The Bone Sparrow – Zana Fraillon – CLIP Carnegie 2017 - Shadowing Review

The clocks have jumped forward, the days are getting longer, the blossoms are blossoming, spring is well and truly sprung- which can only means one thing – it’s time for SOTB’s annual CLIP Carnegie shadowing!

First up is The Bone Sparrow by Zana Fraillon, which has gone straight from the 2016 Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize shortlist and on to the shortlist for this year’s Carnegie medal. The Bone Sparrow is engaging, empathetic, enlightening and harrowing; in short it is a work of poignant beauty that shines a light on a very contemporary humanitarian crisis: refugee camps.

Just the cover speaks volumes, the illustration depicting an open toped birdcage surrounded by barbed wire, with a sparrow flying to freedom, along with best tag line in this year’s shortlist; ‘hope can set you free,’ promises a tale about hope.

The Bone Sparrow is told from two viewpoints, predominantly in the first person by Subhi, a nine year old boy who was born in the camp. The second being told in the third person following the adventures of Jimmie, a curious girl from the other side of the fence.

Subhi – or ID-DAR-1 is an endearing child whose outlook on life is optimistic as he finds hope in stories; ones other tell, ones he makes up; ones he dreams, and ones he draws. Having no experience outside the fences of the compound, these stories are Subhi’s; history, identity and aspirations for the future.

In a place where everything is rationed; water, clothes, food, toilet roll, and hope, the resident’s mortal rapidly starts corroding, and unrest begins to cloud the air. The ominous feeling is exacerbated by the presence of a sparrow inside Suhbi’s tent, and people whisper that the bird is an omen, a precursor of death. Subhi is taken under the wing of ever so slightly older, street wise entrepreneurial Eli, who shares his black market business with Suhbi, literally keeping shoes on his feet. Together the best friends navigate the dangers of life in the camp, from other restless angry youths to bad food, and the trigger and fist happy warden Beaver. When Eli is moved from the family compound to Alpha where the adult men are housed, Subhi takes comfort from his new friend Jimmie.

'May you forever bring us luck and protection, and may you carry our souls to freedom.'

Jimmie, is curious about the people behind the fence, breaks in, and soon becomes friends with Subhi , sharing food, and Jimmie late mothers stories that Subhi reads to her. Subhi is practically interested in Jimmies necklace, an heirloom from her mother; a sparrow pendant carved from bone, which protects her family. Despite the pair being from completely different worlds, they are kindred spirits, and when in the midst of chaos with the camp, Subhi risks everything to save his friend. But as he does so the question is on his min;, is the sparrow a guardian or an omen?


With The Bone Sparrow, Fraillon, shows the hardships, indignities and dangers of life within refugee camps, without shying away from the realities and yet keeping it censored enough for the audience. It is perfectly balanced; revealing just enough to open our eyes but not so much to make it unreadable or inappropriate for the audience, whilst interweaving a deeper fabric of tales creating a rich, multi-facetted unique tale about hope. Both hope of individuals; like Subhi’s unfaltering optimism, and larger hope; the hope that society can change and humanity will prevail.

Carnegie Shadowing 2016 review – The Ghosts of Heaven - Marcus Sedgwick

Marcus Sedgwick is no stranger to the CLIP Carnegie shortlist, having made shortlist no less than five times since 2002, a testament to the quality of his wordsmithery and storytelling. Having not delved into a Sedgwick novel before I was therefore expecting something spectacular, and I wasn’t disappointed.

‘The Ghosts of Heaven’ is intellectual and thought provoking not only with its content and messages, but also with its format, creating a new reading experience. Most books are read from cover to cover, starting at the beginning and going until the words run out. But with ‘The Ghosts of Heaven’, Marcus has created a story told in four parts, four standalone yet interconnected stories that can be read in any order.

“There are four quarters of this story; they can be read in any order and the story will work. The four quarters are assembled here in just one of twenty-four possible combinations; this order makes one kind of sense, but the reader should feel free to choose a different order, and a different sense, if desired.”

Now, I’m not a quick reader, I can’t scan read, or read a sentence at a time. I’m the kind of reader that painstakingly reads word by word (sometimes syllable by syllable), plodding away through a novel. So the notion of reading out of order did perturb me, but not to be out done, I started with the first part, then gained confidence and read part four followed by part two, finishing with part three. There was something quite liberating about reading out-of-order, igniting a rebellious streak which made for an interesting reading experience.

