Features and Children's Book Reviews

(See also columns from BookBrunch online.)

Features

• Friends: A Kiddie Cult. On pre-teens watching `Friends' (The Times)
• Choosing Mr Wrong: An interview with Jennifer Donnelly (The Times)
• What exactly is a children's book? (The Times)
• Go on, give it a try (On summer reading lists)
• Short profile of Carnegie Medal-winner Mal Peet (The Times)
• On the morality of Roald Dahl (Times Online)
• More than a brief flash of success: interview with Louise Rennison (The Times)
• Every child's fantasy family: interview with Terence Blacker (The Sunday Times)
• A good way to tell tales out of school (Prince Charles's Storyquest initiative) (The Times)
• "I believe in truth": an interview with Tim Lott (The Independent)
• Why Blyton was another breed: Rowling and Blyton compared (The Telegraph)
• On Philip Pullman winning the Carnegie of Carnegies (Times Online)
• Where a wild thing went: interview with Julie Burchill (The Independent)
• How do we tell the children?: writing for children about the Holocaust (The Telegraph)
• One foot in the past (New Statesman)
• Interview with Susan Hill: The Story of the Night (The Independent)
• 'The fun thing is still making the book': interview with Allan Ahlberg (The Telegraph)
• Take it as read: on film adaptations (The Times)
• Why making children laugh is a serious business (The Telegraph)
• How books saved Mafioso: interview with Louis Ferrante (The Telegraph)
• Mother knows best: Interview with Shirley Hughes's daughter Clara Vulliamy (The Sunday Times)
• Interview with John Burningham (The Telegraph)
• Harry Potter's fame: how references to Potter have become embedded in popular culture (The Telegraph)
• From Alice's Wonderland to a Roman Wonderwall: a children's books tour of the Northeast (The Telegraph)
• Fame beyond the grave: writers who made their mark posthumously (The Telegraph)
• You shouldn't grow up in public: Interview with Jeanette Winterson (The Independent)

• Children's books round-up Summer 2009
• Children's books round-up Christmas 2008
• Children's books round-up Summer 2008
• Children's books round-up Easter 2008
• Children's books round-up Christmas 2007
• Children's books round-up Summer 2007
• Children's book round-up Easter 2007
• Children's book round-up Christmas 2006
• Children's book roundup Summer 2006
• Children's book roundup, Christmas 2005
• Children's book roundup, Summer 2005
• Children's book roundup Christmas 2004
• Children's books roundup Summer 2004
• Children's book roundup, Easter 2004
• Children's book round-up Christmas 2003
• Children's books roundup Summer 2003
• Children's books roundup Easter 2003
• 10 Little Rubber Ducks by Eric Carle 1-4
• Abbot Dagger's Academy and the Quest for the Holy Grail by Sam Llewellyn 8-12
• The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie 13+
• Addis Berner Bear Forgets by Joel Stewart 2-7
• Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko 10+
• Alone on a Wide Wide Sea by Michael Morpurgo 9-13
• The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips by Michael Morpurgo 7-11
• The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman
• The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud 10
• Angelo by David Macaulay 5+
• The Ant Colony by Jenny Valentine 12+
• Apocalypse by Tim Bowler 12+
• Ark Angel by Anthony Horowitz 10-14
• The Arrival by Shaun Tan 7-18
• Artemis Fowl: The Eternity Code by Eoin Colfer 11+
• The Awful Tale of Agatha Bilke by Sian Pattenden 7-10
• Bad, Bad Darlings by Sam Llewellyn 9-12
• The Barefoot Book of Earth Tales by Dawn Casey and Anne Wilson 7-11
• The Battle of the Sun by Jeanette Winterson 9-11
• The Beasts of Clawstone Castle by Eva Ibbotson 7-10
• Being by Kevin Brooks 12+
• Belonging by Jeannie Baker 4-12
• The Big Ugly Monster and the Little Stone Rabbit by Chris Wormell 3-7
• The Black Book of Secrets by F E Higgins 9-13
• Blood Fever by Charlie Higson 10+
• Blood Red, Snow White by Marcus Sedgwick 13+
• The Blood Stone by Jamila Gavin 10+
• Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd 13+
• The Bone Magician by F E Higgins 9-13
