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Blackman, Earle and McNicoll shortlisted for The Week Junior Book Awards
Malorie Blackman OBE, Phil Earle and Elle McNicoll are among those listed for The Week Junior Book Awards, run in partnership with The Bookseller.
Former Children’s Laureate Blackman is shortlisted for Children’s Audiobook of the Year for Ellie and the Cat (Barrington Stoke), narrated by Esme Sears, and sits alongside Richard Ayoade’s The Book That No One Wanted to Read (W F Howes), narrated by the author as well as musician Jarvis Cocker and actor Lydia Fox, and Wolfbane by Michelle Paver (W F Howes), narrated by Sir Ian McKellan.
Earle contends with S F Said and A M Dassu in the Children’s Book of the Year: Older Fiction (9–12 year-olds) category with While the Storm Rages (Andersen Press), Tyger (David Fickling Books), and Fight Back (Scholastic) respectively, while the Children’s Book of the Year: Younger Fiction (6–9-year-olds) category sees Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho compete against author and illustrator Nadia Shireen, with Creeping Beauty: Fairy Tales Gone Bad (Walker Books) and Grimwood (Simon & Schuster).
In the Children’s Book of the Year: Older Non-Fiction (9–12-year-olds) category, television presenter Alison Hammond’s book celebrating a host of influential and inspirational Black figures from history, Black in Time (Puffin) written with Emma Norry, is in contention with You Don’t Know What War Is (Bloomsbury Children’s Books), Yeva Skalietska’s chronicle of 12 days in Ukraine that changed the 12-year-old’s life forever. Authors whose debut children’s books are in contention for the Breakthrough award, supported by World Book Day, include Tọlá Okogwu for Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun (Simon & Schuster Children’s Books), the story of a British-Nigerian girl who discovers her curls have psychokinetic abilities, and Caryl Lewis for Seed (Macmillan Children’s Books), a story about big dreams, hope and the power of imagination.
The Week Junior readers will have a seat at the voting table, as they are invited to choose their Cover Of The Year with books by Kiran Millwood Hargrave, Rob Biddulph and Sophy Henn on the shortlist. All shortlisted authors, illustrators and publishers will be invited to a drinks reception and awards ceremony taking place after The Bookseller Children’s Conference in London on 2nd October, 2023.
The eight Book of the Year winners, excluding Cover of the Year, will be decided by separate panels, with judges including broadcaster and writer Radzi Chinyanganya, presenter and author Liam Charles, presenter and YouTuber Maddie Moate, bestselling and award-winning authors Frank Cottrell-Boyce and Sharna Jackson and a host of experts in children’s literature.
Anna Bassi, editorial director for The Week Junior, said: “The volume and quality of entries to our first book awards has blown us away. The 76 titles that have been shortlisted reflect a huge range of themes, subjects, styles and voices and are testament to the creativity, care and sheer passion of today’s children’s authors, illustrators and publishers. I’m particularly excited about the books on our Breakthrough shortlist and thrilled to be celebrating and supporting some of the stars of the future.”
Philip Jones, editor of The Bookseller, added: “We are absolutely delighted by these shortlists which display the full breadth and magnificence that is today’s writing and publishing for children. With the reach of The Week Junior and these new prizes, we hope these books find the readers they so richly deserve, and that today’s readers are as entranced as we were by the titles shortlisted.”
The shortlists in full
Children’s Book of the Year: Younger Fiction (6–9-year-olds)
- Major and Mynah by Karen Owen, illustrated by Louise Forshaw (Firefly Press)
- The Boy Who Grew a Tree by Polly Ho-Yen, illustrated by Sojung Kim-McCarthy (Knights of)
- The Secret School Invasion by Pamela Butchart, illustrated by Thomas Flintham (Nosy Crow)
- Isadora Moon Under the Sea by Harriet Muncaster (Oxford University Press)
- Grimwood by Nadia Shireen, illustrated by Nadia Shireen (Simon & Schuster)
- Wildsmith: Into the Dark Forest by Liz Flanagan, illustrated by Joe Todd Stanton (UCLan Publishing)
- Anisha, Accidental Detective: Holiday Adventure by Serena Patel, illustrated by Emma McCann (Usborne)
- Creeping Beauty: Fairy Tales Gone Bad by Joseph Coelho, illustrated by Freya Hartas (Walker Books)
Children’s Book of the Year: Older Fiction (9–12-year-olds)
- While the Storm Rages by Phil Earle (Anderson Press)
- The Light in Everything by Katya Balen (Bloomsbury Children’s Books)
- The Marvellers by Dhonielle Clayton (Piccadilly Press)
- Tyger by S F Said (David Fickling Books)
- Like a Charm by Elle McNicoll (Knights Of)
- War of the Wind by Victoria Williamson (Neem Tree Press)
- The Girl Who Lost a Leopard by Nizrana Farook (Nosy Crow)
- Dogs of the Deadlands by Anthony McGowan (One World Publications)
- Fight Back by A M Dassu (Scholastic)
- Grandpa Frank’s Great Big Bucket List by Jenny Pearson (Usborne)
