Carnegie Shadowing Group
The following books were on the short list for the Carnegie Children’s Book Award 2012. Our shadowing group read the books and vote for their favourite before the winner is announced. We also post our reviews of these books on the Carnegie Shadowing Group website:(http://www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/shadowingsite/index.php). Our group enjoyed many of the books last year -Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness was very popular and indeed was voted Carnegie Award Winner 2011. Our readers also enjoyed Out of the Shadows by Jason Wallace and The Death Defying Pepper Roux by Geraldine McCaughrean. We are looking forward to this years choice but are disppointed that two books we recommended made it onto the long list but not the short list. They were 'The Blood Red Road' by Moira Young and 'Matched' by Ally Condie. Our shadowing group consists of members of our book club 'The Authors' Retreat' and other pupils who enjoy the Carnegie Shadowing event. If you would like to shadow the awards please ask at the LRC desk.
The CILIP Carnegie Medal Shortlist for 2012
The CILIP Carnegie Medal Shortlist for 2012
Judges’ comments are listed in italics
The ‘age range’ listed below is intended as a guide only, as determined by the 2012 judging panel.
As a shadowing group, we will read the books below and vote for the one we think should be the winner before the winner is announced. It is always fun to read the books and see if we agree with the judges. Those that join the shadowing group can also post their own reviews for the books they have read on the Carnegie Shadowing Site by clicking on the link on the Oliver home page.
If you would like to join in, ask at the LRC desk for details.
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Everybody Jam by Ali Lewis
Danny lives in middle of the outback. His older brother Jonny was killed in an accident last year, but no-one ever talks about it. Meanwhile his sister is pregnant, the rains haven't come and it's time for the annual cattle muster, during which Danny is determined to prove he can fill his brother's shoes. A hugely engaging and enjoyable novel that conveys a terrific sense of place in its vivid descriptions of the brutality – and terrible beauty - of Australian outback life. The voice of the central character Danny is always convincing, and his relationship with his camel surprisingly moving. In fact so real are all the characters that they leave the reader wanting to know more. |
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Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys One night, fifteen-year old Lina, her mother and brother are hauled from their home by Soviet guards, thrown into cattle cars and sent away. They are being deported to Siberia. An unimaginable and harrowing journey has begun, but Lina refuses to give up hope of seeing home and loved ones again. A compelling, page-turning story about a hidden period of history, told with real emotional depth. Flashbacks are employed to great effect, and the excellent characterisation means that you both believe and care about what happens to everyone in it. A book which makes the reader a survivor too: you read it, and have to move on with life, as they do.
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A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
The monster shows up after midnight. It isn't the one Conor has been expecting; the one from his nightmare; the one he has had nearly every night since his mother started her treatment. But this new monster is ancient, and wild, and it wants something just as dangerous from Conor: the truth.
An exquisite piece of writing of great depth which has huge impact upon the reader, guiding them through some difficult emotional lessons. Well plotted and lyrically written with not an unconsidered word, it also handles the relationships between the central characters brilliantly.
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Small Change Stuart by Lissa Evans
Ten years old and small for his age, Stuart Horten moves to the dreary town of Beeton, away from all his friends. But before long he is swept up in a quest to find his great-uncle's lost workshop, a place stuffed with trickery, magic – and danger. A refreshing and plausibly magical novel which joyfully celebrates cleverness and a delight in words. Both the main characters and the cameo parts are extremely vivid and humorous, and the mystery and trail of clues throughout the plot are very well-worked out. A story that is terrific fun, so perfectly paced and exquisitely written that it reads aloud beautifully.
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My Sister Lives on the Mantlepeice by Annabel Pitcher
Ten year old Jamie hasn't cried since his sister's death five years before. Though everyone kept saying they would get better with time; things are now worse than ever. Dad drinks, Mum's gone and Jamie still has a whole heap of unanswered questions. With a great central character, a sophisticated plot and an ending that is both credible and hopeful, this is a book that avoids the "issues trap" to stay with you long after you finish it. The observations of the 10 year old narrator are extremely well-captured, as is his growing friendship with Surya, and the way in which prejudice is broken down on both sides.
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Trash by Andy Mulligan
Three friends, Raphael, Gardo and Rat live on a heap of trash and spend their days sifting through other people's rubbish. One day they find something extraordinary – a deadly secret. From that moment onwards, they are hunted without mercy, and their lives will never be the same again. A vivid and emotionally powerful story told through some great switches of authentic narrative voice, giving the perfect marriage of character and plot as the three children tell their stories. Though there are scenes that are visceral and shocking, humour is always present too, along with a strong sense of community and the sustaining nature of friendship. |
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The Midnight Zoo by Sonya Hartnett Under cover of darkness, two brothers cross a war-ravaged country carrying a secret bundle. One night they stumble across a town that has been reduced to smouldering ruins. Amidst the wreckage is a zoo, filled with animals in need of hope. With its stunning descriptions and small parables which illustrate the inhumanity of war, and the havoc it wreaks on both people and animals, this is a profoundly moving novel. Unbearably sad in places, but never depressing with its message that accepting death means cherishing life; it is a beautiful fable with a moral message for us all. |
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My Name is Mina by David Almond Mina writes and writes in an empty notebook, and through her stories, thoughts, lessons and dreams, her journal grows into something extraordinary. A prequel to the author's CILIP Carnegie Medal-winning novel, "Skellig". A wonderful celebration of words, language and creativity which completely nails the voice of Mina, its central character, and demonstrates a true stream of consciousness. Mina has much to teach us all about the wonder of life in this absorbing and very clever example of a post-modern approach to literature.
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