"It's fab to make the shortlist for Queen of Teen. The award is a very cool way to encourage kids to read and to pass on their enthusiasm for books and for their favourite authors! Giving kids a love of reading is a gift they'll keep with them forever, and this award really supports and celebrates that. I hope that the Queen of Teen award will get kids trying a whole range of books from the shortlisted authors. My books are all about the power of friendship, so hopefully they'll get young voters thinking about that too... friendship is the glue that keeps us together when things are going wrong around us, after all! Growing up can be a tricky time, but it's inspiring too - a time when anything and everything is still possible. I love writing for this age group and knowing that my readers really connect with the books is fantastic... my readers are my inspiration, I guess! The Queen of Teen award can get us all celebrating reading, dreaming and friendship... what could be better?"
Cathy Cassidy