Ally Kennen facts for kids

Ally Kennen (born in 1975) is a British author who writes exciting adventure stories for young people. Her books are often called thrillers, which means they are full of suspense and adventure. Some of her stories might even be considered a bit spooky or scary, like horror fiction.

Ally grew up on a farm in a beautiful area called Exmoor in Somerset, England. She went to the University of Birmingham where she studied Archaeology and History. Archaeology is the study of human history through digging up old things.

Ally Kennen's Books

How Ally Kennen Started Writing

Ally Kennen wrote her first book, Beast, while she was studying Creative Writing at Bath Spa University. It was published in 2006. This book was so good that British librarians chose it as one of the top six books for the annual Carnegie Medal. This award celebrates the best children's book published in the UK each year. The judges thought Beast was perfect for readers aged 12 and up.

Sparks and Other Exciting Stories

Her fourth book, Sparks, came out in 2010. This book was also very popular and was longlisted for the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize. This prize is judged by other children's writers and celebrates new British children's novels. The judges suggested Sparks for readers aged 9 and older.

Sparks is an adventure story about three children. They decide to follow their grandfather's unusual instructions for his funeral. This leads them on a big adventure, putting them against their family and even the law!

Two years later, in 2012, Ally Kennen's book Bullet Boys was also longlisted for the Guardian Prize. The Guardian newspaper even named it their "teen book of the month" in March 2012.

Ally Kennen's Published Works

Here is a list of some of the books Ally Kennen has written:

• Beast (2006)
• Berserk (2007)
• Bedlam (2009)
• Sparks (2010)
• The Hedgehog Mystery (2011)
• Quarry (2011)
• Bullet Boys (2012)
• Daybreak (2012)
• Midnight Pirates (2013)
• How To Speak Spook (And Stay Alive) (2015)

Awards and Nominations

Ally Kennen's books have won and been nominated for many awards. This shows how much people enjoy her stories!

Awards Won

• Beast won the Manchester Book Award in 2007.
• Berserk won a North East Teenage Book Award in 2008.

Book Award Nominations

Many of Ally Kennen's books have been nominated for important awards:

• Beast (2006) was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal, the Booktrust Teenage Prize, the Branford Boase Award, and the Bolton Children's Book Award.
• Berserk (2007) was shortlisted for the Manchester Book Award and nominated for the Carnegie Medal.
• Bedlam (2009) was nominated for the Carnegie Medal in 2010. It was also shortlisted for several other awards, including the Solihull Children's Book Award and the Salford Children's Book Award. It made the Guardian Prize longlist too.
• Quarry (2012) was shortlisted for the Coventry Inspiration Book Awards and the Leeds Book Awards. It was also nominated for the Carnegie Medal.
• Bullet Boys (2012) made the 2012 Guardian Prize longlist.