The Sheffield Children's Book Award is brought to you by Sheffield Libraries and is a celebration of our favourite children's books of the year! This Award is a way to share with you books that children will love to read, whilst also promoting inclusion, diversity and empathy in great stories.
Right about now we would ordinarily be counting up your votes for this year's shortlisted titles, readying for our ceremony in November, but like many things, Covid-19 has meant a change of plans. Don't fear, the book award is still happening. Watch this space for more details.
However, we still have an exciting bunch of beautiful books that we want to promote and enjoy on this year's shortlist so for the next few weeks we'll be blogging about each category of shortlisted titles and giving you a closer look at each one.
Vote for your Favourite!
Why not read the books for yourself and let us know which is your favourite?
Then submit your vote via our online form.
Young Adult Novels
Our final category is the Young Adult Novels. These books mean business, embracing diversity, excitement, and storytelling that can't be beaten.
The Black Flamingo
Illustrated by
Published by Hodder
A fierce coming of age verse novel about identity and the power of drag.
This is not about being ready, it's not even about being fierce or fearless, it's about being free!
Michael Waits in the stage wings, wearing a pink wig, pink fluffy coat and black heels. One more step will see him illuminated by spotlight.
He has been on a journey of bravery to get here, and he is almost ready to show himself to the world in bold colours ...
Watch Dean Atta performs The Black Flamingo here:
Chinglish
Published by Andersen Press
Jo Kwan is a teenager growing up in the 1980s Coventry with her annoying little sister, too-cool older brother, a series of very unlucky pets and utterly bonkers parents. But unlike the other kids at her new school or her posh cousins, Jo lives above her parents' Chinese takeaway. Things can be tough - whether it's unruly customers or the snotty popular girls who bully Jo for being different. Even when she does find a BFF who actually likes Jo for herself, she still has to contend with her erratic Dad's behaviour. All Jo dreams of is breaking free and forging a career as an artist.
Told in diary entries and doodles, Jo's brilliantly funny observations about life, family and char Sui make for a searingly honest portrayal of life on the other side of the takeaway counter.
Toffee
Written by Sarah Crossan
Published by Bloomsbury
Allison has run away from home and with nowhere to live finds herself hiding out in an abandoned house. But the house isn't empty. An elderly woman named Marla, with dementia, lives there and she mistakes Allison for an old friend from her past called Toffee.
Allison is used to hiding who she really is and trying to be what other people want her to be. And so, Toffee is who she becomes. After all, it means she has a place to stay. There are worse places she could be.
But as their bond grows, and Allison discovers how much Marla needs a real friend, she begins to ask herself - where is home? What is a family? And most importantly, who am I, really?
You can watch Sarah Crossan read from her novel Toffee in the video below:Discover More
To discover all the shortlisted titles download our new Recommended Reads Booklet (PDF).
Join the discussion, tell us your favourite over on our social media pages:
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