Books for Keeps 234 - the children's book magazine online

Digital version – browse, print or download

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

You can read the whole issue online here, for free!

How to print the digital edition of Books for Keeps: click on this PDF file link - click on the printer icon in the top right of the screen to print.

BfK Newsletter

Receive the latest news & reviews direct to your inbox!

BfK No. 234 - January 2019

This issue’s cover illustration is from A Year of Nature Poems by Joseph Coelho illustrated by Kelly Louise Judd. Thanks to Wide Eyed Editions for their help with this January cover.
Digital Edition
By clicking here you can view, print or download the fully artworked Digital Edition of BfK 234 January 2019.

BfK No. 234 Articles

Editorial 234

Stories matter, class matters. Guest editorial by author Natasha Carthew

Books of the Year 2019

What we’ll all be reading in 2019, as predicted by leading editors

Books of the Year 2019 continued

What we’ll all be reading in 2019, as predicted by children's books editors

Books of the Year 2019 part three

What we’ll all be reading in 2019, as chosen by the editors

Time for Some Book Blether

Make time for book blether, says Teresa Creminof the Open University

Authorgraph 234: Joseph Coelho

Authorgraph: poet Joseph Coehlo interviewed by Charlotte Hacking

Ten of the Best: books starring children from BAME backgrounds

Ten of the Best books starring children from BAME backgrounds chosen by Farrah Serroukh

Windows into Illustration: Katie Cleminson

Windows into Illustration: Katie Cleminson discusses her approach to illustrating Loved to Bits

Beyond the Secret Garden Rap, Rhythm and Rhyme

The impact of rap, rhythm and rhyme

I Wish I’d Written: Ross Welford

Ross Welford chooses

Good Reads 234

Recommended reading chosen by Charlton Park Academy in London.

‘Book, book!’: Nicholas talks about books

Early reading experiences observed by Virginia Lowe

Obituary Anthea Bell

Anthea Bell remembered by Daniel Hahn

Obituary John Burningham

John Burningham remembered by Clive Barnes

Meeting Mike

Andrew Norriss introduces his latest protagonist

Scallywag Press: new kid on the block

Sarah Pakenham introduces her new list.

Classics in Short No 133: The Unlucky Family by Mrs Henry de la Pasture

Classics in Short No. 133 The Unlucky Family

THE MIDNIGHT HOUR: A Q&A INTERVIEW

Laura Trinder answers our questions on The Midnight Hour.

ELYS DOLAN - OFFICIALLY FUNNY

An interview with the winner of the 2019 Lollies Award for Best Laugh Out Loud picture book

EMER STAMP – LAUGH OUT LOUD FUNNY

An interview with the 2018 Lollies winner

AN INTERVIEW WITH SHARON DOGAR

An interview with the author of Monsters: The Passion and Loss that Created Frankenstein

Editor's Choice

Grandma Bird

Benji Davies

(Simon & Schuster Children's UK)

Noi is spending summer with his grandmother. She lives by herself on a tiny rock and always seems too busy for Noi. So he goes off on an adventure – but will it have a happy ending? Luckily Grandma is there when most needed.

Benji Davies...

When Sadness Comes to Call

Eva Eland

(Andersen Press)

This outstanding picture book approaches the emotion of sadness in a quite unique way. We do not know why the child is feeling sad; the emotion has arrived quite suddenly, with its little suitcase, and appears to be here to stay. The...

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

Under 5s

Grandma Bird

Benji Davies

5
Only One of Me: a Love Letter from Dad

Michelle Robinson
Lisa Wells

5
The Hug

Eoin McLaughlin

5
Hello, Monster!

Clementine Beauvais

4
There’s Room for Everyone

Anahita Teymorian

4
I’ll love you…

Kathryn Cristaldi

4

Ages 5-8

When Sadness Comes to Call

Eva Eland

5
The Hug

Eoin McLaughlin

5
Shhh! Barroux

Barroux

4

Ages 8-10

The Eel Question

Nicola Davies

4
Storm Hound

Claire Fayers

4
Young Heroes

Lula Bridgeport

4
Mossbelly MacFearsome and the Dwarves of Doom

Alex Gardiner

3
The Girl with the Shark’s Teeth

Cerrie Burnell

3
Shiny Pippin and the Broken Forest

Harry Heape

3

Ages 10-14

The Dog Who Saved the World

Ross Welford

5
Seaglass

Eloise Williams

5
Lightning Chase Me Home

Amber Lee Dodd

4
Clownfish

Alan Durant

4
The Peculiar Peggs of Riddling Woods

Samuel J Halpin

4
Lark

Anthony McGowan

4
A Pinch of Magic

Michelle Harrison

4

Ages 14+

On the Come Up

Angie Thomas

5
Paper Avalanche

Lisa Williamson

5
Monsters

Sharon Dogar

5
The Light Between Worlds

Laura Weymouth

4
Little Bird Flies

Karen McCombie

4
Fierce Fragile Hearts

Sara Barnard

4
Tell Me No Truths

Gill Vickery

4
Lark

Anthony McGowan

4

BfK News

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.

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.

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

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

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

CKG Logo

LONGLIST ANNOUNCED FOR 2021 KLAUS FLUGGE PRIZE

Klaus Flugge Prize logo

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.

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.

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.

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.’

Books for Keeps 234 - the children's book magazine online

Digital version – browse, print or download

BfK Newsletter

BfK No. 234 Articles

Editor's Choice

Grandma Bird

New Talent

When Sadness Comes to Call

All Children's Book Reviews in BfK No. 234

Under 5s

Grandma Bird

Only One of Me: a Love Letter from Dad

The Hug

Hello, Monster!

There’s Room for Everyone

I’ll love you…

Ages 5-8

When Sadness Comes to Call

The Hug

Shhh! Barroux

Ages 8-10

The Eel Question

Storm Hound

Young Heroes

Mossbelly MacFearsome and the Dwarves of Doom

The Girl with the Shark’s Teeth

Shiny Pippin and the Broken Forest

Ages 10-14

The Dog Who Saved the World

Seaglass

Lightning Chase Me Home

Clownfish

The Peculiar Peggs of Riddling Woods

Lark

A Pinch of Magic

Ages 14+

On the Come Up

Paper Avalanche

Monsters

The Light Between Worlds

Little Bird Flies

Fierce Fragile Hearts

Tell Me No Truths

Lark

BfK News