chesilbeach Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 The shortlist for the 2015 prize was announced this week:Best Illustrated Book:The Queen's Hat by Steve AntonyThe Dawn Chorus by Suzanne BartonBlown Away by Rob BiddulphWhere Bear? by Sophy HennAtlas of Adventure by Lucy Letherland, words by Rachel WillamsThe Sea Tiger by Victoria TurnbullBest Fiction for 5-12s:Girl With A White Dog by Anne BoothCowgirl by G R GeminThe Boy In The Tower by Polly Ho-YenMurder Most Unladylike by Robin StevensViolet and the Pearl of the Orient by Harriet Whitehorn, illustrated by Becka MoorA Boy Called Hope by Lara WilliamsonBest Book for Teens:The Apple Tart of Hope by Sarah Moore FitzgeralHalf Bad by Sally GreenDead Ends by Erin LangeOnly Ever Yours by Louise O'NeillSmart by Kim SlaterThe Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton I like the Waterstone's prize, there are usually some great reads on the list, and this year looks like another good one. I bought myself a few of the shortlisted books today … Murder Most Unladylike, Violet and the Pearl of the Orient and The Apple Tart of Hope and I suspect I'll be getting a few more from the Teens list too … if not all of them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted March 26, 2015 Author Share Posted March 26, 2015 Looking forward to finding out the winners tonight Of the ones I've read, I'd pick Murder Most Unladylike by Robin Stevens in the 5-12s and Only Ever Yours by Louise O'Neill in the Teen category, but I have to say, I've read four of the teen category and they were all very, very good. Wish they'd been around when I was a teen! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 I haven't read any of these books, but: Wish they'd been around when I was a teen! ^ I do sometimes wish this too of great children's and young-adult books I read . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted March 26, 2015 Author Share Posted March 26, 2015 I look back at the children's and teen books I read when I was younger, and they seem very tame and a bit insipid now, and the only books that challenged me were the adult books I read as I became an older teen. Perhaps I was looking at the wrong books in the library, but from what I remember, even the stories or content considered "challenging" were still told in a very mild way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 I look back at the children's and teen books I read when I was younger, and they seem very tame and a bit insipid now, and the only books that challenged me were the adult books I read as I became an older teen. Perhaps I was looking at the wrong books in the library, but from what I remember, even the stories or content considered "challenging" were still told in a very mild way. I think I had a similar experience, the children's and young adult books I read when I was a teenager, were also more mild largely, than the books that are released these days. I saw the same trend in Dutch children's television, what I used to watch when I was a child, was much more mild and less violent than the shows that were broadcast when my brother was that same age (he's seven years younger than me). I don't know about everywhere, but it could be a cultural shift that books for children and teens nowadays contain more challenging content than the ones first published many years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted March 26, 2015 Author Share Posted March 26, 2015 I think the biggest difference must be the internet and that children are exposed to more adult themes and topics aren't brushed under the carpet, and it's now accepted that it's better to educate rather than hide things from young people today. Fiction is a safe place to explore difficult themes and also to find out they are not alone and they can find someone writing fiction about things they may be experiencing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted March 26, 2015 Author Share Posted March 26, 2015 And the winners are ... Best Illustrated Book: Blown Away by Rob Biddulph Best Fiction for 5-12s: Murder Most Unladylike by Robin Stevens Best Book for Teens: Half Bad by Sally Green Really pleased for Robin Stevens, and I loved Sally Green's book too, so in no way am I disappointed that Louise O'Neill didn't win. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 Yeah I'm actually really happy for Sally Green, considering she lost the YA Book Prize to Louise, and apparently her book is excellent (it's right next to me, I will get to it soon!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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