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Books for Keeps 242 - the children's book magazine online

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BfK No. 242 - May 2020
BfK 242 May 2020

This issue’s cover illustration is from Pests written and illustrated by Emer Stamp. Thanks to Hodder Children’s Books for their help with this May cover.

By clicking here you can view, print or download the fully artworked Digital Edition of BfK 242 May 2020.

BfK No. 242 Articles

Editorial July 2020

Comment from the editor
Is Lockdown the Perfect Time to Write?

Writing under Lockdown: Matt Brown struggles
BOOKS FOR KEEPS: AN APPEAL

Make a contribution and help us develop the website and preserve the unique Books for Keeps archive.
Ten Essential Children's Books

Ten essential books for young readers chosen by Frank Cottrell-Boyce
Windows into Illustration: Mini Grey

Mini Grey on her book The Bad Bunnies' Magic Show
Authorgraph 242: Elizabeth Acevedo

Elizabeth Acevedo interviewed by Nicolette Jones
Celebrating Bob Hartman and the 25th Anniversary of The Lion Storyteller Bible

25 years of the Lion Storyteller Bible
Marvellous Medicine: how to get through the Coronavirus epidemic with children’s books

The children's authors providing a tonic
More Marvellous Medicine

More fun activities for engagement and entertainment for children during lockdown.
Illustrating Pippi

Reimagining Pippi Longstocking
Beyond the Secret Garden Hooray for Health Workers!

Darren Chetty and Karen Sands-O’Connor raise a cheer for some fictional doctors and nurses
Beyond the Secret Garden: A Round Up

In one place, all the Beyond the Secret Garden articles by Darren Chetty and Karen Sands-O'Connor
Margaret Meek Spencer 1925 – 4 May 2020

Margaret Meek Spencer remembered by Clive Barnes
I Wish I'd Written

Beverley Birch chooses
AN INTERVIEW WITH SHAUN TAN WINNER OF 2020 CILIP KATE GREENAWAY MEDAL

Shaun Tan discusses his book Tales from the Inner City, winner of the 2020 CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal with Jake Hope.
Classics in Short No 141: Some Little Men and Women

Seven Little Australians
A Q&A INTERVIEW WITH ALI SPARKES

Ali Sparkes answers our questions on The Night Speakers series.
A Q&A INTERVIEW WITH HOLLY RACE

The author of Midnight's Twins answers our questions.
AN INTERVIEW WITH HARRIET MUNCASTER

The creator of Isadora Moon introduces her new character, Mirabelle.

Editor's Choice

The Girl from the Sea and other stories
Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen
4

...

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New Talent

One Fox: A Counting Book Thriller
Kate Read
5

...

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All Children's Book Reviews in BfK No. 242

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

Under 5s

  • One Fox: A Counting Book Thriller
    Kate Read
    5

  • Bunnies on the Bus
    Philip Ardagh
    5

  • King of the Classroom
    Derrick Barnes
    4

  • Perdu
    Richard Jones
    4

  • Meet the Planets
    Caryl Hart
    4

  • Hugo
    Atinuke
    4

  • The Bad Day
    Frann Preston-Gannon
    4

  • Everyone's Awake
    Colin Meloy
    4

  • My Mama
    Annemarie van Haeringen
    4

  • Nervous Nigel
    Bethany Christou
    4

  • Follow Me, Flo!
    Jarvis
    3

Ages 5-8

  • The Tale of a Toothbrush
    M.G. Leonard
    5

  • Bear Shaped
    Dawn Coulter-Cruttenden
    5

  • On Wings of Words
    Jennifer Berne
    5

  • Hello, Crow!
    Candace Savage
    5

  • Frockodile
    Jeanne Willis
    5

  • There's a Crocodile in the House
    Paul Cookson
    4

  • The Lost Book
    Margarita Surnaite
    4

  • Animal Explorers: Lola the Plant Hunter
    Sharon Rentta
    4

  • Hey, Water!
    Antoinette Portis
    4

  • A Book of Bears: At Home with Bears Around the World
    Katie Viggers
    4

  • Another book about bears
    Laura Bunting
    Philip Bunting
    4

  • Midge and Mo
    Lara Williamson
    4

  • It's OK to Cry
    Molly Potter
    4

  • Nervous Nigel
    Bethany Christou
    4

  • Mirabelle Gets up to Mischief
    Harriet Muncaster
    4

  • Tiny T Rex and the Very Dark Dark
    Jonathan Stutzman
    3

Ages 8-10

  • The House of Hidden Wonders
    Sharon Gosling
    5

  • Agents of the Wild: Operation Honeyhunt
    Jennifer Bell
    5

  • The Story of Inventions
    Catherine Barr
    Steve Williams
    5

  • Super Happy Magic Forest and the Humongous Fungus
    Matty Long
    5

  • The Vanishing Trick
    Jenni Spangler
    4

  • The Girl from the Sea and other stories
    Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen
    4

