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

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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

CRESSIDA COWELL LAUNCHES NEW LAUREATE INITIATIVE IN SUPPORT OF SCHOOL LIBRARIES AND CALLS ON PM TO ACT

‘How can a child become a reader for pleasure if their parents or carers cannot afford books, and their primary school has no library, or that library is woefully insufficient?’

Life-changing Libraries logo

A new mentorship scheme for underrepresented authors launches today, 30 March. All Stories offers fourteen mentorships delivered by expert children’s book editors.

The shortlists for the prestigious CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals are announced today, 18 March. The awards are the UK’s oldest for children and young people.

This year’s judges praised their shortlists for ‘offering hope and escapism during lockdown’ through explorations of freedom, the great outdoors and journeys through the natural world.

The Jhalak Prize has announced the longlist for the inaugural Jhalak Children’s & Young Adult Prize.

Award-winning author and activist, Onjali Raúf takes up the post as the new Writer in Residence for BookTrust, today, International Women’s Day. She takes over from Smriti Halls.

Onjali Q Raúf

The longlist for the 2021 CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals have been announced.

CKG Logo

LONGLIST ANNOUNCED FOR 2021 KLAUS FLUGGE PRIZE

Klaus Flugge Prize logo

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.

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.

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