230 Articles

Editorial 230

Get ready for Empathy Day: Miranda McKearney looks forward to 12thJune
Rebels with a Cause: Fen Coles on The Little Rebels Award for Radical Children’s Fiction

Rebels with a Cause: Fen Coles on the Little Rebels Award for Radical Children’s Fiction
How do we measure up?

Children’s books as a mirror to society, how do they measure up? asks Chitra Soundar
Authograph 230 Brian Conaghan

Brian Conaghan interview by Joy Court
Windows into Illustration: Kate Hindley

Windows into Illustration: Kate Hindley
11 of the best football reads for children

Ten of the Best: the best football books chosen by Jim Sells of the National Literacy Trust
Beyond the Secret Garden ‘In Times of Peril’: Britons, Asians, Muslims

Part three in Darren Chetty and Karen Sands-O’Connor’s series looking at representations of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic voices in children’s books.
The CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal Shortlist 2018

The Kate Greenaway Medal 2018 shortlist appraised by Derek Brazell
The CILIP Carnegie Medal shortlist 2018

The Carnegie Medal shortlist appraised by Nicholas Tucker
Hidden: from page to stage

Miriam Halahmy on the new adaptation of her novel Hidden

An interview with Lauren St John

Michelle Pauli interview Lauren St John
Two Children Tell: Filling in the Gaps

Two Children Tell: Filling in the picture book gaps
I Wish I’d Written: Sarah Govett

I Wish I’d Written… Sarah Govett chooses
Good Reads 230

Good Reads for Empathy Day, chosen by primary school pupils

Classics in Short No 129: The Little Grey Men, Last of the Little People

The Little Grey Men, Last of the Little People
The Little Rebels Award in 2018

Judge Darren Chetty reflects on the 2018 Little Rebels Prize.
A Q&A INTERVIEW WITH JULIA GRAY, AUTHOR OF LITTLE LIAR

The author answers questions on her novel Little Liar
AN INTERVIEW WITH 2018 CARNEGIE MEDAL WINNER GERALDINE McCAUGHREAN

The 2018 Carnegie Medal winner interviewed by Nicholas Tucker

Editor's Choice

The Electrical Venus
Julie Mayhew
(Hot Key Books)
4

Mim’s life is with Grainger’s Side Show along with a “dwaff”, a learned pig and Alex, a boy who has only one arm. Welcome to the world of Georgian entertainment. But this is also the Age of the Enlightenment when scientific discoveries and...

read more

New Talent

The House with Chicken Legs
Sophie Anderson
(Usborne Publishing Ltd)
5

A beautiful and original take on the Tale of Baba Yaga.

Marinka has lived with her grandmother, Baba Yaga all her life, helping her to lead the dead through The Gate to the stars and to enjoy one last wonderful meal together and hear the...

read more

All Children's Book Reviews in BfK No. 230

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

Under 5s

  • The Rhythm of the Rain
    Grahame Baker-Smith
    5

  • Sophie Johnson: Unicorn Expert
    Morag Hood
    5

  • The Story of Tantrum O’Furrily
    Cressida Cowell
    5

  • Colour My Days
    Ross Collins
    4

  • Baby Bird
    Andrew Gibbs
    4

  • Is it a Mermaid?
    Candy Gourlay
    3

Ages 5-8

  • The Rhythm of the Rain
    Grahame Baker-Smith
    5

  • After the Fall. How Humpty Dumpty got back up again
    Dan Santat
    5

  • Space Tortoise
    Ross Montgomery
    5

  • Juniper Jupiter
    Lizzy Stewart
    3

  • The Nothing to See Here Hotel
    Steven Butler
    3

Ages 8-10

  • Noah Scape Can’t Stop Repeating Himself
    Guy Bass
    5

  • Charlie and Me: 421 Miles from Home
    Mark Lowery
    5

  • Happyville High: Geek Tragedy
    Tom McLaughlin
    4

  • Kat Wolfe Investigates
    Lauren St John
    4

  • The Secret of the Night Train
    Sylvia Bishop
    4

  • HerStory: 50 women and girls who shook the world
    Katherine Halligan
    4

  • She Persisted Around the World: 13 Women Who Changed History
    Chelsea Clinton
    4

  • Dog Town
    Luize Pastore
    3

  • The Nothing to See Here Hotel
    Steven Butler
    3

Ages 10-14

  • The House with Chicken Legs
    Sophie Anderson
    5

  • Rebound
    Kwame Alexander
    5

  • The Goose Road
    Rowena House
    5

  • Rose Rivers
    Jacqueline Wilson
    4

  • The Infinite Lives of Maisie Day
    Christopher Edge
    4

  • The Wild Folk
    Sylvia Linsteadt
    4

  • A Good Day for Climbing Trees
    Jaco Jacobs
    4

  • Child I
    Steve Tasane
    4

  • Flamingo Boy
    Michael Morpurgo
    3

Ages 14+

  • Stranger
    Keren David
    5

  • Me Mam. Me Dad. Me.
    Malcolm Duffy
    5

  • In Paris With You
    Clementine Beauvais
    5

  • Skylarks
    Karen Gregory
    4

  • The Electrical Venus
    Julie Mayhew
    4

  • The Girl in the Broken Mirror
    Savita Kalhan
    4

  • On a Scale of One to Ten
    Ceylan Scott
    4

  • Ash Princess
    Laura Sebastian
    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.

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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