Children's Book Award (UK)
The Red House Children's Book Award is a set of annual literary prizes for children's books published in the U.K. during the preceding school year. It recognises one "Overall" winner and one book in each of three categories: Books for Younger Children, Books for Younger Readers, and Books for Older Readers.[a] The selections are made entirely by school children, which is unique among British literary awards.[1]
The Federation of Children's Book Groups owns and coordinates the Award, which it inaugurated in 1981 as the Children's Book Award. Its purpose has been "to celebrate the books that children themselves love reading."[1] Since 2001 it has been named for a sponsor, the mail order bookshop Red House[1] —a brand owned by bookselling company The Book People.
Process and latest rendition
The 2015 shortlist is scheduled to be announced 27 October 2014.[2]
The 2014 Overall winner was from the Older Readers category, announced in mid-February 2014: The 5th Wave, written by Rick Yancey and published by Penguin Books.[3]
Winners are determined by the votes of children on three category ballots composed by nominations from the same group. "Children from around the world" are eligible to participate in both stages.[4] At least in Britain, some children participate through book groups.[5]
The annual cycle approximately fits the British school year. Nominations are open from September to September, covering books published in the U.K. during the same twelve months. As of 23 September 2012, nominations for the 2014 awards were open although the publication of eligible books was only beginning. Nominations for 2013 had closed but the shortlists had not been announced.[4] The 2015 shortlist is scheduled to be announced 27 October 2014.[2]
The three ballots, or shortlists, comprise those ten books that garner the most nominations.[6] For 2012 there were four books on the Younger Children ballot and three each on the Younger Readers and Older Readers ballots.[7]
Winners
Currently the annual awards cover books first published in the U.K. during those twelve months beginning two Septembers ago (September 2010 for the 2012 awards).[4]
From 1992 to 2014 —the period of one Overall and three category awards[a]— 13 Overall winners have come from the Long Novel or Older Readers category, 6 from the Short Novel or Younger Readers category, 4 from the Picture Book or Younger Children category.[8]
- 2015
- Overall: The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt, illus. Oliver Jeffers (HarperCollins)
- Younger Children: The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt, illus. Oliver Jeffers (HarperCollins)
- Younger Readers: Demon Dentist by David Walliams (HarperCollins)
- Older Readers: Split Second by Sophie McKenzie (Simon and Schuster)
- 2014
- Overall: The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey (Penguin)
- Younger Children: Superworm by Julia Donaldson, illus. Axel Scheffler (Scholastic)
- Younger Readers: Atticus Claw Breaks the Law by Jennifer Gray (Faber)
- Older Readers: The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey (Penguin)
- 2013
- Overall: The Spooky Spooky House by Andrew Weale, illus. Lee Wildish (Corgi)
- Younger Children: The Spooky Spooky House by Andrew Weale, illus. Lee Wildish (Corgi)
- Younger Readers: Gangsta Granny by David Walliams, illus. Tony Ross (HarperCollins)
- Older Readers: The Medusa Project: Hit Squad by Sophie McKenzie (Simon & Schuster)
- 2012
- Overall: A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness and Jim Kay (Walker Books)[5]
- Younger Children: Scruffy Bear and the Six White Mice by Chris Wormell (Jonathan Cape)
- Younger Readers: The Brilliant World of Tom Gates by Liz Pichon (Scholastic)
- Older Readers: A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness and Jim Kay (Walker Books)
- 2011
- Overall: Shadow by Michael Morpurgo (HarperCollins)
- Younger Children: Yuck! That's not a Monster! by Angela McAllister, illus. Alison Edgson (Little Tiger Press)
- Younger Readers: Shadow by Michael Morpurgo (HarperCollins)
- Older Readers: Time Riders by Alex Scarrow (Penguin)
- 2010
- Overall: Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic)