As the front cover design would suggest, with its spiral staircase ascending towards the heavens, ‘The Ghosts of Heaven’, is about spirals, the infinite shape that can twirl and twist around endlessly. A shape which is synonymous with existence, found in everything from molecules, architecture and plants. The novel starts with the definitions of the Spiral and the Helix, an introduction about the origins of the universe and the spiral form. Each of the books four parts spans a different era, and depending on the order in which you read the parts, a surmise a subtly different story. Ideally you need twenty four reviews, one for each combination, but I will offer you my review based on my reading in the order of parts 1, 4, 2 then 3.

Part One, is story told with short sentences and few words, following the trials of a young tribal girl, in what seems like a pre-historic era, who is fascinated by spirals that she sees in nature and by the drawing shapes in the sand. The girl see’s that the shapes she makes in the sand or paints in charcoal on stone have possibilities for wider communication, not exclusively to be performed by one for the purposes of creating magic upon which the whole tribe’s fate depends. The girls fate and that of her tribe hangs in the balance as the elder who performs the ritual of painting on the walls of the sacred cave is killed by a beast, and she must complete the ritual herself.

“The falcon, the ferns, the shell.
They are all trying to tell her something, but she does not know what it is.
She cannot not know what it is. Not yet.”

Part Four, takes on a science fiction stance as you follow the journey of Bowman, a sentinel travelling across space in charge of five hundred specially picked people in longsleep towards a new planet with the purpose of starting a colony. Bowman, is woken for one day every ten years to monitor and maintain ‘The Song of Destiny’ but discovers that someone is stalking the ship, murdering the cargo. In his infrequent days wake, Bowman tries to crack the mystery only to become caught in a spiral of his suspicion and his inner thoughts, tainted by the book of poetry he brought on the voyage and the number pi. When Bowman discovers the truth he is faced with a decision, one which affects all the cargo, and his sanity.

“he will take the Song of Destiny to the source of the spiral, and confront whatever lies waiting for him there; be it nothing, or ghosts, or God.”

Part Two, is the dark and forlorn tale of a town that is torn apart by suspicion, jealousy and fear when Farther Escrove, the hateful Rural Dene, comes to tend the congregation. Offended by the less than Christian traditions of the community, and their scared spiral, he wastes no time in finding a ‘cunning woman’ to dangle from a rope to serve as an example to the village folk. The story is one of betrayal and brutality as the villagers one by one seal the fate of the young girl, unware that their actions and hand in her death marks seals their own demise.

“She saw the rope around her neck, and its short journey to the branch. She noted how it twisted, round and round, that same shape.”

Part Three, delves into the dark world of Orient Point psychiatric home on Long Island, where Doctor James is the newly appointed Assistant Superintendent, a live in position where he resides with his young daughter Verity on the airy highest floor at the top of an ornate sweeping spiral staircase. The era appears to be early 20th century, where the term Lunatic is frowned upon but still widely used, and the method of helping the afflicted still hinging on the barbaric with the hope of a cure. Dr James soon realises that the Superintendent DR Philips has antiquated and dogmatic views on treatments, and that the institution is rife with abuse. As Dr James tries to make his, mark, he becomes intrigued by the apparent (relative) sanity of patient Dexter, a poet whose insight into life and Dr James’s own demons is remarkably accurate. Dr James becomes concerned for Dexter’s safety as Dr Phillips treatment plans escalate to gambling with the poet’s life, he begins to look more deeply as Dexter’s psychosis, a fear of spirals, so crippling that he can’t even set foot on the staircase. As Dr James tries to assist Dexter in battling his inner fears, he’s sinking in his own, and his relationship with his young daughter Verity is suffers, and she retreats into a book which chronicles the witch trials. When deception sets Dexter on a murderous path, Dr James must learn from the poets lessons how to quieten his own demons.

From the ground, all the way up to the seventh, is a giant curved stairwell… a vast open cylinder, with a staircase that winds up and up, each elegant turn bringing you to the floor above.’

In addition to the tales that all linking together in a subtle nod to the notion that every event in time and space is contacted, the book has also a hidden code. Whilst reading I noticed that the chapter numbers were not numbered in usual consecutive manor, and I had a fleeting thought that perhaps it was a code, but being un-mathematical I promptly forgot all about it. However someone much more mathematically minded was inspired enough to tackle it, and even break it. To find out more Press Here.


