Waterstones Children’s Book Prize Shortlist 2020

Waterstones Children’s Book Prize Shortlists 2020 - A Voyage of Discovery

February: A beautifully illustrated celebration of hidden species, a vivid adventure story about a brave girl crossing the Himalayas and a thought-provoking collection of essays by gal-dem writers are amongst the eighteen shortlisted titles competing to win the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2020.

Every year Waterstones’ expert booksellers are called upon to vote for the books they believe are the very best in new children’s writing and illustration. Now in its sixteenth year, the Prize has evolved into one of the most prestigious accolades for children’s books in the UK.  It has become a formidable platform for emerging talent, demonstrating its enduring relevance by bringing the best new books to readers’ attention every year and launching the careers of many children’s book authors and illustrators.

Last year’s winner The Boy at the Back of the Class by Onjali Q. Raúf, Waterstones’ most successful winner yet, shot to the top of the bestseller charts following the Prize announcement and the novel saw an increase in sales of over 500%.

Florentyna Martin, Waterstones Children’s Buyer says: ‘One of the greatest pleasures in reading is the opportunity to explore, and this year’s authors and illustrators invite readers to join them on a voyage of discovery. In a shortlist of immersive fact and fiction, our booksellers have chosen to share narratives that offer readers of all ages the chance to explore a wide range of topics, from nature and identity to inner strength and the fabric of society. Whether meeting intriguing characters, navigating vibrant settings or uncovering thrilling plots, these books investigate what it means to understand yourself and the world around you.’

The shortlists consist of eighteen books across three categories. Six books will compete within each category to be crowned Category Winner, with the three category winners then vying for the overall title of Waterstones Children’s Book of the Year 2020. 

Kate Skipper, Waterstones COO says: ‘The Waterstones Children’s Book Prize is a highlight of my year. Every year, our booksellers consistently select stories that invariably jump off the page and into the reader’s imagination. No screen can compete with the power of a child’s imagination, it really is a wondrous thing. The shortlists this year are brilliant; I don’t envy the difficult choices ahead for our booksellers as they try to pick this year’s winners.’

The Illustrated Books shortlist explores nature with passion and joy. Ben Rothery’s beautifully illustrated Hidden Planet opens a door to a lesser-known animal world, whilst in Look Up!, an energetic and joyful story about science and space by Nathan Bryon and Dapo Adeola, budding astronaut and science fan Rocket want to share her excitement about an impending meteor shower. Graham Carter’s eponymous Otto Blotter, Bird Spotter sets out to explore the world and discovers something extraordinary, and in the magical and fun-filled Once Upon a Unicorn Horn by Beatrice Blue, June unexpectedly finds tiny flying horses in her garden. The shortlist concludes with One Fox by Kate Read, a counting farmyard adventure with a surprising twist, and Me and My Sister by Rose Robbins, a touching story about two siblings whose bond is stronger because of their differences.

Exploring mysteries and discovering hidden truths dominates the shortlist for Younger Readers. Jasbinder Bilan’s Asha & the Spirit Bird vividly tells the story of Asha’s journey across the Himalayas to find her father, and the gripping historical novel Our Castle by the Sea by Lucy Strange tells a story of hidden truths and revelations set on the Kent Coast in 1939. In Sharna Jackson’s suspense whodunit High–Rise Mystery a marvellous young detective duo investigate a murder case, whilst in The Middler by Kirsty Applebaum, an unexpected meeting with an outsider causes Maggie to question what really lies behind the strict rules of her town. Exploring thoughts and feelings is at the heart of the final two novels on the shortlist. Sam Copeland’s hero in the delightful Charlie Changes Into a Chicken develops an inconvenient superpower and realises that what he really needs is the help of his best friends, whereas The Deepest Breath by Meg Grehan is a powerful yet tender verse-novel about Stevie who is confused about her feelings for another girl but, with the help of a librarian, builds up her courage to share the truth with her mum.