- Younger Children: Bottoms Up! by Jeanne Willis, illus. Adam Stower (Puffin Books)
- Younger Readers: Mondays are Murder by Tanya Landman (Walker)
- Older Readers: Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic)
- 2009
- Overall: Blood Ties by Sophie McKenzie (Simon & Schuster)
- Younger Children: The Pencil by Allan Ahlberg, illus. Bruce Ingman (Walker Books)
- Younger Readers: Daisy and the Trouble with Zoos by Kes Gray, illus. Nick Sharratt and Garry Parsons (Transworld)
- Older Readers: Blood Ties by Sophie McKenzie (Simon & Schuster)
- 2008
- Overall: Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy (HarperCollins)
- Younger Children: Penguin by Polly Dunbar (Walker)
- Younger Readers: Ottoline and the Yellow Cat by Chris Riddell (Macmillan)
- Older Readers: Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy (HarperCollins)
- 2007
- Overall: You're a Bad Man, Mr Gum! by Andy Stanton (Egmont)
- Younger Children: Who's in the Loo? by Jeanne Willis, illus. Adrian Reynolds (Andersen Press)
- Younger Readers: You're a Bad Man, Mr Gum! by Andy Stanton (Egmont)
- Older Readers: Girl, Missing by Sophie McKenzie (Simon & Schuster)
- 2006
- Overall: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan (Disney Hyperion)
- Younger Children: Pigs Might Fly! by Jonathan Emmett and Steve Cox (Puffin)
- Younger Readers: Spy Dogwasd by Andrew Cope (Puffin)
- Older Readers: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan (Disney Hyperion)
- 2005
- Overall: Baby Brains by Simon James (Walker)
- Younger Children: Baby Brains by Simon James (Walker)
- Younger Readers: Best Friends by Jacqueline Wilson (Doubleday)
- Older Readers: CHERUB: The Recruit by Robert Muchamore (Hodder)
- 2004
- Overall: Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo (HarperCollins)
- Younger Children: Billy's Bucket by Kes Gray, illus. Garry Parsons (The Bodley Head)
- Younger Readers: The Mum Hunt by Gwyneth Rees (Macmillan)
- Older Readers: Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo (HarperCollins)
- 2003
- Overall: Skeleton Key by Anthony Horowitz (Walker)
- Younger Children: Pants by Giles Andreae, illus. Nick Sharratt (David Fickling)
- Younger Readers: Blitzed by Robert Swindells (Doubleday)
- Older Readers: Skeleton Key by Anthony Horowitz (Walker)
- 2002
- Overall: Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman (Corgi)
- Younger Children: The Man Who Wore All His Clothes by Allan Ahlberg, illus. Katharine McEwen (Walker)
- Younger Readers: Out of the Ashes by Michael Morpurgo (Macmillan)
- Older Readers: Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman (Corgi)
- 2001
- Overall: East Your Peas by Kes Gray, illustrated by Nick Sharratt (The Bodley Head)
- Picture Book: Eat Your Peas by Kes Gray, illus. Nick Sharratt (The Bodley Head)
- Short Novel: Lizzie Zipmouth by Jacqueline Wilson, illus. Nick Sharratt (Corgi)
- Long Novel: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling (Bloomsbury)
- 2000
- Overall: Kensuke's Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo, illus. Michael Foreman (Heinemann)
- Picture Book: Demon Teddy by Nicholas Allan (Hutchinson)
- Short Novel: Kensuke's Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo, illus. Michael Foreman (Heinemann)
- Long Novel: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling (Bloomsbury)
- 1999
- Overall: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling (Bloomsbury)
- Picture Book: What! by Kate Lum, illus. Adrian Johnson (Bloomsbury)
- Short Novel: Little Dad by Pat Moon, illus. Nick Sharratt (Mammoth)
- Long Novel: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling (Bloomsbury)
- 1998
- Overall: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J. K. Rowling (Bloomsbury)
- Picture Book: The Lion Who Wanted to Love by Giles Andreae (Orchard Books)
- Short Novel: Nightmare Stairs by Robert Swindells (Doubleday)
- Long Novel: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J. K. Rowling (Bloomsbury)
- 1997
- Overall: The Hundred-Mile-an-Hour Dog by Jeremy Strong (Viking)
- Picture Book: Mr Bear to the Rescue by Debi Gliori (The O'Brien Press)
- Short Novel: The Hundred-Mile-an-Hour Dog by Jeremy Strong (Viking)
