Children's Book Award (UK)

The Children's Book Award is a British literary award for children's books, run by the Federation of Children's Book Groups and previously known as the Red House Children's Book Award. Books published in the U.K. during the preceding calendar year are eligible. 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. The selections are made entirely by children, which is unique among British literary awards.

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." From 2001 to 2015 it was sponsored by the mail order bookshop Red House,RHCBA, About. a brand owned by bookselling company The Book People.

Process and latest rendition

The 2017 Overall Winner was from the Books for Younger Readers category and was won by Michael Morpurgo and illustrator Michael Foreman for An Eagle in the Snow, published by HarperCollins. The 2017 winners were announced at an Award Ceremony held in London on Saturday 10 June 2017.

The 2016 Overall Winner was from the Books for Younger Readers category and was won by Pamela Butchart and illustrator Thomas Flintham with My Head Teacher Is a Vampire Rat, published by Nosy Crow.

The 2015 Overall Winner was from the Books for Younger Children and was announced at the Imagine Festival in February. The Winners were Oliver Jeffeys and Drew Daywalt with The Day the Crayons Quit published by HarperCollins.

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."The 5th Wave wins Red House children's book award". Charles Green. theguardian.com. 22 February 2014. Retrieved 2014-10-21.

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.RHCBA, Nominate. At least in Britain, many children participate through book groups.

The three ballots, or shortlists, comprise those ten books that garner the most nominations.RHCBA, Pick of the Year. There are four books on the Younger Children ballot and three each on the Younger Readers and Older Readers ballots.RHCBA, 2012 Shortlist. Current shortlist not yet available 2012-09-23.

Winners

Currently the annual awards cover books first published in the U.K. during the calendar year.

From 1992 to 2017 —the period of one Overall and three category awards— 13 Overall winners have come from the Long Novel or Older Readers category, 9 from the Short Novel or Younger Readers category, 4 from the Picture Book or Younger Children category.RHCBA, Past Winners. Retrieved 2014-10-21.

1980s +Children's Book Award winners, 1981-1989YearAuthorTitlePublisher1981Mister MagnoliaJonathan Cape1982Fair's FairMacdonald Young Books1983, illus. by Quentin Blake Jonathan Cape1984, illus. by Michael Foreman Pavilion1985Brother in the LandOxford University Press1986ArthurSpindlewood1987Heinemann1988, illus. by Korky Paul Winnie the WitchOxford University Press1989, illus. by Quentin BlakeMatildaJonathan Cape

1990s +Children's Book Award winners, 1990-1999YearCategoryAuthorTitlePublisher1990N/ARoom 13Doubleday1991N/AThreadbearHodder & Stoughton1992OverallKiss the DustMethuenPicture Book and Peter UttonSHHH!ABCShort NovelFind the White HorseViking PressLong NovelKiss the DustMethuen1993OverallHeinemannPicture BookSnowyCollinsShort NovelHeinemannLong NovelGulfMethuen1994OverallMethuenPicture BookAmazing Anthony AntOrionShort NovelViking PressLong NovelMethuen1995OverallHarriet's HareDoubledayPicture Book, illus. by Korky Paul Andersen PressShort NovelHarriet's HareDoubledayLong NovelWalk Two MoonsPan Macmillan1996OverallDouble ActDoubledayPicture BookSoloHutchinsonShort NovelDouble ActDoubledayLong NovelHeinemann1997OverallViking PressPicture BookMr Bear to the RescueThe O'Brien PressShort NovelViking PressLong NovelWhich Way Is Home?Methuen1998OverallHarry Potter and the Philosopher's StoneBloomsburyPicture BookOrchard BooksShort NovelNightmare StairsDoubledayLong NovelHarry Potter and the Philosopher's StoneBloomsbury1999OverallHarry Potter and the Chamber of SecretsBloomsburyPicture Book, illus. by Adrian Johnson What!BloomsburyShort Novel, illus. by Nick SharrattLittle DadMammothLong NovelHarry Potter and the Chamber of SecretsBloomsbury

