Three 'gripping reads' shortlisted for Scottish Teenage Book Prize

Titles published by Barrington Stoke, Hot Key Books and Birlinn are on the shortlist for the first Scottish Teenage Book Prize, organised by Scottish Book Trust.

The shortlisted books are: The Last Soldier, a dyslexia-friendly story set in 1920’s Texas, by Keith Gray (Barrington Stoke); the thriller Black Cairn Point by Claire McFall (Hot Key Books); and Silver Skin, set in Stone Age Orkney, by Joan Lennon (Birlinn).

Scottish Book Trust launched the teenage book prize in May along with the Bookbug Picture Book Prize. The new prizes replace the former annual Children’s Book Awards.

Heather Collins, schools programme manager at Scottish Book Trust, said the teenage book prize was set up as a “celebration of the very best of Scottish YA fiction”. She added: “I defy any teenager to put these books down once they have read the first page – they all contain the ingredients of a gripping read and I predict a close-run competition."

Children in Scotland aged 12-16 can now vote for the winner by submitting a class vote via the Scottish Book Trust website.

The winner, who will receive a £3,000 prize, will be announced on 1st March 2017. The other two shortlisted authors will be given £500 each.