The CILIP Carnegie & Kate Greenaway Children's Book Awards Shortlists 2014

Announced today (Tuesday 18th March 2014), CILIP Carnegie stalwart Anne Fine is in the running to make history: if she wins the CILIP Carnegie Medal with 'Blood Family', her acclaimed novel tacklingissues of self-worth and violence, she will be the first author ever to be awarded the prize three times.

US illustrator Klassen is up against himself for the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal by achieving a rare feat in having two books shortlisted: 'The Dark', his collaboration with author Lemony Snicket; and 'This Is Not My Hat', which is in the same dead-pan comic tradition as his 2013 Kate Greenway shortlisted title, 'I Want My Hat Back'.

The CILIP Carnegie Medal and Kate Greenaway Medal - judged by the nation's librarians - are the oldest and most prestigious in the UK, at 77 and 57 years-old, respectively. The titles on both shortlists are contenders for the highest accolades in children's literature, with past winners including legendary authors Arthur Ransome, C.S. Lewis and Mary Norton for the CILIP Carnegie Medal and illustrators Quentin Blake, Michael Foreman and Shirley Hughes for the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal.

This year's CILIP Carnegie shortlist is unusual in that half of the nominated titles deal with themes of kidnap and captivity: 'All the Truth That's in Me' by Julie Berry sees a missing girl returning home after two years; a boy is kept hostage underground in 'The Bunker Diary' by Kevin Brooks; 'Blood Family' by Fine begins with police rescuing a seven-year-old boy from his mother's abusive partner; and children are snatched and forced to become soldiers in 'The Child's Elephant' by The Times arts critic Rachel Campbell-Johnston.

CILIP Carnegie Medal 2014 shortlist:
'All the Truth That's in Me' by Julie Berry (Templar)
'The Bunker Diary' by Kevin Brooks (Puffin)
'The Child's Elephant' by Rachel Campbell-Johnston (David Fickling Books)
'Ghost Hawk' by Susan Cooper (Bodley Head)
'Blood Family' by Anne Fine (Doubleday)
'Rooftoppers' by Katherine Rundell (Faber & Faber)
'Liar & Spy' by Rebecca Stead (Andersen Press)
'The Wall' by William Sutcliffe (Bloomsbury)

For a full synopsis of the books, click HERE

The shortlist for this year's CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal - the only prize in the UK to solely reward outstanding illustration in a children's book - sees debuts battling against illustration heavyweights. 
'Oliver' is the first children's book from Icelandic author/illustrator Birgitta Sif, whilst Olivia Gill brings to life husband and wife team Clare and Michael Morpurgo's poetry anthology in her first book project, 'Where My Wellies Take Me'. They are up against celebrated illustrators including Oliver Jeffers - with 'The Day the Crayons Quit', written by Drew Daywalt - and Dave McKean, with his third collaboration with former CILIP Carnegie winner David Almond, 'Mouse, Bird, Snake, Wolf'.

The CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal 2014 shortlist:
'The Paper Dolls' by Rebecca Cobb (illustrator) and Julia Donaldson (author) (Macmillan Children's Books)
'Where My Wellies Take Me' by Olivia Gill (illustrator) and Michael Morpurgo and Clare Morpurgo (authors) (Templar)
'The Day the Crayons Quit' by Oliver Jeffers (illustrator) and Drew Daywalt (author) (HarperCollins Children's Books)
'This Is Not My Hat' by Jon Klassen (Walker Books)
'The Dark' by Jon Klassen (illustrator) and Lemony Snicket (author) (Orchard Books)
'Mouse, Bird, Snake, Wolf' by Dave McKean (illustrator) and David Almond (author) (Walker Books)
'Oliver' by Birgitta Sif (Walker Books)

For the full press release, click HERE.