• The Book of Dead Days by Marcus Sedgwick 10+
• The Book of Everything by Guus Kiijer translated by Jan Nieuwenhuizen 10+
• Born Confused by Tanuja Desai Hillier 14+
• The Boy in the Dress by David Walliams illustrated by Quentin Blake 9+
• The Boyhood of Burglar Bill by Allan Ahlberg. Note an error: this book is autobiographical fiction, not autobiography. 9+
• Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer 13+
• Brisingr by Christopher Paolini 11+
• Broken Glass by Sally Grindley 9+
• Broken Soup by Jenny Valentine 13+
• A Brush with the Past 1900-1950: The Years That Changed Our Lives by Shirley Hughes 11+
• Caddy Ever After by Hilary McKay 10+
• Can You Feel the Force? by Richard Hammond 10-14
• Candy by Kevin Brooks 13+
• Carlo Likes Colours by Jessica Spanyol 2-4
• The Cat Who Got Carried Away by Allan Ahlberg illustrated by Katherine McEwen 5-9
• Charlie Cook's Favourite Book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler 3-6
• Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett illustrated by Brett Helquist 8-12
• Clarice Bean Spells Trouble by Lauren Child 7-11
• Clay by David Almond 12+
• The Conquerors by David McKee 4+
• Conrad's Fate by Diana Wynne Jones 8-11
• Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce 9+
• A Coyote's In the House by Elmore Leonard illustrated by Lauren Child 9-14
• Cyrano by Geraldine McCaughrean 10+
• The Dancing Tiger by Malachy Doyle illustrated by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher 3-8
• A Darkling Plain by Philip Reeve 10+
• Dawn Undercover by Anna Dale 8-11
• The Death-Defying Pepper Roux by Geraldine McCaughrean 10+
• The Declaration by Gemma Malley 12+
• The Deep by Helen Dunmore 10+
• Dexter Bexley and the Big Blue Beastie by Joel Stewart 2-6
• The Divide by Elizabeth Kay 8-13
• Dogs by Emily Gravett 2-5
• Dotty Inventions and Some Real Ones Too by Roger McGough illustrated by Holly Swain 5-8
• The Dragonfly Pool by Eva Ibbotson 8-12
• The Dreamwalker's Child by Steve Voake 9-12
• Earth Matters by David de Rothschild 8-16
• Eating Things on Sticks by Anne Fine 9+
• Edwardo: The Horriblest Boy in the Whole Wide World by John Burningham 2-6
• Edwina: The Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She Was Extinct by Mo Willems 3-6
• Ella's Big Chance by Shirley Hughes 4-8
• The Enemy by Charlie Higson 11-14
• Eragon by Christopher Paolini 10+
• The Extraordinary and Unusual Adventures of Horatio Lyle by Catherine Webb 11+
• Face Value by Catherine Johnson 13+
• The Famous Five's Survival Guide by "Enid Blyton" 7+
• The Fantastic Mr Wani by Kanako Usui 1-4
• Fat Boy Swim by Catherine Forde 11+
• Fever Crumb by Philip Reeve 10+
• The Fire-Eaters by David Almond 11+
• A Fistful of Pearls and Other Tales from Iraq by Elizabeth Laird 6-9
• Foul Play by Tom Palmer 8+
• Framed by Frank Cottrell Boyce 10+
• Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick 10+
• Frozen Billy by Anne Fine 7-11
• Frozen Fire by Tim Bowler 11-15
• The Geek, The Greek and the Pimpernel by Will Gatti 10+
• George's Secret Key to the Universe by Stephen and Lucy Hawking 8+
• The Getaway by Ed Vere 3+
• Ghostboy and the Moonbalm Treasure by Richard Hamilton illustrated by Sam Hearn 7-9
• Ghosts! The Ultimate Guide for Ghost Hunters by Richard Brassey 7-11
• Gideon the Cutpurse by Linda Buckley-Archer 9+
• The Gift Boat by Peter Dickinson 9+
• The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman illustrated by Chris Riddell 9+
• Grk and the Pelotti Gang by Joshua Doder 7-11
• Guantanamo Boy by Anna Perera 12+
• Gulliver retold by Martin Jenkins and illustrated by Chris Riddell 7-12
• Gullstruck Island by Frances Hardinge 10+
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J K Rowling
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J K Rowling
• Here be Monsters!: The Ratbridge Chronicles vol 1 by Alan Snow 8-12
• Here's A Little Poem: A Very First Book of Poetry edited by Jane Yolen and Andrew Fusek Peters. Illustrated by Polly Dunbar 1-5
• Heroes of the Valley by Jonathan Stroud 9+
• High in the Clouds by Paul McCartney, Geoff Dunbar and Philip Ardagh 5+