The Older Readers’ shortlist explores topics of inner strength and identity. Liz Hyder’s original and darkly atmospheric novel Bearmouth tells the story of Newt who has worked in the mines from a young age, simply accepting things as they are, until a new worker arrives and causes Newt to question everything. In Samira Ahmed’s chilling near-future dystopia Internment, Layla refuses to accept injustice and discovers her courage and the power of friendship, whilst I Will Not Be Erased is a thought-provoking and illuminating collection of essays by gal-dem writers about growing up as people of colour.  Jemima Small Versus the Universe by Tamsin Winter tells the young heroine’s journey of self-discovery and how she learns to be happy with who she is, whereas Emma Smith-Barton’s The Million Pieces of Neena Gill is a powerful and relatable story about a girl’s struggle with mental health. Concluding the shortlist is A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson, a page-turning mystery novel in which one girl does not believe what everyone else takes for the truth.

The winners will be announced at an evening reception at Waterstones Piccadilly (London), Europe’s largest bookshop, on Thursday 26^th March 2020. The winner of each category will receive £2000, with the Overall Winner receiving an extra £3000. In the event that the Prize is awarded to a partnership, then the Prize money will be split equally between the joint winners.

The winning authors and illustrators will also see a significant boost in sales, and the promise of an ongoing commitment to their writing career from all Waterstones shops nationwide.

The full list of shortlisted titles (in alphabetical order by author) for the 2020 Prize are:

Illustrated Books:

Once Upon a Unicorn Horn by Beatrice Blue (Frances Lincoln)

Look Up! by Nathan Bryon and Dapo Adeola (illus) (Puffin)

Otto Blotter, Bird Spotter by Graham Carter (Andersen Press)

One Fox by Kate Read (Two Hoots)

Me and My Sister by Rose Robbins (Scallywag Press)

Hidden Planet: An Illustrator's Love Letter to Planet Earth by Ben Rothery (Ladybird)

Books for Younger Readers:

The Middler by Kirsty Applebaum (Nosy Crow)

Asha & the Spirit Bird by Jasbinder Bilan (Chicken House)

Charlie Changes Into a Chicken by Sam Copeland (Puffin)

The Deepest Breath by Meg Grehan (Little Island)

High-Rise Mystery by Sharna Jackson (Knights Of)

Our Castle by the Sea by Lucy Strange (Chicken House)

Books for Older Readers:

Internment by Samira Ahmed (Atom)

I Will Not Be Erased by gal-dem (Walker Books)

Bearmouth by Liz Hyder (Pushkin Children's Books)

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson (Electric Monkey)

The Million Pieces of Neena Gill by Emma Smith-Barton (Puffin)

Jemima Small Versus the Universe by Tamsin Winter (Usborne Publishing)

The future of children’s stories” revealed in Waterstones Children’s Book Prize Shortlists 2019

Congratulations EVERYBODY here is the full lists of shortlisted titles (in alphabetical order by author) for the Waterstones 2019 Prize are:

Illustrated Books:

The Girls by Lauren Ace and Jenny Løvlie (Little Tiger Press)

Mini Rabbit Not Lost by John Bond (HarperCollins)

Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History by Vashti Harrison (Penguin)

The King Who Banned the Dark by Emily Haworth-Booth (Pavilion)

Julian Is A Mermaid by Jessica Love (Walker Books)

100 Dogs by Michael Whaite (Penguin)

Younger Fiction:

The House With Chicken Legs by Sophie Anderson (Usborne)

The Train To Impossible Places by P.G. Bell (Usborne)

Brightstorm by Vashti Hardy (Scholastic)

The Mystery Of The Colour Thief by Ewa Jozefkowicz (Head of Zeus)

The Boy at the Back of the Class by Onjali Q. Raúf (Hachette Children’s)

The Boy Who Grew Dragons by Andy Shepherd (Templar)

Older Fiction:

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo (Egmont)

Children Of Blood And Bone by Tomi Adeyemi (Pan MacMillan)

A Winter’s Promise by Christelle Dabos (Europa Editions)

The Truth About Lies by Tracy Darnton (Little Tiger Press)

Me Mam. Me Dad. Me. by Malcolm Duffy (Head of Zeus)

Boy 87 by Ele Fountain (Pushkin)

Thursday 7^th February: Inspiring stories of trailblazing black women, a child’s warm-hearted perspective on the refugee crisis and an energetic verse novel about a girl finding her voice are amongst the eighteen shortlisted titles competing to win the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2019.

