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

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Books for Keeps is packed with articles, interviews comment and, of course, reviews.

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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
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.

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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

Ages 10-14

  • TrooFriend
    Kirsty Appelbaum
    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

  • 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 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

STRUAN MURRAY AND HIS EDITOR BEN HORSLEN WIN THE 2021 BRANFORD BOASE AWARD

Branford Boase Award logo

Struan Murray and his editor Ben Horslen have been named winners of the 2021 Branford Boase Award for the year’s outstanding debut novel for children for Orphans of the Tide.

read more...
2021 WATERSTONES CHILDREN'S BOOK PRIZE WINNER

Elle McNicoll has been named Overall Winner of the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2021 for her debut novel A Kind Of Spark. Now in its seventeenth year, the Prize consists of £5,000 and the promise of ongoing commitment to the winners’ writing and illustrating careers, making it one of the most valuable and prestigious children’s book awards in the UK.

read more...
SCHOLASTIC UK ANNOUNCE LOLLIES 2022 SHORTLIST OF FUNNIEST BOOKS IN CHILDREN’S LITERATURE

Michael Rosen, children’s novelist, poet and former Children’s Laureate, today announced the shortlist for the 2022 Laugh Out Loud Awards (The Lollies). The Lollies, created by Scholastic UK, celebrate the funniest children’s books and this will be the fifth year of the awards after a hiatus in 2021.

read more...
THE 2021 UKLA WINNERS

The 2021 UKLA Awards, the only national awards judged by class teachers, will always be remembered as the year when the entire judging process had to be conducted online, with the judging panel only meeting and discussing the titles virtually. Yet despite this the impassioned discussions demonstrated yet again the impact that quality texts can have upon the teacher judges and the students in their classes.

read more...
CILIP CARNEGIE AND KATE GREENAWAY AWARD WINNERS 2021

The winners of this year’s CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals, the UK’s oldest book awards for children and young people, were revealed today. Both winning books were announced at a virtual, daytime event, hosted by University Challenge Star and author Bobby Seagull and livestreamed from The British Library.

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SCHOOL LIBRARIAN OF THE YEAR 2020/21 ANNOUNCED

SLA logo

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PATRICE LAWRENCE NAMED WINNER OF 2021 JHALAK PRIZE AWARD

Patrice Lawrence is the winner of the inaugural Jhalak Children’s and Young Adult Prize for her YA novel, Eight Pieces of Silva.

Jhalak Prize logo

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THE 2021 LITTLE REBELS AWARD SHORTLIST

The shortlist for the 2021 Little Rebels Award has been revealed and it is the longest in the award’s history.

Now in its 9th year, the Little Rebels Award celebrates children’s fiction which challenges stereotypes, promotes social justice and advocates for a more peaceful and fairer world.

read more...
SHORTLIST ANNOUNCED FOR THE 2021 KLAUS FLUGGE PRIZE

Klaus Flugge Prize logo

read more...
SHORTLIST ANNOUNCED FOR THE 2021 BRANFORD BOASE AWARD

Branford Boase Award logo

read more...
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