2024 Salford Children’s Book Award

The Salford Children’s Book Award is designed to introduce young people in Salford to a wide range of books and authors, to promote reading for pleasure and enhance literacy development. The award is run by Salford Schools’ Library Service with support from Salford Libraries.

The 2024 award is underway, and 11 – 14 year olds in Salford schools are busy reading and discussing all the books on the shortlist.

This year’s award ceremony will once again take place at the New Adelphi Building at the University of Salford, at the end of June.

To find out more about the award, contact the Schools’ Library Service on 0161 778 0936, or email schools.library-service@scll.co.uk.

2024 Shortlist

When I See Blue by Lily Bailey

Sometimes Ben’s brain makes him count to 4 to stop bad things happening. Sometimes it tells him to avoid certain colours. Mostly it makes the smallest things feel impossible. And with a new school, a moody big brother, and a Mum and Dad who are falling apart, Ben feels more out of control than ever.

21% Monster by P. J. Canning

When Darren Devlin is arrested for destroying his school with his bare hands, it’s not just the police who are after him. Enter Marek Masters, 14 years old, 19% alien, and the most intelligent, most wanted “almost human” alive. Marek is here to tell Darren the truth – he is 21% monster, and together they must take down the secret organisation that created them.

Can You Feel the Noise by Stewart Foster

When Sophie wakes up one morning to the sound of silence, her whole life changes in a split second. Lessons are suddenly replaced by hospital appointments, conversations become an exercise in lip reading and her dreams of taking part in the Battle of the Bands are in ruins. But when she meets another deaf musician and realizes she can feel noise through the vibrations of an old drum set, the spark she’s been missing reignites.

 

Fake by Ele Fountain

Imagine a world where your only friends are virtual, and big tech companies control access to food, healthcare and leisure. This is Jess’s world. But when she turns fourteen, Jess can go to school with other children for the first time. Most of them hate the ‘real’ world, but Jess begins to question whether the digital world is ‘perfect’ after all.

The Extraordinary Voyage of Katy Willacott by Sharon Gosling

Living among the flowers and ferns of Kew Gardens, Katy has always dreamed of more – of the sky and the stars and the sea. Unfortunately for Katy, her father doesn’t understand. He says young girls should be content to stay at home, not go off gallivanting around the world. So when news reaches London of a meteorite falling in the faraway land of Brazil and an expedition being put together to find it, Katy knows it’s her chance to follow her dreams and prove her father wrong.

The Storm Swimmer by Clare Weze

Summer was supposed to be Ginika’s time for fun, friends and fairs. But instead she’s been sent to live at the dead-end seaside boarding house her grandparents run. Even though her parents say it’s just for a little while, she can’t help feeling abandoned and heartbroken to be missing out on everything she loves back home. And then she meets Peri. He leaps and dives through the water like a dolphin and he talks like a burst of bubbles. He’s not exactly a mermaid, but he’s definitely something Ginika’s never seen before.