ScooReviews
The Lie Tree takes away the crown at Costa Children’s Book Award 2015
After as long as 14 years has a children’s novel made it to the finals and won it …. Costa Children’s Book of the Year 2015
Children’s author, Frances Hardinge’s latest creation, The Lie Tree, has scooped Costa Children’s Book of the Year 2015 award. With the crown, Costa Book of the Year offers 30,000 pounds to winner. The last that a children’s author had taken this award was in 2001. Back then, it was Philip Pullman’s The Amber Spyglass.
Published by Macmillan Children’s Books, The Lie Tree has been called a ‘page-turner’ as it explores a new and quite a luring idea! It is a story of a 14-year-old girl, who is quite metaphorically called Faith, who is too inclined towards science. She, however, acts Sherlock Homes trying to know the truth behind her father’s death, when she comes across the lie tree.
The novel has been a hit among young girls as it explores the real mind of young girls. The theme, the characterization and the narrative, the book has it all in the best of its form.
Hardinge, accepting the honour, said, “From my point of view this win is completely lovely – from a less selfish point of view, I would also see it as a recognition of the wonderful work done out there [in children's and YA]. There's a lot of experimental work done out there, a lot of understanding of diversity.”
Continuing on the same happy note, she was quick to add, “Female education is very important to me. I always have a problem with any prejudice that allows people to treat others as inferior. I don't write a manifesto and wrap a story around it, but while I'm writing a story, I do have a few bees in my bonnet.”
Along with Hardinge, the shortlisted were Sally Nicholls’ An Island of Our Own, Hayley Long’s Sophie Someone, and Andrew Norriss’ Jessica’s Ghost.