BfK News: July 2010
AWARDS
The 2010 CILIP Kate Greenaway and Carnegie Medals
Freya Blackwood has won the 2010 CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal for Harry & Hopper written by Margaret Wild (Scholastic). Margaret Pemberton, Chair of the CILIP Kate Greenaway judging panel, commented: ‘In Harry & Hopper, Freya Blackwood excels in her use of muted colour, perspective, and exterior and interior space to give a powerful take on the father-son relationship, and a much-loved pet’s death. A sensitive issue for young children is beautifully handled, with Harry’s emotions and memories of Hopper expressed visually to great effect.’
See Julia Eccleshare’s exclusive Books for Keeps interview with Freya Blackwood.
Neil Gaiman won the 2010 CILIP Carnegie Medal for The Graveyard Book (Bloomsbury). The Graveyard Book has already won the 2009 Newbery Medal, the US equivalent of the Carnegie, making Neil Gaiman the first author to be awarded both these internationally recognised prizes for children’s fiction for the same book. Margaret Pemberton, Chair of the Judges, described The Graveyard Book as ‘extraordinary in every way: the style, plot and quality of the writing. With great skill Gaiman has created a gripping page turner, expertly supported by well developed characters, that is full of humour and humanity.’
The Branford Boase Award 2010
The Award is given annually to the author of an outstanding debut novel for children. It also honours the editor of the winning title and highlights the importance of the editor in nurturing new talent.
The books on the shortlist are:
Devil’s Kiss by Sarwat Chadda, edited by Lindsey Heaven (Puffin)
Stolen by Lucy Christopher, edited by Imogen Cooper (Chicken House)
Life, Interrupted by Damian Kelleher, edited by Anne Clark (Piccadilly Press)
Guantanamo Boy by Anna Perera, edited by Shannon Park (Puffin)
Big and Clever by Dan Tunstall, edited by Ross Bradshaw (Five Leaves)
Numbers by Rachel Ward, edited by Imogen Cooper (Chicken House)
Paradise Barn by Victor Watson, edited by Leonie Pratt (Catnip)
The Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize 2010
‘A resurgence in quality writing for younger children has packed the line-up for this year’s prize with stories for the under-10s, full of ogres, wolves and mysterious Green Men,’ commented Chair of Judges, Julia Eccleshare, of the shortlisted books. They are:
Prisoner of the Inquisition by Theresa Breslin (Doubleday)
Now by Morris Gleitzman (Puffin)
Unhooking the Moon by Gregory Hughes (Quercus)
The Ogre of Oglefort by Eva Ibbotson (Macmillan)
Sparks by Ally Kennen (Marion Lloyd Books)
Lob by Linda Newbery, illustrated by Pam Smy (David Fickling)
Ghost Hunter by Michelle Paver (Orion)
White Crow by Marcus Sedgwick (Orion)
The prize will be awarded in September.
2010 English 4-11 Best Children’s Illustrated Book Awards
Established in 1995, the awards are presented to the best children’s illustrated books of the year. The winning books are chosen by the editorial board of English 4-11, the journal for primary teachers published by the English Association and the United Kingdom Literacy Association, from a shortlist of 12-18 books selected by a panel of teachers.
Key Stage 1 Fiction winner:
Ernest by Catherine Rayner (Macmillan)
Key Stage 1 Non-fiction winner:
Insect Detective by Steve Voake, illustrated by Charlotte Voake (Walker)
Key Stage 2 Fiction winner:
Crazy Hair by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Dave McKean (Bloomsbury)
Key Stage 2 Non-fiction winner:
Charles Darwin and the Beagle Adventure by Amanda Wood and Clint Twist, illustrated by Ian Andrew, Diz Wallis and Eloise A Lambert (Templar)
Special Award:
Dracula, adapted by Nicky Raven, illustrated by Anne Yvonne Gilbert (Templar)
2010 Essex Book Award
Hundreds of secondary school students from all over Essex voted Chalkline by Jane Mitchell (Walker) their favourite read in this year’s Essex Book Award. The contemporary novel, set in the mountains of Kashmir, features Rafiq, who is just nine when Kashmiri Freedom fighters raid his village in search of new recruits. Rafiq is forced to become a boy soldier against his will.
