Waterstones Children’s Book Prize shortlists announced

In the UK, the shortlists for the 2022 Waterstones Children’s Book Prize have been announced.

Illustrated books

• Wolfboy (Andy Harkness, Bloomsbury Children’s)
• Alone! (Barr Falls, Farshore)
• The Viking Who Liked Icing (Lu Fraser, illus by Mark McKinley, Bloomsbury Children’s)
• Out to Sea (Helen Kellock, T&H)
• The Duck Who Didn’t Like Water (Steve Small, S&S)
• Grandad’s Camper (Harry Woodgate, Andersen Press)

Younger readers

• The Last Bear (Hannah Gold, illus by Levi Pinfold, HarperCollins Children’s Books)
• Amari and the Night Brothers (B B Alston, illus by Godwin Akpan, Farshore)
• Bumble and Snug and the Angry Pirates (Mark Bradley, Hodder Children’s Books)
• Me, My Dad and the End of the Rainbow (Benjamin Dean, illus by Sandhya Prabhat, S&S)
• Children of the Quicksands (Efua Traoré, Chicken House)
• Front Desk (Kelly Yang, illus by Maike Plenzke, Knights Of)

Older readers

• The Crossing (Manjeet Mann, PRH Children’s)
• The Upper World (Femi Fadugba, PRH Children’s)
• Firekeeper’s Daughter (Angeline Boulley, OneWorld)
• The Gilded Ones (Namina Forna, Usborne)
• Not Here to Be Liked (Michelle Quach, Usborne)
• Not My Problem (Ciara Smyth, Andersen Press).

Each category winner will receive £2000 (A$3800), with the winners then vying for the overall title of Waterstones Children’s Book of the Year and an extra £3000 (A$5700).

The Waterstones Children’s Book Prize is voted for by Waterstones booksellers, with the winning books promoted across the retail chain’s stores. For more information, visit the Waterstones website.

Category: International news