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Books for Keeps 178 - the children's book magazine online

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BfK No. 178 - September 2009

Cover Story

This issue’s cover illustration by Tony Ross is from Big Bad Bun by Jeanne Willis. Tony Ross writes about his illustration here. Thanks to Andersen Press for their help with this September cover.

BfK No. 178 Articles

Editorial – September 2009

News and comment from the Editor.
Morris Gleitzman: writing about the Holocaust for children

Julia Eccleshare interviews Morris Gleitzman about his new novel, Then.
Windows into Illustration: Tony Ross

Tony Ross explains how he went about illustrating Big Bad Bun.
Why Don’t All Schools Have a Literary Events Co-ordinator? Or Lucy Shepherd’s Lonely Job Club Stand

Lucy Shepherd puts the case.
Ten of the Best Books for Children about France

Rosemary Stones chooses ten outstanding titles.
Authorgraph No.178: Andy Stanton

Andy Stanton interviewed by Clive Barnes.
BfK Briefing – September 2009

News * Awards * Letter to the Editor * Obituary
Hal’s Reading Diary – September 2009

Roger Mills finds an exciting plot helps.
I Wish I’d Written… Eloise

Cressida Cowell chooses Kay Thompson and Hilary Knight’s Eloise.
Good Reads: High School for Girls, Gloucester

Reviews from pupils of The High School for Girls, Gloucester.
Classics in Short No.77: The Thirteen Clocks and The Wonderful O

Brian Alderson on James Thurber’s The Thirteen Clocks and The Wonderful O.

Editor's Choice

One True Bear
Ted Dewan
(Orchard Books)
5

Reporting for duty didn’t do Democrat Presidential candidate John Kerry much good but teddy bear Darcy Brewster has better luck when he volunteers for a dangerous mission – to become the One True Bear of a troubled little boy, Damian, who has...

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New Talent

How Kirsty Jenkins Stole the Elephant
Elen Caldecott
(Bloomsbury Publishing PLC)
3

When Kirsty’s grandad is dying, he asks her to look after his allotment and she promises she will. Easier said than done however, as the allotment is rented from the council. Kirsty needs help to persuade the council’s Mr Thomas to allow her to...

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All Children's Book Reviews in BfK No. 178

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

Under 5s

  • The Littlest Dinosaur’s Big Adventure
    Michael Foreman
    5

  • Duck
    Janet H Holmes
    4

  • Elmer’s Special Day
    David McKee
    4

  • Oliver Who Was Small But Mighty
    Mara Bergman
    4

  • Mimi and Moochie Go Shopping
    Margaret Chamberlain
    4

  • Crocodiles are the Best Animals of All!
    Sean Taylor
    4

  • How High is the Sky?
    Anna Milbourne
    4

  • Captain Small Pig
    Martin Waddell
    3

  • Go Hare and Tortoise Go! ¦ Run Little Chicken Run!
    Elena Pasquali
    2

Ages 5-8

  • The Princess' Blankets
    Carol Ann Duffy
    5

  • Millie's Marvellous Hat
    Satoshi Kitamura
    5

  • It's a Secret
    John Burningham
    5

  • One True Bear
    Ted Dewan
    5

  • Big Noisy Book of Dinosaurs
    5

  • My First Nursery Book
    Franciszka Themerson
    4

  • Handsome Hog
    Mwenye Hadithi
    4

  • Inventions: Pop-up models from the drawings of Leonardo da Vinci
    Leonardo da Vinci
    4

  • Doctor Doctor
    Mick Manning
    Brita Granström
    4

  • Brother William's Year: A Monk at Westminster Abbey
    Jan Pancheri
    4

  • Victoria Goes to Brazil
    Maria De Fatima Campos
    4

  • B is for Bangladesh
    Urmi Rahman
    3

  • Jake - a Friend Indeed ¦ Jake in Danger
    Annette Butterworth
    3

  • Cat Tales - Shop Cat
    Linda Newbery
    3

Ages 8-10

  • Planet Patrol
    Mick Manning
    Brita Granström
    5

  • The Ogress and the Snake and other stories from Somalia
    4

  • Mathmagicians
    Johnny Ball
    4

  • Explaining Down’s Syndrome
    Angela Royston
    4

  • Who Am I? The Family Tree Explorer
    Anthony Adolph
    4

  • The Slant Book
    Peter Newell
    3

  • Granny Ting Ting ¦ Ever Clever Eva ¦ Bamba Beach
    Patrice Lawrence
    3

  • On the March: Bridgewood High FC
    Dave Spurdens
    3

  • Out of Control, Ms Wiz
    Terence Blacker
    3

  • The Pirates’ Treasure
    Emily Bearn
    3

  • The Mummy Snatcher of Memphis
    Natasha Narayan
    3

  • Member of Parliament
    Rebecca Hunter
    3

  • How Kirsty Jenkins Stole the Elephant
    Elen Caldecott
    3

  • Shadow Goblins
    David Melling
    2

Ages 10-14

  • The Eyeball Collector
    F E Higgins
    5

  • The Silver Blade
    Sally Gardner
    5

  • The Witching Hour
    Elizabeth Laird
    5

  • Breathing Underwater
    Julia Green
    4

  • Revolver
    Marcus Sedgwick
    4

  • Pig City
    Louis Sachar
    4

  • Bang, Bang, You’re Dead!
    Narinder Dhami
    4

  • Threads
    Sophia Bennett
    4

  • Wishing for Tomorrow
    Hilary McKay
    4

  • Wolf Cry
    Julia Golding
    4

  • Heriot
    Margaret Mahy
    4

  • The Time Book
    Martin Jenkins
    4

  • Animals up Close
    Igor Siwanowicz
    4

  • Revenge!
    John Pilkington
    3

  • The Missing, Book One: Found
    Margaret Peterson Haddix
    3

  • The Doomsday Machine
    Catherine Webb
    3

  • The Agency: A Spy in the House
    Y S Lee
    3

  • Pocket Timeline of Islamic Civilizations
    Nicholas Badcott
    3

  • Payback
    Rosemary Hayes
    2

  • Out of the Blue
    Val Rutt
    2

  • Beautiful Dead, Book 1: Jonas
    Eden Maguire
    2

  • Climate Change ¦ Climate Change
    Richard Spilsbury
    2

Ages 14+

  • Lifegame
    Alison Allen-Gray
    5

  • City of Ghosts
    Bali Rai
    5

  • Tender Morsels
    Margo Lanagan
    5

  • Slavery: real people and their stories of enslavement
    Reg Grant
    5

  • Skim
    Mariko Tamaki
    4

  • Saving Rafael
    Leslie Wilson
    4

  • Mine
    Joanna Kenrick
    3

  • Sprout
    Dale Peck
    3

  • Thirteen Reasons Why
    Jay Asher
    2

  • I Am Not a Serial Killer
    Dan Wells
    1

Books About Children's Books

  • Book Power: Literacy through Literature, Year 1
    Jane Bunting
    5

  • Juicy Writing: inspiration and techniques for young writers
    Brigid Lowry
    4

  • Enchanted Hunters: the power of stories in childhood
    Maria Tatar
    2

BfK News

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

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LONGLIST ANNOUNCED FOR 2021 KLAUS FLUGGE PRIZE

Klaus Flugge Prize logo

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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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