First awarded in 2005, the Prize has evolved into one of the most prestigious accolades for children’s books in the UK. It has launched the careers of many children’s book authors and illustrators by bringing the best new books to readers’ attention. Alumni include much-beloved household names such as Sally Nicholls, Jonny Duddle, Katherine Rundell and Kiran Millwood Hargrave.

Every year Waterstones’ expert booksellers are called upon to vote for the books they believe are the very best in new children’s writing and illustration. Now in its fifteenth year and with its shortlists exploring some highly topical subjects, the Prize shows its enduring relevance as a formidable platform for emerging talent. 

Last year’s winner, The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, shot to the top of the bestseller charts after the announcement and saw an increase in sales of over 900% across the Waterstones estate.

Florentyna Martin, Waterstones Children’s Buyer says: “Children’s books are firmly at the heart of our shops. Knowledge of their local communities, and the pleasure in recommending the best books to their customers gives our booksellers a unique and pivotal role in championing new talent.  Now, more than ever before, there is real playfulness and creativity noticeable in children’s books. This year’s list showcases an exploration of wide topics including world-folklore, black history, mental health, refugees and the world around us, through dynamic forms of poetry, fables, and sweeping fantasies. It is a truly enthralling time for children’s writing, and our booksellers have keenly chosen shortlists that they are inspired to share with readers and, in doing so, recognise the creators who will shape the future of children’s stories.”

The shortlists consist of eighteen books across three categories. Six books will compete within each category to be crowned Category Winner, with the three category winners then vying for the overall title of Waterstones Children’s Book of the Year 2019.

James Daunt, Waterstones Managing Director says: “We are immensely proud of our Children’s Book Prize. It has chosen unfailingly wonderful books and in so doing propelled the careers of a succession of exceptional authors. Who knows how many might otherwise not have achieved such success? The Prize is the work of our booksellers and represents Waterstones at its very best.”

The Illustrated Books shortlist explores the importance of inclusivity and individuality. Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History by Vashti Harrison features forty inspirational black women from world history, whilst Lauren Ace and Jenny Løvlie tell the story of a lifelong friendship in The Girls, showcasing the strength that lies in difference, and Jessica Love’s Julian Is A Mermaid is a joyful celebration of being uniquely yourself. John Bond’s deliciously funny debut Mini Rabbit Not Lost and Michael Whaite’s joyful rhyming story 100 Dogs will make young readers laugh with delight. The shortlist concludes with the illuminating story of The King Who Banned The Dark, a modern fable about power and rebellion, by Emily Haworth–Booth.

Adventures in fantasy settings dominate the Younger Fiction shortlist. The House With Chicken Legs by Sophie Anderson is a magical tale with influences of traditional folk and fairy stories, whilst dragons are brought to life in Andy Shepherd’s The Boy Who Grew Dragons. Action, sky ships and exploration are the fuel for Vashti Hardy’s fast-paced steam punk adventure Brightstorm, whereas in The Train To Impossible Places by P.G. Bell the young heroine might travel more conventionally by train, yet her journey is anything but. Two real-life stories round up the category: Onjali Q. Raúf’s The Boy at the Back of the Class presents, with heart and humour, a child's view on the refugee crisis, meanwhile a compassionate story about coping with life and grief is told by Ewa Jozefkowicz in her debut The Mystery Of The Colour Thief.

On the Older, Fiction shortlist headstrong young protagonists, from a wide variety of backgrounds, fight for their right to determine their own life. In Christelle Dabos’ fantasy runaway hit A Winter’s Promise, a young woman becomes an unwilling pawn in a political game, whilst Tomi Adeyemi’s heroine in Children Of Blood And Bone, a fantasy saga that draws on African mythology, has to return magic to a country oppressed by a ruthless king. Shif, the eponymous Boy 87 of Ele Fountain’s beautifully written novel, is a young refugee who encounters both cruelty and kindness on his long, hard journey to Europe, whereas in Me Mam. Me Dad. Me., Malcolm Duffy’s debut novel, a fourteen-year-old Geordie lad navigates the trials and tribulations of family life. The shortlist is completed by Elizabeth Acevedo’s The Poet X, a verse novel narrated with an unforgettable, authentic voice, and The Truth About Lies, a suspenseful, psychological thriller by Tracy Darnton, telling the story of a girl who remembers everything.

