The nominations have been released for the 2021 CILIP Carnegie medal, and this year there are 77 titles nominated.
The next steps will see the judges read all titles before releasing a longlist on 18th February. The shortlist then follows on 18th March which is when we will begin our Carnegie Shadowing group to read all the shortlisted books and pick our winner.
Below are our picks for the best books on the nominations list this year. Beneath each description you’ll find a list of key words about the story and the years that might enjoy it.
Sophie Anderson – The Girl Who Speaks Bear
Found abandoned in a bear cave as a baby, Yanka has always wondered about where she is from. She tries to ignore the strange whispers and looks from the villagers, wishing she was as strong on the inside as she is on the outside. But, when she has to flee her house, looking for answers about who she really is, a journey far beyond one that she ever imagined begins: from icy rivers to smouldering mountains meeting an ever-growing herd of extraordinary friends along the way.
Fantasy | Year 7 | Year 8
Peter Bunzl – Shadowsea (Cogheart Book 4)
Swept into the bright hustle and bustle of New York, Lily, Robert and Malkin discover shadowy secrets lie beneath its surface. For there are chilling goings-on in their hotel…A strange boy held captive, haunted by an undersea mystery; and a revengeful villain with a treacherous plan. Searching for clues, Robert and Lily are plunged into deep water… But can they reveal the deadly truth before the secrets submerge them? Join Lily, Robert and Malkin on a fantastic voyage of terror and triumph, in the fourth and final Cogheart Adventure
Adventure | Mystery | Year 7 | Year 8
Emma Carroll – The Somerset Tsunami
When Fortune Sharpe carves a boat from a tree with her beloved brother, Gem, she’s only having a bit of fun. But now is not the time for a girl to be drawing attention to herself. She is sent away to find work dressed as a boy. Luckily a rich manor house is hiring. Yet Barrow Hill’s inhabitants harbour dangerous secrets of their own, the suspicious owner is hunting for witches, and the house itself is a little too close to the sea
Historical | Year 7 | Year 8
Elizabeth Acevedo – Clap When You Land
Camino Rios lives for the summers when her father visits her in the Dominican Republic. But this time, on the day when his plane is supposed to land, Camino arrives at the airport to see crowds of crying people. In New York City, Yahaira Rios is called to the principal’s office, where her mother is waiting to tell her that her father, her hero, has died in a plane crash. Separated by distance – and Papi’s secrets – the two girls are forced to face a new reality in which their father is dead and their lives are forever altered. And then, when it seems like they’ve lost everything of their father, they learn of each other.
Verse Novel | Bereavement | Year 8 | Year 9+
Sophia Thakur – Somebody Give This Heart A Pen
From acclaimed performance poet Sophia Thakur comes a powerful new collection of poems exploring issues of identity, difference, perseverance, relationships, fear, loss and joy. The collection is arranged as life is: from youth to school, to home life, falling in love and falling straight back out again. The poems draw on the author’s experience as a young mixed-race young woman trying to make sense of a lonely and complicated world.
Poetry | Year 8+
Jenny Downham – Furious Thing
Lexi’s angry. And it’s getting worse. If only she could stop losing her temper and behave herself, her step-father would accept her, her mum would love her like she used to and her step-brother would declare his crushing desire to spend the rest of his life with her. She wants these things so badly she determines to swallow her anger and make her family proud. But pushing fury down doesn’t make it disappear. Instead, it simmers below the surface waiting to erupt. There’ll be fireworks when it does.
Contemporary | Mental Health | Year 9+
The Deathless Girls – Kiran Millwood Hargrave
On the eve of her divining, the day she’ll discover her fate, seventeen-year-old Lil and her twin sister Kizzy are captured and enslaved by the cruel Boyar Valcar, taken far away from their beloved traveller community.
Forced to work in the harsh and unwelcoming castle kitchens, Lil is comforted when she meets Mira, a fellow slave who she feels drawn to in a way she doesn’t understand. But she also learns about the Dragon, a mysterious and terrifying figure of myth and legend who takes girls as gifts. They may not have had their divining day, but the girls will still discover their fate.
Horror | Fantasy | Year 10+
Melinda Salisbury – Hold Back The Tide
Everyone knows what happened to Alva’s mother, all those years ago. But when dark forces begin to stir in Ormscaula, Alva has to face a very different future – and question everything she thought she knew about her past…
Horror | Paranormal | Year 10+
All these books can be borrowed from the library. Log in to Reading Cloud, search for the title you need, and reserve it – we’ll bring the book to you! Alternatively, you can email librarystaff@backwellschool.net
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