The shortlists for the 2002 Nestle's Smarties Book prize in England have just been announced.
The shortlisted titles are: for 5 and under: Jazzy in the Jungle by Lucy Cousins (Walker Books in U.K.; Candlewick in U.S.); Oscar and Arabella by Neal Layton (Hodder in U.K.; dist. by Trafalgar Square in U.S.); and Pizza Kittens by Charlotte Voake (Walker Books in U.K.; Candlewick in U.S.).
For 6—8: That Pesky Rat by Lauren Child (Orchard in U.K.; Candlewick in U.S.); The Last Wolf by Michael Morpurgo (Doubleday in U.K.;); and Pirate Diary by Richard Platt and Chris Riddell (Walker Books in U.K.; Candlewick in U.S.).
For 9—11: Stop the Train by Geraldine McCaughrean (Oxford in U.K.; HarperCollins in U.S.); Cold Tom by Sally Prue (Oxford in U.K.); and Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve (Scholastic in U.K.).
The shortlists will be voted on by a panel of children around the country. The winners will be announced on December 3 at the British Library in London.
