Giveaway of Branford Boase shortlist!

We're delighted to offer a set of the shortlisted Brandford Boase titles to a school library. The books cover ages 8-14+ years, and they are all reviewed here.

To enter the free draw to win a set of the books, email your school's details to: [email protected] Subject: Book Award OR Comment below. The competition will close on Friday 24 May and the winner will be notified. SHORTLIST Here is the full shortlist for the Branford Boase Award, with reviews to follow: The House with Chicken Legs by Sophie Anderson, edited by Rebecca Hill and Becky Walker (Usborne) (also been shortlisted for the CILIP Carnegie Medal) The Train to Impossible Places by P.G. Bell, edited by Rebecca Hill and Becky Walker (Usborne) Rosie Loves Jack by Mel Darbon, edited by Sarah Stewart (Usborne) The Goose Road by Rowena House, edited by Mara Bergman (Walker Books) I Am Thunder by Muhammad Khan, edited by Lucy Pearse (Macmillan) (also shortlisted for the YA Book Award) Orphan Monster Spy by Matt Killeen, edited by Sarah Stewart and Kendra Levin (Usborne) (alsoshortlisted for the Costa Children's Book Award) The Boy at the Back of the Class by Onjali Q Rauf, edited by Lena McCauley (Orion Children's Books) (also won the Blue Peter Book Award) REVIEWS The House with Chicken Legs by Sophie Anderson, edited by Rebecca Hill and Becky Walker (Usborne) Marinka has always known what her destiny is. Like her beloved grandmother, Baba, she is to be Guardian of the Gate, the keeper of the doorway between this world and the next. The Yaga are a community of people who travel the world and provide a safe passage for the dead to the stars. Marinka adores her Yaga grandmother and admires her special gift in helping the dead on their journey, but she is sure this is not the life for her. Marinka and Baba live in a special house, complete with chicken legs that takes them around the world on their unlikely mission. This magical house cares for Baba and Marinka, shielding and nurturing them but Marinka feels suffocated and frustrated and dreams of escape. Sneaking out when Baba and the house are sleeping, Marinka enjoys freedom and normality but her whole world is wrenched apart when she makes a devastating discovery and realises she is bound to the house forever. This is such an unusual and delightfully macabre tale. I loved its Russian folklore roots and the fact that like all the best fairy tales there was a dark undercurrent to the story. Marinka is a sparky heroine, at turns wilful and unforgiving and at other times kind, compassionate and brave. Baba is a fearsome but loving character and I particularly liked Benjamin and his Dad who we are re-introduced to at the end and who become part of Marinka's extended family. A lovely, spirted tale with lots of adventure, dark humour and wonderful visual details bringing the ever-changing landscapes to life. 326 Pages / Ages 9+ / Reviewed by Clare Wilkins, school librarian. The Train to Impossible Places by P.G. Bell, edited by Rebecca Hill and Becky Walker (Usborne) This is the debut novel by the incredible PG Bell and begins when a young girl called Suzy Smith finds a magical train driven by trolls in the middle of her house! She jumps aboard and soon finds herself as the newest recruit for The Impossible Postal Service, delivering mail to all corners of The Impossible Places. Whilst delivering one package, Suzy discovers that the fate of all The Impossible Places could be in her hands. The world that has been built is beautifully described and the story is full of action, humour, unexpected twists and exploding bananas! This is a wonderfully told story that will be enjoyed by children and adults alike; perfect for sharing together. Hop aboard and follow Suzy's journey in to The Impossible Places. Who knows where it may take you? 368 pages / Ages 8+ / Reviewed by Andrew Mullen, teacher. The Boy at the Back of the Class by Onjali Q Rauf, edited by Lena McCauley (Orion Children's Books) An important book for our time, The Boy at the Back of the Class is a heart-warming, honest and empathetic read written from the perspective of a mysterious (nearly) 10-year-old narrator. The focus of the novel, however, is Ahmet, a 'refugee boy' who has suddenly filled the empty chair at the back of Mrs. Khan's class and whose story is revealed through the novel slowly, surely and cleverly, sometimes through the wonderful illustrations by Pippa Curnick. Ahmet is befriended by our endearing narrator and best friends Josie, Michael and Tom and together they stand up to school bullies, brave the real world and highlight the plight of refugees on a national scale! Every library, home and classroom should have a copy of this book. It will encourage plenty of discussion supported by notes and reflections included in the back of the book intended for this very reason. As a class read, it would be an excellent novel to investigate alongside Nicola Davies and Rebecca Cobb's picture book The Day War Came, which was also inspired by the same event. The Boy at the Back of the Class would also be excellent in terms of cross-curricular study for History, English, PSHE and Geography at the very least and above all, is an enjoyable read for any children aged 8-12. 