Not just for children!

The summer has come and gone since my last blog and what a strange one it has been. One thing hasn't changed however and that is the ability to lose yourself in another world by reading fiction. As a former school librarian, I have read a great many books for children and young people over the years. Rather than being ‘easy reads’ they are often demanding and challenging. The esteemed writer Philip Pullman says: “There are some themes, some subjects, too large for adult fiction; they can only be dealt with adequately in a children’s book”.

Earlier this year, I was honoured to be asked to be a judge for the Branford Boase Award, the writing competition for authors

and editors. The Award is made annually to the most promising book for 7+ by a first time novelist and I thought I would share the shortlisted books with you. Though varying in subject matter and tone, they all deal with themes of such importance to us all, and in particular to young people picking their way through the maze of growing up, learning what matters to them, and who they are. Every book on the shortlist deals with the common, but no less important, theme of relationships: with family – learning to become independent and find your own way; with friends – learning to be true to yourself and not follow the crowd; and in some, with both.

In the hilarious Little Badman and the Invasion of the Killer Aunties by Humza Arshad and Henry White (age 10+) Humza’s friendship with Umer is beautifully drawn as is his gradual realisation that the nerdish Wendy is actually quite cool and a great friend to have in a crisis. A contemporary set story which sees a band of aunties mysteriously take over a school armed with delicious, sugary snacks. This is a hilarious debut with a unique voice in its twelve year-old wannabe ninja-rapper protagonist Humza Khan.

The insight into family relationships in The Space We’re In

by Katya Balen (10+) is excellent. When Frank’s younger brother is diagnosed with autism at the age of three, their mum explains that it means he may not always understand the way the world works. Frank, with great perceptiveness, observes that he doesn’t understand the world, either. Who really does? This is a heart-rending read. It’s the world according to Frank, so where autism is concerned, the portrayal is very much from a sibling’s perspective. The author’s genuine and expansive knowledge of the spectrum is clear and the messages are ultimately reassuring, illustrating how much a severely autistic child (like any child) can develop and achieve, love and be loved. This book was Highly Commended by the judges.

A Pocketful of Stars by Aisha Bushby (8+) paints an excellent picture of teenage relationships: the often explosive and tense relationship between teens and parents and the ups and downs of friendship and the struggle to know what is the right thing to do. 13 year old Safiya is an avid gamer with a big imagination, who feels both misunderstood and distanced from her mum since her parents split up. But when Mum suddenly falls ill, it’s up to Safiya to use her gaming skills of following clues and building stories to uncover the truth about her mum’s history and find the things about her that will bind them together forever. A beautifully written and page-turning read, set in London and Kuwait, that deals with changing friendships, family dynamics and learning how to say goodbye.

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson (YA 12+), is

a well-plotted thriller with enough twists, turns and red herrings to keep the reader on the edge of their seat right up to the finish. Five years ago, Andie Bell, a girl in Pippa’s village, was murdered by her boyfriend Sal Singh, but the body was never found. Pippa suspects it wasn’t an open and shut case, and chooses to make a study of it for her final year project at school. But someone in the village doesn’t like her delving into the past, and the murder was a little too close to home.

In complete contrast to this is Frostheart by Jamie Littler (7+), a rollicking, world-building fantasy. Ash’s parents abandoned him before he was born. Now he lives in one of the lonely strongholds where tribes survive on rocky outcrops, surrounded by snowy wastes. Here, monsters called Lurkers wait to devour anyone who sets foot on their territory, and the Snow Sea is full of danger. When a group of travellers arrive, Ash discovers more about his absent parents. Even more mysteriously, he may have a magical power: song weaving. But is his power good, or terribly dangerous? This book has big questions about right and wrong.

The Million Pieces of Neena Gill by Emma Smith-Barton

(YA 12+) combines the struggles of a family dealing with grief with a powerful depiction of a mental health crisis. Neena’s brother Akash disappeared 10 months ago and her parents are broken with grief. Neena fights to keep herself sane by disobeying her increasingly strict parents. She feels she is spiralling out of control but, in the end, finds true strength and learns to cope: “sometimes you need to remind yourself who you are …” is a common theme among our shortlisted books.

I have left the best till last. Our winner, Bearmouth by Liz Hyder (YA 12+) is a book with an unusual and exciting voice. There are big themes at play not least the difference of Newt, a brilliant twist. Newt has worked in Bearmouth coalmine since the age of four, never emerging on ground level because the pay is so low and it costs money to go up. Life is horribly hard and awful rules must be accepted or the consequences are even worse. Any kind of way out isn’t even contemplated until Newt meets Devlin, who starts to ask questions and stir ideas of a ‘revolushun’. This book will blow your socks off. Although written in a Victorian style dialect, and after careful research into child labour and Victorian mines, this is no ordinary piece of historical fiction. The voice of Newt is original and haunting and the dystopian world-building within the Victorian mine is masterful. The story is exciting, ambitious and unpredictable. Be warned that there is a mention of abuse that may upset younger readers.

Plenty of great reading here for readers of any age!