Children’s Book of the Year: Younger Non-Fiction (6–9-year-olds)
- Big Book of Boats by Luogo Commune (b small publishing)
- It’s Tough to be Tiny: The Secret Life of Small Creatures by Kim Ryall Woolcock (Flying Eye Books)
- A History of Words for Children by Mary Richards (Thames & Hudson)
- India, Incredible India by Jasbinder Bilan (Walker Books)
- The Extraordinary Book That Makes You Feel Happy by Poppy O’Neill (Weldon Owen Children’s Books)
Children’s Book of the Year: Older Non-Fiction (9–12-year-olds)
- You Don’t Know What War Is by Yeva Skalietska (Bloomsbury Children’s Books)
- A Fact for Every Day of the Year by Yes (Collins Reference)
- Guinness World Records 2023 edited by Craig Glenday, illustrated by Rod Hunt (Guinness World Records)
- Real-life Dragons and Their Stories of Survival by Anita Ganeri (Wayland)
- Black in Time by Alison Hammond and Emma Norry (Puffin)
- Escape the Medieval Castle by Stella Caldwell (Weldon Owen Children’s Books)
Children’s Illustrated Book of the Year
- Bunny vs Monkey: Rise of the Maniacal Badger by Jamie Smart (David Fickling Books)
- Sisters of the Mist by Marlyn Spaaij (Flying Eye Books)
- Bumble and Snug and the Excited Unicorn by Mark Bradley (Hodder Children’s Books)
- Grow by Rizanino Reyes, illustrated by Sara Boccaccini Meadows (Magic Cat Publishing)
- Press Start! Game On, Super Rabbit Boy! by Thomas Flintham, illustrated by Thomas Flintham (Nosy Crow)
- Marv and the Dino Attack by Alex Falase-Koya, illustrated by Paula Bowles (Oxford University Press)
- Frankie’s World by Aoife Dooley, illustrated by Aoife Dooley (Scholastic)
- Peanut Jones and the Twelve Portals by Rob Biddulph, illustrated by Rob Biddulph (Macmillan Children’s Books)
- Make This Book Wild by Jo Schofield and Fiona Danks (Wide Eyed Editions)
Children’s Book of the Year: Breakthrough sponsored by World Book Day
- Mia and the Lightcasters by Janelle McCurdy (Faber)
- The Lizzie and Belle Mysteries: Drama and Danger by J T Williams (Farshore)
- The Twig Man by Sana Rasoul (Hashtag Press)
- Seed by Caryl Lewis (Macmillan Children’s Books)
- The Secret of Haven Point by Lisette Auton (Puffin)
- A Passing On of Shells by Simon Lamb (Scallywag Press)
- Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun by Tọlá Okogwu (Simon & Schuster)
- Hedgewitch by Skye McKenna (Welbeck Flame)
Children’s Book of the Year: STEM in association with The Week Junior Science + Nature magazine
- The Bedtime Book of Impossible Questions by Isabel Thomas, illustrated by Aaron Cushley (Bloomsbury Children’s Books)
- i-SPY Seaside Challenge by i-SPY (Collins Michelin i-SPY Guides)
- The Secret World of Plants by Ben Hoare (DK)
- Slow Down and Be Here Now by Laura Brand, illustrated by Freya Hartas (Magic Cat Publishing)
- You Are 25% Banana by Susie Brooks (Red Shed, Farshore)
- 24 Hours in Space by Rob Lloyd Jones, illustrated by Laurent King (Usborne)
- The Extraordinary Book that Invents Itself by Alison Buxton and Helen Bell, illustrated by Pintachan (Weldon Owen Children’s Books)
- SuperQuesters: The Case of the Missing Memory by Dr Thomas Bernard and Lisa Moss, illustrated by Amy Willcox (QuestFriendz)
- The Brainiac’s Book of the Climate and Weather by Rosie Cooper, Illustrated by Harriet Russell (Thames and Hudson)
Children’s Audiobook of the Year
- The Ice Children by M G Leonard, narrated by multiple narrators (Audible)
- Real Pigeons (Audiobooks 1-3) by Andrew MacDonald, narrated by Tom Alexander (Farshore)
- Spaceboy by David Walliams, narrated by David Walliams and multiple narrators (HarperCollins Childrens Books)
- Running Out of Time by Simon Fox, narrated by Michael Golab (Nosy Crow)
- The Book That No One Wanted to Read by Richard Ayoade, narrated by Richard Ayoade and Jarvis Cocker (W F Howes)
- Wolfbane by Michelle Paver, narrated by Sir Ian McKellan (W F Howes)
- Natural Wonders of the World, by Ladybird, narrated by Ben Bailey-Smith (Ladybird)
- Ellie and the Cat by Malorie Blackman, narrated by Esme Sears (Barrington Stoke)
Children’s Book Cover of the Year sponsored by Bookily by National Book Tokens (voted for by The Week Junior readers)
- The Blackthorn Branch by Elen Caldecott, cover designed by Rachael Dean (Andersen Press)
- You Don’t Know What War Is by Yeva Skalietska (Bloomsbury Children’s Books)
- The Chestnut Roaster by Eve McDonnell, cover designed by Holly Ovenden (Everything with Words)
- Passionate About Penguins by Owen Davey (Flying Eye Books)
- Guinness World Records 2023 by Guinness World Records, illustrated by Rod Hunt (Guinness World Records)
- Leila and the Blue Fox by Kiran Millwood Hargrave (Orion Children’s Books)
- Peanut Jones and the 12 Portals by Rob Biddulph (Macmillan)
- The Girl Who Lost a Leopard by Nizrana Farook (Nosy Crow)
- Lifesize Deadly Animals by Sophy Henn, illustrated by Sophie Henn, cover designed by Faith Booker (Red Shed)
- The Boy Whose Wishes Came True by Helen Rutter, illustrated by Andrew Bannecker, cover designed by Liam Drane (Scholastic)
- Alex Neptune, Dragon Thief by David Owen, illustrated by George Ermos, cover designed by Will Steele (Usborne)
- The Last Whale by Chris Vick, cover designed by Jessie Price (Zephyr)
