The shortlist for the 2019 Little Rebels Children’s Book Award has been unveiled, and we are thrilled to see that it includes Running On Empty, by S. E. Durrant!
The Little Rebels Children’s Book Award is given by the Alliance of Radical Booksellers (ARB) and recognises children’s fiction which promotes social justice or social equality, challenges stereotypes or is informed by anti-discriminatory concerns. There are seven titles on this year’s shortlist, and the winner will be announced at a special ceremony on July 10th.
A beautifully told story of unorthodox families, grief, adolescence and running, The Sunday Times called Running on Empty “lyrical, moving and realistic”.
AJ’s grandfather has always been the one to keep his unusual family together, so when he dies things start to unravel at the edges. AJ is worried about his parents but they don’t really seem to notice. In order to deal with his grief and to keep his anxiety at bay, AJ does what he and his grandfather did best: running. Round and round the Olympic Park, aiming for the cross country trials, running to escape, AJ only seems to be heading ever closer to disaster. Running On Empty is a beautiful book about false starts and emotional journeys, with hope as the ultimate finishing line.
Here’s a look inside the book:
And you can also listen to the first chapter of the audiobook edition of Running on Empty, read by Joe Jameson, below:
You can find out more about the Little Rebels Children’s Book Award, and read the full shortlists, here.
