We Can be Heroes nominated for the CILIP Carnegie Award

Today I’m all of a flutter, more than a little bit giddy and floating round in state of shock. Why? Because The 2012 Carnegie Nominations were announced today and there I was, up there with my literary heroes: John Boyne, Meg Rosoff, Michael Morpurgo (that’s the one that really impressed my kids!) Patrick Ness … Not to mention all sorts of other fabaroo writers like Alan Gibbons and Annabel Pitcher and Phil Earle. Basically, the longlist is so jam-packed with intimidatingly brilliant books that it made me feel a little bit sick and very in awe to look of it.
But basically I’m totally bowled over chuffed to little tiny bits! As a result I just may have been a little more mad and bonkers than usual in the classroom today. In fact, I suspect my pupils are now convinced I am totally off my rocker after small outbreaks of river-dance, inappropriate Darth Vader references (although he does sort of fit into ‘Lord of the Flies’, I’ll have you know!) and general giggliness in spelling tests! But it’s not every day a girl gets nominated for the flipping Carnegie, you know.
I celebrated with fireworks (kindly put on by my children’s school to mark the occasion – and perhaps also to commerorate bonfire night!), chocolate brownies and Tamara Ecclestone (not the real TE, sadly – just her gloriously dreadful TV programme which is set to be my new guilty pleasure!)
So, all in all, a lovely week. I finished a new novel (sort of – very much awaiting agent’s verdict!) bought my first ever pair of skinny jeans and got nominated for The Carnegie! What more could a girl ask for?