Red House Shortlist 2013

The Red House shortlist is here!

This is the first time we've taken part in the longlisting process and it's been fantastic getting our hands on some new books and discovering new authors.  the feedback is on paper, so sorry there are no reviews going up, but hopefully we'll be reviewing the shortlist as we read.

The Red House book award is different because it's the only award voted for entirely by children, for children, so we were hoping for an interesting shortlist, and we've not been disappointed. We're going to be reading both the Young and Older readers shortlisted books and we're looking forward to getting in contact with other local reading groups too!

Young Readers:

Gangsta Granny by David Walliams
Meet Ben’s granny. She’s just your ordinary kind of granny: white hair, false teeth, likes playing Scrabble... oh, and she’s an international jewel thief! Join the intrepid pair as they plan the greatest jewel heist in the history of the world in this all-action, laugh-a-minute story from the author of Billionaire Boy and Mr Stink. Illustrations by Tony Ross just add to the mayhem!

The World of Norm: May Contain Nuts by Jonathan Meres
Norman is a twelve-year-old boy in the mould of Harry Enfield’s teenaged ‘Kevin’ and his life too is ‘just so unfair’. From the opening when Norm almost pees in his dad’s wardrobe, to his tantrums with his two younger brothers, to Norm’s quest to ‘pimp up his bike’, the comical scenes and situations will keep young readers in fits of giggles.

Operation Eiffel Tower by Elen Caldecott
Lauren, Jack, Ruby and Billy live by the seaside with their mum and dad. After months of rowing, their dad moves out of the family home. Lauren and Jack decide that they have to get their parents together again and so begins Operation Eiffel Tower. First the children want to send their parents to Paris, but quickly realise they can never afford that, so instead they set up a dinner for two under the Eiffel Tower in the local crazy golf attraction. But will it get their parents talking again?

Older Readers: 

Eight Keys by Suzanne Lafleur
From the author of the heartbreaking Love, Aubrey comes another touching novel. Elise is fed up with school, fed up with her friends and just about at the end of her tether. Then, one incredible day, Elise discovers a secret that might just unlock her past and help her take a chance on her future. What is the key with her name on going to reveal?

The Medusa Project: Hit Squad by Sophie McKenzie
The sixth and final book in the series about teenagers with psychic abilities. The Medusa Project team is due to be disbanded and the teenagers sent to separate locations. But Nico, Ketty, Ed and Dylan are determined to investigate claims that a drug with the same powers as the Medusa gene has been developed. A page-turning thriller.

The Lorien Legacies: The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore
With his exciting, yet simple writing style and vividly imagined alien world, Pittacus Lore has created the ideal series to entice readers to branch out from the realms of Harry Potter. This book follows the fate of the survivors from an alien planet who are being tracked down and destroyed by evil Mogadorians, and combines clever twists with a thrilling, unforgettable chase.