TEACH READING & WRITING
49
Winner
RAILHEAD
(PhilipReeve, OUP)
Profoundly romantic and brilliantly original,
this thrilling adventure fromthe apparently
limitless imagination of PhilipReeve steers
away fromthe dystopian, post-apocalyptic
visions that have so dominated thefiction
scene for children and young adults in recent
years; offering instead a heady slice of high-
tech space action. Thewriting ismasterful;
the characters fantastic; and the ending,
perfection. There is roomfor a sequel – but as
a standalone novel this is simply exceptional.
Runner up
HOWTOLOOKFORA
LOSTDOG
(ChristopherEdge , NosyCrow)
Rose is nearly twelve years old, and autistic. A stray dog
provides a calmand reliable presence at the centre of her
volatileworld, until a terrible stormchanges everything.
Martin captures Rose’s voicewith precision and purity;
a narrator with autism is inmanyways themost reliable
there can be, whichmakes themoments of intense, aching
sadness andflashes of genuine joy amongst the lists and
literality all themore impactful.
TheMany
Worldsof
AlbieBright
(Christopher
Edge,NosyCrow)
Bereavement,
bullying and
quantum
physics combine here for an
accessible, inclusive delight of
an adventurewith a bittersweet
centre. Chris Edge’swriting is
wonderfully fresh and acute,
andhe tellsAlbie’s storywith
enormous empathy and a
wickedunderstanding of a
ten-year-old’s humour.
BeetleBoy
(
HMGLeonard,
ChickenHouse)
This exciting
and unusual
story about
a young boy
searching for
his father – and the strange but
powerful bond that develops
between himand a surprisingly
smart stag beetle as he
uncovers a conspiracy along
the way – is a superb, read that
will keep young people turning
the pages to its end.
Heartsong,
(KevinCrossley-
Holland,ill.Jane
Ray,Orchard)
Achingly
beautiful,
deeply
moving and
exquisitely
illustrated – with Vivaldi’s
Four Seasons always playing
between the lines on the pages
- this very special
short novel about a voiceless
orphan who is rescued by
music could surely unlock
poetry in the soul of the most
pragmatic reader.
TheThing
About Jellyfish
(AliBenjamin,
Macmillan)
In this deeply
touching
exploration
of friendship, grief, change,
growing up and ‘fitting in’, Ali
Benjamin traces a young girl’s
journey towards acceptance
alongside a fascinating trail
of scientific research into
themysterious world of
jellyfish. It’s an absorbing, and
ultimately, empowering read.
“The characters are so
well-drawn and I loved
Rose, Uncle Weldon and of
course Rain the dog. Original
and moving, the story has
an emotional depth and
realism which really speaks
to the reader and gives you
something to think about.”
ClareArgar
“For sheer, exhilarating, sitting-up-until-the-early-hours
excitement, this is one of the finest books for any age group -
children or adults - that I’ve read in a long time. Reeve appears to
have left the door ajar for a sequel; here’s hoping he pushes it open.”
Sarah Crown
KEYSTAGE2
Also shortlisted
In association with