297 pages / Ages 8+ / Reviewed by Rhiannon Cook, school librarian. The Goose Road by Rowena House, edited by Mara Bergman (Walker Books) It's 1916 in the south of war-torn France. Even this far from the Front, the effects of war are felt. 14 year old Angelique and her mother are left to manage the family farm after Angelique's abusive father and adored brother Pascal are conscripted into the army. A series of disasters - violent weather, the requisitioning of farm animals, violent men, neighbourhood gossip, unpaid debts, the death of Angelique's father and her mother's subsequent breakdown - leaves the family on the brink of losing everything. To save them, Angelique embarks on an epic and desperate trek across France, accompanied by her Uncle Gustav and a flock of Toulouse geese. The Goose Road is a heartbreaking and moving story about war, from the perspective of one left behind. The Goose Road is an adventure story - Angelique and her geese undertake an epic journey on a quest against the odds. It is also a story about the horrors of war - how it brings out the worst, but also the best, in people. The futility of war is mirrored by Angelique grappling with the futility of her quest. But despite this, Angelique remains hopeful. She wants to believe that people are basically decent, she wants to trust, and to give the benefit of doubt. This is her greatest weakness, but also her greatest strength. There is an interesting postscript to the book, in which the author talks about how she was inspired to write the story by a chance viewing of a photograph. This would be a brilliant creative writing exercise to do with students - writing stories inspired by historical photos. This year marks the centenary of the end of The Great War. This book would be a great way to introduce a different perspective on the war to both History and English Literature classes. The Goose Road is an emotional rollercoaster, and a great read for anyone interested in history, war, adventure and stories with heart. 375 pages / Ages 12+ / Reviewed by Daniel Katz, school librarian. Rosie Loves Jack by Mel Darbon, edited by Sarah Stewart (Usborne) Rosie isn't Rosie without Jack. And she's determined to follow him to Brighton so they can be together again. Travelling alone isn't so easy for Rosie as she has Downs Syndrome and when the weather shuts down the train lines, the people she meets, and events, soon take a turn for the worse. Rosie is an extremely likeable character who could teach us all to be more caring, determined and adventurous. Although Rosie meets some truly unsavoury characters, there are also some diamonds along the way who help her with her quest and bring joy when she is feeling low. I must admit to tense moments as I willed Rosie to get to safety, and her Jack. Overriding everything is the sense of love that Rosie and Jack feel for one another, without them really spending any significant time on the pages together. This book should be on the reading list for all teens to ensure empathy and understanding of the difficulties but also the amazing personalities of people dealing with learning difficulties and disabilities. It would also prove to them that love and life are things that are really no different no matter who you are. Due to the later content and subject matter I would recommend this for older readers. 352 pages / Ages 14+ / Reviewed by Lorraine Ansell, school librarian. I Am Thunder by Muhammad Khan, edited by Lucy Pearse (Macmillan) Religious extremism and radicalisation. Alan Gibbons deals with it in The Trap (terrorism, heroism and everything in between), he shows us how easy it is for an intelligent young man to be manipulated and something of the racism and islamophobia young British Asians face. And here, in I Am Thunder, Muhammad Khan tackles it; to be fair he doesn't just tackle it he knocks it to the ground. This is a thumper of a read. Muzna's voice is of the moment, she's 15 years old, living in London. On the threshold of adulthood she's finding her identity, encountering love, understanding friendships, trying to do well at school, balancing her parents' expectations and those of the Pakistani community with her own. She sounds familiar, and that's the point. She is plausible. Muzna is British, she is Pakistani, she is Muslim, she's a daughter, she';s a friend and she's a teenager. But before all of these she is Muzna Saleem. Why does 'the perfect student, open-minded and inquisitive' end up skipping school to attend meetings in the company of a boy (risking her reputation in the Pakistani community) where the preaching inciting hate is increasingly at odds with Muzna's own understanding of Islam? What are the choices that led to that path? With I Am Thunder, Muhammad Khan has navigated that path brilliantly. Being Muslim means different things to different people and Muzna was exceptional company as we walked in her footsteps. I Am Thunder: read it, talk about it, recommend it! 352 pages / Ages 14+ / Reviewed by Catherine Purcell, school librarian.