What to read in 2017


2016 started with a bang in children’s books, when Frances Hardinge’s masterly gothic thriller The Lie Tree was named Costa Book of the Year. Hardinge also won a UKLA Book Award with The Lie Tree, but then it was pretty much a clean sweep for Sarah Crossan who won the CILIP Carnegie Medal, the YA Book Prize, Ireland’s Children’s Book of the Year Award and the CLiPPA for One, though she had to share the latter with Michael Rosen. But what are the hot new books of 2017?


Leading children’s books editors tell us about the books they expect to see on prize shortlists.


Susan Van Metre, Editor-in-Chief, at Abrams says: ‘A beautiful, touching picture book this spring is South, a debut by Chesham-based illustrator Daniel Duncan, about the friendship between a lonely sailor and an injured bird. For those young fans of Rosie Revere, Engineer who have longed for engineering projects of their own, we have a companion activity book full of things to make: Rosie Revere’s Big Project Book for Bold Engineers. Beloved elephant Babar takes young readers on a tour of his favourite city in Laurent de Brunhoff’s latest offering, Babar’s Guide to Paris. F.C. Yee’s YA debut The Epic Crush of Genie Lo, a fantasy-cum-modern romance, stars a butt-kicking fifteen-year-old and her immortal love interest who take on a pantheon of demons from Chinese mythology.’


At Alanna Books, publisher Anna McQuinn says: ‘2017 looks fantastic – we have a new Zeki book, a new Lulu book and the 1st editions in paperback of two classics. I published Lao Lao of Dragon Mountain back in 2006 and it has never been out of print. I can’t describe the thrill of adding this classic and its sister title Masha and the Firebird (both by storytelling supremo, Margaret Bateson-Hill) to the Alanna list. They come out in paperback just in time for Chinese New Year. Zeki Can Swim comes hot on their heels in February with a super cute story and probably the best cover I’ve ever commissioned. The brilliant way Ruth Hearson captures the joy of the babies in the water will have parents and little ones smiling. Lulu rocks up in June and Rosalind Beardshaw’s illustrations are as gorgeous as ever. Lulu wants to get a cat but Mummy says it’s too much responsibility for a small girl. Lulu has other ideas and after a trip to the library is armed with enough information to persuade Mum she can do it.’


Elisabetta Minervini says: ‘Alma Books is very excited to continue publishing children books in translation: in Spring 2017 we will be publishing The Story of a Snail who Discovered the Importance of Being Slow by multi-award-winning Chilean author Luis Sepúlveda, illustrated by Satoshi Kitamura; the next installment in Dominique Demers’s The Adventures of Miss Charlotte series – called The Mysterious Librarian – a wonderful story about the magical power of books,


illustrated by Tony Ross; the first English translation of the most famous work of Italy’s foremost children’s author, Bianca Pitzorno – The House in the Tree – beautifully illustrated by well-renowned children’s illustrator Quentin Blake, as well as How to Get Rid of a Vampire (Using Ketchup, Garlic Cloves and Bit of Imagination) by French author J.M. Erre.’


Angela Naomi at Allen & Unwin Children’s Books says: ‘Our stand-out illustrated books are Mel Tregonning’s unforgettable Small Things (April), about a child battling anxiety, and Anne Spudvilas’s stunning visual retelling of Swan Lake (September). For younger children, Elise Hurst has created a rich fantasy about friendship in Adelaide’s Secret World (February), shortlisted for Australia’s Prime Minister’s Award. For children learning to read we have the utterly delightful set of four Fizz the Police Dog stories (August), by Lesley Gibbes, illustrated by Stephen Michael King (September). For middle grade readers we have three addictive adventure fiction series: Angelica Banks’ Finding Serendipity (July), Lian Tanner’s The Keepers (April) and Mardi McConnochie’s Quest of the Sunfish (August). In YA, look out for fearless and compelling writing in Scot Gardner’s The Dead I Know (April) and Dianne Touchell’s Forgetting Foster (June).’


Charlie Sheppard, Publishing Director, Andersen Press: ‘2017 is about new beginnings – but then I’m an optimist. With good reason because the second novel from Costa- winner Jason Wallace is finally here. And let me tell you that Encounters was worth the wait. Inspired by alleged alien sightings in 1990s Zimbabwe, this is one of the most fascinating, brilliant and ambitious novels I’ve ever read. As an optimist I should be worried because Optimists Die First according to Susin Nielsen’s fabulous new novel. This is a love story for cynics which won’t disappoint Nielsen fans. Want a new name to watch? Catherine Barter with her debut Troublemakers. You heard it here first. And been wondering what the inimitable Sally Nicholls will do next? Well we’ll be announcing that in January.’


Libby Hamilton, Editorial Director, Picture Books at Andersen Press says, ‘I hate playing favourites, but just between us I can’t wait to publish Meg McLaren’s second picture book, Pigeon P.I., in March. Starring a hardboiled detective, this is Poirot for pre-schoolers. I also feel incredibly lucky to be bringing out the debut of highly talented Robert Starling, introducing his adorable (if hot-headed) dragon in Fergal is Fuming. And then there’s the top-secret,


unbelievably-exciting-yet-strangely-Zen-like


picture book debut that we can’t announce until February… even though I’m bursting to! Watch this space.’


Mairi Kidd of Barrington Stoke says, ‘In May we publish My Name is not Refugee, a picture book following a little boy and his mother as they seek a safe place to live. We fell in love with the book last year at Bologna; it went on to win a V&A Illustration Award. As well as the stunning visuals, the text – peppered with questions to the reader – is at the


perfect level for little ones. At the other end of the spectrum we have the late Siobhan Dowd’s stunning Pavee and the Buffer Girl,


illustrated by Emma Shoard. It’s a


love letter to Traveller life, to strong women and to the power of literacy, and it’s seriously special.’ Her colleague Emma Hargrave adds, ‘In March we


publish a brilliant picture book – The Covers Of My Book Are Too Far Apart (and other grumbles) – which explores myths around the joys, or otherwise, of reading. It features a cast of lively, diverse and unexpected


Books for Keeps No.222 January 2017 3


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32