Bookcast #8 - July 2023

BBA Longlists Announced!

The 2024 Bucks Book Award Longlists were announced on Friday 14th July and as usual, Buckinghamshire students nominated an eclectic mix of books In total we had almost 100 different book titles nominated - some did not meet the date criteria so were not eligible, but each list was narrowed down to the 8 most popular books Some are by familiar names such as Holly Jackson, Robin Stevens, Karen M McManus and Teri Terry who are all previous BBA winners, but thereareseveralauthorswhofeatureontheLonglistsforthefirsttimewhoIamexcitedtoread

This year the decision was made to announce the 2024 Longlists before we break-up for Summer, so that you can start readingthemoverthesummerorstraightawaywhenyoureturntoschoolinSeptember

The Children's Book Prize

Sue Harris YA Prize

Shadowing the Awards

If your school shadows the awards - shadowing is a term we use when as a group we read the books on the shortlist All schools who take part will be invited to the awards ceremony to announce the winning books - the 2023 Big Bucks Award Quiz was so popular I have already started work on the one for 2024! So, if you would like to take part speak to your Librarian! You can read about last year ' s ceremony in the issue #7 of Bookcast (available on website)

The

Children's Book Prize Longlist

Crook Haven: The School of Thieves by J,J. Arcanjo

13-year-old Gabriel is a brilliant pickpocket, a skill which he uses to keep his often empty belly not quite so empty And then one day, he's caught, but instead of being arrested, he is invited by the mysterious Caspian Crook to attend Crookhaven - a school for thieves At Crookhaven, students are trained in lockpicking, forgery and 'crim-nastics', all with the intention of doing good out in the world, by conning the bad and giving back to the innocent But can you ever really trust a thief?

Murder at the Museum by Alasdair Beckett-King

Respected gentleman sleuth Montgomery Bonbon, who apart from the hat and moustache bears an uncanny resemblance to a 10-year-old girl, must use all their detection skills to solve the mystery surrounding a suspicious death at the Hornville Museum Together they'll interview some dodgy witnesses, scour the scene for clues and above all hope no one notices that Bonnie and Montgomery are never in the same room at the same time

Wild by Ele Fountain

Jack craves adventure, even if it means getting into trouble at school He thinks he can get away with it as his mum is too busy to notice As Jack spins further out of control, his mum eventually becomes concerned - and shocks him by suggesting a trip together But this will be no relaxing holiday Soon Jack finds himself on an expedition deep into the rainforest, far from anything he's ever known. He wanted an adventure - but has he plunged into real danger?

Running out of Time by Simon Fox

I can steal time

The most I can take at the moment is fifteen seconds, which is not a lot Grandmother took almost three minutes once and she told me she's done more, but I never saw it When Alex and his father are forced to flee their home to escape a brutal government, they begin a life-threatening journey across Europe But when they are separated before they can reach Britain, Alex finds himself alone, with only his extraordinary gift to keep him alive

My Life on Fire by Cath Howe

Ren's family lose their home in a fire They're living with her grandmother now and things are a bit tense Ren lost her collection of things, her clothes; her brother lost his little bear and is inconsolable So Ren starts replacing things with other people's possessions They've got loads of stuff, after all But she gets caught and has to strike a terrifying deal to avoid detection

The Elemental Detectives by Patrice Lawrence

Marisee and Robert are the Elemental Detectives chasing the clues to avoid catastrophe: they must face the ghosts of Hyde Park, the monstrous coiled snake of the Serpentine, and a whole host of other fantastical creatures in their mission to stop the Shepherdess and prevent London slumbering for all eternity

Tyger by SF Said

Adam has found something incredible in a rubbish dump in London A mysterious, mythical, magical animal A TYGER And the tyger is in danger Adam and his friend Zadie are determined to help, but it isn't just the tyger's life at stake Their whole world is on the verge of destruction Can they learn to use their powers before it's too late?

The Ministry of Unladylike Activity by Robin Stevens

1940 The world is at war, and a secret arm of the British government called the Ministry of Unladylike Activity is training up spies When May and her friend Eric are turned away by the Ministry, they take matters into their own hands They suspect that someone is passing information to Germany If they can prove it, the Ministry will have to take them on But there are more secrets at Elysium Hall than May or Eric could ever have imagined And then, someone is murdered

The Sue Harris YA Prize Longlist

The Lighthouse by Alex Bell

From the second they set foot on the island to join their dad and his new family, Jess and Rosie feel that something's wrong Nightmares haunt their dreams and there seems to be someone, or something, else with them in the lighthouse - their home for the summer Counting down the days until they can leave, Jess and Rosie decide to investigate But when Rosie disappears, the countdown takes on a new meaning

