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Books for Keeps 236 - the children's book magazine online

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BfK No. 236 - May 2019
BfK 236 May 2019

This issue’s cover illustration features Rumblestar, book one in The Unmapped Chronicles series by Abi Elphinstone illustrated by Carrie May. Thanks to Simon and Schuster 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 236 May 2019.

BfK No. 236 Articles

Editorial 236

Guest Editorial by Little Rebels judge Patrice Lawrence

Fine Art and Feminism, Education and Inspiration: The Bigger Picture

Fine Art and Feminism, the bigger picture by Sophia Bennett

30 years of Elmer, the indispensable elephant

Happy 30th Birthday, Elmer. Carey Fluker Hunt celebrates

Ten of the Best: Books about Witches

Imogen Russell Williams decides which witches are best

AN INTERVIEW WITH CARNEGIE WINNER ELIZABETH ACEVEDO

An interview with the 2019 Carnegie Medal winner

Authorgraph 236: Abi Elphinstone

Abi Elphinstone interviewed by Joy Court

Windows into Illustration: Victoria Turnbull

Windows into Illustration: Victoria Turnbull

Picturebook talent: the 2019 Klaus Flugge Prize shortlist

Martin Salisbury appraises the Klaus Flugge Prize shortlist

Obituary: Judith Kerr 1923-2019

Nicholas Tucker remembers the extraordinary Judith Kerr.

Flights of Imagination: the Migrations exhibition

A guide to the Migrations exhibition by Pam Dix

Beyond the Secret Garden: Taking Series Seriously

Beyond the Secret Garden: Darren Chetty and Karen Sands-O’Connor take series seriously

Celebrating Jan Pieńkowski

Jan Pieńkowski awarded the Book Trust Lifetime Achievement Award

Bringing Beowulf to Britain

Tony Bradman on a story that’s enthralled him all his life

I Wish I’d Written: Susan Martineau

Susan Martineau on the magic of The Eagle of the Ninth

Good Reads 236

Good Reads chosen by chosen by pupils at Manav Rachna International School, India

Classics in Short No 135: A Wonder-Book for Boys and Girls

Brian Alderson assesses the first classic children's book to come from the United States.

A Q&A interview with Bren MacDibble

The author answers our questions about The Dog Runner

An interview with Jacqueline Wilson

Rebecca Butler interviews Jacqueline Wilson about her new novel Dancing the Charleston

AN INTERVIEW WITH VASHTI HARDY

An interview with the author of Brightstorm and Wildspark.

A Q&A interview with Ali Pye

Ali Pye introduces her new character Harry Stevenson.

A Q&A INTERVIEW WITH MUHAMMAD KHAN

An interview with the winner of the 2019 Branford Boase Award

AN INTERVIEW WITH LAURA WOOD

The author interviewed about her new book, Under a Dancing Star.

Editor's Choice

Tad

Benji Davies
(HarperCollinsChildren'sBooks)
4

Tad is the smallest tadpole in the pond and struggles to keep up with her many siblings who taunt her with the threat of Big Blub. Then Tad notices her brothers and sisters are disappearing – where have they gone? What will happen to her – she...

read more

New Talent

The Umbrella Mouse

Anna Fargher
(Macmillan Children's Books)
3

It’s 1944, the D-Day landings have just taken place and Pip the mouse is living with her parents inside an antique umbrella in a shop window in New Oxford Street, where Pip listens to stories about her Italian relatives at the umbrella museum in...

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All Children's Book Reviews in BfK No. 236

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

Under 5s

  • Circle

    Mac Barnett
    5
  • Lubna and Pebble

    Wendy Meddour
    5
  • This Love: A Celebration of Harmony Around the World

    Isabel Otter
    5
  • The Go-Away Bird

    Julia Donaldson
    5
  • Tad

    Benji Davies
    4
  • The Flute

    Ken Wilson-Max
    4
  • Cloud Forest

    Victoria Turnbull
    4
  • Tiny T. Rex and The Impossible Hug

    Jonathan Stutzman
    4

Ages 5-8

  • Five More Minutes

    Marta Altés
    5
  • Hummingbird

    Nicola Davies
    5
  • King Otter

    Jane Porter
    5
  • Paper Planes

    Jim Helmore
    4
  • Hotel Flamingo

    Alex Milway
    4
  • The Great Big Book of Life

    Mary Hoffman
    Ros Asquith
    4
  • I Saw a Bee

    Rob Ramsden
    4
  • The Adventures of Harry Stevenson

    Ali Pye
    4

Ages 8-10

  • The Star-spun Web

    Sinéad O’Hart
    5
  • Cloud Boy

    Marcia Williams
    5
  • Swimming Against the Storm

    Jess Butterworth
    5
  • The Tunnels Below

    Nadine Wild-Palmer
    4
  • The Longest Night of Charlie Moon

    Christopher Edge
    4
  • The Cosmic Atlas of Alfie Fleet

    Martin Howard
    4
  • We Won An Island

    Charlotte Lo
    4
  • The Winged Horse Race

    Kallie George
    4
  • The Last Zoo

    Sam Gayton
    4
  • Winter of the Wolves

    Tony Bradman
    4
  • Call Me Alastair

    Cory Leonardo
    4
  • The Adventures of Harry Stevenson

    Ali Pye
    4
  • The Umbrella Mouse

    Anna Fargher
    3
  • Bloom

    Nicola Skinner
    3

Ages 10-14

  • The Time Travel Diaries

    Caroline Lawrence
    5
  • Dancing the Charleston

    Jacqueline Wilson
    5
  • Pay Attention, Carter Jones

    Gary D. Schmidt
    5
  • Winter of the Wolves

    Tony Bradman
    4
  • A Wolf Called Wander

    Rosanne Parry
    4
  • Call Me Alastair

    Cory Leonardo
    4
  • The Middler

    Kirsty Appelbaum
    3
  • Bloom

    Nicola Skinner
    3

Ages 14+

  • Voyages in the Underworld of Orpheus Black

    Marcus Sedgwick
    Julian Sedgwick
    5
  • Toffee

    Sarah Crossan
    5
  • The Stolen Ones

    Vanessa Curtis
    5
  • Kerb Stain Boys

    Alex Wheatle
    4
  • The Colour of Shadows

    Phyllida Shrimpton
    3
  • My Brother’s Name is Jessica

    John Boyne
    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.’

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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.

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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)

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

CLPE Reflecting Realities Report 2020

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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

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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.

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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

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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.

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TOM PALMER WINS THE CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD 2020

Tom Palmer

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