The winners will be announced at an evening reception at Waterstones Piccadilly (London), Europe’s largest bookshop, on Thursday 21^st March, 2019. The winner of each category will receive £2000, with the overall winner receiving an extra £3000. In the event that the prize is awarded to a partnership, then the prize money will be split equally between the joint winners.

The winning authors and illustrators will also see a significant boost in sales, and the promise of an ongoing commitment to their writing career from all Waterstones shops nationwide.

Book News World Book Day is 20 years old in 2017 - World Book Day YA Event Waterstones London- 1st March 2017

World Book Day is 20 years old in 2017, and we are celebrating with an extravaganza of a day on Thursday 2nd March 2017. 

Waterstones Piccadilly, 203 - 206 Piccadilly, London W1J 9HD - : 01 March 2017 @ 5.30 - 6.30pm

As part of the Biggest Book 

Show on Earth tour, we are hosting a special YA event on the eve of World Book Day, 1st March 2017.

Joining us will be David Almond and Michael Grant, authors of World Book Day £1 books Island and Dead of Nightrespectively; presenter and DJ Gemma Cairney whose debut Open is released in March; and author, vlogger and musical actress Carrie Hope Fletcher as chair.

The group will discuss their favourite books; where, when and how they read; the books they are currently working on; and give the audience book recommendations. After the event, there will be an opportunity to redeem £1 World Book Day tokens, meet the authors, get your books signed – and take selfies, of course!

Come join the booky fun! Tickets are free but to reserve a ticket, please click here

By: David Almond

Each year, sixteen-year old Louise travels with her father to the island of Lindisfarne. It’s a holiday, but also a pilgrimage to the place Louise’s mother loved best of all in the whole world. This year things are changing and the beautiful and haunted island is a troubled place. Louise is growing fast, and is yearning for independence. Her father becomes infatuated by an American tourist. And they arrive at the same time as Hassan, a mysterious boy from Syria, who fascinates Louise. He seems to have known this place from long ago, and to be at home here. He’s an acrobat, maybe a sorcerer, maybe a source of great danger. The gang of boys who live in the island’s wilder places want to cast him out.

Over the course of a few days, the forces of love, death, hope and destruction move these characters towards a deeper understanding of themselves and the world. This is a story which shows how the journeys we take and the people we meet shape us forever.

By: Michael Grant

Rio Richlin doesn’t have superpowers. She is an ordinary young woman. A soldier in the American army, wearing a uniform, carrying a rifle, and fighting alongside thousands who are trying to make a difference, trying to change the world.

At least, that’s the plan. Right now she’s part of a squad on a training exercise in some place called Wales. They’re cold, they’re wet, and Rio’s pretty sure they’re also lost. Spending the night in a creepy old inn wasn’t part of the plan at all…

Set in the alternative World War II scenario of his Front Lines novels, Michael Grant, author of the bestselling Gone series, has written this story exclusively for World Book Day.

Find out more: http://www.worldbookday.com

News: Shortlist for Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2013

          

The shortlist for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, created to reward and champion new and emerging talent in children’s writing has been announced. Now in its ninth year, the Prize consists of three categories: picture books; fiction for ages 5-12; and teen books, to reflect the breadth of quality in children’s books. Six books will compete within each category to be crowned category winner, with the three category winners then vying for the overall title of Waterstones Children’s Book of the Year 2013.

