Forgotten Vintage Children's Lit We Want Republished! discussion

Just came across an awesome resource for older British children's books!

https://booksforkeeps.co.uk/past-issues

There are past issues going all the way back to 1980. Looks like a fun rabbit hole to fall down!

It is an excellent resource and not only for older books. The emphasis is on books published in the UK but not necessarily only by UK authors. I think it is still the case that most of the reviews are written by people involved in education.

This looks amazing, and definitely a rabbit hole one could fall down!

This looks great!

Oh cool - thanks for sharing this! :D

When I have some time, I'm going to try searching late '80s and early '90s issues in search of Alan's lost sci-fi books!

It looks as if all the Books for Keeps articles are available online going back to issue No. 1 in 1980 but the reviews are currently only available beginning with issue No. 134 from May 2002. Hopefully bringing all the reviews online is an ongoing project.

There are uploaded PDFs of all the issues. It's just a little trickier to find them.

For example, here's September 1990....

https://booksforkeeps.co.uk/issue/bfk...

On the right side, right below the picture of the cover, there's an orange button that says "Download BfK 64 September 1990." Click on that, and you'll see the full issue.

https://booksforkeeps.co.uk/wp-conten...

Rainbowheart wrote: "There are uploaded PDFs of all the issues. It's just a little trickier to find them.

For example, here's September 1990....

https://booksforkeeps.co.uk/issue/bfk...

On the right ..."

Thanks!

Rainbowheart wrote: "There are uploaded PDFs of all the issues. It's just a little trickier to find them.

For example, here's September 1990....

https://booksforkeeps.co.uk/issue/bfk...

On the right ..."

Thankyou for that. If I knew how to use a computer properly I'd be dangerous.

My favourite negative review to date - Enemies Are Dangerous

0434 94139 5, £3 .60
Two books about secret places
in the woods, stolen jewellery
and kids outwitting adults but
Alfred's Oak, though flawed,
has several good points whereas
Enemies Are Dangerous is so
badly written it's mind-
boggling.
...
Hambleside Publishers (12
Southgate Street, Winchester)
are relative newcomers to
children's books but
experience doesn't always
exert its proverbial influence,
as Heinemann show with the
new Gwen Grant. It starts
reasonably but once Samuel
and Cyril (!) meet villains
Toady, Foxy and Mr Ivox, it's
all downhill. Issuing this drivel
is a grave disservice to a
promising writer (see Private - Keep Out!). Enemies Are Dangerous is so awful that it
would've been a cert for an
Arts Council award if there 'd
been one this year - and you
can't say worse than that.

Ouch. Poor Gwen Grant!

Hopefully her other books got better reviews. She was still writing as of 2014.

Rainbowheart wrote: "Ouch. Poor Gwen Grant!

Hopefully her other books got better reviews. She was still writing as of 2014."

Lucy Mangan was very enthusiastic about Private Keep Out! And it’s sequels in Bookworm, A Memoir of Childhood Reading.