Jhalak Prize, Children's and Young Adult Longlist: 2021
This is the first year for the Jhalak Children’s & YA prize, celebrating books for children written by British and British resident writers of colour. It’s fantastic to see this prize expanding with the opportunity to celebrate more BAME writers.
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Too Small Tola by Atinuke (Author) and Onyinye Iwu (Illustrator)
Paperback RRP £5.99
Three delightful stories about Too Small Tola, a young girl who, though small, is very determined. Tola lives in a flat in Lagos with her sister, Moji, who is very clever; her brother, Dapo, who is very fast; and Grandmummy, who is very bossy. Tola proves to be stronger than she seems when she goes to market with Grandmummy and manages to carry home a basket full of yams and vegetables, chilli peppers and fish. When the taps in the flat don't work, it's Tola who brings water from the well, and it's Tola who saves the day when Mr Abdul, the tailor, needs his goods to be delivered quickly. Too Small Tola is a wonderful new character in the world of children's books by multi-award-winning children's writer and storyteller Atinuke.
The Ga Picture Alphabet by Nii Ayikwei Parkes (Author) and Avril Filomeno (Illustrator)
Boardbook RRP £8.99
A is for Akpakpa, B is for Baa... Ga is the beautiful, poetic language that lent the word kwashiokor to global medical vocabulary. Working alongside Peruvian illustrator Avril Filomeno, renowned Ghanaian novelist and poet, Nii Ayikwei Parkes has created a playful universe in which the pictures tell a story as you learn the letters of the Ga alphabet.
Simple and fun, this one-of-a-kind book gives children the basics needed to master this musical language of West Africa.
The Girl Who Stole an Elephant by Nizrana Farook
Paperback RRP £7.99
Chaya, a no-nonsense, outspoken hero, leads her friends and a gorgeous elephant on a noisy, fraught, joyous adventure through the jungle where revolution is stirring and leeches lurk. Will stealing the queen's jewels be the beginning or the end of everything for the intrepid gang?
When Life Gives You Mangoes by Kereen Getten
Paperback RRP £7.99
Nothing much happens in Sycamore, the small village where Clara lives - at least, that's how it looks. She loves eating ripe mangoes fallen from trees, running outside in the rainy season and escaping to her secret hideout with her best friend Gaynah. There's only one problem - she can't remember anything that happened last summer.
When a quirky girl called Rudy arrives from England, everything starts to change. Gaynah stops acting like a best friend, while Rudy and Clara roam across the island and uncover an old family secret. As the summer reaches its peak and the island storms begin, Clara's memory starts to return and she must finally face the truth of what happened last year.
Baby Girl by Emma Hill
Paperback RRP £7.99
Baby Girl tells the story of teen parent, Missie, who fights to survive and thrive, by writing songs to the rhythms of her daughter’s nursery rhymes playlist. Missie's home life is hard and she has to keep secrets for all the adults around her. The only things she has are her baby, her friends and her music. Can Missie find a way to get herself and her daughter to safety and live her life well, as the young, music-making mum she longs to be? Can music set Missie free?
And the Stars Were Burning Brightly by Danielle Jawando
Paperback RRP £7.99
When fifteen-year-old Nathan discovers that his older brother Al, has taken his own life, his whole world is torn apart.
Al was special. Al was talented. Al had so many dreams ... so why did he do it?
Convinced that his brother was in trouble, Nathan decides to retrace Al's footsteps. As he does, he meets Megan, Al's former classmate, who is as determined as Nathan to keep Al's memory alive.
Together they start seeking answers, but will either of them be able to handle the truth about Al's death when they eventually discover what happened?
#BurnBright
Queen of Freedom: Defending Jamaica by Catherine Johnson
Paperback RRP £6.99
1720. Blue Mountains, windward Jamaica. In the sweltering heat Captain Shettlewood leads a troop of British soldiers through the thick trees towards the river. They are hunting slaves who have escaped from the brutal plantations. Their mission: to find them, and kill them.
But up ahead, hidden among the rocks above the water, a group of men with cutlasses and muskets wait patiently for the instructions of their leader. Queen Nanny is a 'wise woman' with a reputation for ancient obeah magic, and a guerilla fighter with a genius for organisation. So the battle for Jamaica begins, the First Maroon War, in which the maroons - escaped slaves - will make a final, do-or-die stand against the slavers and soldiers of Empire.
The Little War Cat by Hiba Noor Khan (Author) and Laura Chamberlain (Illustrator)
Hardback RRP £12.99
Inspired by a true story, The Little War Cat is a moving tale of hope amidst conflict, written by debut author Hiba Noor Khan and beautifully illustrated by the astonishing Laura Chamberlain.
The Little War Cat follows the story of a little grey cat who is caught up in the BANGS and CRASHES of the humans in boots, who have changed the city of Aleppo she knew so well into one that's harder to recognize. She is roaming the streets looking for food and shelter when an unlikely friend appears. He shows her that kindness is still there when you look for it, and soon the little grey cat knows exactly what to do to made a difference herself.
Eight Pieces of Silva by Patrice Lawrence
Paperback RRP £7.99
An addictive mystery that refuses to let you go long after you turn the final page. Can Becks piece the jigsaw together and find her sister before Silva loses herself?
Becks is into girls but didn't come out because she was never in. She lives with her mum, stepdad and eighteen-year-old Silva, her stepdad's daughter. Becks and Silva are opposites, but bond over their mutual obsession with K-pop.
When Becks' mum and stepdad go on honeymoon to Japan, Becks and Silva are left alone. Except, Silva disappears. Becks ventures into the forbidden territory of Silva's room and finds the first of eight clues that help her discover her sister's secret life.
Meanwhile, Silva is on a journey. A journey to make someone love her. He says he doesn't, but he's just joking. All she has to do is persuade him otherwise ...
Mohinder's War by Bali Rai
Paperback RRP £6.99
A thrilling World War II adventure set in occupied France, featuring an Indian RAF pilot. Great for fans of Michael Morpurgo and John Boyne, and those who want diverse historical fiction.
Thirteen-year-old Joelle Breton stumbles across Indian-born RAF pilot Mohinder Singh when his plane crashes in occupied France and it's up to her and her parents to hide him from the Nazis. After all, her parents are brave members of the French Resistance and will do everything they can to help get Mohinder back to Britain. But when they are betrayed and tragedy strikes, Joelle and Mohinder will have to act fast if they are ever to evade the enemy.
A Fox Called Herbert by Margaret Sturton
Paperback RRP £6.99
As read by Stephen Fry for Save the Children's #SaveWithStories Campaign Meet Herbert: the rabbit who knows he was born to be a fox. When his mummy isn't looking, he puts on pointy fox ears, makes himself a bushy tail, and asks his sister to paint him orange, just like a fox. But Mummy doesn't understand: why can't he just be a good rabbit? A Fox Called Herbert is a true celebration of being ourselves and supporting our loved ones. Let this joyful tale inspire you to be who you are and follow your dreams.
Cane Warriors by Alex Wheatle
Hardback RRP £10.99
Nobody free till everybody free.
Moa is fourteen. The only life he has ever known is toiling on the Frontier sugar cane plantation for endless hot days, fearing the vicious whips of the overseers. Then one night he learns of an uprising, led by the charismatic Tacky. Moa is to be a cane warrior, and fight for the freedom of all the enslaved people in the nearby plantations. But before they can escape, Moa and his friend Keverton must face their first great task: to kill their overseer, Misser Donaldson. Time is ticking, and the day of the uprising approaches . . . Irresistible, gripping and unforgettable, Cane Warriors follows the true story of Tacky's War in Jamaica, 1760.
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