[Historical Fiction reviewed and nominated by young readers!]  

The Historical Association announces the shortlist for the 2010 Young Quills Award. This  prize has two separate categories; Primary and  Secondary, although some books obviously fit into both categories. Books are selected for the shortlist by children reviewers in each category.

In order to qualify for the shortlist the submitted works had to conform to two criteria:

• That the children reviewers enjoyed the book and would recommend it.
• That the review contained evidence that ‘the history was good' and that the reviewer had both learnt something and was keen to find out more.

 

The short listed works selected by our reviewers are:

Primary:

• The Blue-Eyed Aborigine, by Rosemary Hayes [Frances Lincoln]
• A Boy Called Mouse, by Penny Dolan [Bloomsbury]
• The Sacred Scarab, by Gill Harvey [Bloomsbury]
• The Dumpy Princess, by Karin Fernald [Frances Lincoln]

 

Secondary:

• The Cabinet of Curiosities, by Paul Dowswell [Bloomsbury]
• Fallen Grace, by Mary Hooper [Bloomsbury]
• The Fool's Girl, by Celia Rees [Bloomsbury]
• Johnny Swanson, by Eleanor Updale [David Fickling Books]
• Montacute House, by Lucy Jago [Bloomsbury]
• Prisoner of the Inquisition, by Theresa Breslin [Doubleday]

The reviewers for this year's prize were drawn from children at the following schools:

Deansfield Primary in South London

St Gregory's Catholic Primary School in Staffordshire

Helpringham Primary School in Lincolnshire

Ilfracombe Art College in Devon

Kesteven and Sleaford High School in Lincolnshire

Swanmore College of Technology in Hampshire

Lampton School in London

 

The standard of books submitted this year was better than ever, and shows that historical fiction for younger readers is alive and well. Plenty of other books submitted received excellent reviews from our readers. You can read some of the reviews of the short listed books on the Historical Association website here...

The winners of the Young Quills will be announced in September.