Prize-winning books for children

Prize-winning books for children

7 Nov

Here’s our round-up of the cream of this year’s reading crop!

Winner of the Blue Peter Book Awards 2012:
The Considine Curse by Gareth P Jones (Bloomsbury)

Fourteen-year-old Mariel returns to England for her grandmother’s funeral. It is the first time she has been back since she emigrated with her mother as a baby, and it is the beginning of the uncovering of some really extraordinary truths about the Considine family. Why did Mariel’s mum argue with Grandma all those years ago? Why does Gerald seem scared of his brother’s appetite? Did Grandma Considine really break her neck falling down the stairs? And most importantly, what is the dark secret that lies at the heart of the family?
For readers aged 9+

Winner of the CILIP Carnegie Medal, the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal for illustration and the Red House Children’s Book Award for Older Readers:
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness, illustrated by Jim Kay. (Walker Books)

Conor has the same dream every night, ever since his mother first fell ill, ever since she started the treatments that don’t quite seem to be working. But tonight is different. Tonight, when he wakes, there’s a visitor at his window. It’s ancient, elemental, a force of nature. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor. It wants the truth. Bestselling novelist Patrick Ness takes the final idea of the late, award-winning writer Siobhan Dowd and weaves a heartbreaking tale of mischief, healing and above all, the courage it takes to survive.
For readers aged 12+

Winner of the Costa Children’s Book Award:
Blood Red Road by Moira Young (Marion Lloyd Books)

There are no laws in Saba’s world. When her twin brother is stolen she pursues his captors through a wild, wasted land. In the dustlands, you fight or you die and Saba must become a warrior to survive. On this dangerous road she can trust no one, not even the handsome thief who saves her life…and steals her heart.

In Moira Young’s debut novel, she creates a vivid post-apocalyptic world with a strong, feisty female character at its core.
For readers aged 12+

Winner of the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize:
The Unforgotten Coat by Frank Cottrell Boyce (Walker)

Two refugee brothers from Mongolia are determined to fit in with their Liverpool schoolmates, but bring so much of Mongolia to Bootle that their new friend and guide, Julie is hard pressed to know truth from fantasy as she recollects a wonderful friendship that was abruptly ended when Chingis and his family were forced to return to Mongolia. Told with the humour, warmth and brilliance of detail which characterises Frank Cottrell Boyce’s writing, this magical and compelling story is enriched by stunning and atmospheric Polaroid photos.
For readers aged 9+

Winner of the Red House Children’s Book Award for Younger Children:
Scruffy Bear and the Six White Mice by Chris Wormell (Jonathan Cape)

One day a small scruffy bear meets six terrified white mice; they’re scared of the dark forest and all the predatory creatures that live there, including an owl, a fox and a slithery snake… But never fear, Scruffy Bear has all kinds of ingenious ideas about how to keep them safe!
For readers aged 0–5

Winner of the Red House Children’s Book Award for Younger Readers:
The Brilliant World of Tom Gates by Liz Pichon (Scholastic)

Here comes Tom Gates – he’s no wimp! An honest, silly and laugh out loud book in the format of Tom’s battered homework diary, crammed full of his scribbles and stories. Hear about Tom’s worst holiday ever (‘camping sucks’) and when his parents went to his parents’ evening (‘groan’).
For readers aged 9+

Winner of the Roald Dahl Funny Prize for 7—14s:
Dark Lord: Teenage Years by Jamie Thomson & illustrated by Freya Harlas (Orchard)

Thirteen-year-old schoolboy, Dirk Lloyd, has a dark secret – in fact he is a dark secret. Dirk – according to his own account – is the earthly incarnation of a Dark Lord, supreme ruler of the Darklands and leader of great armies of orcs and warriors, intent on destruction and bloody devastation. Following a colossal final battle between the forces of good and evil, the Dark Lord was defeated and hurled by his arch-foe’s spells into the Pit of Uttermost Despair. At the bottom of the Pit lies…a supermarket car park in the municipal town of Whiteshields, somewhere in modern day England. And when he is found, and tries to explain that he is the Dark Lord, people think he means Dirk Lloyd. The fact that he’s trapped in the puny body of a schoolboy doesn’t help.
For readers aged 9+

Winner of the Roald Dahl Funny Prize for 6 and under:
My Big Shouting Day by Rebecca Patterson (Jonathan Cape)

‘Yesterday I woke up and Bob was crawling around MY ROOM, licking MY JEWELLERY, so I shouted GET OUT OF MY ROOM! and that was the start of MY BIG SHOUTING DAY…’
Bella is having one of those days – her biscuit is broken, she has a hurting foot and ballet is TOOOO itchy for words. All she can do is shout! But by the end of the day, when she’s all tired out from being shouty, Bella knows there’s one magic word and one magic mummy to make things better again…
For readers aged 0—6