• Hitler's Canary by Sandi Toksvig 9+
• Home Now by Lesley Beake and Karin Littlewood 4+
• Hooray for Fish! by Lucy Cousins 1-3
• Hoot by Carl Hiaasen 10+
• How do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague 2+
• How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff 12+
• How the Hangman Lost His Heart by K M Grant 11+
• How to Train Your Dragon by Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III translated by Cressida Cowell 7-11
• How to Train Your Parents by Pete Johnson 9-12
• I am Absolutely Too Small for School by Lauren Child 3-6
• I, Coriander by Sally Gardner 10+
• If A Tree Falls at Lunch Break by Gennifer Choldenko 13+
• Indigo's Star by Hilary McKay 9-13
• Into the Forest by Anthony Browne 5+
• The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick 8+
• The Invisible Friend by Louise Arnold 7-11
• Iron Hand by Charlie Fletcher 9+
• Is It Bedtime, Wibbly Pig? by Mick Inkpen 1-3
• Ithaka by Adele Geras 12+
• Jacky Daydream by Jacqueline Wilson 8-12
• Jonadab and Rita by Shirley Hughes 3-6
• Just Henry by Michelle Magorian 10-14
• Just in Case by Meg Rosoff 14+
• Kate, the Cat and the Moon by David Almond illustrated by Stephen Lambert 2-5
• King Matt the First by Janusz Korczak 9+
• King Ocean’s Flute by Lucy Coats illustrated by Peter Malone 3-7
• Knife Edge by Malorie Blackman 12+
• Larklight by Philip Reeve illustrated by David Wyatt 9-13
• Last Train from Kummersdorf by Leslie Wilson 12+
• Lines in the Sand by Mary Hoffmann and Rhiannon Lassiter 8-16
• Lionboy by Zizou Corder 9-11
• The Little Cat Baby by Allan Ahlberg illustrated by Fritz Wegner 3-7
• Little Darlings by Sam Llewellyn 9+
• The Little Genteman by Philippa Pearce illustrated by Patrick Benson 7-9
• Little Mouse's Big Book of Fears by Emily Gravett 3-7
• Lizzie Nonsense by Jan Ormerod 3-7
• Lobster Boy by Rodman Philbrick 10+
• Lola Rose by Jacqueline Wilson 9-12
• The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd 9+
• The Love Curse of the Rumbaughs by Jack Gantos 14+
• Lucas by Kevin Brooks 13+
• Lugalbanda: The Boy Who Got Caught Up in a War by Kathy Henderson illustrated by Jane Ray 7-11
• The Magic Bed by John Burningham 2-6
• Magyk: Septimus Heap book 1 by Angie Sage 8-11
• Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment by James Patterson 11+
• Me and My Mammoth by Joel Stewart 2-6
• Measle and the Wrathmonk by Ian Ogilvy 8-10
• Meggie Moon by Elizabeth Baguley illustrated by Gregoire Mabire 3-6
• The Merrybegot by Julie Hearn 11+
• Mia's Story by Michael Foreman 4-9
• Michael Rosen's Sad Book by Michael Rosen illustrated by Quentin Blake 6+
• Millie's Marvellous Medicine by Satoshi Kitamura 3-6
• Millions by Frank Cottrell Boyce 9-13
• Minty and Tink by Emma Chichester Clark 2-4
• The Monstrous Memoirs of a Mighty McFearless by Ahmet Zappa 9-11
• Moonbird by Joyce Dunbar illustrated by Jane Ray 3-6
• Mr Peabody's Apples by Madonna illustrated by Loren Long 5-9
• My Dad's a Birdman by David Almond 6+
• Naked Bunyip Dancing by Steven Herrick 9-13
• Nation by Terry Pratchett 10+
• The North Pole Was Here by Andrew C Revkin 11-16
• Not the End of the World by Geraldine McCaughrean 11+
• On Angel Wings by Michael Morpurgo illustrated by Quentin Blake 5-9
• Once by Morris Gleitzman 9+
• Once Upon a Time by Niki Daly 3-7
• Once Upon a Time in the North by Philip Pullman 10+
• Operation Red Jericho by Joshua Mowll 10-14
• Orange Pear Apple Bear by Emily Gravett 0-4
• The Other Ark by Lynley Dodd 3-6
• Ottoline and the Yellow Cat by Chris Riddell 6-9
• Outcast by Michelle Paver 9+
• Pancakes for Findus by Sven Nordqkvist 5-7
• The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall 9-12
• Permanent Rose by Hilary McKay 9-12
• Peter Pan in Scarlet: The Official Sequel by Geraldine McCaughrean 9+
• A Picture History of Britain by Clarke Hutton 6+
• Pip: The Story of Olive by Kim Kane 10-13
• Pirateology by Dugald Steer 9+
• Predator's Gold by Philip Reeve 11+
• The Princess and the Pea by Lauren Child captured by Polly Borland 4-8
• The Printer's Devil by Paul Bajoria 9-11
• Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo 10+