Picture Books:

• Lunchtime by Rebecca Cobb (Macmillan Children’s Books)
• Rabbityness by Jo Empson (Child’s Play)
• Oh No George! by Chris Haughton (Walker)
• The Worst Princess by Anna Kemp & Sara Ogilvie (Simon & Schuster)
• The Journey Home by Frann Preston-Gannon (Pavilion Children’s Books)
• Can You See Sassoon? by Sam Usher (Little Tiger Press)

Fiction 5-12

• The Wolf Princess by Cathryn Constable (Chicken House)
• Atticus Claw Breaks the Law by Jennifer Gray (Faber and Faber)
• Wonder by R.J. Palacio (Random House Children’s Books)
• The Secret Hen House Theatre by Helen Peters (Nosy Crow)
• The Chronicles of Egg: Deadweather and Sunrise by Geoff Rodkey (Puffin)
• Barry Loser: I Am Not A Loser by Jim Smith (Egmont)

Teen

• Seraphina by Rachel Hartman (Random House Children’s Books)
• Skin Deep by Laura Jarratt (Egmont)
• Insignia by S.J. Kincaid (Hot Key Books)
• Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (Bloomsbury Children’s)
• Ketchup Clouds by Annabel Pitcher (Indigo)
• Geekhood: Close Encounters of the Girl Kind by Andy Robb (Little Tiger Press)

The Waterstones Children’s Book Prize is unique in that it is voted for by booksellers across the country. Final judging is currently underway.

The winners will be announced on Thursday 21st March. The winner of each category will receive £2,000 with the overall winner picking up an additional £3,000.

Waterstone's Children's Book Prize 2011 Shortlisted Books

The shortlist for the Waterstone's Children's Book Prize 2011 was announced yesterday. As a result, I have compiled a list of the final nine books which can be found below. This year is one of the strongest line-ups of debut talent with some of the best writing seen yet. I would love to hear which are your favourite books from this list.                              



Candy Gourlay - Tall Story - Published By David Fickling Books - 27  May 2010

Be careful what you wish for . . .

Andi is short. And she has lots of wishes. She wishes she could play on the school basketball team, she wishes for her own bedroom, but most of all she wishes that her long lost half brother, Bernardo, could come and live in London, where he belongs.

Then Andi's biggest wish comes true and she's minutes away from becoming someone's little sister. As she waits anxiously for Bernardo to arrive from the Philippines, she hopes he'll turn out to be tall and just as mad as she is about basketball. When he finally arrives, he's tall all right. But he's not just tall ... he's a GIANT.

In a novel packed with humour and quirkiness, Gourlay explores a touching sibling relationship and the clash of two very different cultures.

                      
Jon Mayhew - Mortlock - Published By Bloomsbury - 5 Apr 2010
The sister is a knife-thrower in a magician's stage act, the brother an undertaker's assistant. Neither orphan knows of the other's existence. Until, that is, three terrible Aunts descend on the girl's house and imprison her guardian, the Great Cardamom. His dying act is to pass the girl a note with clues to the secret he carries to his grave. Cardamom was one of three explorers on an expedition to locate the legendary Amarant, a plant with power over life and death. Now, pursued by flesh-eating crow-like ghuls, brother and sister must decode the message and save themselves from its sinister legacy.

                        

Ruth Eastham - The Memory Cage - Published By Scholastic - 3 Jan 2011

Alex's grandfather keeps forgetting things, and Alex has overheard his adoptive parents say that they're going to put granddad in a home. His grandfather begs Alex to save him from that, and it's a promise Alex is desperate to keep But Alex once promised his little brother that he would save him, and in the terror of the Bosnian war, he failed As Alex struggles to protect his grandfather, he uncovers secrets that his family and the village have kept for two generations.nravelling them will cause grief, but will they save grandfather, and perhaps help Alex come to terms with his own private war.

                               

                        

Irfan Master - A Beautiful Lie - Published By Bloomsbury -  4 Jan 2011

An extraordinarily rich debut novel, set in India in 1947 at the time of Partition. Although the backdrop is this key event in Indian history, the novel is even more far-reaching, touching on the importance of tolerance, love and family. The main character is Bilal, a boy determined to protect his dying father from the news of Partition - news that he knows will break his father's heart. With great spirit and determination, and with the help of his good friends, Bilal persuades others to collude with him in this deception, even printing false pages of the local newspaper to hide the ravages of unrest from his father. All that Bilal wants is for his father to die in peace. But that means Bilal has a very complicated relationship with the truth...

