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Books for Keeps 227 - the children's book magazine online

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BfK No. 227 - November 2017
BfK 227 November 2017

This issue’s cover illustration is from Fairy Tales by Hilary McKay, illustrated by Sarah Gibb. Thanks to Macmillan Children’s Books for their help with this Christmas cover.
Digital Edition
By clicking here you can view, print or download the fully artworked Digital Edition of BfK 227 November 2017 .

BfK No. 227 Articles

Editorial 227

Guest Editorial: Sarah Odedina, Editor-in-Chief, Scoop magazine
All hail the new Children’s Laureate

An interview with Lauren Child

Books of the Year 2017

2017 - the Books of the Year: our panel makes their choice
Happy Christmas Reading 2017

Books for Giving 2017: Ferelith Hordon plays Santa
Authorgraph 227 Kate Saunders

Kate Saunders interviewed by Philip Womack
Ten of the Best Fairy Tale Collections for Children

Ann Lazim chooses
Happy Ever After: an interview with Hilary McKay

Hilary McKay on her new collection of fairy tales
Truly Two

Catherine MacPhail and Robert Louis Stevenson
A Talent for Happiness: Judith Kerr interviewed

Judith Kerr interviewed by Nicholas Tucker
Windows into Illustration: Ehsan Abdollahi

Ehsan Abdollahi

Two Children Tell: Meeting Monsters

Nick meets monsters
Iona Opie Obituary

Iona Opie remembered
I Wish I’d Written: Jonathan Meres

Jonathan Meres chooses
Good Reads Highfield Primary School, Enfield

Good Reads chosen by pupils at Highfield Primary School, Enfield
New children’s book exhibitions: a review feature

Brian Alderson reviews two new children's book exhibitions
A Twelfth Night Pantomime from Italy: The Rose and the Ring

The Rose and the Ring by William Makepeace Thackeray
AN INTERVIEW WITH IRFAN MASTER

Irfan Master talks his writing and new book Out of Heart
Costa Children’s Book Award, Shortlist Interviews 2017: Sarah Crossan

An interview with Sarah Crossan, Costa-shortlisted author of Moonrise.
AN INTERVIEW WITH HOLLY BLACK

The best-selling fantasy authors talks about her new series The Folk of the Air.
Books for Keeps Christmas Recommendations 2017

Christmas book list
John Yeoman & Quentin Blake: book list

Compiled by Brian Alderson

Editor's Choice

There’s A Bug on My Arm That Won’t Let Go
David Mackintosh
(HarperCollinsChildren'sBooks)
5

What to do...there’s a bug on my arm that won’t let go. But I think it quite likes it there – so I better look after it.

Here is a picture book that stands out, not just for the witty text through which we hear the reasonable voice of the...

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New Talent

The Eli Collection: Egg, Cards, Pencil
Laura Bellini
(Tiny Owl Publishing Ltd)
5

Little Eli is a dragonfly. He is alone. Exploring his surroundings he comes across objects that open possibilities for him to be creative and build dreams.

There is an almost dreamlike quality to Bellini’s delicate lines that captures both...

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All Children's Book Reviews in BfK No. 227

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

Under 5s

  • There’s A Bug on My Arm That Won’t Let Go
    David Mackintosh
    5

  • Kevin, The Make-Believe Friend You Can Really Believe In
    Rob Biddulph
    5

  • The Snow Lion
    Jim Helmore
    5

  • Socks for Mr Wolf A Woolly Adventure Around Ireland
    Tatyana Feeney
    4

  • Hack and Whack
    Francesca Simon
    4

  • Luna loves Library Day
    Joseph Coelho
    4

  • What Makes Me a Me?
    Ben Faulks
    4

Ages 5-8

  • A Werewolf Named Oliver James
    Nicholas John Frith
    5

  • There’s A Bug on My Arm That Won’t Let Go
    David Mackintosh
    5

  • The Eli Collection: Egg, Cards, Pencil
    Laura Bellini
    5

  • The Ugly Five
    Julia Donaldson
    5

  • I am Bat
    Morag Hood
    5

  • La La La Kate Dicamillo
    Kate DiCamillo
    5

  • When I Grow Up
    Tim Minchin
    4

  • Hack and Whack
    Francesca Simon
    4

  • One Christmas Wish
    Katherine Rundell
    4

Ages 8-10

  • Secret of the Stones
    Tony Bradman
    5

  • Witch for a Week
    Kaye Umansky
    5

  • Professional Crocodile
    Giovanna Zoboli
    5

  • The Explorer
    Katherine Rundell
    4

  • The Secret Diary of Jane Pinny: Victorian housemaid (and accidental detective)
    Philip Ardagh
    4