  • A Kind of Spark
    Elle McNicholl
    4

  • Hope Jones Saves the World
    Josh Lacey
    4

  • Wilde
    Eloise Williams
    4

  • Mirabelle Gets up to Mischief
    Harriet Muncaster
    4

  • Johnny Ball: Accidental Football Genius
    Matt Oldfield
    3

  • Freddie's Amazing Bakery: The Cookie Mystery
    Harriet Whitehorn
    3

  • Anisha: Accidental Detective
    Serena Patel
    Emma McCann
    3

  • Mermaid School
    Lucy Courtney
    3

  • What Stars Are Made Of
    Sarah Allen
    3

Ages 10-14

  • TrooFriend
    Kirsty Appelbaum
    5

  • Time Travel Diaries Adventures in Athens
    Caroline Lawrence
    5

  • Chasing Ghosts
    Nicola Pierce
    4

  • Wink
    Rob Harrell
    4

  • Robin Hood
    Robert Muchamore
    4

  • The Vanishing Trick
    Jenni Spangler
    4

  • The Sound of Freedom
    Ann Murtagh
    4

  • Hope against Hope
    Sheena Wilkinson
    4

  • The Infinite
    Patience Agbabi
    4

  • Night Forever
    Ali Sparkes
    4

  • Midnight's Twins
    Holly Race
    4

  • Clean Getaway
    Nic Stone
    3

  • Memoirs of a Basque Cow
    Bernado Atxaga
    3

  • The List of Things That Will Not Change

    Rebecca Stead
    2

Ages 14+

  • The Enigma Game
    Elizabeth Wein
    5

  • The Pieces of Ourselves
    Maggie Harcourt
    4

  • The Falling in Love Montage
    Ciara Smyth
    4

  • A Phoenix First Must Burn
    Patrice Caldwell
    4

  • The Gone Book
    Helena Close
    3

  • Most Likely
    Sarah Watson
    3

  • Burn
    Patrick Ness
    3

BfK News

UKLA BOOK AWARD WINNERS 2020

The winners of the 2020 UKLA Book Awards have been announced.

UKLA award

The UKLA Book Awards are the only awards to be judged entirely by teachers and highlight texts that can ‘enhance all aspects of literacy learning’.

read more...
WINNERS OF THE 2020 CARNEGIE AND KATE GREENAWAY MEDALS ANNOUNCED

Carnegie Greenaway logo

read more...
CHILDREN READING MORE IN LOCKDOWN

Silly Squad Laura Ellen Anderson

read more...
SHORTLIST ANNOUNCED FOR THE 2020 KLAUS FLUGGE PRIZE

The shortlist for the Klaus Flugge Prize has been announced. 2020 is the fifth year of the prize, which was set up to honour Klaus Flugge, founder of Andersen Press and an extremely influential figure in children’s picture books. It is awarded to the most promising and exciting newcomer to children’s picture book illustration.

read more...
SHORTLIST FOR THE 2020 BRANFORD BOASE AWARD ANNOUNCED

BBA logo

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UKLA BOOK AWARDS THE SHORTLISTS 2020

UKLA BOOK AWARDS THE SHORTLISTS 2020

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SHORTLISTS FOR THE 2020 CILIP CARNEGIE AND KATE GREENAWAY MEDALS ANNOUNCED

CILIP CKG logo

The shortlists for the CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals, the UK’s oldest book awards for children and young people, have been announced. Selected by Youth Librarians from the 20 strong longlists there are eight books on each of the two lists.

read more...
SHORTLIST ANNOUNCED FOR THE CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD 2020

Children's Book Award

The shortlist for the Children’s Book Award 2020 has been announced. This is the award’s 40th Anniversary year and it remains the only national award for children’s books that is voted for entirely by children. To mark the award’s 40th Anniversary, a new category on the shortlist celebrates the most popular books for teens.

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NEW FUNDING FOR THE LITTLE REBELS AWARD

The Little Rebels Award for Radical Children’s Fiction has been boosted thanks to £3,500 in new funding from the Barry Amiel and Norman Melburn Trust, bringing the award’s prize money up to £2,000.

Little Rebels logo

read more...
LONGLISTS ANNOUNCED FOR 2020 CILIP CARNEGIE AND KATE GREENAWAY MEDALS

CKG logo

The longlists for the CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals, the UK’s oldest book awards for children and young people, have been announced.

read more...
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