Books for Keeps 231 - the children's book magazine online

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. 231 - July 2018

This issue’s cover illustration is from Supertato Veggies in the Valley of Doom by Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet. 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 231 July 2018.

BfK No. 231 Articles

Editorial 231

Carnegie medal winner Geraldine McCaughrean praises words

Celebrating 20 years of the Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award

The key competition for young poets.

Rhythm and Poetry: Karl Nova, CLiPPA winner 2018

An interview with the 2018 CLiPPA winner

Reflecting Realities in children’s literature: my reality and fictional reality

Professor Vini Lander reports on Reflecting Realities, the new study into ethnic representation in children’s literature, and draws on her own personal experiences.

Authorgraph 231 Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet

Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet interviewed by Michelle Pauli

Windows into Illustration: Bruce Ingman

Ten of the Best Island Stories

Ten of the Best: a summer special on the best books set on islands, chosen by Tricia Adams

Beyond the Secret Garden? Portrayals of Mixedness

The latest in our new series looking at representations of BAME characters in children's literature

IBBY UK and books about disability

Choosing the IBBY List of Outstanding Books for Young People with Disabilities, by Rebecca Butler

Two Children Tell: ‘I Weigh Infinity Metres’

Two Children Tell: Virginia Lowe describes her children’s early understanding of numbers

I Wish I’d Written: Emily Gravett

Emily Gravett selects books that inspire her.

We wish we'd written: Honor and Perdita Cargill

Double whammy! The mother and daughter team choose a book they both wish they'd written.

Good Reads 231

Chosen by children in the Petts Wood Library Chatterbooks groups

AN INTERVIEW WITH CATHERINE DOYLE

Catherine Doyle talks about her new book The Storm Keeper's Island

Classics in Short No 130: Peep Behind the Scenes

A Peep Behind the Scenes

A Q&A INTERVIEW WITH JANINA RAMIREZ

The author of Riddle of the Runes answers our questions.

AN INTERVIEW WITH JASON REYNOLDS

The American author Jason Reynolds interviewed by Imogen Russell Williams.

AN INTERVIEW WITH PAOLA PERETTI

The author is interviewed by Ferelith Hordon.

Editor's Choice

The Weight of a Thousand Feathers

Brian Conaghan

(Bloomsbury YA)

Bobby Seed will soon be 18. But he is still 17 – and the weight of the world lies on his shoulders. He is the carer for his mother who is in the final stages of MS. His younger brother, Danny also needs to be cared for. But Bobby longs for a...

Boy Underwater

Adam Baron

(HarperCollinsChildren'sBooks)

Cymbeline Igloo (his father was an actor, hence the name) can’t swim. His mother appears to have an aversion to the sea, swimming pools, any kind of expanse of water and has never allowed him to have swimming lessons. Not that that stops Cym from...

