UKLA Book Award 2016 Shortlists
2016 Shortlists
3-6
This Book Just Ate My Dog! by Richard Byrne( author/illustrator)(Oxford University Press)
The Something by Rebecca Cobb (author /illustrator) (Macmillan Children’s Books)
I am Henry Finch by Alexis Deacon (author) and Viviane Schwarz (illustrator)(Walker Books)
The Dad with 10 Children by Bénédicte Guettier (author/Illustrator) (Scribblers Books)
On Sudden Hill by Linda Sarah (author) and Benji Davies (illustrator) (Simon & Schuster Children’s Books)
Little Red and the Very Hungry Lion by Alex T Smith (author/illustrator) (Scholastic Children’s Books)
7-11
The Fish in the Bathtub by Eoin Colfer (author) and Peter Bailey (illustrator)(Barrington Stoke)
Hercufleas by Sam Gayton and Peter Cottrill (illustrator)(Andersen Press)
The Imaginary by A.F Harrold (author) and Emily Gravett (illustrator)(Bloomsbury)
The Boundless by Kenneth Oppel (David Fickling Books)
The Pilot and the Little Prince by Peter Sís (Pushkin Press)
Atlas of Adventures by Rachel Williams (author) and Lucy Letherland (illustrator) (Wide Eyed Editions)
12-16
The Door that Led to Where by Sally Gardner (Hot Key Books)
The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge (Macmillan Children’s Books)
There Will Be Lies by Nick Lake (Bloomsbury)
An Island of Our Own by Sally Nicholls (Scholastic Children’s Books)
All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven (Puffin)
The Ghosts of Heaven by Marcus Sedgwick (Orion Indigo)
Detailed descriptions of each book
3-6
This Book Just Ate My Dog! by Richard Byrne( author/illustrator)(Oxford University Press)
Bella is taking her dog for a walk when it disappears in the fold between the pages. Rescue attempts all fail and eventually Bella disappears too. The reader has to save the situation and all is well in the end. Almost. This very clever story will aid the transition from playing with books to becoming immersed in the story which is offered as the child is encouraged to do both.
The Something by Rebecca Cobb (author /illustrator) (Macmillan Children’s Books)
The discovery of a hole under the cherry tree in the garden has everyone guessing about what might live there. Over a year of changes in the garden the mystery isn’t resolved but the narrator keeps on watching and hoping. This gentle story takes the simplest of discoveries and uses it to develop ideas about wildlife and fantasy. It gives readers ample opportunities to join in with the speculation.
I am Henry Finch by Alexis Deacon (author) and Viviane Schwarz (illustrator) (Walker Books)
Henry Finch is part of a flock which do everything together. His first independent thought seems like a disaster when he is eaten but all is well when the beast and later the whole flock understand the importance of challenging the accepted ways of doing things.Text and illustrations are in complete harmony in developingthe powerful themes of this exciting book.
The Dad with 10 Children by Bénédicte Guettier (author/Illustrator) (Scribblers Books)
When the daily routine of caring for his ten little children gets a bit much for dad he builds a boat, leaves the children with grandma and sails away on his own. However, after just one day he misses the children so he collects them and they all sail away together. With its spare text and illustrations which add lovely details to the narrative, this is a gem of a book for sharing and early reading.
On Sudden Hill by Linda Sarah (author) andBenji Davies (illustrator) (Simon & Schuster Children’s Books)
Two friends use huge boxes to create imaginary worlds at the top of Sudden Hill. When another boy wants to join them the friendship crumbles but, in the end, becomes even better. This is a story which approaches difficult areas for children and does so with sensitivity and a real understanding of the worlds of childhood.
Little Red and the Very Hungry Lion by Alex T Smith (author/illustrator) (Scholastic Children’s Books))
The story of Little Red Riding Hood moves to an African town setting where a lion is really no match for a clever small girl. Children will love this story for the exuberant twisting of the familiar story. Details in both the text and illustrations area delight so that adults and children will enjoy reading the book together.
