GREYFRIARS TO GRANGE HILL 7 page School Stories Supplement 2 BOOKS FOR KEEPS No. 12 JANUARY 1982 V! - the magazine of the Contents School Bookshop Association Reviewers in this issue Editors Page News and comment from the Editor JANUARY 1982 No. 12 The World of Children's ISSN: 0143-909X Books Editor: Pat Tnggs Part 2. The Publicity People Designer: Alec Davis Typesetting by: Curtis Typesetting, Reviews 8 Gloucester Nursery/Infant Middle/Secondary Printed by: Surrey Fine Arts, Redhill Infant/Junior Older Readers Surrey Junior/Middle Non-Fiction Editorial correspondence: Jill Bennett Monsters, Ghosts and 13 Pat Triggs Jill is an infant teacher, currently on a Witches 36 Ravenswood Road course at the Institute of Education in A Consumer Report, researched by Bristol, Avon, BS6 6BW London. She is Literary Editor of Child Cathy Lister Tel: 0272 49048 Education and on the Board of the SBA. Three Hoban Hits 15 Subscriptions and advertising: A look at three ages of man as seen Richard Hill by Russell Hoban and his illustrators 1 Effingham Road Authorgraph No. 12 16 Lee, London, SE12 8NZ Russell Hoban Tel: 01-852 4953 News about Awards 18 © School Bookshop Association 1982 Greyfriars to Grange Hill 19 No. 12 January 1982 Introducing a seven page special feature on School Stories Registered office: David Bennett National Book League, Book House, David (no relation to Jill) is a former The Rise and Fall and Rise 20 45 East Hill, Wandsworth, London SW18. librarian, and currently Head of English in a of School Stories Nottinghamshire secondary school. Mary Cadogan gives us a historical perspective can be obtained First School Books 22 on subscription by sending a cheque or School as seen by picture books postal order to the Subscription Secretary, artists Shirley Hughes and Rosemary SBA, 1 Effingham Road, Lee, London Wells SE12 8NZ. Tel: 01-852 4953 A Name to Note 23 Pat Triggs meets Tim Kennemore Annual subscription for six issues: whose first book, published last year, £5.00 UK, £8.00 overseas. was a school story Single copies direct from the SBA: 85p UK, £1.35 overseas. Steve Bowles A Sound and Vision Special 24 Steve was a secondary English teacher and Phil Redmond Talking co-producer of Reviewsheet until it ceased publication. He is now writing full-time. Phil Redmond in conversation with Cover Story Tony Bradman about Grange Hill, television and lots beside Our cover this issue features Tucker and Co., Phil Redmond, Fontana Lions, Skulls 26 000 670127 X, 85p Sara Steel writes about her son, It is also available in hardback from BBC Richard, winner of the 1981 TES Publications, 0 563 20053 7, £4.50 in Information Book Award March. Award-Winning 28 We are grateful for help from Fontana in Information putting the book on our cover in full A closer look at Richard Steel's colour. Skulls _ Cover photos, by Douglas Playle, show Todd Cathy Lister Carty, Erkan Mustafa, Nadia Chambers, Lee Cathy teaches in a middle school in Sound and Vision 29 MacDonald, Lee Sparke, Paula Taras and Alison Vettles. Staffordshire, with responsibility for English News about books on television and and Language across the Curriculum. in the cinema Picture Books for Young 30 People A taste of a new Book List from Elaine Moss _ Opinion 32 Sue Palmer asks Why not let the children choose? School Bookshop 32 Noticeboard Colin Mills (left) News and ideas from around the Colin is in the Division of Teaching Studies at country Worcester College, where he helps run a Diploma in Children's Literature. He's taught Published by the in a comprehensive school, a primary school and worked in radio. School Bookshop Association Bill Boyle (right) with the help of Lloyds Bank, Bill teaches in Middle School in Wirral. He was founding Deputy Editor of Junior six times a year. Education. BOOKS FOR KEEPS No. 12 JANUARY 1982 3 EDITOR'S PAGE The good ship Books for Keeps is off with the dawning realisation that he on its second voyage around the world fancies Trisha Yates is a little gem. of children's books (page 4). Landing More about Phil Redmond in his own again on Publishers Island we set out words on page 24. to discover how The Publicity People live. New readers may begin to wonder at this stage whether they need a map. just creeps in unnoticed ... I have Well, we do have one available. In learned a lot by putting down what I Books for Keeps 10 we prefaced a know on paper ... I had to check as feature on The Editors with a rather many facts as I could to make sure I light-hearted map of the World of was not passing on inaccurate