On 24 November 2009, the shortlist for the Costa Children's Book Award 2009 was announced, with the following books being nominated:
The winner in each category wins £5,000 and one of the winning books is selected as the Overall Book of the Year, which receives a further £25,000. It is the only prize which places children's books alongside adult books in this way.
In total, 592 books were nominated for the awards across all 5 categories.
The individual category award winners will be announced on 5th January 2010 with the Costa Books of the Year announced on 26th January 2010.
So, any thoughts or comments on this year's shortlist?
Personally I thought it was a strong line-up with a good mix of subject matter and genre represented. It should be a close race.
MM
- Solace of the Road by Siobhan Dowd (the judges said: "We were captivated by this beautifully-written, poignant and ultimately heart-warming story");
- Troubadour by Mary Hoffman (the judges said: "We loved this terrific historical adventure story with its passionate and gutsy heroine.");
- The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness (the judges said: "A strikingly original and compelling work."); and
- Guantanamo Boy by Anna Perera (the judges said: "An important and moving story of an ordinary teenage boy innocently caught up in a modern-day nightmare which exposes the shortcomings of contemporary justice.")
The winner in each category wins £5,000 and one of the winning books is selected as the Overall Book of the Year, which receives a further £25,000. It is the only prize which places children's books alongside adult books in this way.
In total, 592 books were nominated for the awards across all 5 categories.
The individual category award winners will be announced on 5th January 2010 with the Costa Books of the Year announced on 26th January 2010.
So, any thoughts or comments on this year's shortlist?
Personally I thought it was a strong line-up with a good mix of subject matter and genre represented. It should be a close race.
MM
