The book I wrote with my wife Mary about the many uses for human and animal waste has been shortlisted for the School Library Association’s Information Book Award.

Don’t Flush: Lifting the Lid on the Science of Poo and Wee has a jokey title, but the contents are deadly serious. Each day we flush away and forget material that was once regarded as a valuable commodity. You can use sewage to soften leather, fertilise fields, grow mushrooms, and even to make gunpowder. Scientists use ancient turds to determine our ancestors’ lifestyles, and to find out what dinosaurs ate.

The annual Information Book Award is in its third year. It’s a major development for information books, and was designed to support school libraries, to reinforce the importance of non-fiction and to highlight the high standard of resources available. During the summer, children will choose a favourite book in their age category, and pick a final winner.