THE 2006 TIR NA N-OG AWARDS

This year the awards are celebrating their thirtieth anniversary.

THE ENGLISH AWARD was won by Jenny Sullivan with "Tirion's Secret Journal" published by Gomer/Pont Books. The WELSH LANGUAGE PRIMARY was won by Emily Huws with "Carreg Ateb" and the SECONDARY by Gwion Hallam with "Creadyn" Gomer. The Awards will be featured on the S4C television programme "Wedi 7" on Monday 29 May.

ANGUS BOOK AWARD 2006

Congratulations to Graham Joyce who has won with TWOC a hard hitting fast paced novel which takes a step into the world of teenage joyriding (published by Faber). The prize is voted on by over 500 14 year olds and was launched in 1996 by Angus Council.

SCHOOL LIBRARY ASSOCIATION AWARDS

Jacqueline Wilson, the Chioldren's Laureate, said when presenting awards to two exceptional School Librarians "I think school librarians do a sterling job. It's their enthusiasm and hard work that encourage so many children to become hooked on books and develop a love of reading" The SLA Life Achievement Award was presented for the first time to Lynn Barrett from Bradford and the SLA School Librarian of the Year Award to Anne-
arie Tarter for her work at Ripon Grammar School, North Yorkshire.

THE ROYAL SOCIETY'S AVENTIS PRIZES FOR SCIENCE BOOKS

Kate Petty (author) , Jennie Maizels (illustrator) and Corina Fletcher (paper engineer) have won the Royal Society's Aventis Junior Prize 2006. Lord Rees of Ludlow, President of the Royal Society and Professor Uwe Bicker, Member of the Board of Trustees of the Aventis Foundation, presented the £10,000 prize to Kate, Jennie and Corina for their book The Global Garden (Eden Books).

A judging panel, chaired by Anne Fine, selected a shortlist of six titles before handing over the final judging decision to over a thousand young people in groups across the UK.

The Global Garden helps children to explore their natural world and discover the origins of products that we all use on a daily basis. Friendly bees and moles help the intrepid reader to negotiate the secret flaps, levers and windows that reveal where jeans grow, what a bicycle plant looks like and how photosynthesis occurs. The book encourages younger readers to engage with environmental issues from an early age, and to consider the impact that their little home has on the winder global garden. Tabby (aged 14) said "We wish our text books were like this"....

DICK BRUNA

Dick Bruna is Holland's most successful living artist and at the age of 78 is still working every day in his studio in Utrecht. He is about to publish his 114th title. Utrecht's Centraal Museum opens the Dick Bruna Huis at Agnietenstraat 2, Utrecht this year. On show will be original sketches and drawings. For opening times and further information go to www.dickbrunahuis.com

GREAT BOOKS TO READ ALOUD

Available now at £1 from most bookshops - and free from some - this is a useful list inspired by the present Children's Laureate, Jacqueline Wilson. Of course I have quibbles. Whatever list is published without people wondering why such and such is excluded. My main beef though is the exclusion of picture books from all but the youngest age range 0-5 years. I thought that particular battle had been won some years ago. And there are picture books of such superb quality for older children it seems a shame to exclude them. Talking about the pictures is as productive as listening to a story.

Crossover Novels

Said by a rather well-known and highly rated children's author of books for 12+

"I don't know what crossovers are - a load of bollocks really"