Features and Children's Book Reviews

(See also columns from BookBrunch online.)

Features and reviews from the Sunday Times and the Times can no longer be linked here because they are now behind a paywall.

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)
• A Page in the Life: interview with Neil Gaiman (The Telegraph)
• A Page in the Life: interview with Rick Riordan (The Telegraph)
• Kicking up a Storm: interview with Anthony Horowitz (The Sunday Times)

Children's Book Reviews

• 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+