This year's CILIP Carnegie Medal Shortlist puts eight page-turning novels about survival in the spotlight. Their stories deal with some of life's most challenging issues in an intelligent and highly accessible way, offering heroes and heroines that young readers can relate to and a life affirming sense of hope.
The judges received 54 nominations for the Carnegie UK Trust-funded prize and 48 nominations for Kate Greenaway Medal from CILIP (Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals) members.
The shortlisted books pull no punches, dealing with themes from natural disaster and global warming to economic turmoil, political immorality, racism, terrorism and devastating war. But, in showing how moral dilemmas can be resolved and the right choices made, the judges believe they demonstrate the value of integrity and generate a sense of hope through rich and entertaining story-telling of outstanding quality.
Margaret Pemberton, Chair of this year's CILIP Carnegie judging panel says the shortlisted titles go against the flow:
"It's interesting that the eight titles that really stood out for us buck the current trend for escapism and the paranormal in young adult fiction.
"Their writers have been brave with their choice of subject matter and have confronted some very real issues, but the quality of the writing carries each and every story. Whether the setting is a graveyard, another planet, a fantasy version of our own planet, the suburbs of a German town, a mental asylum or deep in the history of slavery, each offers a vivid and compelling narrative, whether for children of nine and over, or for young adults."
This year's shortlist also marks the first time for 30 years that a title has appeared on both the CILIP Carnegie and CILIP Kate Greenaway shortlists, in the shape of Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book, illustrated by Chris Riddell.
To follow the awards go to http://www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/2010awards/