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

Under 5s

Something Fishy

Polly Dunbar

5
Dinosaur Firefighters

Sarah McIntyre

4
Cannonball Coralie and the Lion

Grace Easton

4
Zeki Gets a Checkup

Anna McQuinn

4
Cinderella of the Nile

Beverley Naidoo

4
Long Dog

James Davies

4

Ages 5-8

If All the World Were

Joseph Coelho

5
Hansel and Gretel

Bethan Woollvin

5
Big Bunny

Rowboat Watkins

5
My First Piano Book

Genevieve Helsby
Jason Chapman

4
Our Kid

Tony Ross

4
Rusty the Squeaky Robot

Neil Clark

4
Baby’s First Bank Heist

Jim Whalley

4
Rosa Draws

Jordan Wray

4
Rose’s Dress of Dreams

Katherine Woodfine

3

Ages 8-10

Boy Underwater

Adam Baron

4
Embassy of the Dead

Will Mabbitt

4
The Storm Keeper’s Island

Catherine Doyle

4
Riddle of the Runes

Janina Ramirez

4
Ella on the Outside

Cath Howe

4

Ages 10-14

Mud

Emily Thomas

5
Suffragette, The Battle for Equality

David Roberts

5
The Boy Who Hit Play

Chloe Daykin

5
The Family Tree

Mal Peet

5
Boy Underwater

Adam Baron

4
Embassy of the Dead

Will Mabbitt

4
The Storm Keeper’s Island

Catherine Doyle

4
Bone Talk

Candy Gourlay

4
Fighting Fantasy: The Gates of Death

Charlie Higson

4
In the Mouth of the Wolf

Michael Morpurgo

4
The Starman and Me

Sharon Cohen

4
Boy Meets Hamster

Birdie Milano

3
The Mystery of the Colour Thief

Ewa Jozefkowicz

3
My Messed-Up Life

Susin Nielsen

3
Lucky Break

Rob Stevens

3

Ages 14+

The Weight of a Thousand Feathers

Brian Conaghan

5
Theatrical

Maggie Harcourt

5
The Lost Witch

Melvin Burgess

5
Little Liar

Julia Gray

4
White Rabbit, Red Wolf

Tom Pollock

4
The Survival Game

Nicky Singer

4
Jiddy Vardy

Ruth Estevez

3
Behind Closed Doors

Miriam Halahmy

3

Books About Children's Books

A History of Children’s Books in 100 Books

Roderick Cave
Sara Ayad

3

BfK News

UKLA BOOK AWARD WINNERS 2020

The winners of the 2020 UKLA Book Awards have been announced.

UKLA award

The UKLA Book Awards are the only awards to be judged entirely by teachers and highlight texts that can ‘enhance all aspects of literacy learning’.

CHILDREN READING MORE IN LOCKDOWN

Silly Squad Laura Ellen Anderson

The shortlist for the Klaus Flugge Prize has been announced. 2020 is the fifth year of the prize, which was set up to honour Klaus Flugge, founder of Andersen Press and an extremely influential figure in children’s picture books. It is awarded to the most promising and exciting newcomer to children’s picture book illustration.

BBA logo

UKLA BOOK AWARDS THE SHORTLISTS 2020

CILIP CKG logo

The shortlists for the CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals, the UK’s oldest book awards for children and young people, have been announced. Selected by Youth Librarians from the 20 strong longlists there are eight books on each of the two lists.

The shortlist for the Children’s Book Award 2020 has been announced. This is the award’s 40th Anniversary year and it remains the only national award for children’s books that is voted for entirely by children. To mark the award’s 40th Anniversary, a new category on the shortlist celebrates the most popular books for teens.

NEW FUNDING FOR THE LITTLE REBELS AWARD

The Little Rebels Award for Radical Children’s Fiction has been boosted thanks to £3,500 in new funding from the Barry Amiel and Norman Melburn Trust, bringing the award’s prize money up to £2,000.

CKG logo

The longlists for the CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals, the UK’s oldest book awards for children and young people, have been announced.

Books for Keeps 231 - the children's book magazine online

Digital version – browse, print or download

BfK Newsletter

BfK No. 231 Articles

Editor's Choice

The Weight of a Thousand Feathers

New Talent

Boy Underwater

All Children's Book Reviews in BfK No. 231

Under 5s

Something Fishy

Dinosaur Firefighters

Cannonball Coralie and the Lion

Zeki Gets a Checkup

Cinderella of the Nile

Long Dog

Ages 5-8

If All the World Were

Hansel and Gretel

Big Bunny

My First Piano Book

Our Kid

Rusty the Squeaky Robot

Baby’s First Bank Heist

Rosa Draws

Rose’s Dress of Dreams

Ages 8-10

Boy Underwater

Embassy of the Dead

The Storm Keeper’s Island

Riddle of the Runes

Ella on the Outside

Ages 10-14

Mud

Suffragette, The Battle for Equality

The Boy Who Hit Play

The Family Tree

Boy Underwater

Embassy of the Dead

The Storm Keeper’s Island

Bone Talk

Fighting Fantasy: The Gates of Death

In the Mouth of the Wolf

The Starman and Me

Boy Meets Hamster

The Mystery of the Colour Thief

My Messed-Up Life

Lucky Break

Ages 14+

The Weight of a Thousand Feathers

Theatrical

The Lost Witch

Little Liar

White Rabbit, Red Wolf

The Survival Game

Jiddy Vardy

Behind Closed Doors

Books About Children's Books

A History of Children’s Books in 100 Books

BfK News