All in all, ‘The Ghosts of Heaven’, is an engaging and intelligent novel which is multi-faceted; bringing with it hidden meanings and coded messages along with challenging the notion the reading experience itself. ‘The Ghosts of Heaven’ his sixth Carnegie shortlisted book, could very well be the one that takes home the medal.

Carnegie 2016 Shadowing: Review –Fire Colour One by Jenny Valentine

Shadowing the Carnegie shortlist pushes me to read books that I wouldn’t pick up myself, and every year I discover a new author whose work really sparks my imagination. This year’s Spark Book for me is the magnificent ‘Fire Colour One’ by Jenny Valentine.   

‘Fire Colour One,’ with its tag line, ‘love is the greatest work of art’, presents itself as a heart-warming family drama, but it is actually a well disguised thriller.  The story is told from the perspective of Iris, who recounts the last weeks of her estranged father, Ernest’s, life.  Iris’s voice is compelling and uncompromising as she brandishes her anger and hurt; at meeting the father she’d never known, losing him within weeks whilst watching him wither as she undercovers lies and truths that rock the foundations of which her life is built.

Iris’s life isn’t a happy one, living in America with her mother Hannah and her step-father, Lowell, to whom she feels no connection and whose outlooks on life are so removed from her own.

‘it’s beyond them that someone would go the whole day without looking in the mirror. They wouldn’t dream of leaving the house with a layer of light-reflecting foundation and an accessory with a three-figure price tag. Looking good is the actual bedrock of their moral code. ‘

Lowell is an aspiring actor and their extravagant lifestyle is on the plastic never-never.  Iris is under no illusion that she’s loved, but is painfully aware that both her Mother and Step-Father blame her for their missed chances and failures. Iris copes with the anger that rages within her, by setting fires, it is her escape and peace. Her only friend is Thurston, a boy she met on the tube, an artist and charlatan in equal measure, whom accepts and embraces her for who she is.

Iris’s life is uprooted when Hannah and Lowell finally run out of credit, and they drag her across the Atlantic to England where they arrange to meet her father who abandoned them years before.  To Hannah’s delight, Iris’s father, Earnest, is on his death bed, and with them never having been divorced she and Iris are set on inherit everything; his enormous house and its walls full of priceless art. As Hannah marches around the house making infantries and valuing the collection, Iris spends time with Ernest, learning the truth that he never abandoned her and has spent that past twelve years and much of his fortune searching for her. Despite having no memory of her father, Iris believes him implicitly and her empathy is magnified by her futile search for Thurston.

Hannah is no fool and soon realises that the special connection Earnest and Iris shared before they left is resurfacing, and so she starts games, scheming to get the lion’s share of the inheritance. Iris has no interest in the money, and although she despises her mother’s behaviour is happy for her to take it all. Negotiating with the ailing Earnest, Hannah takes everything, the whole art collection with the exception of the new accusation, the unverified (and therefore worthless) ‘Fire Colour One.’

But Earnest has secrets too, brilliant ones, which bear no resemblance to his mild mannered and reserved nature, and he’s been scheming. From beyond the grave Earnest (with a little help from Thurston) sends Iris one last declaration of his love.

‘Fire Colour One,’ is an emotional and riveting read, with a superbly plotted twist. Its description and metaphors are steeped with artist references and leap into the mind in vibrant colour. Jenny Valentine has created a masterpiece, one part family drama, and one part thriller. A, ‘Thomas Crown affair,’ for teenagers.

 

Carnegie Shadowing - review - Five Children on the Western Front

Flying a solitary Carnegie flag for middle-grade fiction, Kate Saunders' hugely engaging 'Five Children on the Western Front' will have to hold its own if it is to take home the Carnegie Medal as the only book on the list not written with teens or young adults in mind.

This novel about families and wishes is a stunning follow-up to E Nesbit's classic 'Five Children and It' and was published to coincide with hundredth anniversary of the start of the First World War. Writing a follow-up to such a classic and well-loved story is not a challenge to take up lightly.

Its starting point is to take the original cast of characters, all grown up now and poignantly, of the generation of Edwardian children who would have been at the heart of the fighting, but the narrative cleverly takes up the story of the younger siblings, at first excited by the news of war.  


