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The Scottish Children’s Book Awards shortlists have been announced with Floris Books imprint Kelpies leading with three of the nine nominations.
Kelpies' Attack of the Giant Robot Chickens by Alex McCall and Pyrate's Boy by E B Collin are both shortlisted in the Younger Readers (8-11 years) category and Dark Spell by Gill Arbuthnott is nominated in the Older Readers (12-16 years) group.
Katy Lockwood-Holmes, publisher at Floris Books said: “We're delighted that, for the second year in a row, three of our wonderfully talented Scottish children's authors have been recognised by this immensely important award.”
Other publishers with books shortlisted are Scotland-based Birlinn and London publishers Nosy Crow, Andersen Press, Macmillan Children’s Books and Bloomsbury Children’s [see full shortlists below].
Over the next five months, Scottish children will be reading the three shortlisted books in their age category and voting for their favourite. The three winning books will be announced at a special award ceremony on 4 March 2015.
This is Scotland’s largest book award ceremony with a total prize fund of £12,000. Shortlisted authors and illustrators receive £500 per book, and the authors of the three winning books will receive £3,000 each. It is run by Scottish Book Trust with support from Creative Scotland and voted for by children. In 2013, over 38,000 children participated.
Jenny Niven, portfolio manager for literature at Creative Scotland, commented: “Literacy, and access to books for Scotland’s children and families is absolutely critical for our capacity to learn, to develop and to imagine. The work of Scottish Book Trust is fundamental in this.”