                              

Anna Kemp - Fantastic Frankie and the Brain-drain Machine - Published By Simon & Schuster -  6 Jan 2011

When Frankie Blewitt brings home yet another F-for-failure school report it's the last straw for his overachieving parents and they decide to send him to the Crammar Grammar boarding school. At first he is just relieved to be away from home, but he soon realises that there's something really weird going on at Crammer Grammar...As Frankie tries to find out the secrets of the school he discovers that the headmaster, Dr Gore, has plans to turn all the students into robot-like super-brains using his Brain-drain machine! With the help of his new friends Neet and Wes, Alphonsine his crazy French nanny and a poodle named Colette, can Frankie save the day before it's too late and change the F-for- failure to F-for-fantastic?

                                 
Rebecca Stead - When You Reach Me - Published By Andersen - 6 Jan 2011

Four mysterious letters change Miranda’s world forever.By sixth grade, Miranda and her best friend, Sal, know how to navigate their New York City neighborhood. They know where it’s safe to go, like the local grocery store, and they know whom to avoid, like the crazy guy on the corner.

But things start to unravel. Sal gets punched by a new kid for what seems like no reason, and he shuts Miranda out of his life. The apartment key that Miranda’s mom keeps hidden for emergencies is stolen. And then Miranda finds a mysterious note scrawled on a tiny slip of paper: 

I am coming to save your friend’s life, and my own.
I must ask two favors. First, you must write me a letter.
The notes keep coming, and Miranda slowly realizes that whoever is leaving them knows all about her, including things that have not even happened yet. Each message brings her closer to believing that only she can prevent a tragic death. Until the final note makes her think she’s too late.

           

                            

Curtis Jobling - Wereworld:Rise of the Wolf - Published By Puffin - 6 Jan 2011

YOU’RE THE LAST OF THE WEREWOLVES SON. DON’T FIGHT IT . . . CONQUER IT.’ When the air is clear, sixteen year-old Drew Ferran can pick up the scent of a predator. When the moon breaks through the clouds, a terrifying fever grips him. And when a vicious beast invades his home, his flesh tears, his fingers become claws, and Drew transforms . . . Forced to flee the family he loves, Drew seeks refuge in the most godforsaken parts of Lyssia. But when he is captured by Lord Bergan’s men, Drew must prove he is not the enemy. Can Drew battle the werecreatures determined to destroy him – and master the animal within?

          

                 

                                            

Janice Hardy - The Healing Wars 1 - The Pain Merchants - Published By HarperCollins - 6 Jan 2011
Nya has a secret she must never share…
A gift she must never use…
And a sister whose life depends on both.This astonishing debut novel is the first in the epic dystopian fantasy adventure trilogy, THE HEALING WARS.

Fifteen-year-old Nya is one of Geveg’s many orphans; she survives on odd jobs and optimism in a city crippled by a failed war for independence.
Nya has a deadly secret. She is a Taker, someone who can extract pain and injury from others, but with unusual differences. Her sister Tali and other normal Takers become Healer’s League apprentices and put their extracted pain into enchanted metal, pynvium. But Nya can’t dump pain in this way. All she can do is shift it from person to person.
When Nya’s secret is revealed to the pain merchants and the Healer’s League she is flung into danger. Then a ferry accident floods the city with injured, Takers start disappearing from the Healer’s League and Nya’s strange abilities are suddenly in demand. Her principles and endurance are tested to the limit when Nya’s deadly powers become the only thing that can save her sister's life.
 

                  
Sita Brahmachari - Artichoke Hearts - Published By Macmillan Children's - 7 Jan 2011

Twelve-year-old Mira comes from a chaotic, artistic and outspoken family where it’s not always easy to be heard. As her beloved Nana Josie's health declines, Mira begins to discover the secrets of those around her, and also starts to keep some of her own. She is drawn to mysterious Jide, a boy who is clearly hiding a troubled past and has grown hardened layers - like those of an artichoke - around his heart. As Mira is experiencing grief for the first time, she is also discovering the wondrous and often mystical world around her.