shortlists and one long list

~ The Booker shortlist has been announced. Salman Rushdie and John Berger, whom many bloggers felt were shoe-ins, are out, as are new talents Tom Rob Smith (Child 44) and Joseph O'Neill (Netherland). I haven't read any of the nominees so find it impossible to handicap, especially since there is, historically, a randomness to this prize. What have you read? What would you like to read?
Aravind Adiga, The White Tiger (Atlantic)
Sebastian Barry, The Secret Scripture (Faber and Faber)
Amitav Ghosh, Sea of Poppies (John Murray)
Linda Grant, The Clothes on Their Backs (Virago)
Philip Hensher, The Northern Clemency (Fourth Estate)
Steve Toltz, A Fraction of the Whole (Hamish Hamilton)

~ The Roald Dahl Funny Prize, rewarding the funniest books for children, has announced its shortlists in two different categories. Although I'm not familiar with any of these titles, I do recognize a few authors. Since my boys ages fall squarely within these ranges, and seeing as how they both have fantastic laughs, I'm going to read as widely from these lists as possible. The winners will be announced November 13.

The Funniest Book for Children Aged Six and Under

Stick Man by Julia Donaldson, illus. Axel Scheffler (Alison Green Books)
Elephant Wellyphant by Nick Sharratt (Alison Green Books)
The Great Paper Caper by Oliver Jeffers (HarperCollins Children’s Books)
The Witch’s Children Go to School by Ursula Jones, illus. Russell Ayto (Orchard Books)
There’s an Ouch in My Pouch! by Jeanne Willis, illus. Garry Parsons (Puffin Books)
Manfred the Baddie by John Fardell (Quercus Books)

The Funniest Book for Children Aged Seven to Fourteen

Mr Gum and the Dancing Bear by Andy Stanton, illus. David Tazzyman (Egmont Press)
Paddington Here and Now by Michael Bond, illus. RW Alley (HarperCollins Children’s Books)
Stop in the Name of Pants! by Louise Rennison (HarperCollins Children’s Books)
Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce (Macmillan Children’s Books)
Aliens Don’t Eat Dog Food by Dinah Capparucci (Scholastic Children’s Books)
Urgum and the Goo Goo Bah! by Kjartan Poskitt, illus. Philip Reeve (Scholastic Children’s Books)

~ The Washington Post book section has a fairly comprehensive preview of 116 new fall books, an especially satifisfying thing to see at a time when newspapers are seriously shrinking book coverage.