Williams’ book Holding the Horse was also a winner at last year’s Storylines Notable Book Award in the junior fiction category.
She is currently working on the sequel, called Like the Wind, which she hopes to finish in a few weeks.
In 2015 her children’s picture book manuscript Seaside Countdown was shortlisted for the Joy Cowley Award.
New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults convenor of judges Nicola Daly said a wealth of talent has been recognised by this year’s shortlist, including established names such as Witi Ihimaera, Donovan Bixley and Kate De Goldi and familiar faces such as Jason Gunn and Fifi Colston.
The finalists deal with big topics, including death, identity and climate change.
But there was plenty of lightness too, Daly said, with fun and frivolity guaranteed to bring a smile to young readers of all ages.
“This year’s entries reflect the changing nature of who we are as New Zealanders, with good helpings of humour and fantasy thrown in.
“New Zealand children have many opportunities to read titles published around the world in our wonderful libraries and bookshops, but the importance of them seeing themselves and the communities around them in books cannot be underestimated.”
The ceremony to announce the winners will be held in Wellington on August 10.
