Crystal Kites UK/Ireland, Middle East/ India/Asia and Canada

By Susan J. Berger

The annual Crystal Kite Award is a peer-given award to recognize great books from 15 SCBWI regional divisions around the world.

This 5^th Crystal Kite post covers the finalists and winners in three regions: UK, Ireland, Middle East, India, Asia and Canada. It's interesting to note that most of the Crystal Kite finalist's books are available on Kindle. 
Some first lines weren't available online. I tried contacting some of the authors, but was unsuccessful. I used the SCBWI Blurb in place of the first lines for those book. All links are to the SCBWI page. You can follow the page links to purchase sites. If I saw that SCBWI didn’t have a buy link, I substituted links where you could get the book.

Again: The Crystal Kite is a rather odd award in that there are no Categories. Therefore a picture book may be competing against a young adult novel.

UK, Ireland

Fractured by Teri Terry

Rain has many uses.

            Holly and beech trees like those around me need it to live and grow.

It washes away tracks, obscures footprints. Makes trails harder to follow, and that is a good thing today.

But most of all, it washes blood from my skin, my clothes.

 

Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein (Code Name Verity, Book 2)

Rose Meyer Justice

August 2, 1944

Hamble, Hampshire

NOTES FOR AN ACCIDENT REPORT

I just got back from Celia Forester’s funeral. I’m supposed to be writing up an official report for the Tempest she flew into the ground, since she’s obviously not going to write it herself, and I saw it happen. And also because I feel responsible. I know it wasn’t my fault – I really do know that now. But I briefed her. We both had Tempests to deliver, and I’d flown one a couple of times before. Celia hadn’t. She took off ten minutes after me. If she’d taken off first, we might both still be alive.

 

Winner

 Shine by Candy Gourlay

“Are you listening, Rosa?”

I stared at Yaya. Her eyebrows were knitted on her yellow forehead and her face was suddenly smaller, her eyes hard and burning like black coals.

I am going to add the Amazon link for this book so you can read the first few pages because those first lines don’t give a good idea of the story. And I thought it was rather wonderful. Link to Shine on Amazon

 

 Middle East, India, Asia

Jet Black and the Ninja Wind by Leza Lowitz

The party had just started and Jet stood in Amy William’ kitchen wearing the two-dollar dress she’d bought at the thrift store.
            “That’s such a cool outfit,” Amy told her, pushing a drink into her hand. The girsls gathered, staring as if trying to remember whether they’d seen the dress in a catalog or a store window. Still, Jet knew it would’ve been cooler to have a date or to buy clothing that hadn’t belonged to someone living in an old folks’ home.

The Language Inside by Holly Thompson
 Chapter 1

AURA

Third time it happens

I’m crossing the bridge

Over a brown-green race of water

that slides through town

on my way to a long-term care center

pausing

to get my courage up

 

The Seven-Legged Spider by Poh Peng Lee

This is a story about Spider, who was born with seven legs. His friend, Ladybird, discovers what Spider can do and is amazed by his talents.

Tibby the Tiger Bunny by Emily Lim, Illustrated by Jade Fang

Tibby was an unusual bunny,

Sometimes he pounced.

Sometimes he hopped.

And sometimes he didn’t know if he should roar or squeak.

 

I

 

 

 

 managed to contact Emily and she sent me the first page.

She also sent me the rest of the fold-out cover.

 

  Winner

Bonkers! by Natasha Sharma

‘I’m home . . WAHAAAAT? WOW!’

My father is standing before me holdng a wriggling, squirming mass of brown and white fur,

‘Pant! Pant! Pant! Chuuueeeee! Chuuueeeee!’ squeels the furball.

I’m sure it can’t be . . but it is! Eyes wide, I drop down on my knees, as Papa puts down my long awaited puppy. In a flash the fur ball shoots forward and Bam! rams into my face. My spectacles go flying off my nose. I fumble for them.

Lick! Lick! Slobber! Slobber!

I couldn’t contact Natasha Sharma. When I looked on Amazon, I saw that the Kindle edition was 2.00 and bought it. Bonkers is either a short mid grade or an easy reader. In either case I loved the first chapter and plan to finish it,

Canada

Brothers at War by Don Cummer

DARE AND CONSEQUENCES

February 1811

I have been chosen first. M. Jacob Gibson. Hero-in-waiting.

Shoulders back like a soldier, Snowballs in my mitts. My faithful attack dog by my side, (Well, Ginger is actually romping about with the new boy.) And beneath my coat and shirt, my magic medicine bag to protect me,

First. Bravest. Best. 

Hoogie in the Middle by Stephanie McLellan, Illustrated by Dean Griffiths

Pumpkin was the first.

Tweezle is the newest.
Hoogie’s in the middle.

 

How I Lost You by Janet Gurtler

BFFs Grace and Kya, friends ever since Grace first moved in next door, are closer than sisters. Grace's dad, a former police officer, runs the town paintball center; the two girls are passionate about paintball and seeking coveted spots on Seattle University's Lady Grinders team. But not all is certain and assured, and when a terrible secret is reawakened from her past, Kya spirals beyond Grace's reach. Kya indulges in self-destructive behaviors: drinking, promiscuity, and hanging out with the wrong crowd. Their mutual friend, James, distances himself from Kya and rebuffs any of Grace's attempts to have them reconcile. Grace, who has always put her own needs second to Kya's, is torn between seeing her own goals realized and trying to save Kya. Gurtler, 

Stained by Cheryl Rainfield

Sarah thinks she knows what fear is--until she's abducted. Now she must find a way to rescue herself.

Seventeen-year-old Sarah Meadows covers the walls of her bedroom with images of beautiful faces she clips from magazines--and longs for "normal." Born with a port-wine stain covering half her face, all her life she's been plagued by stares, giggles, and bullying, and disgust. Why can't she be like Diamond, the comic-book hero she created? Diamond would never let the insults in. That's harder for Sarah.

But when she's abducted on the way home from school, Sarah is forced to uncover the courage she never knew she had. Can she look beyond her face to find the beauty and strength she has inside, somehow becoming a hero rather than a victim? It's the only way Sarah will have any chance of escaping the prison--both seen and unseen--that this deranged killer has placed around her.

Winners. (It’s a tie!)

I Dare You Not to Yawn by Helene Boudreau

Yawns are sneaky. They can creep up when you least expect them.There you are, minding your own business, building the tallest block tower in the history of the universe or dressing up the cat when suddenly . . .

Sounds like my kind of book.

Skink on the Brink by Lisa Dalrymple, Illustrated by Suzanne Del Rizzo

Stewie was a very little skink with a very blue tail.

That was the only sentence in the Amazon Canada preview. But they show material on the life cycle of a skink and some gorgeous illustrations. I wish we got more Canadian books in the US

 I hope you find some reads here that interest you. Happy reading and writing.
You might also like Crystal Kites  Atlantic, Mid South and Southeast
California Hawaii and the West

Southwest and Midwest 

New England, New York and Texas/Oklahoma