As a historical novel it is an exiting time very rich with possibility. Change is happening all around - from women's rights to social mobility, it's an exciting time to be a child. One of the girls finds determination not simply to offer charity to the sick, but to become a doctor herself. The tennis court is dug up to plant potatoes as shortages bite. No-one escapes the impact of the war.

But the heart of the story is the arrival in the children's lives of a sand fairy - a magical character taken from the original book, the Psammead, who can move people backwards and forwards in time. 

For years the younger children have been hearing stories about him and the adventures they had when he granted wishes. But when he re-appears it is not to take them on exciting adventures. He is unwell and needs looking after. Perhaps this time he is here with a bigger purpose?

The narrative engagingly entwines the social history of the day and fires up the imagination even more with the magical elements of the sand fairy. Kate Saunders effortlessly juggles a huge cast of characters that you grow to know and love throughout the novel. 

The fantasy twist lends a lightness and humour and makes it a really accessible and enjoyable book, which is, ultimately, a sad novel about loss and the impact of the War that packs quite an emotional punch. Some lives may be short, but where they touch, they touch deeply.

The Psammead himself is undoubtedly the star of the show, prickly, ungracious and often unkind, but managing to grant enough wishes so that the children get to visit their older brother at Christmas in the trenches, and there is just enough magic to allow a few happy endings.

Will it win?

Does this war story with a magical twist pack enough of an emotional punch, deal realistically with historical social issues, yet still be an absorbing story to enthral younger readers? Can a book for younger readers impress the judges enough?

First published in 2014 it has already garnered awards, winning the Costa Children's Book Award of 2014 and going on to be shortlisted for the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize 2015. So it has already demonstrated it is no lightweight when it comes to prize-winning muscle.

It does all of the above and will be enjoyed by anyone who appreciates thought-provoking and moving children's fiction whatever their age - and is probably one of the best and most accessible books about the First World War, delivering a great sense of the loss and social upheaval, without being grim.

It may also cause children to seek out the original, or some of the other classic E Nesbit stories and may prove to be equally as timeless. Following up a classic and creating a totally new classic? Now that is a seriously impressive achievement.

Carnegie 2016 Shadowing: Review - The Lie Tree - Frances Hardinge

After storming its way to win the title of overall best book of 2015 in the Costa Book awards, it's a delight that Frances Hardinge's 'The Lie Tree' is on the shortlist for the  CLIP Carnegie Medal, awarded annually to the writer of an outstanding book for children. Because this is a book that deserves to be read and enjoyed widely.

The Lie Tree - Frances Hardinge

One of the best and cleverest things about 'The Lie Tree' is that it has the pace and page-turning absotbtion of a thriller, but Frances Hardinge cleverly uses the murder-mystery platform to weave in truly complex themes - scientific jealousy, how lies can damage small communities, and the role of women in Victorian society. And deals with these big issues in a really gripping way

The main character is a feisty heroine, courageous, intelligent and stubborn. Faith would love to be a scientist and serious, like her father. She rather despises her mother's fripparies and choice of pursuits. But in Victorian times, this is definitely a man's world and Faith may know a lot about science, but she has much to learn about society.

Faith can be more intelligent than most of the people around her and know and learn plenty, but she's encouraged to keep these talents a secret. It's a real challenge to be taken seriously, particularly when she becomes convinced her father has been murdered. 

But as she starts to investigate on the sly, she learns what women can be good at - manipulating and working behind the scenes and secretly doing things no-one would expect a woman to do. She sets about covertly trying to find out what her father was really working on and who might have guessed his secret.  Because, as a woman, no-one really suspects what she is up to.

Without any of her growing number of enemies knowing, she gets closer to bringing her father's secretive scientific studies to fruition, while also plotting how to reveal what really happened to her father.

This is a page-turner with a serious heart. It's a thought-provoking and imaginative tale that manages to weave a historical scientific adventure with a thread of feminism and fantasy. Not an easy thing to pull off, but Frances Hardinge does it with lashings of style.

There is much discussion about the elusive 'cross-over' novel - one that can be read and enjoyed by both children and adults. But these are more rare than you might think. It is not an easy path to walk to write something that can be enjoyed on so many levels - being both simple and complex at the same time, but 'The Lie Tree', in its complexity and ambition, moves writing for children definitely into an adult sphere, yet bringing also a page-turning quality. 

So can Frances pull it off - 'The Lie Tree' being the best novel of the year and being the best novel for children?

