Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2024 shortlists announced

In the UK, the shortlists for the 2024 Waterstones Children’s Book Prize have been announced.

The shortlisted titles in each category are:

Illustrated books

• The Queen Next Door (Marcela Ferreira, illus by Sally Agar, Orchard Books)
• Incredible Jobs You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Of (Natalie Labarre, Nosy Crow)
• The Secret Elephant (Ellan Rankin, Wren & Rook)
• Wolf and Bear (Kate Rolfe, Two Hoots)
• Whose Dog is This? (Andrew Sanders, illus by Aysha Awwad, Macmillan)
• The Search for the Giant Arctic Jellyfish (Chloe Savage, Walker Books)

Books for younger readers

• Crookhaven: The School for Thieves (J J Arcanjo, Hodder)
• The Beasts of Knobbly Bottom: Attack of the vampire sheep! (Emily-Jane Clark, Scholastic)
• Vivi Conway and the Sword of Legend (Lizzie Huxley-Jones, Knights Of)
• The Swifts (Beth Lincoln, Puffin)
• My Name Is Sunshine Simpson (G M Linton, Usborne)
• Greenwild: The world behind the door (Pari Thomson, Macmillan)

Books for Older Readers

• Promise Boys (Nick Brooks, Macmillan)
• What the World Doesn’t See (Mel Darbon, Usborne)
• Girl, Goddess, Queen (Bea Fitzgerald, Penguin)
• Thieves’ Gambit (Kayvion Lewis, S&S)
• You Think You Know Me (Ayaan Mohamud, Usborne)
• Friendship Never Ends (Alexandra Sheppard, Knights Of).

The winners will be announced at an evening ceremony on 21 March. The winner of each category will receive £2000 (A$3872), with the overall winner receiving an extra £3000 (A$5809).

Last year’s overall winner was Nadia Mikal for her debut novel, The Cats We Meet Along the Way (Guppy Books).

Category: Awards International news