Discover Hidden Talent in Children’s Authors
The shortlist for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize have been announced for 2012 and it’s a great place to discover new and wonderful children’s books! The Prize is only open to authors who have published three books or less, with the aim of uncovering hidden talent in children’s writing. The Waterstone’s Children’s Book Prize was first awarded in 2005 by the book chain that shares its name.
Six books are shortlisted in each of three categories – picture books, fiction for 5 to 12-year-olds, and books for teens. What do you think of this children’s book award? Does it make you want to try out new children’s book authors?
I am personally glad to see Wonder by R. J. Palacio on the short list! I was shocked that it didn’t win a Schneider Award or a Newbery Honor! Are there any books that tempt you for your kids?
Best Picture Books
Lunchtime by Rebecca Cobb
Rebecca Cobb is an illustrator turned picture book author. This is her third picture book that she’s both written and illustrated.
Rabbityness by Jo Empson
Rabbityness was up for the Kate Greenaway Medal 2013, the UKLA Book Awards 2013. It was a Finalist of the Peoples Book Prize 2012/2013 and was included in ‘The Independent’ Books of the Year 2012: Children’s books aged under 9.
Oh No George! by Chris Haughton
Chris talks about the inspiration behind his book, two years in the making!, including the need to Google images for “guilty dogs” in his blog post.
The Worst Princess by Anna Kemp & Sara Ogilvie
The Guardian describes The Worst Princess as “… a must for any family bored of the norm.” In this case, Princess Daisy teams up with the dragon to put an obnoxious prince in his place! She gets to be the knight, not the dressed up helpless princess that needs help!
I love princess books about strong and capable girls who don’t need rescuing! I’ll have to add this one to my list!
The Journey Home by Frann Preston-Gannon
Author Frann Preston-Gannon won the Sendak Fellowship, a residency program exclusively for artists who tell stories with illustration. Fellows will participate in weekly conversations and informal talks with Mr. Sendak, as well as a host of visiting artists, editors, publishers, directors, writers, and playwrights. Now that he’s gone, I wonder if the fellowship will continue?
Can You See Sassoon? by Sam Usher
Shortlisted for:
Red House Children’s Book Award 2013
Nominated for:
‘Read it Again!’ – Cambridge Libraries Award
Greenaway Prize 2012 – Longlist
Best Fiction for 5 to 12 year olds
The Wolf Princess by Cathryn Constable
Atticus Claw Breaks the Law by Jennifer Gray
Meet Atticus Grammatticus Cattypus Claw, the world’s greatest cat burglar. He’s a tabby who spells trouble. And he’s been hired by the fiendish Jimmy Magpie to steal all the jewels in Littleton-on-Sea.
Wonder by R.J. Palacio
Yay! Wonder just won a Cybil for best Middle Grade Fiction!! I’ve been rooting for Wonder all through Newbery season!
The Secret Hen House Theatre by Helen Peters
Helen Peters is the author of The Secret Hen House Theatre. She grew up on an old-fashioned farm in Sussex, surrounded by family, animals and mud. Helen lives with her husband and children in London, and she can still hardly believe that she now gets to call herself a writer.
The Chronicles of Egg: Deadweather and Sunrise by Geoff Rodkey
Barry Loser: I Am Not A Loser by Jim Smith
Jim Smith has written the funniest books since Diary of a Wimpy Kid!
Best Teen (YA) Books
Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
Seraphina wins a Cybil in the Fantasy and Science Fiction category!
Skin Deep by Laura Jarratt
This is, in a couple of words, absolutely stunning. Debut author Jarratt takes a subject which is genuinely original, throws in a huge amount of extra baggage for the characters to deal with –
Insignia by S.J. Kincaid
… it was while living beside a haunted graveyard in Scotland, that she realized that she wanted to be a writer. Her debut, Insignia, came out in July of 2012.
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
She wrote this book when she was just 25-years-old!
Ketchup Clouds by Annabel Pitcher
How she came up with the story:
Originally, I set out to write a love story about a girl and two boys, but I didn’t want it to be some sort of cheesy, high-school romance … Zoe has a dark and terrible secret that she needs to get off her chest, but she is afraid of getting into trouble. To alleviate her guilt while remaining anonymous, she decides to tell her story to a death row inmate because he has done something equally bad so will hopefully be sympathetic.
Geekhood: Close Encounters of the Girl Kind by Andy Robb
On the face of it, Geekhood is about surviving divorce from the point of view from the people that are always stuck in the middle.
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My books:
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World
- Junior Library Guild Gold selection
- Massachusetts Book Award Long List
- Selected as one of 100 Outstanding Picture Books of 2023 by dPICTUS and featured at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair
- Starred review from School Library Journal
- Chicago Library’s Best of the Best
- 2023 INDIES Book of the Year Awards Finalist
- Green Earth Book Award Long List
- Imagination Soup’s 35 Best Nonfiction Books of 2023 for Kids
Amazon / Barefoot Books / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Amazon / Scholastic / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Such lists are really helpful, I note down the titles and when in a bookstore I know exactly what to get! Thanks for sharing 🙂
My pleasure Alexandra! I love those unknown children’s book awards!
What a great range of books! It’s always exciting to see new ideas in the book world!
Hi Maryanne,
I love that new children’s book authors get their own award! You have to have 3 books or less to be eligible. Sometimes three times is a charm!
Thanks again for doing the research and coming up with a new source of children’s books. I do notice that many of these books are up for other awards. Is it the quality of the book or the successful marketing that has the greater influence?
Hi Barbara,
I truly think that it’s the quality of the books but the books do need a little buzz to get noticed. For this award because the author has to have three books or less, the playing field is smaller so I think quality matters most.
Looks like a great list–thanks!
Thanks Asian Mommy!
I don’t know any of these books! It is a great concept for a book award and I can’t wait to check out a bunch of these especially the picture books!
Hi Ann,
Let me know what you think when you get a chance to read a few!
I’ve just finished reading the Secret Hen House Theatre – it was brilliant. Very different from Wonder … there are some tough choices to be made with this competition!!
Hi Emma,
Most of the titles were new to me so that’s for the book recommendation for Secret Hen House Theatre! Will keep my eyes out for it. It’s nice that new authors get their own award.
Great titles there. I must admit that I haven’t come across any of these books.
Hi Viren,
Some of the titles have won other awards but many are new to me too! It’s a fun way to discover new great books, don’t you think? I do recommend Wonder by R J Palacio if you want to try a great chapter book from the list and Emma from My Book Corner also recommends Secret Hen House Theater.
So glad to see Wonder on there, too. These will be fun to check out, and I am a big fan of the ‘guilty dog’ look.
Hi Jeanette,
I’m so happy to see Wonder on more shortlists and award lists too!