Stand Up Ferran Burke by Steven Camden

Comic collector Vinyl connoiseur Air Jordan enthusiast In his mind, Ferran Burke is many things But to everyone else he is just one, Emile Burke’s little brother and Emile is all about himself Now Ferran is stepping into the new world of high school alone and needs to learn quickly how to survive New allies New enemies New feelings New passions A time capsule coming-of-age story spanning five years of one boy’s life as he navigates the chaos trying to find himself Friends Fights Family Food

Five Survive by Holly Jackson

Red and her friends are on a road trip, heading to the beach. It’s a long drive but spirits are high. Until they break down in the middle of nowhere As the wheels are shot out, the friends realise that this is no accident There’s a sniper out there - he’s watching them and he knows exactly who they are One of the group has a secret that the sniper is willing to kill for Buried secrets are forced to light and tensions within the group reach deadly levels Only one thing is for sure Not everyone will survive the night

If You Could See the Sun by Ann Liang

Alice has always felt invisible at her elite boarding school, where she's the only scholarship student among the rich, privileged teens But then she starts turning invisible--actually invisible When her parents say they can no longer afford her tuition, she decides to monetise her new power - for a price she'll discover the scandalous secrets her classmates want to know But as the tasks escalate from petty scandals to actual crimes, Alice must decide if it's worth losing her conscience--or even her life

Nothing More to Tell by Karen McManus

4 years ago, Brynn left Saint Ambrose School following the murder of her favourite teacher The case was never solved, but she's sure that the 3 kids who found Mr Larkin's body know more than they're telling, especially her ex-best friend Tripp Talbot When Brynn gets an internship working on a popular true-crime show, she decides to investigate what really happened that day in the woods But the further she dives into the past - 4 years ago someone got away with murder Now it's time to uncover the truth

The Haunting of Tyrese Walker by JP Rose

Struggling with grief, Tyrese is taken to visit family in Jamaica From the first night, strange things start happening, he can’t explain what’s going on and he’s scared that he’s losing his grip on reality Then he's warned he’s being hunted by the mysterious Shadow Man. Under threat, Tyrese and his friends set out on a terrifying journey across the island to try and uncover the Shadow Man’s sinister history Who can Tyrese trust when his own mind is falling apart and there’s nowhere left to hide?

Black Night Falling by Teri Terry

Captured by The Circle, Tabby is taken to their headquarters, Undersea She learns about their ancient sisterhood, sworn to protect the planet, and that she is one of "the Chosen." In London, Hayden finds herself at the centre of a coming together of disparate climate change groups Denzi is missing, and Hayden's path to finding him is laced with danger The Circle's endgame comes into focus and Tabby, Hayden, and Denzi must race to prevent the destruction ahead Can they learn how to harness Tabby and the Chosen's power in time before the world is changed forever?

Bite Risk by SJ Wills

Sel Archer lives in a normal town with normal residents, except for one night a month When the full moon comes out, almost all of the adults turn into werewolves, and it's up to the young people to protect themselves from danger But, as this quiet life begins to unravel, and the Turned start to escape, can Sel and his friends uncover exactly who - or what - is watching their every move, before it's too late?

Welcome, to the TOWN OF THE TURNED!

Secret Sister by Sophie McKenzie

The Lovely Dark by Matthew Fox

One of Us is Back by Karen M McManus

Loki: A Bad God's Guide To Ruling The World by Louie Stowell

Part of a Story That Started Before Me by George the Poet

Published Aug/Sept 2023

The Chalice of the Gods by Rick Riordan Nightshade Revenge by Anthony Horowitz

Bad Magic by Derek Landy

Oh Maya Gods by Maz Evans

Which Way Around the Galaxy by Cressida Cowell

The Brothers Hawthorne by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

The BBA Recommends...

YouOweMeaMurder

byEileenCook

Thiswasoneofthetitlesnominatedforthe2024BBA,unfortunatelyitdidnotmeet thedatecriteriaasitwasoriginallypublishedin2019 However,readingtheblurbit itsoundslikeagreatreadforfansofHollyJacksonandKarenM McManus,soithas earnedaplaceonmysummerreadinglist!

Seventeen-year-old Kim gets more than she bargained for when she is set up for murder Kim never expected to plot a murder But that was before her boyfriend dumpedherforanothergirl Now,Kim’sstuckonaclasstriptoLondonwithhimand hisnewsoulmateandshecan’thelpwishinghewasalittlebitdead,evenifshe’d neverreallydothat

But when Kim meets Nicki, a stranger on the plane who’s more than willing to listen to Kim’s woes, things start to look up Nicki's got a great sense of humour, and when she jokes about swapping murders, Kim plays along—that is, until Kim’s ex-boyfriend mysteriously dies Blackmailed by Nicki to fulfil her end of the deal, Kim will have to commit a murder or take the fall for one