7-11
The Fish in the Bathtub by Eoin Colfer (author) and Peter Bailey (illustrator)(Barrington Stoke)
Lucja is determined that her grandfather will not have the carp in the bathtub as a Christmas Eve feast.The Polish setting is evoked beautifully by both the text and illustrations in this family story. History, traditions and family relationships support the narrative, giving a depth to a little book easily in the scope of most young independent readers
Hercufleas by Sam Gayton and Peter Cottrill (illustrator)(Andersen Press)
It isn’t easy to be a hero when you are smaller than a raisin. When Greta comes looking for a hero to save her town from a giant, Hercufleas sees his chance. Gayton has created something very special here. It is a fantasy world made very real by the strength of the characterisation as well as the glorious details of the setting such as the top hat home of the wonderful flea family.
The Imaginary by A.F Harrold (author) and Emily Gravett (illustrator) (Bloomsbury)
Amanda has a best friend who happens to be imaginary. While nobody else can see him Rudger is safe but then a sinister stranger arrives. A.F. Harrold takes readers to the dark heart of imagination heart where the nature of friendship is tested. This is a very moving book which encourages readers to consider worlds, real and imaginary from unique perspectives.
The Boundless by Kenneth Oppel (David Fickling Books)
Reading The Boundless is like having a spectacular movie playing straight into your mind. This is an adventure on a huge scale, not least because the main character is a seven mile long train built to help pioneers move across Canada. The hurtling action is beautifully complemented by an unusually reflective hero and a wonderfully vivid supporting cast.
The Pilot and the Little Prince by Peter Sís (Pushkin Press)
This handsome book is a biography of Antoine de Saint Exupéry author of The Little Prince.
It tells the story of a remarkable life very astutely, picking out the aspects which will appeal greatly to children. The innovative design of each page enhances the text, often making the scope of the story even more intense. This ravishing book is a fine tribute to a remarkable man
Atlas of Adventures by Rachel Williams (author) and Lucy Leatherland (illustrator)(Wide Eyed Editions)
This is something entirely new-an atlas which invites readers to imagine the experiences they could have in some of the world’s most exciting places. As well as the main text, every page offers nuggets of surprising information interwoven into the wonderful illustrations. This is an ideal book to browse through together to enjoy the facts and find the visual jokes.
12-16
The Door that Led to Where by Sally Gardner (Hot Key Books)
When, much to his surprise, AJ gets a job in a lawyers’ office, he is thrown into a mystery involving time-travelling theft and murder in nineteenth century London. The plotting of this intricate novel is so precise that every detail matters as you are drawn into AJ’s worlds. Sally Gardner’s writing is as powerful, tricky and powerful as the story she has to tell.
The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge (Macmillan Children’s Books)
Faith’s father, a Victorian clergyman and renowned amateur palaeontologist, dies suddenly. Driven to find out the truth about his death and his life, Faith discovers the plausible lies and extraordinary truth. Frances Hardinge’s dark mystery draws together themes which are as disquieting and immediate to the modern reader as they are to the Victorian characters in this unique book
There Will Be Lies by Nick Lake (Bloomsbury)
Shelby has always been home-schooled and kept away from the world. She is almost eighteen when she is involved in a road accident. While unconscious, Coyote the trickster from Native American folklore warns her that there will be lies before she finds the truth. Dreams, legends and a contemporary thriller are plaited together in this excellent book.
An Island of Our Own by Sally Nicholls (Scholastic Children’s Books)
Life has been tough for Holly’s family since her mother dies. She feels bad that her elder brother has given up the chance of university to keep the family together so when a photo album suggests a family treasure, Holly is eager to take her brothers on a journey to find it. This fast-paced adventure shines with the characters’ reality and the quality of its writing.
All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven (Puffin)
Violet and Finch meet at the top of the school bell-tower when both are considering jumping. She is very popular; he is usually called ‘Freak.’ As they work together on a project, their friendship deepens: one moves towards death and the other towards life.The alternating first person narration of chapters gives a depth of insight into two completely believable young people.
The Ghosts of Heaven by Marcus Sedgwick (Orion Indigo)
Four independent stories are set in different times and with different characters are drawn together by the image of the spiral. Each story speaks in some way for the human reaching out for the unknown and, when put together the effect is profoundly moving in many ways. Beautifully written and entirely original, this is an important book
