The shortlist for the first ever Booktrust Teenage Book Prize was announced earlier today.

The Booktrust Teenage Prize was launched this year after the Booktrust secured funding for the prize from the Arts Council.

The aim of the prize is to recognize and celebrate contemporary teenage fiction and it will be presented annually for the best book for teenagers, showcasing some of the best authors in this field.

The prize had initially been in jeopardy as a number of prominent British children's writers told the Booktrust that they never want to be entered for the award because of its sponsorship by Nestlé, the controversial Swiss-based multinational.

The judges for this years award are Julia Eccleshare (Chair) - Children’s Book Editor of The Guardian, Catherine Johnson - Author, Jo Klaces - English A level teacher, Tim Cross - co-founder of the book review website cool-reads.co.uk and Julie Fernandez - TV actress and presenter.

At the final judging meeting the panel will be joined by four competition-winning teenagers who will held make the final decision.

The winner, who will receive a cheque for £1,500, will be presented with the prize at a special event in London in the Autumn.

The Shortlist
The Dungeon by Lynne Reid Banks, (Harper Collins)
Caught in the Crossfire by Alan Gibbons, (Orion)
Doll by Nicky Singer, (Harper Collins)
The Edge by Alan Gibbons, (Orion)
Lucas by Kevin Brooks, (The Chicken House)
Malarkey by Keith Gray, (Red Fox)
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon, (David Fickling Books)
Doing It by Melvin Burgess, (Andersen Press)