After the Fire by Will Hill and Illegal by Eoin Colfer and Andrew Donkin, illus. by Giovanni Rigano, are 2020 Rhode Island Book Award nominees

4/22/2019

We are happy to share that After the Fire by Will Hill and Illegal by Eoin Colfer and Andrew Donkin, illus. by Giovanni Rigano, are 2020 Rhode Island Book Award nominees!

After the Fire is a 2020 nominee for the Rhode Island Teen Book Award, and Illegal is a 2020 nominee for the Rhode Island Middle School Book Award.

The Rhode Island Teen Book Award is sponsored by the School Librarians of Rhode Island (SLoRI) and the Rhode Island Library Association (RILA). The goal of the award is to promote quality literature for teens by highlighting well-written books that will encourage teens not only to read more, but discuss the books they read with others.

The Rhode Island Middle School Book Award is also sponsored by the SLoRI and RILA, and aims to serve the same purpose as the teen book award, but for students in grades 6, 7 and 8.

Click "read more" below to learn more about the books, authors, and illustrators.

After the Fire by Will Hill

The things I’ve seen are burned into me, like scars that refuse to fade.

Before, she lived inside the fence. Before, she was never allowed to leave the property, never allowed to talk to Outsiders, never allowed to speak her mind. Because Father John controlled everything—and Father John liked rules. Disobeying Father John came with terrible consequences.
But there are lies behind Father John’s words. Outside, there are different truths.

Then came the fire.

“Genuinely different…thrilling and spellbinding!”—Patrick Ness, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“The gripping story of survival and escape…It will keep you up late until you get to the very end.”—Maureen Johnson, New York Times bestselling author of Truly Devious

Will Hill grew up in the northeast of England and worked in bartending, bookselling, and publishing before quitting to write full-time. Will lives in east London. Learn more at willhillauthor.com.

Illegal by Eoin Colfer and Andrew Donkin, illus. by Giovanni Rigano

A powerfully moving graphic novel by New York Times bestselling author Eoin Colfer and the team behind the Artemis Fowl graphic novels that explores the current plight of undocumented immigrants.

Ebo is alone. His brother, Kwame, has disappeared, and Ebo knows it can only be to attempt the hazardous journey to Europe, and a better life—the same journey their sister set out on months ago.

But Ebo refuses to be left behind in Ghana. He sets out after Kwame and joins him on the quest to reach Europe. Ebo's epic journey takes him across the Sahara Desert to the dangerous streets of Tripoli, and finally out to the merciless sea. But with every step he holds on to his hope for a new life, and a reunion with his family.

Andrew Donkin (left) is the author of more than sixty books and graphic novels for children and adults. His books have been translated into thirty languages around the world and have sold more than eight million copies in the last decade. He lives in London. Learn more at andrewdonkin.co.uk.

Eoin Colfer (center) worked as a primary school teacher before becoming a full-time writer. He spent four years between 1992 and 1996 working in Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and Italy. His first book, Benny and Omar, was based on his experiences in Tunisia. In 2001, the first book in the bestselling Artemis Fowl series was published. Over the years, his works have been named a Book Sense Book of the Year nominee, an L.A. Times Book Prize finalist, and a Virginia Readers’ Choice Award nominee. Eoin lives in Ireland with his family. Learn more at eoincolfer.com.

Giovanni Rigano (right) is an Italian artist and illustrator born in Cantù, Italy. He is best known for his role in the creation of the Artemis Fowl graphic novels, the first of which came out in 2007. Giovanni has also created graphic novels for Disney, including The Incredibles and Pirates of the Caribbean. Giovanni currently lives in Como, Italy.