Kirkus has announced their shortlists for their 2014 Book Prize in Fiction, Nonfiction, and Young Readers' Literature. Here listed are the finalists for the category for Young Readers. The winners in each category will be announced on October 23, 2014 by an esteemed panel composed of nationally respected writers and highly regarded booksellers, librarians and Kirkus critics.

The Kirkus Prize is one of the richest literary awards in the world, with a prize of $50,000 bestowed annually to authors of fiction, nonfiction and young readers’ literature. It was created to celebrate the 81 years of discerning, thoughtful criticism Kirkus Reviews has contributed to both the publishing industry and readers at large.

2014 Shortlist

• EL DEAFO, written and illustrated by Cece Bell (Amulet Books / ABRAMS)
• THE RIGHT WORD: Roget and his Thesaurus by Jen Bryant, illustrated by Melissa Sweet (Eerdmans Books for Young Readers / Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.)
• THE KEY THAT SWALLOWED JOEY PIGZA by Jack Gantos (Farrar, Strauss, and Giroux / Macmillan)
• THE STORY OF OWEN: The Dragon Slayer of Trondheim by E. K. Johnston (Carolrhoda Books / Lerner Publishing Group)
• THE FREEDOM SUMMER MURDERS by Don Mitchell (Scholastic Press)
• AVIARY WONDERS INC.: Spring Catalog and Instruction Manual, written and illustrated by Kate Samworth (Clarion Books / HMH)