  • Foxcraft: the Mage
    Inbali Iserles
    4

  • Hopscotch in the Sky
    Lucinda Jacob
    4

  • How to write Poems
    Joseph Coelho
    4

  • Pop up Shakespeare
    Austin Tichenor
    Reed Martin
    4

Ages 10-14

  • Rising Stars New Young Voices in Poetry
    5

  • The Land of Neverendings
    Kate Saunders
    5

  • Hetty Feather’s Christmas
    Jacqueline Wilson
    5

  • Nevermoor: the trials of Morrigan Crow
    Jessica Townsend
    5

  • Do you Speak Chocolate
    Cas Lester
    5

  • Scarecrow
    Danny Weston
    5

  • Illegal
    Eoin Colfer
    Andrew Donkin
    5

  • A Skinful of Shadows
    Frances Hardinge
    5

  • The Explorer
    Katherine Rundell
    4

  • Worry Angels
    Sita Brahmachari
    4

  • My Side of the Diamond
    Sally Gardner
    4

  • Matt Millz
    Harry Hill
    4

Ages 14+

  • Moonrise
    Sarah Crossan
    5

  • A Skinful of Shadows
    Frances Hardinge
    5

  • Potter's Boy
    Tony Mitton
    5

  • Grave Matters
    Juno Dawson
    4

  • It Only Happens in the Movies
    Holly Bourne
    4

  • A Shiver of Snow and Sky
    Lisa Lueddecke
    4

BfK News

JESSICA LOVE NAMED WINNER OF THE KLAUS FLUGGE PRIZE 2019 FOR JULIAN IS A MERMAID

Jessica Love

read more...
LOLLIES 2020 SHORTLIST THE YEAR’S FUNNIEST CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Michael Rosen, children’s novelist, poet and former Children’s Laureate, has announced the shortlist for the 2020 Laugh Out Loud Awards (The Lollies), the awards that celebrate the funniest children’s books.

Lollies logo

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HOOD, RUNDELL AND REYNOLDS UKLA BOOK AWARD WINNERS 2019

Morag Hood, Katherine Rundell and Jason Reynolds have been announced as the winners of the UKLA Book Awards 2019 for I Am Bat, The Explorer and Long Way Down respectively.

read more...
CATHERINE JOHNSON WINS LITTLE REBELS CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD

The Alliance of Radical Booksellers (ARB) is delighted to announce that the winner of this year’s Little Rebels Children’s Book Award for Radical Fiction is Catherine Johnson for her book, Freedom (Scholastic 2018).

Catherine Johnsonn photo Andy Donohoe

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CRESSIDA COWELL ANNOUNCED AS NEW WATERSTONES CHILDREN’S LAUREATE

‘Books are transformative because of their unique ability to develop three key magical powers: intelligence, creativity and, most important of all, empathy. Words are power; let’s take magic seriously.’ Cressida Cowell, Waterstones Children’s Laureate

read more...
STEVEN CAMDEN WINS CLiPPA 2019

Steven Camden photo by Ellie Kurttz

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SLA School Librarian of the Year 2019 Announced

Ros Harding School Librarian of the Year

Ros Harding of The King’s School Chester has been awarded the honour of the School Librarian of the Year 2019. 2019 YA Book Prize winner Sara Barnard presented Ros Harding with her award at a special ceremony at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel, Kensington, London Kensington on 27 June.

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MUHAMMAD KHAN WINS 20TH BRANFORD BOASE AWARD

The winner of the 2019 Branford Boase Award for outstanding debut novel for children is Muhammad Khan for his YA novel I Am Thunder. Set up in memory of author Henrietta Branford and her editor Wendy Boase who both died in 1999, the award also recognizes his editor Lucy Pearse of Macmillan Children’s Books.

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The Children's Book Award 2019

Earlier this month, Arree Chung was named overall winner of The Children’s Book Award 2019. His book Mixed, which he wrote and illustrated, also won the Books for Younger Children category before going on to win the overall prize.

read more...
WINNERS OF THE 2019 CILIP CARNEGIE AND KATE GREENAWAY MEDALS

The winners of the CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals have been announced at a ceremony at The British Library, hosted by broadcaster and writer Konnie Huq.

read more...
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