Books for Keeps 159 - the children's book magazine online

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BfK No. 159 - July 2006

Cover Story
This issue’s cover illustration by Carol Lawson is from Cornelia Funke’s Inkspell. Cornelia Funke is interviewed by Nicholas Tucker. Thanks to The Chicken House for their help with this July cover.

BfK No. 159 Articles

Editorial - July 2006

News and comment from the Editor.

Visual surprise and innovation? New British picture books

Martin Salisbury assesses new picture books.

Early Years Reading: Leigh Hobbs’ ‘Old Tom’ series

Margaret Mallett explores Leigh Hobbs' 'Old Tom' series.

Back to Basics

Robert Hull on approaches that enable children's writing.

Authorgraph No.159: Cornelia Funke

Cornelia Funke interviewed by Nicholas Tucker.

I Wish I’d Written… Peace Weavers

Robert Swindells chooses Julia Jarman's Peace Weavers.

Good Reads: Rednock School

Reviews from Rednock School, Dursley, Gloucestershire.

BfK Briefing - July 2006

Letters to the Editor

Useful Organisations No.45: childrensillustrators.com

Online showcase for professional children's illustrators.

Hal’s Reading Diary - July 2006

Roger Mills on how Hal doesn't like help with reading.

Return Ticket to Newcastle

Brian Alderson on the collaborative work of Janet and Allan Ahlberg.

Classics in Short No.58: Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel and Katy and the Big Snow

Brian Alderson on Virginia Lee Burton's Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel and Katy and the Big Snow.

Phyllis Hunt (1927-2006): a tribute by Penny Sibson

Penny Sibson remembers Phyllis Hunt.

Editor's Choice

Star Dancer

Beth Webb

(Macmillan Children's Books)

‘Most people, when they are told a story, only hear the pattern of the comings and goings of the characters. A bard learns how to discover and celebrate the deeper layers within the tale... if you close your eyes and see and sing, you will...

The Year the Gypsies Came

Linzi Glass

(Puffin)

Emily is almost 13 and she is growing up in the apartheid South Africa of the 1960s, a privileged child of the white elite yet also the neglected child of two estranged parents who have little time for Emily or her older sister, 15-year-old Sarah...

