I have had the pleasure of reading all short listed titles in the Younger Reader Category of the CBCA’s Childrens Book of the Year Award and have been delighted by each and every title. All have a place in our secondary collection and each one has something quite special about it. Interestingly, three of the titles are set in World War 2 including Sonya Hartnett’s The Children of the King. This multi-layered and beautifully written novel draws on the rich history of England to establish an intriguing and satisfying story. Once again Sonya proves why she is one this country’s leading authors. Also set in WW2 is Pennies for Hitler by Jackie French. Jackie knows how to tell a story and I think this is one of her best. I invested much emotion into the reading and found myself caring very deeply for all the beautifully realised characters. The other title in my top three is Glenda Millard’s The Tender Moments of Saffron Silk. Glenda continues her Kingdom of Silk series with this little beauty. Extraordinary how she manages so much story in just over 100 pages. The Silk Family are worth meeting if you have not read any titles in this series. For more information of the CBCA short list check out their website