The shortlists for the 2020 An Post Irish Book Awards have been announced. The awards cover a wide range of genres and ages. I’ll focus on the youth and teen awards here, and you can find the entire list on the Irish Times website. Here are the shortlisted titles in the youth and teen categories:
CHILDREN’S BOOK OF THE YEAR (JUNIOR)
The Dead Zoo by Peter Donnelly
The Great Irish Farm Book by Darragh McCullough, illustrated by Sally Caulwell
The Haunted Lake by PJ Lynch
What We’ll Build by Oliver Jeffers
While We Can’t Hug by Eoin McLaughlin, illustrated by Polly Dunbar
Will You Be My Friend? by Sam McBratney, illustrated by Anita Jeram
CHILDREN’S BOOK OF THE YEAR (SENIOR)
The Boldness of Betty by Anna Carey
Break the Mould by Sinéad Burke, illustrated by Natalie Byrne
Girls Play Too: Inspiring Stories of Irish Sportswomen by Jacqui Hurley, illustrated by Sinead Colleran, Rachel Corcoran, Jennifer Farley, Jennifer Murphy and Lauren O’Neill
Is There Anybody Out There? by Dara Ó Briain
Miracle on Ebenezer Street by Catherine Doyle
The Story of Croke Park by Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh, illustrated by Graham Corcoran
TEEN/YOUNG ADULT BOOK OF THE YEAR
The Falling in Love Montage by Ciara Smyth
The Gone Book by Helena Close
Hope Against Hope by Sheena Wilkinson
On Midnight Beach by Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick
Queen of Coin and Whispers by Helen Corcoran
Savage Her Reply by Deirdre Sullivan, illustrated by Karen Vaughan