We will wait and see, but whatever happens it should bring many new readers to Frances Hardinge's tremendous writing. She is well worth discovering.

Really enjoyable, very clever, and a seriously impressive read.

Carnegie 2016 Shadowing: Review - One - Sarah Crossan

Spring time is here, and that means it's the season for awards, most notably the CLIP Carnegie Award, and so we commence our annual shadowing of the shortlist.

Our first Carnegie shortlist reviews is the adptly name ONE by Sarah Crossan. I’ve been a fan of Sarah Crossan’s work since I reviewed ‘The Weight of Water’ for our 2013 Carnegie coverage [to read press here]. I’m not the only one, as she made it on to the Carnegie shortlist again this year with Apple and Rain which Claire reviewed a few weeks ago [press here to read].

One of the things I love about Sarah’s work is that she tells her story through verse, initially I was concerned that it may make the novels stodgy and difficult to read but I could not be more wrong. As the poems are short they minimise description therefore getting to the action, story and emotional heart of book without long wordy passages making them easy to read.  Each poem tells an extract of the story, together building up to deliver the whole story. Using this unique form of storytelling, Sarah Crossan tackles subjects which become dark and gritty in a little and engaging way.

Sarah’s latest book, ‘One’ is told in this way, it brings you into the mind of teenager Grace, displaying her insecurities and all her teenage anxieties  as she deals with her complicated family life and her twin sister Tippi. Being sisters and twins, Grace and Tippi have a strong bond, they have all the issues any other siblings face, and a good few more besides as they are conjoined. One, shows Graces inner feelings as she and Tippi venture to school for the first time, and as her family’s situation spirals when her mum is made redundant, and with medical bills piling up her Dads drinking problem worsens, even their younger sister Dragon has to work.

Seeing her family struggle, Grace persuades Tippi to allow a journalist to make a documentary about them, but as the camera’s begin to roll Graces secret is unveiled, and her health begins to fail, jeopardising both her and Tippi’s life.

One, is a moving story, it depicts the complications that life brings being conjoined, but it also explores the themes of family, love and individuality.

A BIG Space on the Bookshelf Congratulations to the 2015 Carnegie Medal Winner...

  

As ever the 2015 crop of Carnegie short-listed books was a bumper load of fantastic and beautifully woven stories. This make pegging for a winner difficult, but I’m totally thrilled to say a...

 Big Congratulations

to Tanya Landman for taking home the prize for her emotionally charged historical YA novel, Buffalo Solider. Buffalo Solider was one of the books that I reviewed [press here to read] and was the book that I was backing [press here to read our SOTB round-up] so I was very pleased to hear that it won!

Congratulations to all the short-listed authors, we much enjoyed reading your book, and we at SOTB look forward to reading and reviewing your future books!

Carnegie fever - and the most likely winner is . . .

Who would envy the judges of the Carnegie Medal, trying to decide which one single title is the outstanding book of the year?

We have enjoyed reading and discussing the books on this year’s shortlist – all of which are successful examples of authors striving to achieve something different and worthwhile in their writing.

The very best books are more than simply entertainment. They can be glimpses into other people’s lives and a chance to be gripped by how someone handles a situation you might never experience yourself. Which criteria do you use to say which is the best?

Whoever wins will be joining an illustrious list of past winners, starting with Arthur Ransome in 1936 and including Frank Cottrell Boyce, Anne Fine, Neil Gaiman, CS Lewis, Penelope Lively, Terry Pratchett, and Noel Streatfeild – authors who continue to delight and entertain and who keep children reading to this day and you hope will never go out of print.

What can you read into the state of the book market for children looking at the shortlist?

This year’s list is dominated by female writers. And with only one title being for younger readers there are three aimed at ‘older teens’, and four aimed at 11+ (which seems to be increasingly called ‘tween’ readership). Half are contemporary stories, two historical and three set in a fantasy version of the world. So it is not easy at all to compare them as they are all trying to achieve different things.

Several on the list are familiar names associated with Carnegie – past winners, some having been nominated before. Only one really fresh name in there.

So – without further ado – who would we like to win and who do we think will win?

Sally says: “I love shadowing the Carnegie, as it makes me read out of my usual comfort zone, and thereby discover amazing books and brilliant writers. Every year the Carnegie short-list is packed with really gripping, exquisitely written books that make you think. This obviously makes backing a single book a very difficult endeavour. 

