The shortlist for the Red House Children's Book Award includes both the well known, highly successful writersas well as new talent. The Red House Children's Book Award is unique in that it is the only award voted for entirely by children.This year a record 81,000 votes were cast by children voting for their favourite book. Participation in the voting process has widened to include 200 new schools as well as Brownie groups across the country.

Now in its 27th year, past winners of the award include many books that have since gone on to become classics, such as Mister Magnolia by Quentin Blake (1981); The BFG by Roald Dahl (1983); The Jolly Postman by Janet and Allan Ahlberg (1987) and Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone J K Rowling (1998).

In the category Book for Younger Children,   the shortlisted books are:

• Silly Billy, Anthony Browne (Walker Books)
• The Incredible Book Eating Boy Oliver Jeffers (HarperCollins)
• The Lamb Who Came for Dinner Steve Smallman & Joelle Dreidermy (Little Tiger Press)
• Who's in the Loo Jeanne Willis & Adrian Reynolds(Andersen Press)

Shortlisted for Books for Younger Children are:

• The Legend of Captain Crow's Teeth  Eoin Colfer (Puffin)
• Araminta Spook: My Haunted House Angie Sage (Bloomsbury)
• You're a Bad Man Mister Gum Andy Stanton (Egmont)

And finally Books for Older Readers

• Alone on a Wide Wide Sea Michael Morpurgo (HarperCollins)
• Girl, Missing Sophie McKenzie (Simon & Schuster)
• Soul Eater Michelle Paver (Orion)

The winner of the 2007 Red House Children's Book Award will be announced at a ceremony held at the Guardian Hay Festival on 1st June 2007