Longlists announced for 2021 UKLA Book Awards

In a challenging year, UKLA have announced the longlists for the UKLA Book Awards. As publisher submissions were invited, publishers were in lockdown, distribution warehouses were closed and in some cases, it proved impossible to get physical books delivered to the longlisting panels (composed of experienced past teacher judges, ex-teachers, librarians and consultants) Yet despite this, there were 410 submissions across the four categories with two full days of online selection discussions to arrive at the longlists.

Awards Chair, Christine Lockwood, said ‘The quality of the submissions this year was simply outstanding and the choices the panels had to make were very difficult, under difficult circumstances, but we are very proud of these lists and know that these quality texts will have a real impact in the classrooms of the teacher judges.’

The lists highlight a diverse range of authors from exciting debuts to prize-winners and best-sellers. All the books exemplify the award’s aim of encouraging teachers’ knowledge of high-quality children’s books that can reflect all identities and promote diversity.

This year the teacher judges for Fiction and Poetry again come from the Midlands, and the 2021 UKLA International Conference, at which the winners will be announced, being held in Oxford. The judging of the category for Information Books is taking place in London. There are 65 judges in total covering the four categories and they have until mid-March to read the longlisted books, discuss them with their group leaders, and share them with pupils. All groups will then meet, hopefully in person, for the difficult task of choosing their shortlist of 6 books in each category.

Headteachers welcomed the opportunity to receive new books for their schools and for their teachers to widen their knowledge of recent children’s titles. For UKLA, giving classroom practitioners the opportunity to read a number of new children’s books is as important as finding an overall winner. Research carried out by members of UKLA (Cremin et al 2008) clearly demonstrated the links between teachers’ knowledge of children’s books and the likelihood of pupils becoming successful readers. Despite this evidence, teachers are seldom given time to read new books or funding to purchase them when they do.

UKLA are grateful for the continued support of the award sponsors, which help the awards to grow and develop each year. Capita Reading Cloud, Lovereading4schools and Lovereading4kids.

Longlist 3-6+

Under the Great Plum Tree written by Sufiya Ahmed, illustrated by Reza Dalvand. (Tiny Owl)

I Am Brown written by Ashok Banker, illustrated by Sandya Prabhat. (Lantana Publishing)

Sofia Valdez, Future Prez written by Andrea Beatty, illustrated by David Roberts. (Abrams Books for Young Readers)

The Worrysaurus written by Rachel Bright, illustrated by Chris Chatterton. (Orchard Books)

Look Up! Written by Nathan Bryon, illustrated by Dapo Adeola. (Puffin)

Mr Gumpy’s Rhino written and illustrated by John Burningham. (Jonathan Cape)

Hello Friend, written and illustrated by Rebecca Cobb. (Macmillan)

No Longer Alone written by Joseph Coehlo, illustrated by Robyn Wilson- Owen. (Egmont)

Fair Shares written by Pippa Goodhart, illustrated by Anna Doherty. (Tiny Owl)

Rabbit & Bear- A Bite in the Night written by Julian Gough, illustrated by Jim Field. (Hodder)

Where Happiness Begins written and illustrated by Eva Eland. (Andersen Press)

Brenda is a Sheep written and illustrated by Morag Hood. (Two Hoots)

The Last Tiger written and illustrated by Petr Horáček. (Otter- Barry Books)

The Fate of Fausto written and illustrated by Oliver Jeffers. (HarperCollins)

My Hair written by Hannah Lee, illustrated by Allen Fatimarahan. (Faber & Faber)

My Friend Earth written by Patricia Maclachlan, illustrated by Francesca Sanna. (Chronicle Books)

The Misadventures of Frederick written by Ben Manley, illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark. (Two Hoots)

Tibble and Grandpa written by Wendy Meddour, illustrated by Daniel Egneus. (Oxford)

Umbrella written and illustrated by Elena Arevalo Melville. (Scallywag Press)

I’m Not (Very) Afraid of the Dark written by Anna Milbourne, illustrated by Daniel Riley. (Usborne)

It’s a No Money Day written and illustrated by Kate Milner. (Barrington Stoke)

Sulwe written by Lupita Nyong’o, illustrated by Vashti Harrison. (Puffin)

Hey Water, written and illustrated by Antoinette Portis. (Scallywag Press)

One Fox: A Counting Thriller written and illustrated by Kate Read. (Two Hoots)

How About a Night Out? Written and illustrated by Sam Williams. (Boxer Books)

Longlist 7-10+

The Girl Who Speaks Bear written by Sophie Anderson. (Usborne)

Too Small Tola written by Atinuke, illustrated Onyinye Iwu. (Walker Books)

The Space We’re In written by Katya Balen, illustrated by Laura Carlin. (Bloomsbury)

A Pocketful of Stars written by Aisha Busby. (Egmont)

The Somerset Tsunami written by Emma Carroll. (Faber & Faber)

Saving Winslow written by Sharon Creech. (Guppy Books)

Talking to the Moon written by S.E Durrant. Nosy Crow

The Girl Who Stole an Elephant written by Nizrana Farook. (Nosy Crow)

