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Books for Keeps 236 - the children's book magazine online

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BfK No. 236 - May 2019
BfK 236 May 2019

This issue’s cover illustration features Rumblestar, book one in The Unmapped Chronicles series by Abi Elphinstone illustrated by Carrie May. Thanks to Simon and Schuster for their help with this May cover.
Digital Edition
By clicking here you can view, print or download the fully artworked Digital Edition of BfK 236 May 2019.

BfK No. 236 Articles

Editorial 236

Guest Editorial by Little Rebels judge Patrice Lawrence

Fine Art and Feminism, Education and Inspiration: The Bigger Picture

Fine Art and Feminism, the bigger picture by Sophia Bennett

30 years of Elmer, the indispensable elephant

Happy 30th Birthday, Elmer. Carey Fluker Hunt celebrates

Ten of the Best: Books about Witches

Imogen Russell Williams decides which witches are best

AN INTERVIEW WITH CARNEGIE WINNER ELIZABETH ACEVEDO

An interview with the 2019 Carnegie Medal winner

Authorgraph 236: Abi Elphinstone

Abi Elphinstone interviewed by Joy Court

Windows into Illustration: Victoria Turnbull

Windows into Illustration: Victoria Turnbull

Picturebook talent: the 2019 Klaus Flugge Prize shortlist

Martin Salisbury appraises the Klaus Flugge Prize shortlist

Obituary: Judith Kerr 1923-2019

Nicholas Tucker remembers the extraordinary Judith Kerr.

Flights of Imagination: the Migrations exhibition

A guide to the Migrations exhibition by Pam Dix

Beyond the Secret Garden: Taking Series Seriously

Beyond the Secret Garden: Darren Chetty and Karen Sands-O’Connor take series seriously

Celebrating Jan Pieńkowski

Jan Pieńkowski awarded the Book Trust Lifetime Achievement Award

Bringing Beowulf to Britain

Tony Bradman on a story that’s enthralled him all his life

I Wish I’d Written: Susan Martineau

Susan Martineau on the magic of The Eagle of the Ninth

Good Reads 236

Good Reads chosen by chosen by pupils at Manav Rachna International School, India

Classics in Short No 135: A Wonder-Book for Boys and Girls

Brian Alderson assesses the first classic children's book to come from the United States.

A Q&A interview with Bren MacDibble

The author answers our questions about The Dog Runner

An interview with Jacqueline Wilson

Rebecca Butler interviews Jacqueline Wilson about her new novel Dancing the Charleston

AN INTERVIEW WITH VASHTI HARDY

An interview with the author of Brightstorm and Wildspark.

A Q&A interview with Ali Pye

Ali Pye introduces her new character Harry Stevenson.

A Q&A INTERVIEW WITH MUHAMMAD KHAN

An interview with the winner of the 2019 Branford Boase Award

AN INTERVIEW WITH LAURA WOOD

The author interviewed about her new book, Under a Dancing Star.

Editor's Choice

Tad

Benji Davies
(HarperCollinsChildren'sBooks)
4

Tad is the smallest tadpole in the pond and struggles to keep up with her many siblings who taunt her with the threat of Big Blub. Then Tad notices her brothers and sisters are disappearing – where have they gone? What will happen to her – she...

read more

New Talent

The Umbrella Mouse

Anna Fargher
(Macmillan Children's Books)
3

It’s 1944, the D-Day landings have just taken place and Pip the mouse is living with her parents inside an antique umbrella in a shop window in New Oxford Street, where Pip listens to stories about her Italian relatives at the umbrella museum in...

read more

All Children's Book Reviews in BfK No. 236

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

Under 5s

  • Circle

    Mac Barnett
    5
  • Lubna and Pebble

    Wendy Meddour
    5
  • This Love: A Celebration of Harmony Around the World

    Isabel Otter
    5
  • The Go-Away Bird

    Julia Donaldson
    5
  • Tad

    Benji Davies
    4
  • The Flute

    Ken Wilson-Max
    4
  • Cloud Forest

    Victoria Turnbull
    4
  • Tiny T. Rex and The Impossible Hug

    Jonathan Stutzman
    4

Ages 5-8

  • Five More Minutes

    Marta Altés
    5
  • Hummingbird

    Nicola Davies
    5
  • King Otter

    Jane Porter
    5
  • Paper Planes

    Jim Helmore
    4
  • Hotel Flamingo

    Alex Milway
    4
  • The Great Big Book of Life

    Mary Hoffman
    Ros Asquith
    4
  • I Saw a Bee

    Rob Ramsden
    4
  • The Adventures of Harry Stevenson

    Ali Pye
    4

Ages 8-10

  • The Star-spun Web

    Sinéad O’Hart
    5
  • Cloud Boy

    Marcia Williams
    5
  • Swimming Against the Storm

    Jess Butterworth
    5
  • The Tunnels Below

    Nadine Wild-Palmer
    4
  • The Longest Night of Charlie Moon

    Christopher Edge
    4
  • The Cosmic Atlas of Alfie Fleet

    Martin Howard
    4
  • We Won An Island

    Charlotte Lo
    4
  • The Winged Horse Race

    Kallie George
    4
  • The Last Zoo

    Sam Gayton
    4
  • Winter of the Wolves

    Tony Bradman
    4
  • Call Me Alastair

    Cory Leonardo
    4
  • The Adventures of Harry Stevenson

    Ali Pye
    4
  • The Umbrella Mouse

    Anna Fargher
    3
  • Bloom

    Nicola Skinner
    3

Ages 10-14

  • The Time Travel Diaries

    Caroline Lawrence
    5
  • Dancing the Charleston

    Jacqueline Wilson
    5
  • Pay Attention, Carter Jones

    Gary D. Schmidt
    5
  • Winter of the Wolves

    Tony Bradman
    4
  • A Wolf Called Wander

    Rosanne Parry
    4
  • Call Me Alastair

    Cory Leonardo
    4
  • The Middler

    Kirsty Appelbaum
    3
  • Bloom

    Nicola Skinner
    3

Ages 14+

  • Voyages in the Underworld of Orpheus Black

    Marcus Sedgwick
    Julian Sedgwick
    5
  • Toffee

    Sarah Crossan
    5
  • The Stolen Ones

    Vanessa Curtis
    5
  • Kerb Stain Boys

    Alex Wheatle
    4
  • The Colour of Shadows

    Phyllida Shrimpton
    3
  • My Brother’s Name is Jessica

    John Boyne
    3

BfK News

SHORTLISTS ANNOUNCED FOR THE 2021 UKLA BOOK AWARDS

UKLA Book Awards logo

read more...
ALL STORIES, A NEW MENTORSHIP PROGRAMME FOR UNDERREPRESENTED CHILDREN’S BOOK WRITERS

A new mentorship scheme for underrepresented authors launches today, 30 March. All Stories offers fourteen mentorships delivered by expert children’s book editors.

All Stories logo

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

CKG Logo

The shortlists for the prestigious CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals are announced today, 18 March. The awards are the UK’s oldest for children and young people.

This year’s judges praised their shortlists for ‘offering hope and escapism during lockdown’ through explorations of freedom, the great outdoors and journeys through the natural world.

read more...
INAUGURAL LONGLIST ANNOUNCED FOR THE JHALAK CHILDREN’S AND YOUNG ADULT PRIZE

The Jhalak Prize has announced the longlist for the inaugural Jhalak Children’s & Young Adult Prize.

Jhalak Prize logo

read more...
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

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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.

read more...
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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