The Essex Book Award was launched four years ago by Essex County Council’s School Library Service. It is a county-wide scheme aimed to encourage secondary school pupils to enjoy wider reading and foster a passion for fiction. Cllr Stephen Castle, Essex County Council Cabinet Member for Education, said: ‘We are so pleased that Jane Mitchell visited Essex to accept her award and speak directly to the children who voted for her. The Essex Book Award is a wonderful way to get young readers inspired by fiction and Jane’s visit gave them valuable insight into how an author works.’
The Queen of Teen shortlist
Queen of Teen is delighted to announce the shortlist for what they describe as ‘the fiction world’s most glamorous award’. Thousands of nominations have been received from teenagers across the country and voting is now open to find this year’s Queen of Teen. The ten authors who have made the shortlist are:
Cathy Cassidy, Jacqueline Wilson, Chris Higgins, Joanna Nadin, Sarah Webb, Sarra Manning, Helen Bailey, Samantha Mackintosh, Louise Rennison and Cathy Hopkins.
The award will be presented at an award ceremony in September 2010. Teens and tweens can now vote for their favourite author from the shortlist by visiting www.queenofteen.co.uk. The first Queen of Teen contest attracted tens of thousands of votes from young readers across the globe and resulted in the author of the Georgia Nicolson books, Louise Rennison, being crowned Queen of Teen. At her award ceremony, Louise said: ‘I’ve never won anything before – I was never even a school prefect! Now I’ve got a crown and a throne – how could it be more perfect?’
The Queen’s Birthday Honours
Congratulations to poet Wendy Cope and to Chicken House Publisher Barry Cunningham who have both been awarded an OBE.
NEWS
The Booktime programme
From this September, 1.4 million free books will be given out to all 4-5 year-olds in England by The Booktime programme which is managed by Booktrust in association with Pearson. Delivery of the Booktime programme is funded by the DCSF (Department for Children, Schools and Families).
Each child will receive a copy of “Slowly, Slowly, Slowly,” Said the Sloth by Eric Carle (Puffin) and a special abridged edition of Why is the Sky Blue? compiled and written by Geraldine Taylor and illustrated by Amy Schimler (Ladybird). Both these books will encourage children to explore and discover their environment and the wider world.
Florida theme park for Harry Potter
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is a new theme park at Universal Orlando Resort where young readers can visit locations such as Dumbledore’s office and the Gryffindor common room as well as buy a Hogwarts school uniform. Meanwhile Bloomsbury will be publishing the Harry Potter novels with new jacket designs to coincide with the release of the first film in the two-part adaptation of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. For more information on the theme park see www.universalorlando.com/harrypotter/
Saint Exupéry on film
A previously unknown amateur movie in colour of Antoine de Saint Exupéry, author of the children’s classic, Le Petit Prince, and his wife Consuela was sold at auction in Paris in May. Made in 1942, the historic film shot on a lake near Montreal in Canada shows the writer on a boat surrounded by women and under the watchful eye of Consuela. The two minute 19 second film was put up for sale by Saint Exupéry’s son. In July 1944, while on a reconnaissance flight to Nazi-occupied France, Saint Exupéry’s plane disappeared.
Correction
The review in the May print edition of Lucy Christopher’s Flyaway referred to ‘Whopper swans’. This should of course have been ‘Whooper swans’. Thanks to reader Celia Bryce for pointing this out.
EVENTS
Tim Hopgood at the National Portrait Gallery
Picture book illustrator Tim Hopgood (Our Big Blue Sofa, Tip Tap Went the Crab etc) has created two original children’s characters, Tom and Lily, to support the BP Portrait Award exhibition (until 19 September). The characters appear at the entrance to the exhibition and on labels around the show highlighting paintings of particular interest to children. Tom and Lily are also central to the Gallery’s free family trail programme – a series of games and tours of the exhibition designed to encourage children to engage with the paintings and get excited about portraiture. For further information contact the National Portrait Gallery, tel: 020 7312 2452.
Philippa Pearce Memorial Lectures
The third Philippa Pearce Memorial Lecture will be held at Seven Stories Centre for the Children’s Book in Newcastle on 30 September 2010. Michael Morpurgo is the guest speaker. The event will return to Homerton College on Thursday, 8 September 2011, when Philip Pullman will give the lecture. For further information and Michael Rosen’s electrifying speech of 2009, go to www.pearcelecture.com
