The titles competing for this year’s KPMG Children’s Books Ireland Awards were revealed on Wednesday 9th March. The extraordinary diversity of topics explored in the ten shortlisted titles incudes monkeys and mangoes; a heist; a haunted house; a tale of the Titanic rescue; folk legend retellings from Ireland and from Russia; a coming of age verse novel dealing with chronic illness; a story of first love, and a witty yet hard hitting tale of a mother’s alcoholism. The selection comprises a spread of books for young readers of all ages – from picturebooks to young adult novels.

Founded in 1990, the KPMG Children’s Books Ireland Awards are the most prestigious awards for children’s books in Ireland and celebrate Irish writing and illustration for young people. The ten shortlisted titles will compete for a total of six awards. The winners were announced by book-loving broadcaster Rick O’Shea, at an online ceremony on 24th May as part of International Literature Festival Dublin.

The shortlisted titles are:

Cluasa Capaill ar an Rí written by Bridget Bhreathnach and illustrated by Shona Shirley Macdonald

Not My Problem written by Ciara Smyth

The Summer I Robbed a Bank written by David O’Doherty and illustrated by Chris Judge

There’s a Ghost in this House written and illustrated by Oliver Jeffers

Rescuing Titanic: A True Story of Quiet Bravery in the North Atlantic written and illustrated by Flora Delargy

The Henna Wars written by Adiba Jaigirdar

Frindleswylde written by Natalia O’Hara and illustrated by Lauren O’Hara

Gut Feelings written by C.G. Moore and illustrated by Becky Chilcott

The Shadows of Rookhaven written by Pádraig Kenny and illustrated by Edward Bettison

Maybe … written and illustrated by Chris Haughton

Learn more about this year’s shortlist here and watch the ceremony below.