What does it mean when a book is “shortlisted” for an award? If your book is shortlisted, the judges have narrowed the field to a few books, and the grand winner will be one of those books. When it comes to granting an award to a book, there are hundreds of factors, both stated and unmentioned, that go into the judges’ decisions. It’s pretty hard to be that top-grand-prize winner. So for an author, being shortlisted is a huge honor. A shortlist makes a great reading list… when I see a book is shortlisted, I know it will be a great read.

So when my books are shortlisted, I consider it a prize in itself. And guess what? I recently learned that my newest book, The Panda Cub Swap was shortlisted for the Chanticleer Little Peeps Award—it was selected an “outstanding work in Early Readers.”

The Little Peeps Award is part of the CIBAs… the Chanticleer International Book Awards. The books in this category are for young readers, including stories, chapter books, picture books and even activity books.  Dante Rossetti Awards) and Middle Grade books (Gertrude Warner Awards.)

So what happens next? The Panda Cub Swap goes to another round of judging, and if it stands out there, it will earn a semi-finalist spot. And… you guessed it:Another culling session happens. This is where the  a First Place Category Winner is chosen at the end of April, 2023. How far will The Panda Cub Swap go? Who knows? But it will be fun to find out.