Red House Book Award 2013

The shortlist for the 2013 Children's Red House Book Award has been published.  Each year children all over the country read and review hundreds of books, and the top 50 of these are the Pick of the Year.

The Top Ten make up the 2013 shortlist but the other 40 books are favourites too and come highly recommended. 

The three titles for the older readers catagory are:

The Medusa Project: Hit Squad by Sophie McKenzie

Simon & Schuster Children's Books ISBN 9780857070715

The sixth and final book in the series about teenagers with psychic abilities. The Medusa Project team is due to be disbanded and the teenagers sent to separate locations. But Nico, Ketty, Ed and Dylan are determined to investigate claims that a drug with the same powers as the Medusa gene has been developed. A page-turning thriller.

Award-winning Sophie McKenzie seems to have a knack for knowing exactly how to write pitch-perfect pre-teen and teen novels. Yet again she’s created a gripping read for her thousands of fans.

The Lorien Legacies: The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore

Penguin Books ISBN 9780141330877

With his exciting, yet simple writing style and vividly imagined alien world, Pittacus Lore has created the ideal series to entice readers to branch out from the realms of Harry Potter. This book follows the fate of the survivors from an alien planet who are being tracked down and destroyed by evil Mogadorians, and combines clever twists with a thrilling, unforgettable chase.

Written in alternating perspectives, the author has packed in adrenaline-pumping action and a love triangle that will suck you in and leave you desperate for the next instalment in the series.

Eight Keys by Suzanne Lafleur

Puffin Books ISBN 9780141336053

From the author of the heartbreaking Love, Aubrey comes another touching novel. Elise is fed up with school, fed up with her friends and just about at the end of her tether. Then, one incredible day, Elise discovers a secret that might just unlock her past and help her take a chance on her future. What is the key with her name on going to reveal?

Suzanne LaFleur has combined brilliant storytelling with the sensitivity and insight of authors such as Judy Blume and Jacqueline Wilson to create a story that will resonate with her young readers.