COSTA BOOK AWARDS CHILDREN'S SHORTLIST 2012

Originally established in 1971 by Whitbread Plc, Costa announced its takeover of the sponsorship of the UK's most prestigious book prize in 2006. 2012 marks the 41st year of the Book Awards.

This year’s Costa Book Awards attracted 550 entries. Judges on this year’s panels (three per category) included author and comedian Mark Watson; authors Wendy Holden, Marcus Sedgwick and Matt Whyman; actress and broadcaster Janet Ellis; novelist and Editor-in-Chief of Red Magazine, Sam Baker; poet Daljit Nagra and novelist and biographer, DJ Taylor.

Winners in the five categories, who each receive £5,000, will be announced on Wednesday 2nd January 2013. The overall winner of the Costa Book of the Year 2012 will receive £30,000 and will be selected and announced at the Costa Book Awards ceremony in central London on Tuesday 29th January 2013.

The winner of the inaugural Costa Short Story Award, voted for by the public, will also be announced at the ceremony. The shortlisted six stories for the Costa Short Story Award will be revealed on the Costa Book Awards website, www.costabookawards.com, on Tuesday 27th November.

Since the introduction of the Book of the Year award in 1985, it has been won ten times by a novel, four times by a first novel, five times by a biography, seven times by a collection of poetry and once by a children’s book. The 2011 Costa Book of the Year was by novelist Andrew Miller.

To be eligible for the 2012 Costa Book Awards, books must have been first published in the UK or Ireland between 1 November 2011 and 31 October 2012.

Here are the four nominated books:

                                                         

Sally Gardner - Maggot Moon - Published by Hot Key Books - 30, August 2012

Narrated against the backdrop of a ruthless regime determined to beat its enemies in the race to the moon, MAGGOT MOON is the stunning new novel from award-winning author Sally Gardner. When his best friend Hector is suddenly taken away, Standish Treadwell realises that it is up to him, his grandfather and a small band of rebels to confront and defeat the ever-present oppressive forces of the Motherland. It is impossible not to be moved by MAGGOT MOON's utterly original, powerful story and the unforgettable heroism of Standish.

                                                        

Diana Hendry - The Seeing - Published by Bodley Head - 5,July 2012

1953. When wild, dangerous, break-all-the-rules Natalie arrives in the quiet town of Norton, thirteen-year-old Lizzie is drawn irresistibly to the new girl from the wrong side of the tracks. Desperate for Natalie's friendship and respect, Lizzie soon discovers a side of the town - and of herself - that she had never imagined.

As the girls grow closer, Natalie and her strange, eerie brother, Philip, reveal a shocking secret. For Philip has a second sight, and all around them he sees evil - 'left-over Nazis' lying in wait until the time is right for revenge. Natalie and Philip believe it's up to them to root these people out of Norton.

Lizzie is swept up in what starts as a thrilling game - but the consequences of Philip's 'gift' quickly spiral into disaster.

       

                                                       
Dave Shelton - A Boy and a Bear in a Boat - Published by David Fickling Books - 5, January 2012
A boy and a bear go to sea, equipped with a suitcase, a comic book and a ukulele. They are only travelling a short distance and it really shouldn't take long. But then their boat encounters 'unforeseeable anomalies'...

Faced with turbulent stormy seas, a terrifying sea monster and the rank remains of The Very Last Sandwich, the odds soon become pitted against our unlikely heroes. Will theHarriet, their trusted vessel, withstand the violent lashings of the salty waves? And will anyone ever answer their message in a bottle?

Brilliantly funny and tender, this beautiful book maps the growth of a truly memorable friendship and tells the story of how, when all becomes lost, the most unexpected joys can be found.

                                                       
Hayley Long - What's Up With Jody Barton - Published by Macmillan Children's Books - 24, May 2012

Me and my sister are twins. She's Jolene and I'm Jody. We've both got brown hair, we're both left-handed and we both have these weirdly long little toes which make us look like long-toed mutants. But apart from that, I'd say we're fairly different. Well, actually, we're a lot different . . . It's hard enough being one half of the world's least identical twins, without both of you falling for the same guy. Jolene's turned flirting into a fine art, but Jody? Not so much. And as if a twinny love triangle wasn't messy enough . . . there's something nobody knows about Jody Barton. Something BIG. Told with the trademark warmth and laugh-out-loud humour of the much-loved LOTTIE BIGGS books, this is a book that will make you think, with a gobsmacking twist you won't believe.

New:Moira Young - Blood Red Road - Costa Children's Book Award Winner 2011

WINNER OF THE 2011 COSTA CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD

BLOOD RED ROAD

By Moira Young

Marion Lloyd Books is delighted to announce that Blood Red Road, the debut novel by Moira Young, has won the 2011 Costa Children’s Book Award.

The judges called Blood Red Road: “An astonishing debut novel which had us all hooked from the beginning to the unpredictable end.”

The Costa Book Awards is one of the UK’s most prestigious and popular literary prizes. It is unique for having five categories: First Novel, Novel, Poetry, Biography and Children’s Book. The Costa Book Awards started life in 1971 as the Whitbread Literary Awards and Costa Coffee took over ownership of the awards in 2006. The award ceremony presentation evening will be held on Tuesday 24th January 2012.

Moira Young says: “To be shortlisted with such experienced and acclaimed writers and their excellent books was wonderful. To win the Costa Children's Book Award is amazing. I am immensely gratified that the story and characters I’ve lived with and cared about for so long, seem to speak not only to young people but readers of all ages.”

Marion Lloyd, adds: “I am very proud to be the publisher of Blood Red Road. Reading the first manuscript pages made my heart race. I wanted to aim Saba’s steely crossbow at anyone who might stop me from acquiring the publishing rights in this super-charged story of a girl’s search for her brother in a dangerous future world. Moira Young is a new writer of phenomenally powerful skills. To have the Costa judges crown her first novel as the winner of the children’s book award is simply fabulous.”

Blood Red Road is a fast-paced thriller written in fresh, pared-down language. Set in a lawless future land where life is cheap and survival is hard, Saba’s twin brother is stolen by mysterious, black-robed riders. She pursues his captors on a desperate journey full of violence and treachery where she will need a spirit as tough as her crossbow to survive. But among her companions are the cleverest bird that ever flew, and a handsome thief with eyes the colour of moonlight...

Moira Young’s searing, soaring survival story is arresting from the very first line. It is written in a compelling but very accessible dialect with an extremely distinctive authorial voice. The scope of the plot is epic and the pace is fierce, with unexpected twists throughout. The combination of a startlingly original voice, unforgettably vivid characters and a compelling teen love story sets this novel apart as one of the most sensational books for young adults in recent years.