Unique
by Alison Allen-Gray
edited by Kathy Webb
(OUP) | Millions
by Frank Cottrell Boyce
edited by Sarah Dudman
(Macmillan) | Dizzy
by Cathy Cassidy
edited by Rebecca McNally
(Puffin Books) | Zeus on the Loose
by John Dougherty
edited by Sue Cook
(Random House,
Young Corgi) |
About the shortlisted books - comments from the Judges:
Unique by Alison Allen-Gray (OUP)
A gripping story of a teenage boy who discovers a photo of a young man in his grandfather’s attic who could be his identical twin except that he is an only child. His subsequent discovery of the truth is devastating for him and the reader accompanies him on his painful and dangerous journey to discover his true self. An exciting adventure with a richness of language which flows effortlessly off the page.
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Millions by Frank Cottrell Boyce (Macmillan)
Bereft after the death of their mother, two boys lives become a rollercoaster adventure when they suddenly find they have a vast amount of money to spend in just a few days. Very funny, poignant and moving, this has all the elements of a great adventure with universal appeal.
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Dizzy by Cathy Cassidy (Puffin Books)
Ever since her Mum left when she was small, Dizzy yearns for her Mum every year on her birthday. Every year, a present has turned up, but this year, Mum arrives in person, turning the safe family unit upside down. She whisks Dizzy away with little thought of the consequences of her actions. This is a tightly written, wholly believable story, striking a non-judgmental note that presents the various sides of the dilemma. Excellent characterisation in a convincing and compassionate book.
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Zeus on the Loose by John Dougherty (Random House, Young Corgi)
Alex makes a temple to the Greek God, Zeus in class, little realising that the God himself will actually turn up and cause mayhem and try to start the Trojan War in the playground. A delightfully funny and skillfully written, clever story for younger readers. back
Wolf Brother by Michelle Paver (Orion)
This remarkable novel takes its readers back in time to an atmospheric world of snow, hunter-gatherers, tribes, clans, mountains, forests, bears and unearthly superstitions. The sense of place and time are beautifully evoked in an extraordinarily compelling and impressively researched story, in which we join the young hero on a dangerous quest which is also his rite of passage from child to man. Go to Wolf Brother website
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How I live now by Meg Rosoff (Puffin Books)
An unwilling American in England, Daisy is drawn into the family lives of her English cousins and becomes enthralled by them, and especially with Edmond, with whom she falls passionately in love. But war abruptly destroys their country idyll, with terrifying and tragic consequences, in this story which explores the nature and power of love and loss and finally offers us a sort of redemption. Rosoff’s is a genuinely original voice.
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Last Train from Kummersdorf by Leslie Wilson (Faber)
Set against the background of Nazi Germany in the final days of World War II, this is the story of Hanno, a boy on the run from invading Russians and haunted by memories of his brother's death. En route to find his remaining family in Frankfurt, he teams up with Effi, a streetwise 14-year-old, but their escape is fraught with horror, misery and danger, much of it from their own people. An exceptional tale of courage, love, desperation and the misery and horror of war which cannot fail to move any reader. Quite remarkable.
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