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Books for Keeps 197 - the children's book magazine online

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BfK No. 197 - November 2012
BfK 197 November 2012

This issue's cover illustration is by Quentin Blake and is from Christmas Stories by Michael Morpurgo. Thanks to Egmont for their help with this November cover.

Digital Edition
By clicking here you can view, print or download the fully artworked Digital Edition of BfK 197 November 2012 .

BfK No. 197 Articles

ANNABEL PITCHER'S NEW NOVEL KETCHUP CLOUDS

Annabel Pitcher was one of last year’s biggest breakthroughs in children’s publishing. Laura Fraine talks to her about her new book Ketchup Clouds
Editorial 197

Editorial
Books for Giving Christmas 2012

The pick of the Christmas books.
Marion Lloyd: an editor’s life in children’s books

Marion Lloyd lays bare the inner world of publishing
Ten of the Best: picture books valuing children’s diverse families

Ten of the Best: picture books valuing diverse families
Debi Gliori Windows into Illustration

Debi Gliori on how she went about illustrating What's the Time, Mr Wolf?
Testing Times for Writing

Henrietta Dombey explains what learning to write involves
Bali Rai Authorgraph

Bali Rai interviewed by Caroline Sanderson..
Briefing 197

News and Awards
Hal's Reading Diary 197

Hal’s Reading Diary Roger Mills thinks Hal may yet be a reader
Sharon Creech I Wish I'd Written

Sharon Creech chooses Anne of Green Gables
ABC International School, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Good Reads

Good Reads Reviews from the ABC International School, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Seven Stories Brilliant Bookshop

The brilliant Seven Stories Bookshop
Brian Alderson on The Jolly Christmas Postman

Brian Alderson on The Jolly Christmas Postman by Allan and Janet Ahlberg
Edith Pattou talks about North Child

Edith Pattou talks to Books for Keeps about writing North Child.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Adventure

New Zealand screenwriter and director Peter Jackson brought
The Lord of The Rings to the screen
ten years ago. He is back with a trilogy of film adaptations of The Hobbit.  An Unexpected Adventure is the first film
in the series. Laura Fraine went to the cinema to watch it for Books for Keeps.
An Interview with C.J. Daugherty

C.J. Daugherty interviewed about her Night School series.

Editor's Choice

This Moose Belongs to Me
Oliver Jeffers
(HarperCollinsChildren'sBooks)
5

Against splendid depictions of the American wilderness with its snow covered peaks, forest and lakes (reminiscent of the photographs of Ansel Adams), Oliver Jeffers playfully situates Wilfred and the gigantic moose he decides to make his pet....

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New Talent

Anthem for Jackson Dawes
Celia Bryce
(Bloomsbury Childrens)
4

13-year-old (‘almost 14’) Megan is disconcerted to find, on her arrival in hospital, that she’s been put in the ‘baby ward’ which is indeed full of crying babies, plastic toys and cheerful posters. The only other teenager on the ward is tall,...

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All Children's Book Reviews in BfK No. 197

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

Under 5s

  • Superworm
    Julia Donaldson
    5

  • Fly, Chick, Fly!
    Jeanne Willis
    5

  • Grandpa Green
    Lane Smith
    5

  • What About Bear?
    Suzanne Bloom
    5

  • This Moose Belongs to Me
    Oliver Jeffers
    5

  • Hey Presto!
    Nadia Shireen
    5

  • Rosie's Magic Horse
    Russell Hoban
    4

Ages 5-8

  • The Paper Dolls
    Julia Donaldson
    4

  • The Factory Made Boy
    Christine Nostlinger
    4

  • Penguin and Pinecone
    Salina Yoon
    3

  • Bagpipes, Beasties and Bogles
    Tim Archbold
    3

  • Horrid Henry's Christmas Play
    Francesca Simon
    3

  • Claude in the Country
    Alex T Smith
    3

  • Lousy Thinking
    Mike Davies
    3

Ages 8-10

  • Osbert the Avenger
    Christopher William Hill
    5

  • The Boy Who Swam with Piranhas
    David Almond
    5

  • An Illustrated Treasury of Scottish Folk and Fairy Tales
    Theresa Breslin
    5

  • Viking Boy
    Tony Bradman
    4

  • Hero Girls
    Bernard Ashley
    4

  • Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and the Race Against Time
    Frank Cottrell Boyce
    4

