Guardian Children's Fiction Award...the shortlist

-
Yesterday, the shortlist for the annual (and much coveted!) Guardian Children's Fiction Award was announced. Kate DiCamillo (that wonder who cannot write a bad book!), Piers Torday, E. Lockhart and SF Said had their latest offerings chosen from what was a very competitive longlist to make one of the toughest shortlists I have seen in quite a while.
I think the quote from Judge Katherine Rundell (author of the exceptional Rooftoppers) says best exactly what I was thinking:
“It’s a shortlist to revel in; four very different books that share intelligence and heart as their common denominator.”

So, in no particular order, here's the shortlist and a very, very brief synopsis of each book;
Flora and Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo
Young, skeptical Flora rescues a squirrel from an collision with a hoover only to find, the squirrel has developed superpowers.

 Phoenix by SF Said
An incredible journey that takes you from the dreams and imagination of a young boy through the stars to discover the fate of the universe.


We Were Liars by E Lockhart
An eloquent and moving exploration of guilt and grief; very subtle, a must-read.


The Dark Wild by Piers Torday
An amazing adventure (sequel to The Last Wild) that never lets up and makes you think!


Yes, I have read them all and I have to say, tough choice. Each book is very different in style, content and execution; but each book is equally beautiful, elegant and memorable. Good luck to all the shortlisted authors, and to the judges who now have a very difficult decision to make.
The winner of the Guardian Children's Fiction Award will be announced on the 13th of November.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Rights of the Reader

-
Image
The Rights of the Reader; Daniel Pennac, illustrated by Quentin Blake Summer is here and we do encourage summer reading with numerous incentives and programmes. It is important for children (of all ages) to 'keep their reading up' outside of school time. This is the time when kids develop their own taste in books and can be free to read books of their own choosing. And this is the single most important factor in young people developing a lifelong reading habit. But how do we, as the 'gatekeepers' of kids reading, encourage them properly without running the risk of thrusting pressure and our own ideas on them? Do that and you'll run the risk of pushing them away from reading, and there are already so many distractions for the young reader to contend with that can tempt them elsewhere. Published by Walker Books; 9781406300918 In 1992, French writer Daniel Pennac originally published this little gem of a book; The Rights of the Reader. I highly recommend
Read more

The Summer of Lily and Esme by John Quinn....25 years

-
Image
This year marks the anniversary of the publication of an extraordinary book. In 1991, Poolbeg published The Summer of Lily & Esme by John Quinn and in the 25 years since, it has never been out of print. The Summer of Lily & Esme tells a quiet story, filled with compassion, friendship, memory and heart. It is the story of Alan, an 11-year-old boy who has moved from the city into a house in the countryside; in the middle of nowhere.The house is old and extremely large and immaculate; and there is a locked, boarded over attic room that is said to be haunted by the ghost of a young boy who died tragically. Alan is not too pleased with this move and becomes even less thrilled when he discovers his closest neighbours, in fact his only neighbours, are a pair of elderly sisters, Esme and Lily, who seem to be suffering from dementia.  When Alan falls down a hill of brambles and weeds, the sisters, who believe they themselves to be children, mistake Alan for their
Read more

Launch of Genesis by Eilis Barrett

-
Image
A week ago, I played a small part of the launch of Genesis , the much-anticipated sequel to Oasis by Eilis Barrett; this time at Charlie Byrnes Bookshop in Galway. Vinny Brown introduces Eilis Eilis is a remarkable young woman, as you might imagine since she is 18 years old and this is her second book. ( Oasis was published when she was 16.) Articulate and accomplished, it is a real privilege to know her, to hear her speak and to read her writing. Genesis author: Eilis Barrett publisher: Gill Books (8 September 2017 ISBN: 9780717174355 Genesis picks up the story of Quincy Emerson. She now finds herself a captive once again, in the maximum-security prison, the Colosseum as a security risk. Held in deplorable and brutal conditions in the prison, where anarchy rules and rival gangs wage a 'street war' of sorts, Quincy takes care to not make an enemy of either gang boss, while holding allegiance to no one but herself and her comrades on the outside. Food is scarce an
Read more