2000s +Children's Book Award, 2000, Red House Children's Book Award 2001-2009YearCategoryAuthorTitlePublisherRef.2000Overall, illus. by Michael ForemanKensuke's KingdomHeinemannPicture BookDemon TeddyHutchinsonShort Novel, illus. by Michael Foreman Kensuke's KingdomHeinemannLong NovelHarry Potter and the Prisoner of AzkabanBloomsbury2001Overall, illus. by Nick SharrattEat Your PeasThe Bodley HeadPicture Book, illus. by Nick Sharratt Eat Your PeasThe Bodley HeadShort Novel, illus. by Nick Sharratt Lizzie ZipmouthCorgiLong NovelHarry Potter and the Goblet of FireBloomsbury2002OverallNoughts and CrossesCorgiYounger Children, illus. by Katharine McEwenWalker BooksYounger ReadersOut of the AshesMacmillanOlder ReadersNoughts and CrossesCorgi2003OverallSkeleton KeyWalker BooksYounger Children, illus. by Nick SharrattPantsDavid FicklingYounger ReadersBlitzedDoubledayOlder ReadersSkeleton KeyWalker Books2004OverallPrivate PeacefulHarperCollinsYounger Children, illus. by Garry Parsons Billy's BucketThe Bodley HeadYounger ReadersMacmillanOlder ReadersPrivate PeacefulHarperCollins2005OverallBaby BrainsWalker BooksYounger ChildrenBaby BrainsWalker BooksYounger ReadersBest FriendsDoubledayOlder ReadersCHERUB: The RecruitHodder2006OverallDisney HyperionYounger Children and Steve Cox Pigs Might Fly!PuffinYounger ReadersSpy DogPuffinOlder ReadersDisney Hyperion2007OverallYou're a Bad Man, Mr Gum!EgmontYounger Children, illus. by Adrian Reynolds Who's in the Loo?Andersen PressYounger ReadersYou're a Bad Man, Mr Gum!EgmontOlder ReadersGirl, MissingSimon & Schuster2008OverallSkulduggery PleasantHarperCollinsYounger ChildrenPenguinWalker BooksYounger ReadersOttoline and the Yellow CatMacmillanOlder ReadersSkulduggery PleasantHarperCollins2009OverallBlood TiesSimon & SchusterYounger Children, illus. by Bruce Ingman Walker BooksYounger Readers, illus. by Nick Sharratt and Garry Parsons Daisy and the Trouble with ZoosTransworldOlder ReadersBlood TiesSimon & Schuster

2010s +Red House Children's Book Award, 2010-2015, Children's Book Award 2016-2019YearCategoryAuthorTitlePublisherRef.2010OverallScholasticYounger Children, illus. by Adam Stower Bottoms Up!PuffinYounger ReadersMondays Are MurderWalker BooksOlder ReadersScholastic2011OverallShadowHarperCollinsYounger Children, illus. by Alison Edgson Yuck! That's Not a Monster!Little Tiger PressYounger ReadersShadowHarperCollinsOlder ReadersTime RidersPenguin2012Overall and Jim KayWalker BooksYounger ChildrenScruffy Bear and the Six White MiceJonathan CapeYounger ReadersScholasticOlder Readers and Jim KayWalker Books2013Overall, illus. by Lee WildishCorgiYounger Children, illus. by Lee Wildish CorgiYounger Readers, illus. by Tony RossGangsta GrannyHarperCollinsOlder ReadersSimon & Schuster2014OverallPenguinYounger Children, illus. by Axel Scheffler SuperwormScholasticYounger ReadersAtticus Claw Breaks the LawFaberOlder ReadersPenguin2015Overall, illus. by Oliver JeffersHarperCollinsYounger Children, illus. by Oliver JeffersHarperCollinsYounger ReadersDemon DentistHarperCollinsOlder ReadersSplit SecondSimon and Schuster2016Overall, illus. by Thomas FlinthamMy Head Teacher Is a Vampire RatNosy CrowYounger ChildrenIs There a Dog in This Book?Walker BooksYounger Readers, illus. by Thomas Flintham My Head Teacher Is a Vampire RatNosy CrowOlder ReadersApple and RainBloomsbury2017Overall, illus. by Michael ForemanHarperCollinsYounger Children, illus. by Jim FieldOi Dog!HachetteYounger Readers, illus. by Michael Foreman HarperCollinsOlder ReadersOneBloomsbury2019OverallArree ChungMixedMacmillanYounger ChildrenArree ChungMixedMacmillanYounger ReadersEoin Colfer, illus. by P. J. LynchThe Dog Who Lost His BarkWalker BooksOlder ReadersTom PalmerArmistice RunnerBarrington Stoke +2020s Year Category Author Work Publisher Ref 2020Overall Tom Palmer D-Day Dog Younger Children Kjartan Poskitt The Runaway Pea Younger Readers Zanna Davidson Mutant Zombies Cursed My School Trip Older Readers Angie Thomas On the Come Up Confident ReadersTom PalmerD-Day Dog 2022Overall Peter Bently Octopus Shocktopus! Younger Children Peter Bently Octopus Shocktopus! Younger Readers M. G. Leonard The Highland Falcon Thief Older Readers Liz Kessler When the World Was Ours 2023 Overall Louie Stowell Loki: A Bad God's Guide to Being Good Younger Children Olaf Falafel Blobfish Younger Readers Louie Stowell Loki: A Bad God's Guide to Being Good Older Readers Jennifer Killick Dread Wood 2024OverallThomas FlinthamPress Start! Game On, Super Rabbit Boy!Nosy CrowYounger ChildrenRob BiddulphGiganticHarperCollinsYounger ReadersThomas FlinthamPress Start! Game On, Super Rabbit Boy!Nosy CrowOlder ReadersMatt GoodfellowThe Final YearOtter-Barry Books2025OverallRoss MontgomeryI am RebelWalker BooksYounger ChildrenLeonie LordGrottiWalker BooksYounger ReadersRoss MontgomeryI am RebelWalker BooksOlder ReadersMalcolm DuffySeven Mission SunflowersZephyr

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. 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 four Overall awards for Kensuke's Kingdom in 2000, Private Peaceful in 2004, Shadow in 2011 and An Eagle in the Snow in 2017. 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.

Children's Book Award (UK)

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