SALISBURY-BORN writer Jenny Pearson has been shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize.

Jenny has been nominated in the Younger Reader category for her debut novel The Super Miraculous Journey of Freddie Yates.

Every year Waterstones’ expert booksellers vote for the books they believe are the very best in new children’s writing and illustration.

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The former South Wilts Grammar School student, who now lives in Durham and is a teacher, said: “Being shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Prize is completely overwhelming and so very exciting.

"It really is such an honour and I thank all the children I have ever taught for the creation of Freddie Yates, for they most definitely inspired the characters.”

The shortlists consist of 18 books across three categories - Illustrated Books, Books for Younger Readers and Books for Older Readers.

Also nominated in the Books for Younger Readers category is Orion Lost by Alastair Chisholm (Nosy Crow), When Life Gives You Mangoes by Kereen Getten (Pushkin), A Clock of Stars: The Shadow Moth by Francesca Gibbons (HarperCollins), A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll (Knights of), and Llama Out Loud by Annabelle Sami (Farshore). 

Six books will compete within each category to be crowned Category Winner, with the three category winners then vying for the overall title of Waterstones Children’s Book of the Year 2021.

The winner of each category will receive £2,000, with the overall winner receiving an extra £3,000.

In the event that the prize is awarded to a partnership, the prize money will be split equally between the joint winners.

The winners will be announced on July 1.

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