The Costa Book Awards are one of the UK’s most prestigious literary awards and uniquely include a children’s book category amongst the otherwise adult categories (First Novel, Novel, Biography and Poetry). The four books shortlisted for the children’s book award this year are:

Listen to the Moon by Michael Morpurgo (HarperCollins Children’s Books) ages 9+

This new title by Michael Morpurgo is set in the Isles of Scilly during World War One. A fisherman and his son find a girl stranded on an uninhabited island. She has no memory of who she is or how she got there and can only say one word – Lucy. Could she be a German spy?

Five Children on the Western Front by Kate Saunders (Faber and Faber) ages 9+

Kate Saunders takes inspiration from the Five Children and It books by E. Nesbit with this new story which sees the  Psammead re-appear in the children’s lives. This time the children’s adventures are set in 1914 at the start of World War One where the Psammead’s magic might have a more serious purpose.

The Ghosts of Heaven by Marcus Sedgwick  (Indigo) ages 14+

A remarkably intricate book which has four very different yet connected parts and makes for a unique reading experience. The spiral motif is the underlying theme for the book and means that the four parts can be read in varying orders to produce a slightly different effect.

Running Girl by Simon Mason (David Fickling Books) ages 14+

A fast-paced detective thriller for teens featuring the unlikely pairing of Detective Inspector Singh and the notoriously lazy but charming teenager Garth, famous for having the highest IQ in school yet the lowest grades. Together they might just solve a murder.

The winner will be announced on 5th January 2015. Last year’s winner was Goth Girl and the Ghost of a Mouse by Chris Riddell.