The shortlist for the 2023 Branford Boase Award was announced at the end of April. Set up to commemorate prize-winning author Henrietta Branford and influential Walker Books editor Wendy Boase, the Branford Boase Award is given annually to the author of the year’s outstanding debut novel for children. Uniquely, it also honours the editor of the winning title.

The Branford Boase Award consistently identifies future stars of children’s literature and, indeed, has become known as ‘the one to watch’. Past winners include Frances Hardinge, Philip Reeve, Meg Rosoff and M.G. Leonard. Last year’s winner was Maisie Chan for Danny Chung Does Not Do Maths.

LoveReading4Kids expert reviewer Joanne Owen is a judge on this year’s Branford Boase Award and provides an insider eye on the shortlist.

"What an exhilarating, rewarding experience! When all of us on the judging panel met to share (and pore over) our responses to the 2023 Branford Boase Award longlist we’d been gifted to read — it really was a gift to be presented with such a remarkable range of novels — our discussions were nothing but invigorating and thought-provoking, in keeping with the stories we were considering.

After much deliberation, we managed to whittle down the list to eight novels. Below we share why these exceptional stories were selected for the 2023 shortlist."

The Bones of Me
Kel Duckhouse, edited by Harriet Birkinshaw
Blending prose and verse, this powerful coming-of-age YA novel about a 15-year-old boxer girl growing up on an East London council estate had us commending the way it offered a “gripping, thought-provoking, fresh voice for perennially powerful themes”, among them friendship, fighting for family and a different life, loyalty, and the limits of loyalty.

Also deeming it a “thrilling read. Well structured, and fluid”, The Bones of Me left us “excited to see what Kel Duckhouse does next”.

The Eternal Return of Clara Hart
Louise Finch, edited by Siobhàn Parkinson
“Fresh, extremely readable and cleverly done”, The Eternal Return of Clara Hart presents a timely take on a Groundhog Day-type scenario. The story sees Spence at a house party, where he witnesses his classmate, Clara, flee in distress before being hit by a car and killed. The next day, Spence wakes up to find that he’s is stuck in a loop and must live the same 24 hours over and over again.

Applauded for being “very relevant to what’s happening in schools”, we were impressed by the story’s “strong teen voice, and authentic, believable characters”, and by the way it “manages to do a lot at once – it’s a thriller with a powerful and subtle presentation of big themes, among them personal responsibility, toxic masculinity, and calling out sexism”.

Seed
Caryl Lewis, edited by Sarah Hughes, illustrated by George Ermos
Hailed by our panel as “a book full of wonders that casts its spell on you”, Seed sees Marty find solace from bullying and his mother’s mental health struggles through spending time on his grandad’s allotment. Marty’s life is transformed when he befriends a new girl, and his grandad gives him a special seed for his birthday — like a magic bean, the seed grows into a thing of wondrous possibility.

We praised Seed for being “absolutely on point”, “very accomplished”, and “hugely enjoyable, funny and affecting”, with its “mental health storyline and magical elements carefully balanced”.

Rebel Skies
Ann Sei Linn, edited by Gráinne Clear
“Inventive, slick and cinematic” sums up our response to YA fantasy Rebel Skies. Centred on Kurara who, as a Crafter, can manipulate paper with her mind to create creatures that walk and soar like living beings, it boasts a “highly original concept”. When a rogue paper creation attacks the castle she works in, Kurara is saved by a fellow Crafter. In the process, she discovers a devastating secret about her brother.

We rated the writer’s “superb world-building”, and creation of a story that “poses interesting psychological questions about knowing who you are”.

The Cats We Meet Along the Way
Nadia Mikail, edited by Bella Pearson
“Fresh and uncontrived”, with its “mix of hope and dread”, we were bowled over by the way The Cats We Meet Along the Way “puts a new perspective on a well-explored scenario”. Namely, the imminent end of the world. In the wake of this revelation, Aisha and her mother set off to find June, Aisha’s estranged sister.

Accompanied by June’s boyfriend and his family, and a stray cat they meet along the way, this “brilliant and very different” novel harnesses “deeply endearing characters” to tell “a stirring story of finding a way through loss and loneliness to embrace what’s really important”. We also loved that “the writing is so distinct”.

Ellie Pillai is Brown
Christine Pillainayagam, edited by Leah Thaxton
“Cleverly plotted and written” as it “strikes a smart balance between humour and emotion”, we were unanimous in our appraisal of Ellie Pillai is Brown as being “humorous and authentic, with well-developed characters”.

The story sees music-loving teenager Ellie try to figure out who she is, while standing out as a brown girl in a predominantly white school. Add to that parental conflict over her GCSE choices, and the complications of romance, and you have a novel that “felt fresh; it had a strong voice, and was very compelling”. We also rated the “subplot that explores the trauma of second-generation Asians with real sensitivity”.

The Haunting of Tyrese Walker
J P Rose, edited by Chloe Sackur
With its “setting, theme, character and plot woven together seamlessly”, The Haunting of Tyrese Walker sees Tyrese and his mother visit relatives in Jamaica following the loss of his father. While grappling with grief and finding it impossible to see any light through the darkness, strange, ghostly things start happening to Tyrese, and he can’t be sure whether they’re real, or whether he’s losing his mind.

With a rich and palpable evocation of Jamaican landscapes, communities, culture and folklore, we found this “chilling mystery” to have “tremendous heart”, and loved its “honest, raw energy”. It’s also a novel that lingers long: “The story has stayed with me, and teens will really get a lot from this”.

The Map of Leaves
Yarrow Townsend, edited by Rachel Leyshon
Praised for presenting “a great approach to green issues”, and for being “full of themes that will work for readers of different ages”, The Map of Leaves centres on Orla, who “feels like a character we haven’t met before”. Like her deceased mother before her, Orla has a gift for healing with herbs. When waterborne poison starts infecting people and plants, Orla sets out to discover the cure she believes her mother had been developing.

With a “mesmerising” timelessness, we were impressed by the fact that the “combination of characters, story and story-world felt fresh, not quite like anything else”. We also felt “this was a writer with a vision, a writer in command of her story and characters”, and “an author who will do something really unusual again”.

The winner of the Branford Boase Award will be announced at a ceremony at CLPE (Centre for Literacy in Primary Education) in central London on Thursday 13th July 2023. The winning author receives a cheque for £1,000 and both author and editor receive an inscribed plaque.

For more information, read our feature The year’s outstanding debut authors for children: shortlist for the 2023 Branford Boase Award announced

Plus, enter our competition to win this year's shortlist.