  • Ruby Redfort Take Your Last Breath
    Lauren Child
    4

  • The Dreadful Dragon
    Kaye Umansky
    4

  • Can it be about me?
    Cheryl Moskowitz
    4

  • Molecule Mayhem!
    Tom Adams
    3

  • Ratburger
    David Walliams
    3

  • Sammy Feral's Diaries of Weird
    Eleanor Hawken
    3

  • Short Christmas Stories
    Maggie Pearson
    2

Ages 10-14

  • Rebecca's Rules
    Anna Carey
    5

  • Liar and Spy
    Rebecca Stead
    5

  • A Medal for Leroy
    Michael Morpurgo
    5

  • The Apothecary
    Maile Meloy
    4

  • The Cloud Hunters
    Alex Shearer
    4

  • Lemonade Sky
    Jean Ure
    4

  • Anthem for Jackson Dawes
    Celia Bryce
    4

  • In the Sea There Are Crocodiles
    Fabio Geda
    4

  • Ghost Knight
    Cornelia Funke
    4

  • The Fire Chronicle
    John Stephens
    4

  • Winterling
    Sarah Prineas
    3

  • Guardian Angel
    Robert Muchamore
    3

Ages 14+

  • Such Wicked Intent
    Kenneth Oppel
    4

  • Blink Once
    Cylin Busby
    4

  • Eleven Eleven
    Paul Dowswell
    3

  • Jepp, Who Defied the Stars
    Katherine Marsh
    2

BfK News

JESSICA LOVE NAMED WINNER OF THE KLAUS FLUGGE PRIZE 2019 FOR JULIAN IS A MERMAID

Jessica Love

read more...
LOLLIES 2020 SHORTLIST THE YEAR’S FUNNIEST CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Michael Rosen, children’s novelist, poet and former Children’s Laureate, has announced the shortlist for the 2020 Laugh Out Loud Awards (The Lollies), the awards that celebrate the funniest children’s books.

Lollies logo

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HOOD, RUNDELL AND REYNOLDS UKLA BOOK AWARD WINNERS 2019

Morag Hood, Katherine Rundell and Jason Reynolds have been announced as the winners of the UKLA Book Awards 2019 for I Am Bat, The Explorer and Long Way Down respectively.

read more...
CATHERINE JOHNSON WINS LITTLE REBELS CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD

The Alliance of Radical Booksellers (ARB) is delighted to announce that the winner of this year’s Little Rebels Children’s Book Award for Radical Fiction is Catherine Johnson for her book, Freedom (Scholastic 2018).

Catherine Johnsonn photo Andy Donohoe

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CRESSIDA COWELL ANNOUNCED AS NEW WATERSTONES CHILDREN’S LAUREATE

‘Books are transformative because of their unique ability to develop three key magical powers: intelligence, creativity and, most important of all, empathy. Words are power; let’s take magic seriously.’ Cressida Cowell, Waterstones Children’s Laureate

read more...
STEVEN CAMDEN WINS CLiPPA 2019

Steven Camden photo by Ellie Kurttz

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SLA School Librarian of the Year 2019 Announced

Ros Harding School Librarian of the Year

Ros Harding of The King’s School Chester has been awarded the honour of the School Librarian of the Year 2019. 2019 YA Book Prize winner Sara Barnard presented Ros Harding with her award at a special ceremony at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel, Kensington, London Kensington on 27 June.

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MUHAMMAD KHAN WINS 20TH BRANFORD BOASE AWARD

The winner of the 2019 Branford Boase Award for outstanding debut novel for children is Muhammad Khan for his YA novel I Am Thunder. Set up in memory of author Henrietta Branford and her editor Wendy Boase who both died in 1999, the award also recognizes his editor Lucy Pearse of Macmillan Children’s Books.

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The Children's Book Award 2019

Earlier this month, Arree Chung was named overall winner of The Children’s Book Award 2019. His book Mixed, which he wrote and illustrated, also won the Books for Younger Children category before going on to win the overall prize.

read more...
WINNERS OF THE 2019 CILIP CARNEGIE AND KATE GREENAWAY MEDALS

The winners of the CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals have been announced at a ceremony at The British Library, hosted by broadcaster and writer Konnie Huq.

read more...
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