Eight Princesses and a Magic Mirror written by Natasha Farrant, illustrated by Lydia Corry. (Zephyr)

Check Mates written by Stewart Foster. (Simon & Schuster)

The Highland Falcon Thief written by M.G Leonard and Sam Sedgeman, illustrated by Elisa Paganelli. (Macmillan)

Eagle Warrior written by Gill Lewis. (Barrington Stoke)

The Time of Green Magic written by Hilary McKay. (Macmillan)

The Extremely Inconvenient Adventures of Bronte Mettlestone written by Jaclyn Moriarty, written by Karl James Mountford. (Guppy Books)

Lori and Max written by Catherine O’Flynn. (Firefly Press)

The Super Miraculous Journey of Freddie Yates written by Jenny Pearson, illustrated by Rob Biddulph. (Usborne)

The Star Outside My Window written by Onjali Q Raúf. (Orion)

Patina written by Jason Reynolds illustrated by Selom Sunu. (Knights of)

The Cloudhorse Chronicles – Guardians of Magic written and illustrated by Chris Riddell. (Macmillan)

The Good Thieves written by Katherine Rundell illustrated by Matt Saunders. (Bloomsbury)

Clean Getaway written by Nic Stone. (Knights Of)

Owen and the Soldier written by Lisa Thompson, illustrated by Mark Lowery. (Barrington Stoke)

Longlist 11- 14+

Clap When You Land written by Elizabeth Acevedo. (Hot Key Books)

Black Flamingo written by Dean Attaillustrated by Anishka Khullar. (Hodder)

The M Word written by Brian Conaghan. (Bloomsbury)

Furious Thing written by Jenny Downham. (David Fickling Books)

The Last Paper Crane written by Kerry Drewery illustrated by Natsko Seki. (Hot Key Books)

Sofa Surfer written by Malcolm Duffy. (Zephyr)

On Midnight Beach written by Marie Louise Fitzpatrick. (Faber & Faber)

Invisible in a Bright Light written by Sally Gardner (Zephyr)

Bearmouth written by Liz Hyder. (Pushkin)

And the Stars Were Burning Brightly written by Danielle Jawando. (Simon & Schuster)

A House Without Walls written by Elizabeth Laird. (Macmillan)

Run Rebel written by Manjeet Mann. (Penguin)

Burn written by Patrick Ness. (Walker Books)

Gloves Off written by Louisa Reid. Guppy Books

Look Both Ways written by Jason Reynolds. (Knights Of)

Snowflake AZ written by Marcus Sedgwick. (Zephyr)

The Boxer written by Nikesh Shukla. (Hodder)

The List of Things That Will Not Change written by Rebecca Stead. (Andersen Press)

Hello Now written by Jenny Valentine. (HarperCollins)

The Enigma Game written by Elizabeth Wein. (Bloomsbury)

Information Books 3-14+

The Undefeated written by Kwame Alexander, illustrated by Kadir Nelson. (Andersen Press)

Balloon to the Moon written by Gill Arbuthnott, illustrated by Chris Nielsen. (Big Picture Press)

Africa, Amazing Africa written by Atinuke, illustrated by Mouni Feddag. (Walker Books)

Gut Garden written and illustrated by by Katie Brosnan. (Cicada Books)

Nose Knows written by Emanuelle Figueras, illustrated by Claire De Gastold. (What on Earth Publishing)

We Are Artists written by Kari Herbert. (Thames & Hudson)

River Stories written by Timothy Knapman illustrated by Asling Lindsay and Irene Montano. (Egmont)

A Planet Full of Plastic written and illustrated by Neal Layton. (Wren & Rook)

The Apartment written by Alexandra Litvina, illustrated by Anna Desnitskaya.translated by Antonina Bouis. (Abrams Books for Young Readers)

Humanimal written by Christopher Lloyd, illustrated by Mark Ruffle. (What on Earth Publishing)

Prisoners of Geography written by Tim Marshall, illustrated by Grace Easton and Jessica Smith. (Simon & Schuster)

Who is in the Egg? Written and illustrated Alexandra by Milton. (Boxer Books)

Corpse Talk: Rebels written and Illustrated by Adam Murphy and Lisa Murphy. (David Fickling Books)

Planet SOS written and illustrated by Marie G Rhodes. (What on Earth Publishing)

Rise Up! The Art of Protest written by Joanne Rippon. (Palazzo Editions)

The Missing written by Michael Rosen. (Walker Books)

Hidden Planet written and illustrated by Ben Rothery. (Ladybird)

Exquisite: The Life and Poetry of Gwendoline Brooks written by Suzanne Slade, illustrated by Cozbi Cabrera. (Abrams Books for Young Readers)

Language of the Universe written by Colin Stuart, illustrated by Ximo Abadía. (Big Picture Press)

Along the Tapajós written and illustrated by Fernando Vilela, translated by Daniel Hahn. (Amazon Crossing Kids)

Children Who Changed the World written and illustrated by Marcia Williams. (Walker Books)

Big Ideas for Young Thinkers written by Jamia Wilson, illustrated by Andrea Pippins. (Wide Eyed Editions)

Big Book of Blooms written and illustrated by Yuval Zommer. (Thames & Hudson)