The finalists
This is the shortlist for the Manchester Book Award 2009 - the most fantastic British books published in the last year!
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The Amethyst Child by Sarah Singleton
It’s the summer holidays: Amber is bored. Everything changes when Dowdie, a non-conformist, draws Amber into a world of dark secrets, of the Amethyst Children.
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Crash by J. A. Henderson
Bobby’s day out with dad Gordon turns into a nightmare when something shocking happens that leaves his Dad thinking it’s 1977 and that he’s really 14 years old.
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The Dragonfly Pool by Eva Ibbotson
Prince Karil meets a feisty English girl who brings the promise of adventure. But his country is under threat, and the prince looks to Tally for survival as well as friendship.
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Forget Me Not by Anne Cassidy
A child has been stolen…Jade Henderson is missing from her cot. Stella Parfitt watches the police investigation unfold, and asks: Where was her mother that night?
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Six Steps To A Girl by Sophie McKenzie
Luke spots Eve at his dad’s funeral. She’s hot. There’s only one problem – she’s got a boyfriend. Can new friend Matt’s “6 Steps” help him to get the girl of his dreams?
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Ways to Live Forever by Sally Nicholls
Sam is eleven years old and has leukaemia. He collects stories and fantastic facts about ghosts, UFOs, also life and death. By the time you read this, he will probably be dead.
The runners-up
These 18 books didn't make it to the shortlist - but they are still great reads!
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Abela by Berlie Doherty
Abela lives in Tanzania, her family dying of Aids. Rosa lives in Sheffield; also devastated, as her mother wants to adopt a girl from Tanzania, her father’s country.
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Angel Boy by Bernard Ashley
Leonard runs away from home in Ghana to the historic slave fort of Elmina, where he is kidnapped by a gang of street kids and forced to work for them.
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Bad Blood by Rhiannon Lassiter
A family divided by hate. A house with a sinister past. A game started and left unfinished. A nail-biting horror story.
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Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd
Digging for peat, 18-year-old Fergus finds the body of a child. Was she murdered? He struggles to make sense of this mystery during the conflict of 1980s Ireland.
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Born To Run by Michael Morpurgo
Patrick’s favourite thing is watching his dog Best Mate run like a speeding bullet. But one day he’s kidnapped by a greyhound trainer – what will happen when he can’t run any more?
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Broken Soup by Jenny Valentine
Rowan’s sure she didn’t drop the photo negative that the cute American boy presses into her hands, but when her friend Bee offers to print it, Rowan is curious.
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Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce
Long-legged Liam makes a giant leap for boy-kind by competing with a group of adults for the chance to go into space! But is Liam the best boy for the job?
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Dragonfly by Julia Golding
Ramil and Tashi despise each other but get kidnapped together! This starts their exhilarating journey, a challenging quest to save their lands from devastation and war.
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Ghosting by Keith Gray
Nate and sister Sandy are fake mediums, pretending to see ghosts. They don’t believe in them until a real ghost of a serial killer’s victim appears with a terrifying message.
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Grave Dirt by E.E. Richardson
Darren would do anything to see his dead best mate once more – even try out Mad Mary’s grave doll. But tampering with evil forces brings terrible consequences…
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The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
Todd Hewitt is infected with the Noise germ, he can hear everything men think, and they hear everything. The town is hiding something awful and he has to escape.
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The Knife that Killed Me by Anthony McGowan
Paul delivers a message from thug Roth to gang leader at a nearby school, which fuels a rivalry. Paul distances himself, but then Roth hands him a knife…
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Lost Riders by Elizabeth Laird
Rashid is eight when his uncle sells him and his younger brother to a man who promises a better life in Dubai, as camel racers. Will they survive their slavery?
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Lucky Star by Cathy Cassidy
Mouse does his best to stay out of trouble. Cat does her best to land in it. Life’s tough when they meet by chance, but can new friendship survive shocking secrets and lies?
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Rain by Kate Le Vann
Grieving for her Mum, Rain goes to her grandmother’s in London for the summer. She finds her Mum’s old diaries and reading them, discovers many surprising things!
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Slam by Nick Hornby
Sam loves his skateboard and talks to his idol Tony Hawk, the godfather of “skating”. Things come together for Sam, but one foolish moment could screw it all up.
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Sugarcoated by Catherine Forde
Cloddy witnesses a violent, bloody attack. Then, the gorgeous Stefan comes out of nowhere and sweeps her off her feet. Why would he look at a girl like Cloddy? Is she safe?
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Uncle Montague’s Tales of Terror by Chris Priestly
Edward begins to wonder how his Uncle Montague knows so many ghastly tales. He discovers his uncle’s life has a darker side than he ever imagined.