UKLA Book Awards 2022

This “breathtaking” verse novel “ where every word is so carefully chosen and laid out on the page”, relates a powerful and important true story of wrongful imprisonment which ‘”reduced students to tears.”

This novel based upon Yusef Salaam’s lived experience as one of the Exonerated Five  convicted in the notorious “Central Park jogger case” is an authentic and important testament which tells a moving and deeply profound story about how one boy is able to maintain his humanity and fight for the truth, in a system designed to strip him of both.

October and her father live in total – but contented – isolation in the woods. when disaster strikes. Her father is badly injured and October is forced into an utterly alien world of houses, school, hospitals and, worst of all, her detested mother.  Kayta Balen captures October’s fear and confusion and guilt and fury and yearning, which makes it an intense involving read. But it is also a passionate call to be true to yourself and an authentic portrayal of friendship and of family reconciliation. It will make children see their own familiar world of home and school with fresh eyes. Praised by judges for the” beautiful use of language” which “really sounds like a child and yet is so poetic and complex” and provokes a  “strong emotional response” in all readers

Front Desk written by Kelly Yang (Knights Of) ISBN: 978-1913311094

In this #ownvoices novel, Kelly Yang draws on her own experiences in the 1990s as she tells the story of Mia and her parents. Together, the family must fight injustice and bigotry, having just settled in America from their home country of China. This, the first of what has become a popular series, packs an emotional punch knowing that Mia’s problems are those faced by immigrants every day. A perfect book to develop empathy, this “positive story of making new lives” clearly resonates with the lived experience of many children in the UK and provides a “really powerful message about resilience” in an accessible and entertaining package.

Joint Winner 3-6+ category: Barbara Throws a Wobbler Written and illustrated by Nadia Shireen. (Puffin) ISBN: 978-1780081366 A very funny tale of a tantrum could apply to most of us. And, like Barbara, it is often good friends who assist a return to normality. Young readers may well identify with Barbara (but will probably cite a sibling). The judges called this book “a joy” which  “delivers on reading for pleasure as well as helping us all to reflect on the universal impact of a bad day, teaching valuable lessons in empathy and allowing children to  talk about and understand their feelings”.

This book sensitively portrays the impact that feeling ‘unseen’ by the world can have. Isabel’s family are struggling financially, and she finds herself watching others who have things that are out with her reach, yet they don’t seem to notice her at all. She feels ‘invisible’, both figuratively and literally. This opens her eyes to others experiencing the same feelings, albeit due to different circumstances, and she sets about trying to help them … ultimately building a sense of community spirit. beautifully and sensitively confronts the issue of being excluded by poverty. Judges felt this was an “important story which packs a real emotional punch” and should be “in every classroom”

“Accessible and beautiful” Life in miniature is so skilfully explained and stunningly illustrated with“so much learning in so few words”, powerfully representing for young readers “a truly diverse and gender positive look at the way the global community of scientists really works”.judges said this was truly “ unique”.

Unusually no overlap with judge’s choices!

3-6+

Pip And Egg written by Alex Latimer and illustrated by David Litchfield ( Scholastic) ISBN: 978-1407193687

7- 10+

When Stars are Scattered written and illustrated by Victoria Jamieson, with Omar Mohamed (Faber) ISBN: 978-0571363858

 11-14+

The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne written by Jonathan Stroud (Walker) ISBN: 978-1406394818