2007 shortlist

6-8 category

Ivan the Terrible by Anne Fine (Egmont Press)

When Russian Ivan arrives at Boris's school, unable to speak a word of English, Boris is assigned as his translator.

Boris can speak both Russian and English – but the problem is that while he is a mild-mannered, peace-loving child, Ivan is quite the opposite.

So when Ivan tells the whole school (in Russian) that he is planning to make them into his slaves, Boris feels compelled to translate instead that he hopes to make lots of new friends.

Things only get worse when they visit the infants' class, and Ivan discovers with glee just how bloodthirsty British nursery rhymes really are.

This is an extremely entertaining read, told with Anne Fine's usual concise wit; revealing, in the end, a thought-provoking message.

Anne Fine is a distinguished writer for both adults and children. Her novel Goggle-Eyes won the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize as well as the Carnegie Medal. She has won numerous awards and accolades including a second Carnegie Medal and the Whitbread Children’s Book of the Year Award for Flour Babies. Adaptations of her novel for younger readers Bill’s New Frock and Goggle-Eyes have been screened by the BBC and Madame Doubtfire was made into the hit Hollywood film Mrs Doubtfire starring Robin Williams and Pierce Brosnan. She has written over 50 books for children and adults, and was Children’s Laureate from 2001-2003 when she set up The Home Library and published three anthologies called A Shame to Miss 1, 2 and 3. In 2003 she was became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and was awarded an OBE. Anne has two grown up daughters and lives in County Durham.

For more information about Anne Fine go to www.annefine.co.uk

Little Mouse’s Big Book of Fears by Emily Gravett (Macmillan Children’s Books)

We are instructed at the beginning of this book that: 'A Fear Faced is a Fear Defeated.'

Little Mouse is scared of most things - from creepy crawlies, to loud noises and getting lost (readers can unfold a map of the Isle of Fright, which pinpoints his fears).

In a series of striking double page spreads the mouse's fears are gradually revealed and then on the very last page, we learn that despite his diminutive stature he is still capable of scaring someone much bigger than himself.

This book is a delight; complete with nibbled pages, fold out features, Gravett's trademark collage, and a charming rodent protagonist.

Emily Gravett was born in 1972 in Brighton. She left school with few qualifications and spent 8 years living on the road (in a variety of vehicles including a truck, caravan and RAF petrol bus called Toby Diesel) before settling back in Brighton and getting a place on the BA (Hons) Illustration course at Brighton University. She lives in Brighton with her daughter Oleander, partner Mik, their Saluki dog Otto and pet rat, Buttons.

For more information about Emily go to www.emilygravett.com

Ottoline and the Yellow Cat by Chris Riddell (Macmillan Children’s Books)

Ottoline lives with her hairy companion Mr. Munroe, on the 24th floor of the Pepperpot Building. Her parents travel the world collecting interesting things but do ensure she is looked after by the Home Cooked Meal Co. and Smith&Smith Pillow Plumping Technicians, amongst others.

Ottoline is good at solving mysteries, in part due to her eavesdropping habit and in part because of her qualification as a mistress of disguise.

With the help of Mr. Munroe, Ottoline sets out to solve a spate of burglaries in her neighbourhood, which she links to the disappearance of lap-dogs all over the city.

This highly illustrated, quirky book is tremendous fun to read. The retro illustrations are intricate, with plenty of visual asides to discover.

Chris Riddell, illustrator and political cartoonist for The Observer, has won several awards for his work, including the 2002 Smarties Book Prize Silver Award and the 2002 Kate Greenaway Medal for the acclaimed non-fiction book Pirate Diary (written by Richard Platt) and the 2004 Kate Greenaway Medal for Jonathan Swift's Gulliver (retold by Martin Jenkins). He was highly commended for the same award in 2001 for Castle Diary. Chris lives in Brighton.

For more information about Chris go to www.chrisriddell.com