• The Puddleman by Raymond Briggs 3+
• Puff the Magic Dragon by Song by Peter Yarrow and Lenny Lipton, paintings by Eric Puybaret 2-5
• The Red Necklace by Sally Gardner 11+
• Return to the Hundred-Acre Wood by David Benedictus with decorations by Mark Burgess 7+
• The Road of Bones by Anne Fine 12+
• The Robber Baron's Daughter by Jamila Gavin 10+
• Rowan the Strange by Julie Hearn 11+
• Rubies in the Snow by Kate Hubbard 12+
• Runemarks by Joanne Harris 11+
• Ryland's Footsteps by Sally Prue 11+
• The Saddest King by Chris Wormell 2-5
• Sam Johnson: the Wonderful Word Doctor by Andrew Billen 9+
• The Scarecrow and His Servant by Philip Pullman 7-9
• Scaredy Squirrel by Melanie Watt 2-6
• The Shape Game by Anthony Browne 4-8
• Siberia by Ann Halam 10-14
• The Silver Blade by Sally Gardner 11+
• SilverFin by Charlie Higson 9-12
• Singing to the Sun by Vivian French 5+
• Slam by Nick Hornby 14+
• Small Billy and the Midnight Star by Nette Hilton and Bruce Whatley 3-7
• Small Steps by Louis Sachar 11+
• Snakehead by Anthony Horowitz 11+
• Solace of the Road by Siobhan Dowd 12+
• A Sound Like Someone Trying Not to Make a Sound by John Irving illustrated by Tatjana Hauptmann 2-6
• Sovay by Celia Rees 12+
• Spilled Water by Sally Grindley 10-13
• The Sprog Owner's Manual (or How Kids Work) by Babette Cole 4+
• Spud Goes Green: The Diary of My Year as a Greenie by Giles Thaxton illustrated by Nigel Baines 8-12
• The Star of Kazan by Eva Ibbotson 8-12
• Stoneheart by Charlie Fletcher 10+
• The Story Giant by Brian Patten illustrated by Chris Riddell 8-12
• Stratford Boys by Jan Mark 12+
• Stripes of the Sidestep Wolf by Sonya Hartnett 12+
• A Swift Pure Cry by Siobhan Dowd 13+
• Tadpole's Promise by Jeanne Willis illustrated by Tony Ross 3+
• The Tale of Despereaux by Kate Di Camillo illustrated by Timothy Basil Ering 7-9
• Tales From Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan 8+
• Tamburlaine's Elephants by Geraldine MacCaughrean 10+
• Tanglewreck by Jeanette Winterson 10+
• Thanks for Telling Me, Emily by Dierdre Madden 10-13
• Then by Morris Gleitzman 11+
• Thora by Gillian Johnson 7-10
• The Thornthwaite Inheritance by Gareth P Jones 9-12
• Time Quake by Linda Buckley-Archer 9-13
• To market! To market! by Anushka Ravishankar illus Emanuele Scanziani 3-6
• Traction Man is Here by Mini Grey 3-6
• The Traitor Game by BR Collins 13+
• Troll Fell by Katherine Langrish 9+
• Tumtum and Nutmeg by Emily Bearn 5-9
• Tyrannosaurus Drip by Julia Donaldson illustrated by David Roberts 3-6
• The Ultimate Teen Book Guide by Daniel Hahn and Leonie Flynn 12+
• Un Lun Dun by China Mieville 9+
• The Unrivalled Spangles by Karen Wallace 11-14
• Up in the Tree by Margaret Atwood 4-6
• The Vanishing of Katharina Linden by Helen Grant 14+
• Verdigris Deep by Frances Hardinge 10+
• A Voice of Her Own: The Story of Phyllis Wheatley, Slave Poet by Kathryn Lasky illustrated by Paul Lee 7-11
• Voyages Through Time: The Beginning and Escape from Earth by Peter Ackroyd
• The Wave Runners by Kai Meyer trans Anthea Bell 9-12
• We Are All Born Free (note I say 'media' not 'mediums') by 6-16
• The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett 11+
• What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell 13+
• What I Was by Meg Rosoff 12+
• When a Zeeder Met a Xyder by Malachy Doyle illustrated by Joel Stewart 3+
• While You Are Sleeping by Alexis Deacon 2-4
• The White Giraffe by Lauren St John 9-12
• Wicked Poems by Roger McGough illustrated by Neal Layton 7+
• Wilderness by Roddy Doyle 10+
• Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett 11+
• The Wizard, The Ugly and the Book of Shame by Pablo Bernasconi 5-8
• Wolf Brother by Michelle Paver 10-12
• Wolves by Emily Gravett 2-6
• Wolves in the Walls by Neil Gaiman illustrated by Dave McKean 5+
• The Worst Witch Saves the Day by Jill Murphy 5-7
• Wriggle and Roar: Rhymes to Join in With by Julia Donaldson and Nick Sharratt 0-4
• The Wrong Hands by Nigel Richardson 13+
• The Year the Gypsies Came by Linzi Glass 13+
• You're a Bad Man, Mr Gum! by Andy Stanton illus David Tazzyman 7-11
• Zoo by Graham Marks 13+