Booktrust's Teenage Prize shortlist has international feel
7th September 2010
The shortlist for the Booktrust Teenage Prize 2010 has been unveiled and includes a number of children's books set across the globe.
Zizou Corder's ancient Greek adventure Halo, Malaga-set Nobody's Girl by Sarra Manning and Out of Shadows, Jason Wallace's novel about Zimbabwe in the 1980s, are competing for the GBP 2,500 award.
Joining them on the shortlist are Charlie Higson's post apocalyptic tale The Enemy, Marcus Sedgwick's Arctic-based thriller Revolver and Unhooking the Moon by Gregory Hughes, which is set in New York.
Tony Bradman, chair of the judging panel, said the 'incredibly high' standard of entries for the prize made it a difficult task to finalise a shortlist.
'Taken together, these six books are a real tribute to the standard and ambition of writing and publishing for teenagers today,' he commented.
Past winners of the prize include Patrick Ness' The Knife of Never Letting Go, Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman.
Last week, Booktrust named the winners of its Early Years Awards 2010 and gave the honour of best children's book for readers under five to One Smart Fish by Chris Wormell.