Half my reading group are boys (yr 9 - 11) and they finished all the books weeks ago!  Their favourites being Crusade and Apache.  The girls too (yrs 8 - 11) have devoured the books, their favourite being Apache. I agree that it is difficult for adults to choose books on behalf of children, but this year I think the only title to be off ...

I feel strongly, particularly this year, that the short-list does not reflect books appreciated by teenage boys.  I believe that as the judging panel are all or almost all female, their choice of books for the short-list is inevitably biased.  Books which appeal to and are aimed at teenage boys are not books which adult females would ...