THE shortlist for this year’s Oxfordshire Book Awards has been revealed.

This year, 14 authors will vie for school pupils’ votes in three categories.

In the secondary school shortlist are Virginia Bergin for Rain, Oxfordshire writer Jo Cotterill for Looking at the Stars, Jane Hardstaff for The Executioner’s Daughter, Sophia Bennett for The Caste, Marcus Sedgwick for She is not Invisible, Phil Earle for The Bubble Wrap Boy and Roddy Doyle for Brilliant.

The primary school shortlist features Chris Riddell for Goth Girl and The Ghost of a Mouse, Matt Brown for Compton Valance, Robin Stevens for Murder Most Unladylike and Megan Rix for A Soldier’s Friend.

Mr Riddell said: “I’m thrilled that Goth Girl And The Ghost Of A Mouse has been shortlisted in the Oxfordshire Book Awards especially as readers themselves have chosen the books.

“I’m delighted they found my story funny.”

Finally, in the picture book category are Sarah Macintyre for There’s a Shark in the Bath, Pip Jones and Ella Okstad for Squishy McFluff the Invisible Cat and Teresa Heapy and Sue Heap for Very Little Red Riding Hood.

Hundreds of children from 22 schools voted in the 2014 awards.

The results for this year will be announced on March 23 and the winners will be presented with their awards at a ceremony in Oxfordshire in the first week of November.

Part of the aim of the awards, as well as getting youngsters to broaden their reading horizons, is to inspire them with the chance of meeting some of their favourite authors.

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