http://www.booktrust.org.uk/
Global adventures abound in this year’s Booktrust Teenage Prize shortlist which takes in ancient Greece, a disease-ridden London, Malaga, New York, the Arctic Circle and post-independence Zimbabwe as teenage protagonists struggle in search of their identity, and sometimes for their very survival. A mother and daughter writing partnership, Young James Bond author, previous Booktrust Teenage Prize winner, deep-sea diver, descendant of an international cricketer, and former editor of Ellegirl UK are all in the running to take the £2,500 winning cheque and a trophy at a ceremony in London on 1 November 2010.
The Booktrust Teenage Prize 2010 shortlist is:
The Enemy by Charlie Higson (Puffin)
The Enemy is a chilling post apocolyptic tale from TV actor, comedian and author of the bestselling Young Bond series.
It is modern-day London, but something terrible has happened. A mystery illness has infected everyone over the age of fourteen. Those afflicted either die or become so crazed by disease they are little more than wild animals. Gangs of kids are left to fend for themselves, dodging the zombie adults who remain and trying not to tear one another apart in the process.
Halo by Zizou Corder (Puffin)
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A story of one girl’s heroic voyage to discover her true identity in ancient Greece. Washed ashore as a baby in ancient Greece, Halo is discovered by a family of centaurs. Although her true identity remains a mystery, she is loved as one of their own. But when Halo is dragged away by fishermen, her wild adventure begins. Halo soon realises that if she is to survive then she must live in disguise – as a boy.
A novel about teenage love, loss and identity from the former editor of Ellegirl UK. Plain, frumpy, dull as mud – that’s Bea. So when super-cool Ruby and her posse want to hang with her, it has to be a practical joke. But an invitation to a girly holiday in Malaga with Ruby and co. seems like the real deal. Even better, Bea can get away from her annoying mum.
Out of Shadows by Jason Wallace (Andersen Press)
A compelling and thought-provoking novel about race, bullying and the need to belong. Zimbabwe, 1980s. The war is over, independence has been won and Robert Mugabe has come to power offering hope, land and freedom to black Africans. It is the end of the Old Way and the start of a promising new era. For Robert Jacklin, it’s all new: new continent, new country, new school. And very quickly he learns that for some of his classmates, the sound of guns is still loud, and their battles rage on.
Revolver by Marcus Sedgwick (Orion)
From the winning author of the 2007 Booktrust Teenage Prize, this novel makes the reader look again at that weapon that has become so familiar to us all.
1910. A cabin north of the Arctic Circle. Fifteen-year-old Sig Andersson is alone. Alone, except for the corpse of his father, who died earlier that day after falling through a weak spot on the ice-covered lake. His sister, Anna, and step-mother, Nadya, have gone to the local town for help. Then comes a knock at the door. It's a man, the flash of a revolver's butt at his hip, and a mean glare in his eyes.
Unhooking the Moon by Gregory Hughes (Quercus)
Two orphaned siblings set out on a poignant and gripping road-trip adventure. Meet the Rat: A dancing, football-playing gangster-baiting ten-year-old. When she foresaw her father’s death, she picked up her football and decided to head for New York. Meet her older brother Bob: Protector of the Rat, but more often her follower, he is determined to find their uncle in America and discover a new life for them both.
Tony Bradman - Chair of Judges, comments:
‘By the time my fellow judges and I had come up with a shortlist for this year’s Booktrust Teenage Prize I was in no doubt that contemporary teenagers are pretty spoiled for choice when it comes to reading. The standard of entries was incredibly high, and whittling that down to just six was a tough but fantastically enjoyable job. What’s particularly exciting about it is the sheer variety of approaches. I can’t think of another literary prize that could so easily include in its shortlist both a story about children trying to survive against a horde of rampaging adults, and a portrait of Mugabe’s Zimbabwe. Taken together, these six books are a real tribute to the standard and ambition of writing and publishing for teenagers today.’
The judging panel for the Booktrust Teenage Prize 2010 shortlist comprised the following judges: chartered librarian Barbara Band, author Tony Bradman (Chair), journalist Barbara Ellen, 2009 young judge Claudia Freemantle and author Mary Hoffman.
Four winners from a short-story writing competition join them to choose the winning book from the shortlist. They are: Chelsea Jane Brown (fifteen) from Birmingham; Poppy Freeman-Cuerden (thirteen) from Coventry; Hannah Jenkins (fourteen) from Leeds; Theo Lezerri (thirteen) from Exeter.
The Booktrust Teenage Prize was launched in 2003 to recognise and celebrate the best contemporary writing for teenagers. Booktrust manages the prize with the support of writers, publishers, teachers, parents and libraries. Publishers may enter works of fiction, including novels, short stories collections and graphic novels, and non-fiction and poetry.
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