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Books for Keeps 244 - the children's book magazine online

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BfK No. 244 - September 2020
BfK 244 September 2020

This issue’s cover illustration is from Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright!: An Animal Poem for Every Day of the Year edited by Fiona Waters and illustrated by Britta Teckentrup. Thanks to Nosy Crow for their help with this September cover.
Digital Edition
By clicking here you can view, print or download the fully artworked Digital Edition of BfK 244 September 2020.

BfK No. 244 Articles

Editorial 244

Editorial 244

Would there by a poem about a pangolin?

Editor Fiona Waters describes the joys and challenges of choosing an animal poem for every day of the year.

Ten Essential Children's Books

Ten essential books for young readers chosen by Geraldine McCaughrean

Windows into Illustration: Britta Teckentrup

Britta Teckentrup explains why she was so excited to be asked to illustration The House by the Lake

Authorgraph: Kevin Crossley-Holland

Kevin Crossley-Holland interviewed by Imogen Russell-Williams

Windows into Worlds

Jake Hope on the importance of visual representation and inclusion

Changing the world with books: an interview with Patrice Lawrence

Fen Coles interviews Patrice Lawrence about her new book Eight Pieces of Silva.

The Red Thread of Reading for Pleasure: Looking Back to Learn

Teresa Cremin looks back to her early reading

Beyond the Secret Garden: The Other Side of the Story

Darren Chetty and Karen Sands-O’Connor delve into historical fiction

After the War: A Story that Needed Telling

A Story that Needed Telling: Tom Palmer talks to Clare Zinkin about his new book After the War

I Wish I'd Written: Julia Green

I Wish: Julia Green chooses a book she's loved since childhood

Good Reads 244

Good Reads at home with the Biddles

Obituary: Wendy Cooling

Wendy Cooling remembered by Anne Sarrag and friends

Classic in Short: To the Wild Sky

Go To the Wild Sky for drama and puzzlement

MAN OF ACTION: AN INTERVIEW WITH CHRIS RYAN

Damian Kelleher interviews Chris Ryan about the latest in his Special Forces Cadets series.

A Q&A INTERVIEW WITH PÁDRAIG KENNY

The author of The Monsters of Rookhaven answers our questions on his book.

Obituary: Emma Langley 1983 - 2020

Ground-breaking young publisher Emma Langley remembered

A Q&A INTERVIEW WITH CATHERINE O’FLYNN

Catherine O'Flynn answers our questions about her Lori and Max series of children's books.

Christmas recommendations 2020

Biblio details on all the books recommended for giving this Christmas.

Editor's Choice

Luna Loves Art

Joseph Coelho
5

Luna greets us with her irrepressible smile and equally irrepressible hair. Excitement radiates from her – she is going with her class on a school trip. In fact everyone is looking forward to it – except Finn. The art gallery is impressive – and...

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New Talent

The Wild Way Home

Sophie Kirtley
4

Fans of Stig of the Dump or Michelle Paver’s Wolf Brother...

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All Children's Book Reviews in BfK No. 244

  • Under 5s
  • Ages 5-8
  • Ages 8-10
  • Ages 10-14
  • Ages 14+
  • Books About Children's Books

Under 5s

  • Just One of Those Days

    Jill Murphy
    5
  • We Planted a Pumpkin

    Rob Ramsden
    5
  • The Smile Shop

    Satoshi Kitamura
    4
  • Found You

    Devon Holzwarth
    4
  • Shy Ones

    Simona Ciraolo
    4
  • My Friends and Me

    Stephanie Stansbie
    4
  • The Diddle that Dummed

    Kes Gray
    4
  • Stay, Little Seed

    Cristiana Valentini
    3
  • Duck and Penguin Do NOT Like Sleepovers

    Julia Woolf
    3

Ages 5-8

  • Luna Loves Art

    Joseph Coelho
    5
  • Clean Up!

