Ally Kennen
Children's Author
Books
Books
Ally Kennen grew up on an isolated organic farm on Exmoor, with no toilet, dead tadpoles coming out of the taps and annual rat infestations. Her family fostered 'challenging' teenagers throughout her childhood. After a spell of road protesting she became an archaeologist. Ally reached no. 41 in the UK charts in 2001 with a song she wrote and sang and subsequently toured round the world. Ally lives in Somerset with her husband, her daughter and two sons, four chickens and a curmudgeonly cat.
Her website can be found at www.allykennen.com.
Latest Publication:
THE SECRET VIKING ADVENTURE (1st February 2018, Scholastic)
A brilliantly original and dazzling novel for younger readers from the author of THE EVERYTHING MACHINE. Coffin-stealing, boat-burning, telling lies - Carla's crazy plan includes them all. Her Grandpa's written her a letter telling her his secret dream: she's going to make it come true, she's going to give him a real Viking funeral.
Awards:
Ally was the 2005 recipient of the PFD Bath Spa Prose Prize.
BEAST was the winner of the Manchester Book Award 2007 and was also longlisted for the Carnegie Medal, the Leicester Book Awards - Book of Year 2007, the Branford Boase Award 2007, Booktrust Teenage Prize 2006 and the Bolton Book Award.
BERSERK was the winner of the Leicester Book Award 2008.
SPARKS was shortlisted for The Guardian Children's Fiction Prize 2010 and the Bolton Children's Book Award 2011.
Praise for Ally Kennen:
"This is all excellent, page-turning stuff, and the denouement, while subtly prefigured, is a genuine shock." The Guardian on QUARRY
"…has a beautiful emotional intelligence and humour that make its suspense all the more enjoyable. It is one of the best new books for 9+ out this year." The Times
Enterprising writing of a high calibre." Independent on Sunday
"Inventive, funny and moving family adventure ... one of the season s stand-outs particularly when original novels for this age group are so scarce." Children's Bookseller
"Funny, entertaining and surprisingly moving." The Guardian