Children's Books which this series of information.' Out of his enthusiasm articles intends to explore with some came a highly individual book which seriousness. communicates information clearly and Several of you wrote to us about our compellingly. We could all learn a lot map and had obviously enjoyed the fun. from it. Some even accepted our invitation to add new locations. Eileen Saez from Eithwyn Jones, the girl who bought the Bring Back Frances the School of Librarianship and millionth Grange Hill, with a pupil, Mrs Darwin, teacher, and Robert Leeson in Another award winner is Russell Information Studies at Newcastle-upon- the School Bookshop. Hoban our choice for the Authorgraph Tyne Polytechnic really got into the in this issue (page 16). His adult novel spirit of the thing. Riddley Walker which was shortlisted 'Congratulations on the thought- for the Booker Prize in 1980 has provoking map. Can I make a plea for A Writing Friendship recently gone into paperback from Picador. Don't miss it. the Library Schools to be charted Also in our special feature you can please? I suppose we might belong on meet Tim Kennemorc. Her The We have tried by selecting examples Library Island, the children's literature Middle of the Sandwich is certainly from three of Russell Hoban's children's options are possibly the best supported one of the best in the new wave of books (page 15) to give you a taste of of the courses we run and might school stories. She is, we discovered, a the particular talent he has for revealing counteract erosion. Education Island compulsive reader, the sort that feels us to ourselves. In her new book list would be another possibility, but then insecure without a book to hand. One (see page 30) Elaine Moss includes no we could well anchor in Booklovers of her favourite writers when she was less than five Hoban stories. She calls Bay too, and I'm sure that the students young was Antonia Forest, and six him 'that arch-analyst of the human would happily consign their lecturers to years ago Tim wrote to her asking for zoo.' Given all that, imagine how Bee in the Bonnet Bay. I have a fancy, advice on how to get published. 'She amazed and dismayed we were to find however for the schools of librarianship was wonderful. I got pages of advice that almost all the indispensible to be in the Ocean of Opportunity on and the only thing she said she wanted Frances books are out of print in the grounds that the schools do have in return was a copy of the first book I hardback and paperback. If you are to the time and opportunity to explore and got published.' They have been get acquainted with this delightful investigate areas through research corresponding regularly for two years young person, lightly disguised as a projects and the like.' Explorers please now but never met. 'I wouldn't want to. badger, you will have to seek her in the amend your maps. We've made a note We might not like each other and that library. Frances fans present and future for the next edition. would be the end of the letters.' When should unite to urge publishers to get For those who want to catch up on the we met Tim she was looking forward to these marvellous books back into print first article and the map, back numbers reading the latest Marlow family book. as soon as possible. of Books for Keeps 10 are available. Unlike Tim, Antonia Forest writes very (75p including postage). Those who slowly and for her fans the gaps Coming Soon — a Lifeline asked if we could reproduce the map between books are unbearably long. poster-size will be pleased to hear that Run Away Home (Faber, We are constantly being asked for lists we can now also supply an enlarged 0 571 11837 2, £5.25) is not a school of sure-fire hits to recommend to those story, in it the Marlows are at home for just starting out with children's books. (A3) version. (Also 75p including Who better to give that sort of advice postage). No wall should be without Christmas. But there is a lot happening than Elaine Moss whose knowledge one! (including an adventure at sea) and the and encouragement have inspired so subtle observation of character that is many of us? So we are particularly Cover Story Antonia Forest's trade mark is evident in full. As Tim Kennemore put it, delighted that Elaine has agreed to do a Great value though our map is it will 'There's a lot of depth in her books.' series of five articles on this theme for be a while before we top the sales Books for Keeps. She has called it figures of Bob Leeson's Grange Hill Lifeline Library.