generation now tends to live within in its own technological world often with little idea of what is going on elsewhere. The continuity that once ran through all writing, with references to standard and largely unchanging 20th century technology of the type represented by phones, radio and later television, has now disappeared for ever.


so taken for granted is it now that girls are not only the equal of boys but often their superior


‘


These stories also have no common sense of place. Readers can instead learn a lot about life in America, Australia and mid-Europe at various times in history. Elizabeth Laird, who has done so much to make the Third World come alive in her fiction, paints a picture of Afghanistan in her novel that is both particular while also relevant to other undeveloped parts of the contemporary world. But there is less about life in everyday Britain here. Novels that once took on contemporary social issues like class or racial prejudice do not appear, save for historical moments in Tanya Landman’s and Geraldine McCaughrean’s novels. Instead, there is more of a feeling for all young people, of whatever background, who do not fit in mainly for psychological reasons. Frances Hardinge transforms this feeling of psychological dislocation into physical form in her novel. Patrick Ness explains his main character’s problems in terms of him failing to survive the break-up of an intense gay relationship. Sarah Crossan writes about the agony of being friendless at school. Main young characters in all these novels tend to be under-dogs in some way. Literature of all sorts has been identifying with the dispossessed and lonely ever since the story of Cinderella. How ironic then that the only psychologically sound hero throughout in this present selection is an eleven-year-old boy from the poorest part of Afghanistan. Perhaps he will only develop psychological problems when, as the international runner he is going to become, he too has the time, money and leisure to take his mind off more immediate problems like poverty and starvation.


’ ‘ Writing a would-be state of the


nation novel for young readers is becoming increasingly hard


Love remains a preoccupation in most of these novels, either when it comes to loving or being loved by someone else, or when it is a matter of not receiving the love that is normally the due from parent to child. Issues of gender hardly arise, so taken for granted is it now that girls are not only the equal of boys but often their


’ Issues of gender hardly arise,


superior. Endings, while not always happy, are at least resolved in most cases. Patrick Ness’s young hero although facing an uncertain future still feels reasonably optimistic about his survival, and Frances Hardinge’s heroine Trista ends by glorying in life’s exciting uncertainly. So while the going in all these stories is certainly tough, sometimes very much so, there are rewards for those who stick it out. The moral nihilism found in Robert Cormier’s novels and a few others seems at the moment to be on the back foot.


Seven of these novels could be worthy winners. The exception, for me, is Sarah Crossan’s promising but ultimately light-weight Apple and Rain, increasingly marred by plotting deficiencies and stock characters. Patrick Ness, Sally Gardner, Frances Hardinge and Elizabeth Laird are all fine writers but none exceed their previous triumphs here. I would therefore choose as my winner either Geraldine McCaughrean, for her effortless skill in evoking atmosphere, Tanya Landman, for her passionate insight into one of American history’s darkest corners, or Brian Conaghan for his verbal exuberance while never selling his subject short. But we will have to wait till June 22 to see what the judges make of such a fascinating diversity. n


The CILIP Carnegie Medal 2015 shortlist


When Mr Dog Bites, Brian Conaghan, Bloomsbury, 978-1-40883-836-5, £7.99


Apple and Rain, Sarah Crossan, Bloomsbury, 978-1-40882-713-0, £6.99


Tinder, Sally Gardner (author) and David Roberts (illustrator), Orion Children’s Books, 978-1-78062-149-4, £11.99


Cuckoo Song, Frances Hardinge, Macmillan Children’s Books, 978-0-33051-973-1, £7.99


The Fastest Boy in the World, Elizabeth Laird, Macmillan Children’s Books, 978-1-44726-717-1, £6.99


Buffalo Soldier, Tanya Landman, Walker Books 978-1-40631-459-5, £7.99


The Middle of Nowhere, Geraldine McCaughrean, Usborne Books, 978-1-40957-051-6, £6.99


More Than This, Patrick Ness, Walker Books, 978-0-76367-620-9, £7.99


Nicholas Tucker is honorary senior lecturer in Cultural and Community Studies at Sussex University.


Books for Keeps No.212 May 2015 13


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