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Books for Keeps 165 - the children's book magazine online

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BfK No. 165 - July 2007

Cover Story
This issue’s cover illustration by David Roberts is from Julia Donaldson’s Tyrannosaurus Drip (see also Windows into Illustration). Thanks to Macmillan Children’s Books for their help with this July cover.

BfK No. 165 Articles

Editorial - July 2007

News and comment from the Editor.
Windows into Illustration: David Roberts

David Roberts explains his approach to Tyrannosaurus Drip.
Reading in the Middle Years (9-11): 'I enjoy biting into a good read now and then...'

Alison Kelly on ways to maintain interest in reading.
The Depiction of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict in Contemporary Children’s Fiction: Part 2

Fouad Moughrabi discusses Three Wishes and A Little Piece of Ground.
New Picture Books

Clive Barnes looks at a selection of recent titles.
Authorgraph No.165: Lian Hearn

Lian Hearn interviewed by Julia Eccleshare.
‘Teaching’ Poems for Children:

Robert Hull explores how to use The Odyssey.
BfK Briefing - July 2007

Letter to the Editor * Obituaries
Useful Organisations No.50: Teaching about slavery

An on-line resource created by the Commission for Racial Equality.
Hal’s Reading Diary - July 2007

Roger Mills on Hal and spelling.
I Wish I’d Written… Wolves

Jeanne Willis chooses Emily Gravett's Wolves.
Good Reads: St Stithians Girls’ Preparatory School, South Africa

Reviews from St Stithians Girls’ Preparatory School, Randburg, South Africa.
Classics in Short No.64: Aesop’s Fables

Brian Alderson on Aesop's Fables.
The History of Aesop’s Fables

Editor's Choice

The Tinderbox
Hans Christian Andersen
(Walker Books Ltd)
5

Why this Andersen tale has to be ‘retold’ when a good translation would suffice is a mystery. Mitchell makes a reasonable fist of the narrative but his soldier does not have the casual chutzpah of other (more authentic?) versions. ‘It’s awfully...

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New Talent

Hybrids
David Thorpe
(HarperCollinsChildren'sBooks)
3

Abandoned by his parents when he catches the Creep virus, 15-year-old Johnny has been living rough for two year when the beautiful Kestrella, who is also Creep positive, tracks him down. She needs his skills to help her find her mother who has...

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All Children's Book Reviews in BfK No. 165

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

Under 5s

  • Eliza and the Moonchild
    Emma Chichester Clark
    5

  • 99 Mostly Fun Things I'll Do Today
    Jane Kemp
    Clare Walters
    5

  • Princess for a Day
    Sarah Dyer
    4

  • Chimp and Zee's First Words and Pictures
    Laurence Anholt
    4

  • You Won't Shift a Hippo
    Michael Catchpool
    3

  • The Magic Blanket; The Magic Box
    3

Ages 5-8

  • The Tinderbox
    Hans Christian Andersen
    5

  • My Brother
    Anthony Browne
    5

  • This is the Reef
    Miriam Moss
    4

  • P is for Pakistan
    Shazia Razzak
    4

  • Troll Trouble: Trolls United!; Troll Trouble: Trolls Go Home!
    Alan MacDonald
    3

  • Felicity Wishes: Fairy Fun and other stories; Felicity Wishes: Holly's Hideaway and other stories
    Emma Thomson
    3