    Nathan Bryon
    5
  • The Teeny Weeny Genie

    Julia Donaldson
    5
  • Mouse in the House

    Russell Ayto
    5
  • A Bear Named Bjorn

    Delphine Perret
    5
  • Never Show a T-Rex a Book

    Rashmi Sirdeshpande
    5
  • The Runaway Pea Washed Away

    Kjartan Poskitt
    5
  • Leap, Hare, Leap

    Dom Conlon
    4
  • The Littlest Yak

    Lu Fraser
    4
  • Teatime Around the World

    Denyse Waissbluth
    4
  • To The Island

    Patricia Forde
    4
  • King of the Swamp

    Catherine Emmett
    3
  • Paris Cat

    Dianne Hofmeyr
    3

Ages 8-10

  • Butterfly Brain

    Laura Dockrill
    5
  • The Midnight Swan

    Catherine Fisher
    5
  • Sofia the Dreamer and her Magical Afro

    Jessica Wilson
    5
  • The Wizards of Once: Never and Forever

    Cressida Cowell
    5
  • The Virus

    Ben Martynoga
    5
  • Question Everything! An Investigator's Toolkit

    Susan Martineau
    Vicky Barker
    5
  • Jefferson

    Jean-Claude Mourlevat
    5
  • The Wild Way Home

    Sophie Kirtley
    4
  • Sky Pirates Echo Quickthorn and the Great Beyond

    Alex English
    4
  • Season of the Witch

    Matt Ralphs
    4
  • Invisible Nature: A Secret World Beyond Our Senses

    Catherine Barr
    4
  • Zombierella Fairy Tales Gone Bad

    Joseph Coelho
    4
  • The Beast and the Bethany

    Jack Meggitt-Phillips
    4
  • A Mummy Ate My Homework

    Thiago de Moraes
    4
  • Shoe Wars

    Liz Pichon
    4
  • Pizazz

    Sophy Henn
    4
  • Children of the Benin Kingdom

    Dinah Orji
    4
  • Moon Dog

    Jane Elson
    4
  • Life of Riley: Beginner's Luck

    Simon James Green
    4
  • InvestiGators

    John Patrick Green
    3

Ages 10-14

  • The Children of Swallow Fell

    Julia Green
    5
  • The Invisible Boy

    Alyssa Hollingsworth
    5
  • The Key to Finding Jack

    Ewa Jozefkowicz
    5
  • Small Town Hero

    Patrick Neate
    5
  • The Ten Riddles of Eartha Quicksmith

    Loris Owen
    5
  • Dark Blue Rising

    Teri Terry
    5
  • The Wizard in My Shed

    Simon Farnaby
    5
  • The Monsters of Rookhaven

    Pádraig Kenny
    5
  • The Unadoptables

    Hana Tooke
    4
  • Moonchild Voyage of the Lost and Found

    Aisha Bushby
    4
  • How Jack Lost Time

    Stéphanie Lapointe
    4
  • When Life Gives You Mangoes

    Kereen Getten
    4
  • My Story: Noor-Un-Nissa Inayat Khan

    Sufiya Ahmed
    4
  • I Am Not A Label

    Cerrie Burnell
    4
  • Happy, Healthy Minds

    The School of Life
    4
  • Macbeth United

    Michael Rosen
    3
  • Tamarind & the Star of Ishta

    Jasbinder Bilan
    2

Ages 14+

  • Punching the Air

    Ibi Zoboi
    Yusuf Salaam
    5
  • I, Ada: Ada Lovelace

    Julia Gray
    5
  • The Mermaid, the Witch and the Sea

    Maggie Tokuda-Hall
    5
  • The Girl Who Became a Tree: A Story Told in Poems

    Joseph Coelho
    4
  • Again, Again

    e. lockhart
    4
  • Clementine and Rudy

    Siobhan Curham
    4
  • The Rules

    Tracy Darnton
    4
  • Loveless

    Alice Oseman
    4
  • Wrecked

    Louisa Reid
    3
  • Heartbreak Boys

    Simon James Green
    3
  • How It All Blew Up

    Arvin Ahmadi
    3

Books About Children's Books

  • Seeing Sense: visual literacy as a tool for libraries, learning and reader development

    Jake Hope
    3

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.’

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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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BOOKTRUST’S REPRESENTS INTERIM RESEARCH & CLPE REFLECTING REALITIES SURVEY 2020

CLPE Reflecting Realities Report 2020

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SHORTLIST FOR THE 2021 BLUE PETER BOOK AWARDS REVEALED

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

Blue Peter Book Award logo

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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.

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JANE PORTER AND MAISIE PARADISE SHEARRING 2020 LITTLE REBELS AWARD WINNERS

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.

Little Rebels logo 2020

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OU AND MACMILLAN CHILDREN’S BOOKS LAUNCH BOOK CHAT SCHEME

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.

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TOM PALMER WINS THE CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD 2020

Tom Palmer

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