UKLA Book Awards Shortlists 2021

The shortlists have been announced for the UKLA Book Awards, judged by teachers.

The judging criteria call for the selection to be from a “wide and inclusive range” of publishers and for books which “recognise a broad range of perspectives, experiences and voices” and this is reflected in all four categories with themes of diversity, inclusion, empathy, and inspiration all represented amongst books which have proved effective in engaging readers, even when shared remotely by the judges with children. 

While COVID 19 has impacted upon the judging of the awards, which normally includes assessing the impact of the books within the classroom and the students' responses to them, Chris Lockwood, chair of the Book Awards, said teacher judges showed 'commitment and resilience'. "Despite the difficulties of printing and distribution of our longlisted books during the pandemic, as well as school closures and home learning, they have kept in touch with each other and their pupils with skill and enthusiasm, and produced four varied, diverse and scintillating shortlists."

In the 3-6 age group, Tibble and Grandpa is a touching intergenerational tale of loss and resilience. It's a No Money Day by Kate Milner reflects an unfortunate reality for all too many children but has an important and positive message about family resilience. Already the winner of the Waterstone's Children's Book Prize, Nathan Byron and Dapo Adeola's Look Up!, has an inspiring space obsessed heroine as a positive role model, while nighttime reassurance is provided by, I am not (very) afraid of the Dark by Anna Milburne and Daniel Riley. One Fox by debut illustrator Kate Read was also shortlisted for the Klauss Flugge prize but here is up against Brenda is a Sheep by Morag Hood, who already has two UKLA wins in this category.  

The 7-10+ category features three exciting debut authors. Lori and Max by Catherine O'Flynn is a relatable and poignant tale of friendship. The Girl Who Stole an Elephant by Nizrana Farook is a vivid, exciting jungle adventure and The Super Miraculous Journey of Freddie Yates by Jenny Pearson manages to be both hilarious and touching. They are all competing against Stewart Foster's Check Mate, the empathetic tale of a boy struggling with school and an intergenerational mystery. Owen and the Soldier by Lisa Thompson touches upon grief, remembrance and mental health in a highly accessible format. Branford Boase winner, M.G Leonard, completes the category with a thrilling adventure, The Highland Falcon Thief, written in partnership with Sam Steadman. 

In the 11-14+ category, Patrick Ness is shortlisted for Burn, a powerful integration of alternative history and dragon mythology, and Elizabeth Wein for The Enigma Game, with its thought provoking themes of loyalty and friendship in WW2. Elizabeth Acevedo's Clap When you Land is also currently shortlisted for the Carnegie medal, as is another verse novel, Run Rebel, by debut British author Manjeet Mann.  Liz Hyder's dramatic debut Bearmouth has also won a Waterstone's prize. Completing the set is a powerful Hiroshima survivor story, The Last Paper Crane by Kerry Drewery. 

 The category of Information Books 3- 14+ seeks creative non-fiction from a 'diverse range of voices and perspectives' where issues and themes are represented 'inter-culturally and with equality'. The judges' selections span a range of subjects from Michael Rosen's The Missing, his search for family lost in the Holocaust; to questions of  philosophy in Big Ideas for Young Thinkers by Jamia Wilson and Andrea Pippins; Russian social history through the story of The Apartment by Alexandra Litvina and Anna Desnitskaya; endangered animals in Ben Rothery's Hidden Planet; Black history in The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander and Kadir Nelson and Exquisite, the life of Pulitzer prizewinning poet Gwendoline Brooks by Suzanne Slade and Cozbi Cabrera. The shortlisted books deliver important messages about equality and racism within high quality illustrated texts.  

For UKLA, giving classroom practitioners the opportunity to read high quality new children's books is as important as finding an overall winner. Research carried out by members of UKLA (Cremin et al 2008) clearly demonstrated the links between teachers' knowledge of children's books and the likelihood of pupils becoming successful readers. Despite this evidence, teachers are seldom given time to read new books or funding to purchase them when they do.  

12 teachers nominated from the 70 involved in the shortlisting will now form the final judging panel and have the challenging task of reading all the shortlisted books in all categories. The winner's announcement will take place at the Virtual UKLA International Conference on July 2^nd but it is hoped that a live celebration and presentation of the awards will take place later in the year. 

The Shortlists in full 

3-6 

Look Up! Written by Nathan Bryon, illustrated by Dapo Adeola, Dapo (Puffin) 

Brenda is a Sheep written and illustrated by Morag Hood(Two Hoots) 

Tibble and Grandpa written by Wendy Meddour, Wendy, illustrated by Daniel Egnéus (Oxford) 

I'm Not (Very) Afraid of the Dark written by Anna Milbourne, illustrated by Daniel Riley (Usborne) 

It's a No Money Day   written and illustrated by Kate Milner (Barrington Stoke) 

One Fox: a Counting Thriller written and illustrated by Kate Read (Two Hoots) 

7-10+ 

The Highland Falcon Thief written by M.G.Leonard and  Sam Sedgeman, illustrated by Elisa Paganelli(Macmillan)   

The Super Miraculous Journey of Freddie Yates written by Jenny Pearson, illustrated by Rob Biddulph (Usborne)      

Owen and the Soldier written by Lisa Thompson, illustrated by Mark Lowery (Barrington Stoke)       

Check Mates   written by Stewart Foster (Simon & Schuster)       

The Girl Who Stole an Elephant written by Nizrana Farook (Nosy Crow)    

Lori and Max   written by Catherine O'Flynn (Firefly Press)  

11-14+ 

Run Rebel written by Manjeet Mann(Penguin) 

Burn written by Patrick Ness (Walker) 

Clap When You Land  written by Elizabeth Acevedo (Hot Key) 

The Last Paper Crane written by Kerry Drewery, illustrated by Natsko Seki (Hot Key) 

Bearmouth written by Liz Hyder(Pushkin)  

The Enigma Game written by Elizabeth Wein(Bloomsbury) 

Information Books   3 -14+ 

Big Ideas for Young Thinkers written by Jamia Wilson, illustrated by Andrea Pippins (Wide Eyed Editions) 

The Missing written by Michael Rosen(Walker)  

The Apartment written by Alexandra Litvina, translated by Antonia Bouis and illustrated by Anna Desnitskaya (Abrams Books for Young Readers)            

Exquisite : The Life and Poetry of Gwendoline Brooks written by Suzanne Slade, illustrated by Cozbi Cabrera (Abrams Books for Young Readers)            

The Undefeated written by Kwame Alexander, illustrated by Kadir Nelson (Andersen Press) 

Hidden Planet written and illustrated by Ben Rothery (Ladybird)