EDEBÉ Children's Literature Award 2023:
La guerra de Nico, by Josan Hatero

At the age of 11, Nicolás Franz becomes a soldier due to an unfortunate coincidence: sharing a name with the father who abandoned his family when he was one year old. Although he tries to clear up the confusion with each of the military authorities that appear, Nico will find himself hopelessly trapped in the army as a consequence of a completely irrational military system and hierarchy. On his journey to battle he will be forced to confront all kinds of terrible experiences that will bring him face to face with profound ethical dilemmas.

A story with impeccable prose style and descriptions that lead the reader to accompany Nico to the trenches themselves, feeling as if they are right there with him. Without falling into sensationalism, and despite the complexity and harshness of the issues it addresses, the work strongly defends encouraging ideas: the importance of questioning the established order and asking why things are the way they are as a catalyst for change. A call to reflection and self-criticism that contains a powerful message of peace.