Parenthetical

The London Times and Chicken House Publisher have sponsored a “write the next great children’s book” contest. The field of 2,000 entries has been narrowed down to a five-title shortlist, of which you can read (very) brief excerpts at Times Online.

Sadly, unlike on American Idol, we the people don’t get to vote (even if we were British). The winner will be chosen by a panel of authors and booksellers and other book-career types. But that doesn’t mean we can’t have opinions, and talk about them here! (Or on Times Online, but that would be less fun for me.)

The two excerpts that made me keenest to read the rest were The Crowfield Feather and Knowing Leila. Knowing Leila and The Secret Life of Jemma Jones, with their modern-day, saucy teen heroines and hints of mama drama, would appeal most to my students. Aliens FC, in which football-mad aliens mistake two teens for David Beckham and…some other football star I haven’t heard of, seems like a better-written version of the outlandish Jonas Brothers fanfic my students write. But of course, it’s hard to tell much from such short bits of the story.

Also, I know Reavers (or Reivers) were a historical fact and not a whole-cloth invention by Joss…but read the excerpt from Reavers, and tell me if you don’t think the author watched Serenity at least once or twice.

If the shortlist isn’t enough for you, there are a few more almost-shortlisted excerpts here.

When the winner is published, I promise to read and review it here. Whee!