No to Age Banding

No to Age Banding
We are writers, illustrators, librarians, teachers, publishers and booksellers. Some of us have a measure of control over what appears on the covers of their books; others have less.

But we are all agreed that the proposal to put an age-guidance figure on books for children is ill-conceived, damaging to the interests of young readers, and highly unlikely, despite the claims made by those publishers promoting the scheme, to make the slightest difference to sales.

We take this step to disavow publicly any connection with such age-guidance figures, and to state our passionately-held conviction that everything about a book should seek to welcome readers in and not keep them out.

Here are some of our reasons:

Each child is unique, and so is each book. Accurate judgments about age suitability are impossible, and approximate ones are worse than useless.
Children easily feel stigmatized, and many will put aside books they might love because of the fear of being called babyish. Other children will feel dismayed that books of their ‘correct’ age-group are too challenging, and will be put off reading even more firmly than before.
Age-banding seeks to help adults choose books for children, and we're all in favour of that; but it does so by giving them the wrong information. It’s also likely to encourage over-prescriptive or anxious adults to limit a child's reading in ways that are unnecessary and even damaging.
Everything about a book is already rich with clues about the sort of reader it hopes to find – jacket design, typography, cover copy, prose style, illustrations. These are genuine connections with potential readers, because they appeal to individual preference. An age-guidance figure is a false one, because it implies that all children of that age are the same.
Children are now taught to look closely at book covers for all the information they convey. The hope that they will not notice the age-guidance figure, or think it unimportant, is unfounded.
Writers take great care not to limit their readership unnecessarily. To tell a story as well and inclusively as possible, and then find someone at the door turning readers away, is contrary to everything we value about books, and reading, and literature itself.
To sign up and show your support for this statement, send an email to signup@notoagebanding.org . We will publish your name and any relevant description (eg writer, bookseller) on this web site and possibly in the Bookseller advertisement. We'll keep your email address confidential and won't pass it to anybody else, but we may write occasionally with relevant news.

Red House Children's Book Award

Derek Landy’s debut novel, Skulduggery Pleasant, has won the Red House Children’s Book Award (RHCBA) - the only national children’s book award to be chosen exclusively by children.

As winner of the Red House Children’s Book Award Derek Landy joins a group of illustrious past winners including Quentin Blake in 1981 with Mister Magnolia, Roald Dahl in 1983 with The BFG, Jacqueline Wilson in 1996 with Double Act, J.K. Rowling in 1998 with Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and Michael Morpurgo with Private Peaceful in 2004. Former Children’s Laureate, Jacqueline Wilson DBE, says of the award “It’s the book award that means the most to me because it’s the one where children do the voting.”


The category winners were in the Books for Younger Children section, Polly Dunbar with Penguin published by Walker Books and in the Books for Younger Readers Chris Riddell Ottoline and the Yellow Cat published by Macmillan Children’s Books. Derek Landy won the Books for Older Readers as well as being awarded overall winner.


· The Red House Children’s Book Award, now in its 28th year, is the only national award 100% selected by children – that includes both the shortlist and the winners.
· It’s totally democratic & accessible - any child can take part and vote via the website www.redhousechidlrensbookaward.co.uk or via a Freepost address.

Who's Kidding Who?

Listed in one of those free book magazines - May edition of Booktime to be precise - is a list said to be from The Mammoth Book of Boys' Own Stuff. I haven't checked it out BUT the list is headed "Ten Books to Read Before the Age of Ten" and includes Coral Island, The Call of the Wild and Treasure Island!!

Angus Book Award 2008

Kate Cann wins 2008 Angus Book Award

Author Kate Cann has won the 2008 Angus Book Award for her novel Leaving Poppy, Lewis Miller, Chair of the Angus Youth Congress, presented the winning author with her trophy, a miniature replica of the Aberlemno Serpent Stone, and £500 prize at a ceremony in Montrose Town Hall on 20 May.

After several months of decision making and debate in the eight Angus secondary schools, the five shortlisted authors arrived from all over the UK to speak to the pupils and take part in the award ceremony in Montrose.