“This year I read and reviewed 2013 winning author Sally Gardner’s 11+ picture book ‘Tinder’. Loving fairy tales as I do, and picture books, and being a fan of Sally Gardner’s writing, I was totally gripped by the authentic fairy tale voice, and dark narrative with classic fairy tale and folklore elements woven into a very real and through provoking yarn.

“I believe Sally has a real chance of scooping up the award and that Tinder may even become a double winner as it is also shortlisted for the Greenaway picture book award.

“Tanya Landman’s shortlisted book, Buffalo Solider, is an utterly absorbing read, a historical adventure of a young newly freed slave girl in the aftermath of the US civil war, who takes extraordinary measures to survive by posing as a man and becoming a Buffalo Solider. 

“Tanya Landman has written a tale which is so well realised it take you back to the time, opening your eyes to a much neglected aspect of recent history; how freedom affected the newly liberated slaves.  I would really love to see 'Buffalo Solider' take the award, as its clever writing explores not only a period in history which is largely ignored, but also the crueller aspects of humanity.”

Nicki said: “I am a huge fan of Frances Hardinge, who just seems to get better and better and I think ‘Cuckoo Song’ is so strong and imaginative, yet the world building is evenly balanced with brilliant characters. It manages to be creepy yet compelling and the slow-burn tension just kept the pages turning for me; it’s a well-told mystery. I think Frances is a rather brilliant but underrated writer and would love to see her win as I think it would introduce many new readers to her superb work.

“I also loved the heart-warming ‘Apple and Rain’ and this is the one that seems to have successfully reached out to children and have many of them asking for more. If the criteria was to get children devouring books and wanting to read, then ‘Apple and Rain’ would probably win hands down.”

“For me, the stand-out title was ‘More than This’. I loved the fact that it was both an exciting page-turning thriller, but also a philosophical novel. I loved that every aspect of the novel challenged – it wasn’t a straightforward single-thread, linear narrative (as we are so used to seeing in children’s books).

“The baddie was truly terrifying and the backstory heartbreaking. You warmed to all the characters and the friendships. So for me it was without flaws and dealt with big issues in an accessible way, which is really the epitome of writing for young people.”

More than This – Carnegie Shadowing – review

Expect some big questions and prepare yourself for a bumpy ride when you dive in Patrick Ness’s ‘More than This’ – a novel which will leave you with more questions than answers, but also, is a book that will surely make you think. Oh, and terrify you.

The opening is mysterious as Seth discovers himself in a world he can’t explain – similar to one he thinks he remembers, but not the one he thinks he just left, when he thinks he died. (Yes, it's going to be that complicated.)

He seems to now be in a place he left when he was a child; before he moved to a different country. But that’s not even the main mystery.

The question really troubling Seth is: Where is everyone else?

From the intriguing and enticing cover, you know right from the start that you are being served up something very special.

Patrick Ness weaves three complex and intriguing threads through this book in a masterful piece of narrative structure.

The three interwoven stories – the story of Seth’s ‘other’ life and what led to him being here is told in flashback; the story that goes even further back, to when his family moved out of his childhood home; and the ‘where am I now and how did I get here?’, all add up to something really pretty special.

The story is part mystery, part thriller, part sc-fi, part contemporary novel, and part a story of the emotional consequences of a taboo same-sex relationship. But each is handled with skill so you are drawn more and more into Seth's world. The bleakness of the difficulties he has faced in his young life, plus the struggle for survival today, on top of making sense of his current situation.

It is no less than brilliant that the author manages to achieve all this, relentlessly moving from one storyline to another, dropping in clues to the back-story of each of the story threads, making you feel torn as you have to leave one story to plunge into another. Yet the reader never loses place. Each thread is equally engrossing, each in its own way. Each character and sub-plot each take you into deeper and darker places.

It’s an emotional rollercoaster, but the contemporary action is laced with menace. The baddie ‘The Driver’ a robot who seems unstoppable and un-killable is truly terrifying, punctuating an emotional story with heart-stopping threat and action.

The reader never knows what to expect next and along the way, if you take time to stop and think, the journey takes you to some terrifying places, and not just the sci-fi action scenes. This philosophical novel poses big questions. 

Is it better to live a life sheltered by the sometime awfulness of reality – or better to face the truth? Is the worst nightmare the one that’s real, or the imaginary one you create for yourself?

