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

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BfK No. 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 30^th 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)

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...

The Umbrella Mouse

Anna Fargher

(Macmillan Children's Books)

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...

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

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 236 - the children's book magazine online

Digital version – browse, print or download

BfK Newsletter

BfK No. 236 Articles

Editor's Choice

Tad

New Talent

The Umbrella Mouse

All Children's Book Reviews in BfK No. 236

Under 5s

Circle

Lubna and Pebble

This Love: A Celebration of Harmony Around the World

The Go-Away Bird

Tad

The Flute

Cloud Forest

Tiny T. Rex and The Impossible Hug

Ages 5-8

Five More Minutes

Hummingbird

King Otter

Paper Planes

Hotel Flamingo

The Great Big Book of Life

I Saw a Bee

The Adventures of Harry Stevenson

Ages 8-10

The Star-spun Web

Cloud Boy

Swimming Against the Storm

The Tunnels Below

The Longest Night of Charlie Moon

The Cosmic Atlas of Alfie Fleet

We Won An Island

The Winged Horse Race

The Last Zoo

Winter of the Wolves

Call Me Alastair

The Adventures of Harry Stevenson

The Umbrella Mouse

Bloom

Ages 10-14

The Time Travel Diaries

Dancing the Charleston

Pay Attention, Carter Jones

Winter of the Wolves

A Wolf Called Wander

Call Me Alastair

The Middler

Bloom

Ages 14+

Voyages in the Underworld of Orpheus Black

Toffee

The Stolen Ones

Kerb Stain Boys

The Colour of Shadows

My Brother’s Name is Jessica

BfK News