Little Rebels Book Award Short List 2019
By Letterbox Library
Little Rebels Book Award Short List 2019
By Letterbox Library
The Little Rebels Children's Book Award is a prize for radical children's fiction. The award was established in 2012 by the Alliance of Radical Booksellers in conjunction with Letterbox Library.
The Ghosts & Jamal
Bridget Blankley
£8.99 £8.54Set in Nigeria, this tells the story of Jamal who survives a terrorist attack in his village only to be left alone in a world stricken by conflict and poverty. Rejected by his community for his "bad spirits" (his epilepsy), now a sole survivor, Jamal seems destined to be marked out by those around him as 'different'... but now Jamal is ready to forge his own heroism through a journey which also shines a harsh spotlight on an ignorant and exploitative adult world. "A powerful book which explores the impact of war on children, and holds up a mirror to violence-driven societies everywhere" (Catherine Barter, reviewing for the Little Rebels Award website). Age 11-16, Paperback 219pp
Across the Divide
Anne Booth
£6.99 £6.64Olivia's school wants to open a new Army cadet unit. Mum is a lifelong activist and campaigner for pacifism. Grandad is ex-army. Olivia is caught in a whirlwind of competing ideologies at home, at school and within the wider community. Sent to spend time with her Dad who lives on Lindisfarne, those conflicts seems blissfully far way...and then she befriends a young, strangely other-worldly boy who speaks of war. A novel rich with Booth's trademark, social justice 'sweep' in which she encompasses a great range of thought-provoking issues and places a young person at the centre who then courageously strives to carve out an independent voice. "A nuanced exploration of the legacy and impact of warfare" (Little Rebels Award website). Age 9-12, Paperback 302pp
Running On Empty
S. E. Durrant and Rob Biddulph
£7.99 £7.59"The thing that makes me different from other eleven-year-old boys, apart from my fantastic running ability, is my parents have learning difficulties. It's no big deal for me. Really it isn't. I don't look after them. We look after each other". Welcome to the world of AJ- the world of a young carer whose role intensifies when his much loved grandparent dies, leaving him dealing with his grief and a confusing adult world of bills and payments... A warm, moving and uplifting coming-of-age narrative. Set right next to the Olympic stadium, Stratford. "A sensitive and powerful story which explores the impact of financial hardship and a poorly functioning welfare system on young people" (Catherine Barter, reviewing for the Little Rebels Award website). Age 9-12 Paperback 225pp
The King Who Banned the Dark
Emily Haworth-Booth
£7.99 £7.59A king, troubled by a lifelong fear of the dark decides to, quite simply, ban it. To get the people on side, there will need first to be some scaremongering and rumour-spreading, so much so that the citizens come up with the idea themselves to enforce a darkness ban. With a large artificial sun mounted in the sky and a troop of officious Light Inspectors in place, how will the town survive under an all-light environment? "A witty picture-book with a lot of contemporary relevance, which skewers government propaganda and the misuse of power" (Catherine Barter, reviewing for the Little Rebels Award website). Age 4-7, Paperback 29pp
Tomorrow
Nadine Kaadan
£7.99 £7.59Yazan is a small child bewildered by the changes around him- his mother has stopped painting, the news blasts out of the TV set constantly, school has mysteriously ended and the days, mostly spent indoors, are becoming yawningly monotonous. But then, one day, without permission, Yazan leaves the house- only to be confronted by a dramatically unfamiliar landscape... A stark, sparse text captures a child's unique perspective on a country at war. "A beautiful picture-book full of heart, and not without hope, set against the backdrop of the Syrian war" (Catherine Barter, reviewing for the Little Rebels Award website). Age 4-8, Hardback 25pp
The New Neighbours
Sarah McIntyre
£6.99 £6.64There is a family of rats newly arrived in the tower block. The bunnies are hoppingly-excited. But the other residents have their concerns. Vern the sheep thinks they will be dirty; Matilda the pig thinks they will smell; Astrid the polar bear knows about their 'reputation' for stealing. It might be wise to knock on the new neighbours' door and find out what's what... "An irresistibly smart and funny picture-book which satirizes contemporary fears and preconceptions about 'newcomers'" (Little Rebels Award website). Age 4-7, Paperback 31pp
Freedom
Catherine Johnson
£6.99 £6.64WINNER - It's 1783 and 12-year-old Nat's mother and sister have just been forcibly removed from the Jamaican plantation where they're enslaved. When Nat's mistress tells him he'll be accompanying the master to England in order to look after a precious cargo of pineapples, Nat holds on to a tiny shard of hope- he's heard that there are no slaves in England; that you are free the moment you set foot on English soil. But it turns out that his new destination offers nothing even resembling a taste of freedom... An essential and accessible read, layered with historical material. "A short, powerful and richly imagined historical novel exposing the UK's often overlooked participation in the slave trade" (Catherine Barter, reviewing for the Little Rebels Award website). Age 8-12, Paperback 149pp