I was absolutely blown away by this book and I would love it to win. Such a big novel. So many questions. I enjoyed it totally on an adult level - it is really a timeless book that appeals to all ages.

My only reservation, really, is whether it is really a novel for children? I think you need a certain maturity to fully appreciate this novel on all its levels. I think many children doing the shadowing will love this - particularly the action scenes and the mystery, but I kind of also hope they might want to come back to it and read it again when they are a little older.

Is it a great novel? I would say so – unquestionably Yes. Is it a great novel for children? That is a much trickier one. 

We shall await the judges' final decision.

We asked Patrick Ness 'What is your favourite thing about your shortlisted book?' Here is what he had to say:

"The cover.  I mean, you know, I'm proud of the book like I would be of a child I raised and sent out into the world, but haven't my publishers done an amazing job with the cover?  I feel very lucky."

Thank you Patrick Ness. I agree the cover is awesome, but it is only doing justice to a truly fantastic book. 

The Fastest Boy in the World – Elizabeth Laird – Carnegie Shadowing review

You might be forgiven for thinking Elizabeth Laird’s ‘The Fastest Boy in the World’, with its Ethiopian setting and story of a boy who lives on a farm and who dreams of being a runner, might be a story children would find it a challenge to relate to, particularly as this is aimed at young readers.

But who wouldn’t understand exactly how eleven-year-old Solomon feels when his grandfather tells him they must journey together to the big city – and the excitement Solomon feels in being given this responsibility, the recognition that he is growing up and the sense that things are about to change.

We are quickly drawn into Solomon’s world. The capital may only be just over twenty miles away, but in a country where few people have cars, and even a bus journey is too expensive, Solomon and his grandfather must go on foot. And Solomon doesn’t even own shoes.

This is wonderful, evocative storytelling – a glimpse into a different land, a totally different culture. But a novel of heart and adventure.

We can feel the wonderful contrast as Solomon sets foot in a city for the first time, and understand Solmon’s excitement when they are finally plunged into the teeming world of the capital – Addis Ababa. Suddenly there are people, movement, pavements, pick-pockets – and relatives that don’t look that pleased to see them.

Solomon begins to understand some skulduggery has been afoot and prompted, for what has been for his frail grandfather, a huge journey.

But they find friends in unexpected places, plus a few stories of Grandfather when he was young are revealed – plus a little history of this troubled country.

And the backdrop of all of this is the impending returning visit and parade by the country’s running heroes fresh from Olympic success, and Solomon, always, always dreaming of running.

There is a simplicity of storytelling in Elizabeth Laird’s ‘The Fastest Boy in the World’ that masks that this is about some big themes, dealt with in a book suitable from age seven – no mean feat.

Grandfather has been a huge presence in Solomon’s life, but is taken ill. What eleven-year-old wouldn’t recognise the fear and responsibility of being alone in a vast city in charge of a very dear and ailing relative. 

Even finding the right bus would be a challenge for most youngsters, as it is for Solomon. But Solomon reacts with chivalry and courage when faced with some pretty big challenges.

It’s a really satisfying and heart-warming story that does a double achievement of helping you understand the fears, hopes and dreams of a boy in another country – and realising these are not so different from our own.

A joy of storytelling. Great to see a book for younger readers being recognised on the Carnegie shortlist - and who could fail to be moved and excited by Solomon's epic run.

When Mr Dog Bites – Carnegie Shadowing – review

This was the book I was really looking forward to reading for our shadowing for two main reasons – it seems to have been the one this year that has got everyone talking (and I always like to read books people are talking about).

Plus it had very high billing as a ‘Curious Incident’ for Tourette’s, which sounded very intriguing (if not extremely difficult to live up to).

Any award should include books interesting enough to get people talking, and this book has been controversial enough to make headlines. 

If you’ve already heard about this book you will probably know one thing about it – it is full of swearing.

So the question I really wanted to address was – was it on the list mainly as a book that would get children talking? Is it good enough across all areas for me to want it to win?

The concept of the book is that the main character, Dylan Mint (great name), has a very rare type of Tourettes that means whenever he is stressed he can’t stop himself verbally insulting people.

By far the best thing about the book is the really deep way that the reader engages with Dylan and his condition. You really feel for Dylan as he can’t help just going around being incredibly offensive, which, inevitably, causes lots of problems. 

