This year is the 30th Anniversary of the awards!! (I know, we look far too young for it don't we?), so we are going to be celebrating in style!
For the next few weeks we are zooming in on the shortlisted titles in each category, and our next stop is with the fabulous Shorter Novels! We hope you love these as much as we do.
The Tale of Angelina Brown
Written by David Almond
Published by Walker Books
- http://www.walker.co.uk
- http://www.walker.co.uk
You can always guarantee an quirky and thought provoking read from David Almond and this is no exception. Peppered with Alex T Smith's characterful illustrations, this gorgeous tale of a tiny angel, who is loved by most, but not all, covers numerous subjects, including bullying, love and friendship. We loved this book for its originality, gentle humour and positive messages.
“"Now," says Alice, "remember Angelino. Remember every little detail of his face, his body and his wings. Remember how he flies, how he dances, how - don't laugh - he farts. Try to think of nothing else. Imagine nothing else. Imagine him so clearly that it feels like he's part of you, like he's there inside you."”
Letters from the Lighthouse
Written by Emma Carroll
Published by Faber & Faber
Set in 1941, this story follows the tale of Olive and her little brother Cliff as they are evacuated to the Devonshire coast to escape the dangers of war torn London. But desperate to find her sister, who went missing in the raids, Olive has a mystery of her own to solve.We love it when genres collide, and this historical fiction merged with mystery story is a brilliant example. With powerful characters and themes of adventure, bravery and love running through, this book is not only educationally valuable, but a great romp of a read too.
“First evacuees, now refugees. That was it, wasn't it? There were people in Europe, fleeing for their lives, who were escaping here, to Budmouth Point. These where the visitors Ephraim was expecting. The realisation made me dizzy.”
A Place Called Perfect
When Violet moves to Perfect, a place she never wanted to go to, she is shocked by the weird instructions. Everyone has to wear glasses to stop them going blind, and everyone has to be neat and tidy and perfectly behaved, all the time! This is a brilliant action adventure story with so many twists and turns it's hard to keep up, and some scary bits to you keep you on your toes. Who doesn't love a book like this?
"A painful cry echoed behind her but she didn't dare look back. Her legs were on fire and her chest heaved as she sucked in the early morning air. She cut across the gravel, up to the door and scrambled for the key her mother left under the potted plant. She was shaking so much she couldn't fit it in the lock."
All of the above books are available to borrow from Sheffield Libraries, so why not read them all with your children and then vote for your favourite! Pick up the voting form from your local library.
