Shock After Jordan Nominated For Kids Book Award

Jordan has provoked widespread incredulity after her book ‘Perfect Ponies: My Pony Care Book’ was nominated for the WH Smith Children's Book of the Year award.

Leading authors have expressed their concern the former glamour model could win the prestigious gong - previously held by Roald Dahl and Raymond Briggs - as the book was largely produced by a ghost writer.

Tracy Chevalier, author of Girl with a Pearl Earring, tells The Times, “I'm shocked. I'm amazed the publishers even put the book up. If it's ghost-written then it's inappropriate that it should be shortlisted. I am disappointed by the judges."

Joanne Harris, author of Chocolat, adds, “If this is an award for people who write books then it should be open only to people who write books, not to somebody who lends their name to a book, or who would have written a book if they had time but didn't."

However, Jordan - real name Katie Price - has got one high profile supporter in the current Children's Laureate Michael Rosen, who says, “We get too hung up about authorship.”

He explains, "None of us writes a book entirely on our own. We get help from editors, or ideas might come from conversations with our families, or children.

"The issue is whether the book's good, not who has written it. If Jordan or any of her helpers have written a very good book then absolutely good luck to them."