It's an incredibly compassionate book that is presented in a fun and funky way rather than an overly emotional one, so will appeal to a different group of readers. Diversity and inclusiveness always get a big thumbs up from me.

Dylan is sixteen, but does have a very naive view of the world, which definitely makes the reader feel that as well as having Tourettes (basically a genetic illness of the nervous system which means the body tics and jerks) that he is in some way not fully developed mentally as a sixteen year old (is this part of Tourettes?). Not sure. Ultimately it's not really a story about Tourette's very much.

Dylan is trying to make sense of the world and care for his friends and his family. But he's a teenage boy, so he doesn't always do it in ways you might expect. His close relationship with buddy Amir is very touching.

Dylan has a close and warm relationship with his mum (his Dad is away in the army). They spend evenings together; he makes her soup, they comfortably share tv viewing. He misses his dad. Then Dylan accidentally overhears something he shouldn’t – he believes he has learned he has only months to live.

Having set up a great relationship between Dylan and his mum, you can't help but wonder why would he not want to talk to her about his imminent demise?

Knowing he will die, Dylan declares an intention of having sex, picking on a girl to whom he is mostly attracted by her trendy, branded clothing and accessories.

I liked this point and thought it skilfully made as the world is seen through Dylan’s eyes and he constantly wants people to see beyond his exterior (and that of his best mate, who suffers racist abuse rather than abuse about his disability).

The fact that Dylan himself makes many surface judgements about people was cleverly done.

The most touching scene in the book I felt, was where he discovers that he has learned to care for the girl, for who she is, flaws and all. As a book about love among disabled teenagers, the book was terrific. The disco scene is truly hilarious and the quality of the writing really shone here.

There were a lot of sub-plots. A lot. All of which were trying to tackle big issues and the book felt somewhat overloaded and relied heavily on plot devices and twists. 

There is a plot twist at the end where Dylan learns he won't die. (Mum and the doctor were actually talking about the fact that Dylan has a new baby sibling on the way.) Why the secrecy? Why does Mum not make any effort to try to prepare Dylan as much as possible for the arrival of babies into the house? 

We discover Dylan’s dad was an alcoholic, was booted out of the army, became a violent armed robber and was repeatedly violent towards Dylan’s mum and is actually in jail. I did struggle to reconcile the considerate and thoughtful Dylan, with someone who didn’t notice his mother was a victim of repeated extreme violence. 

The final twist is where Dylan’s Tourette’s symptoms are dealt with by Dylan being offered a miracle cure.

One of the best things about stories is their ability to allow you to step into someone else’s shoes.

And this is a very good book for that. 

The book is big on its ability for the reader to get under Dylan’s skin, but a bit light in its ambition in terms of dealing with some of its plot issues with the depth given to other parts of the book.

So.

You can’t discuss Mr Dog without discussing the swearing. At the start, Dylan’s swearing is mostly done with very good comic effect. Words are said unintentionally and without malice, although the words themselves are profuse and offensive, It does mean it is not a book you would recommend for some readers who would very probably otherwise enjoy it.

Not only does Dylan’s internal monologue and his dialogue start to be littered with swearing, all the children use foul language and are frequently vilely abusive to each other. Yet none of the adults ever swear.

In the end it was in danger of feeling more like a book about swearing than it did about anything else, but I was actually left feeling confused what the book was trying to say about swearing.

Author Brian Conaghan has set himself quite a challenge and he pulls off an appealing story for older teenagers about disability that is actually funny more often than grim.

Dylan is a warm and quirky character and the story of adolescent friendship and first love among the disabled made this, ultimately, an uplifting read.

There is lots here that is worthy of plenty of classroom and bookgroup discussion - absolutely a book that should and will get people talking. And I am always in support of‘difficult’ books – where would we be if everyone jumped on band-wagons and shied away from anything challenging or experimental?

For me, it would actually have been a whole lot better without half so much swearing.

My overall feeling is that ‘Mr Dog’ suffers from too many flaws for me to really have it as one of my ‘great’ books.

We asked author Brian Conaghan the question: ‘What is your favourite thing about your shortlisted book?’

"The favourite thing about my book is the friendship that exists between Dylan and Amir, it demonstrates how important having trusted and loyal friends around helps shape the person both boys become."

Many thanks to Brian - and we wish him very good luck with his original, heart-warming and thought-provoking book.