Today's announcement of the Carnegie shortlist is an interesting one.  History, recent and past comprises the entire list so we might ask why after a hiatus in children's book publishing, historical fiction is now the hot genre.

Seven children's writers, including two previous winners and a first-time novelist, go head to head for the 2008 CILIP Carnegie Medal. Their stories take young readers on exhilarating journeys across two millennia and three continents that are guaranteed to challenge their perceptions of both past and present.

Tricia Adams, chair of the judges comments, “As adept storytellers and masters of their craft, these writers employ great lightness of touch in dealing with eternal themes from an historical perspective Each one illuminates something different about the world we live in today, making the past accessible and relevant to the present. This is strong, imaginative writing for young people that unlocks history way beyond the classroom." 

At a time when non-fiction history publishing  for children is dominated by curriculum topics it is most heartening to have writing of this quality providing windows onto other pasts and the untold histories from other places.

Three of the four titles are set in the latter half of the 20th century.  Linzi Glass  deals with race, first love and fear in 1980s South Africa; last year's winner, Meg Rosoff  challenges our perceptions of gender within the confines of a 1960s English boarding school and Jenny Valentine Valentine gives us a unique and witty new voice as her contemporary hero unravels a mystery dating back to 1950"s North London. Tanya Landman  transports us to the Mexican border in the late 1800s where we meet a 14 year old Apache Indian girl, seeking to avenge her family, and striving to become a warrior alongside the men of her tribe. Elizabeth Laird  takes us to 12th century Jerusalem at the time of the Crusades where two young boys - one Christian, one Muslim - come face to face at a time of war, and Kevin Crossley-Holland's much loved heroine, the bold and resolute Gatty, returns to make a pilgrimage from North Wales to the Holy Land. And, finally we land in 500 AD where Philip Reeve  reveals the truth about King Arthur, and dissects the nature of myth, story and "spin-doctoring".

The winner of the award will be announced at a ceremony at the British Library on 26th June 2008.

Nigel Reynolds in The Telegraph

Arifa Akbar in the Independent

The CILIP Carnegie Medal Shortlist 2008

KEVIN CROSSLEY-HOLLAND Gatty's Tale Orion

 LINZI GLASS Ruby Red Puffin

 ELIZABETH LAIRD Crusade Macmillan

TANYA LANDMAN Apache Walker Books

PHILIP REEVE  Here Lies Arthur Scholastic

MEG ROSOFF What I Was What I Was Puffin

JENNY VALENTINE  Finding Violet Park