Home
  • Home
  • Latest Issue
  • Past Issues
  • Authors & Artists
  • Articles
  • Reviews
  • News
  • Forums
  • Search

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

  • View
  • Rearrange

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. 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...

read more

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...

read more

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

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...
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.

read more...
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)

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

CLPE Reflecting Realities Report 2020

read more...
more
  • About us
  • Contact us
  • Help/FAQ
  • My Account