The ceremony, organised by 3rd year pupils, was hosted this year by Montrose Academy. Pupils from the other secondary schools spoke about the shortlisted books and asked the authors questions. This year’s voting was again a close run race but the reaction of the pupils to the announcement of the winner confirmed that this was an extremely popular choice.

The other shortlisted authors for the 2008 award were: Sherry Ashworth for Close-up (Simon & Schuster UK)), J. A. Henderson for Bunker 10 (Oxford University Press), Graham Marks for Omega 10 (Bloomsbury) and Anthony McGowan for Henry Tumour (Definitions).
Leaving Poppy is a taut, tense ghost story with a chilling edge, published by Scholastic. It tells the absorbing story of Amber who has fled from her claustrophobic, manipulative family, determined to start her life again in a different town, only to discover that her new home hides a horrifying, terrible secret. When circumstances bring her suffocating sister Poppy to live with her again, a latent power concealed in the house is awakened. The book raises the question, which is more frightening - the supernatural or the selfish, destructive family?

Kate Cann said: “The Angus Book Award was an absolute blast! It more than deserves its formidable reputation. The girls from Arbroath Academy blew me away with their wonderful report on my book at the ceremony. The kids ran the show and they did it brilliantly. I am so proud and happy to have won.”

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bedtime stories on the bbc

MICHAEL ROSEN READS BEDTIME STORIES

Next week’s Bedtime Stories on the CBeebies Channel will be read by the Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen.

Michael has chosen five of his favourite children’s books to read – Ruby Sings the Blues (Niki Daly), Eliza and the Moonchild (Emma Chichester Clark), Farmer Duck (Martin Waddell), The Opposite (Tom Macrae) and Slinky Malinki Catflaps & Hairy Maclary of Donaldson’s Dairy (both by Lynley Dodd).

Michael said: “I chose these stories because they are rhythmic and full of feeling and fun. I think it’s really important that children hear the sounds of stories read with full colour and characterisation. Stories on the page need to be lifted and dramatised. I hope if mums and dads are watching they’ll think ... I could read a story like that.”

Bedtime Stories are produced by Angela Young for CBeebies Presentation. You can see Michael reading the stories from May 19th – 23rd on the CBeebies channel at 6.45 pm. Ruby Sings the Blues and Eliza and the Moonchild will both be repeated on Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th at 6.45 pm.

Illustration Cupboard Exhibition

The Illustration Cupboard
presents its Spring Exhibition 2008

The Art of Aardman
Original Film Animation Artwork
Thursday 15 May to Saturday 07 June

Monday – Friday 10am to 6pm
Saturday 12pm – 5pm

A Multimedia exhibition including artwork by Nick Park and Michael Salter for Wallace & Gromit and Chicken Run
Sketches of the claymation figure Morph by Peter Lord
Rare character development drawings for Creature Comforts
Working film storyboards for Shaun the Sheep
Original claymation models and documentary film will also be on view.

Entrance is free, Families welcome
3 Minutes form Green Park Station
Meter Parking outside the gallery
Wheelchair access

Hurrah! At long last a prize for humour

The Roald Dahl Funny PrizeBooktrust, in association with Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen, is delighted to announce the inaugural Roald Dahl Funny Prize.
This exciting new prize has two categories – the funniest book for children aged six and under, and the funniest book for children aged seven to fourteen. Fiction, non-fiction and poetry will be welcomed.

A panel of five judges will be chaired by Michael Rosen; the other judges are Sophie Dahl, Dara O'Briain, Chris Riddell and one other.

The judges will select a shortlist of six books in each category in early September to tie in with the third Roald Dahl Day on 13 September.

The winner of each category will receive £2,500, which will be presented at an awards ceremony in London in November 2008.

Michael Rosen explains:

'If there had been a prize for funny books when Roald Dahl was writing, he would have won it with every book he wrote! That’s why this award was named in his honour.

'Children love funny books but when adults draw up lists of the best books they nearly always leave the funny ones out. When I became the Children’s Laureate, I said that my job should be as an ambassador for fun. That's why I came up with the idea of this funny prize, all part of the job!”