Ages 8-10

  • Human Body
    Emily Hawkins
    Sue Harris
    5

  • Grk: Operation Tortoise
    Joshua Doder
    5

  • Something Wickedly Weird: The Wooden Mile
    Chris Mould
    4

  • Mega-Beasts
    Robert Sabuda
    Matthew Reinhart
    4

  • An Inconvenient Truth: The Crisis of Global Warming
    Al Gore
    4

  • Dragonkeeper: Garden of the Purple Dragon
    Carole Wilkinson
    4

  • The Wickit Chronicles: Ely Plot
    Joan Lennon
    3

  • The Trouble with Owls; Watch out for Witches!
    Hilda Offen
    3

  • Peter and the Starcatchers
    Dave Barry
    Ridley Pearson
    3

  • Alice Again?
    Judi Curtin
    3

  • Stage School: Sara's Big Chance
    Holly Skeet
    2

Ages 10-14

  • The Museum Book
    Jan Mark
    5

  • The London Eye Mystery
    Siobhan Dowd
    5

  • Burn My Heart
    Beverley Naidoo
    5

  • The Boyhood of Burglar Bill
    Allan Ahlberg
    5

  • Blood Red Snow White
    Marcus Sedgwick
    5

  • Toonhead
    Fiona Dunbar
    4

  • Monster Blood Tattoo: Book 1: Foundling
    D M Cornish
    4

  • Escape from Genopolis
    T E Berry-Hart
    4

  • CHERUB:The Fall
    Robert Muchamore
    4

  • The Book of Story Beginnings
    Kristin Kladstrup
    4

  • Angel
    Cliff McNish
    4

  • Worse Than Boys
    Catherine MacPhail
    3

  • Traces: Double Check
    Malcolm Rose
    3

  • Setting of a Cruel Sun
    Alan Gibbons
    3

  • Chemotherapy, Cakes and Cancer; Oh Brother!
    Megan Blunt
    3

  • New Moon
    Stephenie Meyer
    3

  • Mixing It
    Rosemary Hayes
    3

  • Me, Dead Dad and Alcatraz
    Chris Lynch
    3

  • Jimmy Coates: Revenge
    Joe Craig
    3

  • Hybrids
    David Thorpe
    3

  • Den of Thieves
    Julia Golding
    3

  • My So-Called Life
    Joanna Nadin
    2

  • Hunting Season
    Dean Vincent Carter
    2

  • The Wave Runners
    Kai Meyer
    1

Ages 14+

  • Berserk
    Ally Kennen
    5

  • The Rope Ladder
    Nigel Richardson
    4

  • The Lost Art
    Simon Morden
    4

  • From Where I Stand
    Tabitha Suzuma
    4

  • Claiming Georgia Tate
    Gigi Amateau
    4

  • Sea Change
    Kate Cann
    3

  • Incarceron
    Catherine Fisher
    3

  • Desert Crossing
    Elise Broach
    3

  • Tell Me Lies
    Patrick Cooper
    2

  • Ancient Appetites
    Oisín McGann
    2

  • Race Hate; Religious Extremism
    Anne Rooney
    1

BfK News

ONJALI RAÚF BECOMES WRITER IN RESIDENCE FOR BOOKTRUST

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

read more...
LONGLISTS ANNOUNCED FOR 2021 CILIP CARNEGIE AND KATE GREENAWAY MEDALS

The longlist for the 2021 CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals have been announced.

CKG Logo

read more...
LONGLIST ANNOUNCED FOR 2021 KLAUS FLUGGE PRIZE

Klaus Flugge Prize logo

read more...
NOW OPEN: 2021 HENRIETTA BRANFORD WRITING COMPETITION

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.

read more...
TWO UK ENTRIES ON IBBY LIST OF OUTSTANDING BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

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.

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LONGLIST FOR THE 2021 BRANFORD BOASE AWARD

The longlist for the 2021 Branford Boase Award has been announced. Set up in memory of award-winning author Henrietta Branford and her editor Wendy Boase, one of the founders of Walker Books, the Branford Boase Award is given annually to the author of an outstanding debut novel for children.

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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.’

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ROBIN WALKER WINS THE 2020 ALCS EDUCATIONAL WRITERS’ AWARD FOR BLACK HISTORY MATTERS

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.

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IBBY UK nominate Marcus Sedgwick and David McKee for the Hans Christian Andersen Award 2022

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

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SHORTLIST FOR THE COSTA CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD 2020

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)

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