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

Under 5s

Wooden Dragon, The

Joan Aiken

4
It's So Unfair!

Pat Thomson

4
Imagine

Ruth Brown

4
Cheep! Cheep!

Julie Stiegemeyer

4
Seven for a Secret

Laurence Anholt

3
Night the Lights Went Out, The

Anna Perera

3
Bringing Down the Moon; Jody's Beans; Last Noo-Noo, The; Max

Jonathan Emmett

3

Ages 5-8

Seven Welsh Folk Tales

Richard Eastwood

4
Road Closed

Jan Mark

4
Hey Crazy Riddle!

Trish Cooke

4
Plant; Tree; Water

Penelope Arlon

3
Bunchy

Joyce Lankester Brisley

3
Bird

Penelope Arlon

3

Ages 8-10

Dirty Dozen, The; Mad Iris Goes Missing; Sammy and the Starman; Wildly Weird

Tony Bradman

5
History of the Steel Band, The

Verna Wilkins
Michael La Rose

5
Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, The

Kate DiCamillo

4
Giant Under the Snow, The

John Gordon

4
Boudica

Richard Brassey

4
Snakes' Elbows

Deirdre Madden

3
Nicholas Again

Rene Goscinny

3
Jolene's Back

Helena Pielichaty

3
Hare's Choice

Dennis Hamley

3
Butter-Finger

Bob Cattell
John Agard

3
Black Sphinx, The

Matt Hart

3
Alex's Back

Helena Pielichaty

3

Ages 10-14

Small Steps

Louis Sachar

5
Star Dancer

Beth Webb

5
Tarot Reader's Daughter, The

Helen Dunwoodie

4
Plague Sorcerer

Christopher Russell

4
High King, The

Lloyd Alexander

4
Foretelling, The

Alice Hoffman

4
Chew on This

Eric Schlosser
Charles Wilson

4
Boudicca: Warrior Queen

Sian Busby

4
Young Rebels, The

Morgan Llywelyn

3
Truth About Josie Green, The

Belinda Hollyer

3
Trash! On Ragpicker Children and Recycling

Gita Wolf
Anushka Ravishankar

3
Playing Twm

Ruth Morgan

3
Like Mother, Like Daughter? 14 stories about girls and their mums

3
Jazz Age Poet: A Story about Langston Hughes

Veda Boyd Jones

3
Hill of the Red Fox, The

Allan Campbell Mclean

3
Help! I'm a Classroom Gambler

Pete Johnson

3
French for Kissing

Sophie Parkin

3
Extraordinary and Unusual Adventures of Horatio Lyle, The

Catherine Webb

3
CHERUB: Divine Madness

Robert Muchamore

3
Anna/Bella

Amanda Swift

3
Style Sisters: Friends First

Liz Elwes

2
Navigator, The

Eoin McNamee

2
Jugglin'

Bali Rai

2
Endymion Spring

Matthew Skelton

2
Constellation of Sylvie, The

Roderick Townley

2
Babymouse Our Hero; Babymouse Queen of the World

Jennifer L Holm

2
Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment

James Patterson

1

Ages 14+

Girl, 16: Pants On Fire

Sue Limb

5
This Strange New Life

Rachel Anderson

4
Road of the Dead, The

Kevin Brooks

4
Playing in Traffic

Gail Giles

4
The Year the Gypsies Came

Linzi Glass

4
Twilight

Stephenie Meyer

3
Mimus

Lilli Thal

3
Sara's Face

Melvin Burgess

2

BfK News

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.’

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.

IBBY UK has announced that Marcus Sedgwick and David McKee will be the UK nominations for the 2022 Hans Christian Andersen Award.

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)

CLPE Reflecting Realities Report 2020

The six books shortlisted for the 2021 Blue Peter Book Awards have been announced.

Blue Peter Book Award logo

Happy National Non-Fiction November 2020

It’s National Non-Fiction November! Organised by the Federation of Children’s Book Groups, National Non-Fiction November is an annual celebration of the power of non-fiction to inspire children and celebrate readers who have a passion for information and facts. 2020 is the 10th anniversary of National Non-Fiction November.

Jane Porter and Maisie Paradise Shearring have won the 2020 Little Rebels Award for their picture book The Boy who Loved Everyone. They will share the £2000 prize.

The Open University (OU) is launching Book Chat: Reading with your Child, a resource which comprises three short films and support materials to help parents, families and carers read books conversationally and creatively to children. Working with Macmillan Children’s Books, the films use a selection of their picture books and a poetry collection to support families with reading to different ages of children.

Tom Palmer

Books for Keeps 159 - the children's book magazine online

Digital version – browse, print or download

BfK Newsletter

BfK No. 159 Articles

Editor's Choice

Star Dancer

New Talent

The Year the Gypsies Came

All Children's Book Reviews in BfK No. 159

Under 5s

Wooden Dragon, The

It's So Unfair!

Imagine

Cheep! Cheep!

Seven for a Secret

Night the Lights Went Out, The

Bringing Down the Moon; Jody's Beans; Last Noo-Noo, The; Max

Ages 5-8

Seven Welsh Folk Tales

Road Closed

Hey Crazy Riddle!

Plant; Tree; Water

Bunchy

Bird

Ages 8-10

Dirty Dozen, The; Mad Iris Goes Missing; Sammy and the Starman; Wildly Weird

History of the Steel Band, The

Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, The

Giant Under the Snow, The

Boudica

Snakes' Elbows

Nicholas Again

Jolene's Back

Hare's Choice

Butter-Finger

Black Sphinx, The

Alex's Back

Ages 10-14

Small Steps

Star Dancer

Tarot Reader's Daughter, The

Plague Sorcerer

High King, The

Foretelling, The

Chew on This

Boudicca: Warrior Queen

Young Rebels, The

Truth About Josie Green, The

Trash! On Ragpicker Children and Recycling

Playing Twm

Like Mother, Like Daughter? 14 stories about girls and their mums

Jazz Age Poet: A Story about Langston Hughes

Hill of the Red Fox, The

Help! I'm a Classroom Gambler

French for Kissing

Extraordinary and Unusual Adventures of Horatio Lyle, The

CHERUB: Divine Madness

Anna/Bella

Style Sisters: Friends First

Navigator, The

Jugglin'

Endymion Spring

Constellation of Sylvie, The

Babymouse Our Hero; Babymouse Queen of the World

Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment

Ages 14+

Girl, 16: Pants On Fire

This Strange New Life

Road of the Dead, The

Playing in Traffic

The Year the Gypsies Came

Twilight

Mimus

Sara's Face

BfK News