- Long Novel: Which Way is Home? by Ian Strachan (Methuen)
- 1996
- Overall: Double Act by Jacqueline Wilson (Doubleday)
- Picture Book: Solo by Paul Geraghty (Hutchinson)
- Short Novel: Double Act by Jacqueline Wilson (Doubleday)
- Long Novel: The Wreck of the Zanzibar by Michael Morpurgo (Heinemann)
- 1995
- Overall: Harriet's Hare by Dick King-Smith (Doubleday)
- Picture Book: The Rascally Cake by Jeanne Willis, illus. Korky Paul (Andersen Press)
- Short Novel: Harriet's Hare by Dick King-Smith (Doubleday)
- Long Novel: Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech (Pan Macmillan)
- 1994
- Overall: The Boy in the Bubble by Ian Strachan (Methuen)
- Picture Book: Amazing Anthony Ant by Lorna and Graham Philpot (Orion)
- Short Novel: The Finders by Nigel Hinton (Viking)
- Long Novel: The Boy in the Bubble by Ian Strachan (Methuen)
- 1993
- Overall: The Suitcase Kid by Jacqueline Wilson (Heinemann)
- Picture Book: Snowy by Berlie Doherty (Collins)
- Short Novel: The Suitcase Kid by Jacqueline Wilson (Heinemann)
- Long Novel: Gulf by Robert Westall (Methuen)
- 1992
- Overall: Kiss the Dust by Elizabeth Laird (Methuen)
- Picture Book: SHHH! by Sally Grindley and Peter Utton (ABC)
- Short Novel: Find the White Horse by Dick King-Smith (Viking)
- Long Novel: Kiss the Dust by Elizabeth Laird (Methuen)
- 1991
- Threadbear by Mick Inkpen (Hodder & Stoughton)
- 1990
- Room 13 by Robert Swindells (Doubleday)
- 1989
- Matilda by Roald Dahl, illus. Quentin Blake (Jonathan Cape)
- 1988
- Winnie the Witch by Valerie Thomas, illus. Korky Paul (Oxford University Press)
- 1987
- The Jolly Postman by Janet and Allan Ahlberg (Heinemann)
- 1986
- Arthur by Amanda Graham (Spindlewood)
- 1985
- Brother in the Land by Robert Swindells (Oxford University Press)
- 1984
- The Saga of Erik the Viking by Terry Jones, illus. Michael Foreman (Pavilion)
- 1983
- The BFG by Roald Dahl, illus. Quentin Blake (Jonathan Cape)
- 1982
- Fair's Fair by Leon Garfield (Macdonald Young Books)
- 1981
- Mister Magnolia by Quentin Blake (Jonathan Cape)
Winners of multiple awards
Prior to winning the 2012 Red House Award, Overall, A Monster Calls was named the 2011 British Children's Book of the Year.[5] Subsequently Ness and Kay as writer and illustrator won both annual children's book awards from the professional librarians, the Carnegie Medal and Greenaway Medal; that double award alone was an unprecedented sweep. In fact, no previous Children's/Red House Award winner (Overall) has won the Carnegie Medal and only one has won the Greenaway Medal for illustration: the inaugural Children's winner Mr Magnolia (Jonathan Cape, 1980), written and illustrated by Quentin Blake.
- Authors with multiple Children's/Red House awards
Michael Morpurgo has won three Overall awards for Kensuke's Kingdom in 2000, Private Peaceful in 2004, and Shadow in 2011. He has also won category awards for The Wreck of the Zanzibar in 1996 and Out of Ashes in 2002.
Four other authors have won two Overall awards:
- Roald Dahl 1983, 1989
- Robert Swindells 1985, 1990
- Jacqueline Wilson 1993, 1996
- J. K. Rowling 1998, 1999
J. K. Rowling won the Long Novel category four years in succession, 1998 to 2001, for the first four Harry Potter books.
See also
Notes
- ^ a b From 1981 to 1991 there was only a single Children's Book Award. From 1992 to 2001 there were three award categories called Picture Book, Short Novel, and Long Novel; the current category names date from 2002. The official website calls for schoolchildren to nominate a "picture book, chapter book, or novel" (RHCBA, Nominate).
References
- ^ a b c RHCBA, About.
- ^ a b RHCBA, Home. Retrieved 2014-10-21.
- ^ "The 5th Wave wins Red House children's book award". Charles Green. theguardian.com. 22 February 2014. Retrieved 2014-10-21.
- ^ a b c RHCBA, Nominate.
- ^ a b c "Children vote A Monster Calls best book of 2012". Charlotte Jones. theguardian.com. 18 February 2012. Retrieved 2012-09-23.
- ^ RHCBA, Pick of the Year.
- ^ RHCBA, 2012 Shortlist. Current shortlist not yet available 2012-09-23.
- ^ RHCBA, Past Winners. Retrieved 2014-10-21.
- Citations
- Red House Children's Book Award (RHCBA). Retrieved 2012-09-23.
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