The shortlisted titles for this year’s Scottish Children’s Book Awards were announced on August 28th by the Scottish Book Trust. The Book Awards scheme encourages children in schools throughout Scotland to read a selection of the best Scottish children’s books of the past year and to vote for their favourite in three age categories, Bookbug Readers (3 – 7), Younger Readers (8 – 11) and Older Readers (12 – 16). Here are this year’s shortlisted titles:

Bookbug Readers

• Robot Rumpus by Sean Taylor, illustrated by Ross Collins
• Princess Penelope and the Runaway Kitten by Alison Murray
• Lost for Words by Natalie Russell

Younger Readers

• Precious and the Mystery of the Missing Lion by Alexander McCall Smith
• Pyrates Boy by E.B. Colin
• Attack of the Giant Robot Chickens by Alex McCall

Older Readers

• Mosi’s War by Cathy MacPhail
• Dark Spell by Gill Arbuthnot
• The Wall by William Sutcliffe

CALL Scotland has produced accessible versions of the shortlisted books to allow children with print disabilities (which make it hard for them to access a standard book) to take part in the scheme.  Read Allan Wilson’s excellent blog here for full details.