Children's Book Awards

The Bisto Book of the Year Awards
Shortlist 2007-2008

The Bisto Book of the Year Awards Shortlist was announced on March 26th.
This year's list features ten exceptional books which are now in the running for the most prestigious Irish children's book awards.
The CBI Bisto Book of the Year Awards are presented annually in recognition of excellence in writing and illustration.
The winners will be announced on May 22nd 2008.

The Alchemyst by Michael Scott
A fantasy adventure narrative that follows the destiny of 15-year-old twins, Josh and Sophie Newman, who are the subjects of an ancient prophesy. Of its kind but different, this flamboyantly stylish work succeeds in weaving a mesmerizing and energetic plot around a structurally impressive mythological framework. Although intertextually complex, it is a story whose vivid descriptions of worlds and events enable the fantasy and the realism to connect.

Published by Doubleday Children’s Books

The Black Book of Secrets by FE Higgins
A work that contains the dark secrets of the inhabitants of the remote village of Pagus Parvus . Subtly reminiscent and worthy of a writer like Dickens, this strikingly original and superbly plotted tale introduces readers to two of the most memorable literary protagonists of recent times, apprentice Ludlow Fitch and pawnbroker Joe Zabbidou. Grim but not pessimistic, this is uncommon storytelling, offering a liberating but hopeful exploration of the complexities of human nature.

Published by Macmillan Children’s Books

Discover Art by Jessica O'Donnell
A unique and aesthetically pleasing publication that introduces its readers to the impressive collection of art exhibited at Dublin City Gallery, The Hugh Lane. In a clear and lively style, this well-researched work manages not only to inform its readers about modern and contemporary art history but also to present its information in a way that children will enjoy by suggesting fun activities and practical projects to fire the imagination.
Published by Dublin City Gallery, The Hugh Lane

Gaiscioch na Beilte Uaine le Caitriona Nic Sheain agus Andrew Whitson
Gaiscíoch na Beilte Uaine: athchóiriú ar sheanscéal Gaeilge atá sa leabhar gleoite seo faoi ghaiscíoch a n-éiríonn leis an bheilt uaine a bhaint amach. Leabhar álainn é: tá saibhreas foclóireachta agus an frásaíochta ann, agus mar sin tá insint dheas réidh ins na scéalta a oireann don atmasféar draíochtúil a chothaítear tríd an leabhar, ach is í an obair ealaíne buanna móra an leabhair seo - tá gach leathanach sa leabhar maisithe le léaráidí ar ábhar suntais, sprid, agus blasta. Mheallfadh an scéal páistí agus daoine fásta chun é a léamh arís agus arís eile.

A retelling of an old Irish story about a warrior who, to prove himself a worthy suitor, must complete a number of trials. Although it enchantingly tells its story through a verbal text that poetically imbues the narrative with a magical atmosphere, it is the distinctive and quintessential character of the visual text that makes this picture book a beautiful work of art. This is a story that will continue to be retold as it is read and reread by both children and adults alike.
Published by An Snathaid Mhor

The Last of the High Kings by Kate Thompson
A work of fantasy that centres on the choice Jenny, daughter of JJ Liddy, must make between a life in the world of humans and a life in the world of Tír na nÓg. Distinguished by the psychological depth of its characterization, its impressive use of dialogue, and - above all - the ease of its storytelling, this is fiction that not only explores the complexities of family life in an unsentimental and honest manner but also emphasizes the fact that fantasy, at its most accomplished, exists in a symbiotic relationship with reality.
Published by The Bodley Head

The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd
The detective story of brother and sister Ted and Kate's attempt to solve the mystery of their cousin Salim's disappearance. Enthralling at the level of story, this convincingly written narrative draws the reader in with its beautifully stylish and textured language, its clever and light use of symbolism, and its unpatronising humour so as to emphasize the importance of connecting with others in life. A traditionally structured novel, this is a sustained and fully realised thriller for young readers.
Published by David Fickling

The Thing With Finn by Tom Kelly
The story of a young boy named Danny and his journey of self-discovery in the aftermath of the death of his twin-brother Finn. Cathartic and redemptive, this incredibly courageous narrative is told with such sensitivity that it manages to poignantly sustain pathos through moments of great humour. To journey through this layered narrative – in the company of a character who is sure to haunt the imagination long after the book has been read – is to recognise this unique publication as a modern classic.
Published by Macmillan Children’s Books

Titanic 2020 by Colin Bateman
A futuristic tale that chronicles the adventures and discoveries of stowaway Jimmy Armstrong, aboard a new, and supposedly unsinkable, Titanic. Though it convincingly develops relationships between its central characters through episodes of humour and sadness, this well-conceived narrative is characterized, chiefly, by the adventurousness of the twists and turns in its plot, the subtlety of its cultural and literary references, and the innovative nature of its storytelling. Published by Hodder Children’s Books

The Way Back Home by Oliver Jeffers
A picture book that tells the story of the relationship between a boy and a friendly Martian, who meet after the boy crash-lands on the moon while flying his aeroplane. The stylish quality of the illustration is the principal characteristic that defines this aesthetically pleasing literary artefact. Told from a child’s perspective, and developed through the structural dualism of strangeness and familiarity, the work’s deceptively simple verbal and visual texts are an enchanting celebration of the transformative power of the imagination.
Published by Harper Collins Children’s Books

Wilderness by Roddy Doyle
A work that tells the stories of brothers Tom and Johnny, on an adventure-holiday in Finland, their half-sister Gráinne, at home in Ireland, and their respective mothers. Poetically weaving together alternating but parallel narratives, this is a work that concerns itself with both physical and psychological journeys into wildernesses: those places and situations where one confronts desolation and truth. Categories of adult and children’s fiction aside, this is a rarity in publishing: a novel in the true sense of the word, a work that transcends itself.

Published by Scholastic Children’s Books