The shortlist for the Blue Peter Book Award 2003 has been announced. The books on the list were selected by a group of four adult judges including Nicky Singer, winner of the Blue Peter Book of the Year 2002.

Nine young judges from the UK, aged between 6 and 14, will now read the 15 shortlisted books to decide on the three category winners and the overall Blue Peter Book of the Year. The winners will be announced in December.

The young judges were chosen from 10,000 entries for a competition run by Blue Peter television programme during the summer.

The Book I Couldn’t Put Down
Cool! by Michael Morpurgo
The Dark Horse by Marcus Sedgwick
Firesong by William Nicholson
Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve
Secrets by Jacqueline Wilson

The Best Book with Facts in it
Microlife by David Burnie
One Small Suitcase by Barry Turner
Pirate Diary by Richard Pratt and Chris Riddell
True Polar Stories by Paul Dowswell
Who was David Livingstone by Amanda Mitchison

The Best Illustrated Book to Read Aloud
Kipper’s A to Z by Mick Inkpen
Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler
That Pesky Rat by Lauren Child
Slow Loris by Alexis Deacon
Words to Whisper, Words to Shout compiled by Michaela Morgan, illustrated by Chloe Cheese