The Roald Dahl Funny Prize aims to:

> promote laughter and humour as a feel-good factor when reading, by encouraging families to read together and discover the pleasure of humorous (funny) books. This in turn will reinforce the message that reading together promotes family well-being.

> draw attention to funny books as readable and enjoyable books. We hope that the prize will enable these books to gain a profile that makes them more accessible to children and young people. The prize will work to achieve this through a range of activities supported by libraries, teachers and parents.

> reward and encourage authors (and illustrators) who write and illustrate books using humour in their stories, poetry and fiction. By creating these awards we hope to promote a vibrant area of publishing often overlooked by other awards.

Felicity Dahl, the author's widow, said:

'Roald would have been absolutely thrilled to have this prize named in his honour. Humour is at the heart of all his writings and, as a strong supporter of new talent, he'd have been tremendously excited at all the wonderful funny books being published for young people today.'

Sophie Dahl, eldest grandchild of Roald Dahl and the inspiration for the character of Sophie in The BFG, added:

'I am thrilled and tickled to join the judging panel of the Roald Dahl Funny Prize this year. A prize that involves laughing until your belly aches and you get the hiccups is the kind of prize I want to be involved with for eternity. It's a pretty irresistible proposition.'

Roald Dahl himself, of course, appreciated the role of humour in his writing:

'My lucky thing is that I laugh at exactly the same jokes that children laugh at and that's one reason I'm able to do it. I don't sit here roaring with laughter but you have wonderful inside jokes all the time and it's got to be exciting, it's got to be fast, it's got to have a good plot but it's got to be funny. It's got to be funny. Each book I do is a different level of that ...

'The fine line between roaring with laughter and crying because it's a disaster is a very, very fine line. You see a chap slip on a banana skin in the street and you roar with laughter when he falls slap on his backside. If in doing so you suddenly see he's broken a leg, you very quickly stop laughing and it's not a joke anymore. I don't know, there's a fine line and you just have to try to find it.'

For further information go to www.roaldahlprize.org

Royal Mail Awards for Scottish Children's Books Shortlist

Early Years (0-7 years)
- TYRANNOSAURUS DRIP by Julia Donaldson & David Roberts (Macmillan)
- BILLY MONSTER’S DAYMARE by Alan Durant & Ross Collins (OUP)
- GOAT AND DONKEY IN STRAWBERRY SUNGLASSES by Simon Puttock & Russell Julian (OUP)

Younger Readers (8-11 years)
- HOX by Annemarie Allan (Floris Books)
- ROBE OF SKULLS by Vivian French & Ross Collins (Walker Books)
- DARK ISLE by D A Nelson (Strident)

Older Readers (12-16 years)
- THE WITNESS by James Jauncey (Macmillan)
- BUNKER 10 by J.A. Henderson (OUP)
- CRUSADE by Elizabeth Laird (Macmillan)

The winners will be announced in Aberdeen on November 18 2008.

English Association Awards

The winners of the 2008 English 4-11
Best Children’s Illustrated Book Awards
(for books published in 2007) are

Non-Fiction
Key Stage 1
Ape
by Martin Jenkins, illustrated by Vicky White Walker

Key Stage 2
Greek Hero
by Mick Manning and Brita Granström Frances Lincoln

Fiction
Key Stage 1
Wonderful Life
by Helen Ward Templar

Key Stage 2
Varmints
by Helen Ward, illustrated by Marc Craste Templar

Special Award
The Invention of Hugo Cabret
by Brian Selznick Scholastic


Shortlisted:

Archie’s War by Marcia Williams Walker
Art to make you Scared by Elizabeth Newbery Frances Lincoln
Beowulf Retold by Nicky Raven, illustrated by John Howe Templar
Big Brave Brian by M.P.Robertson Frances Lincoln
Dinomummy by Phillip Lars Manning Kingfisher
Ottoline and the Yellow Cat by Chris Riddell Macmillan
Poems About Earth Compiled by Andrew Fusek Peters Evans
The Art Book for Children: Book two by Amanda Renshaw Phaidon
The Life of Anne Frank by Menno Metselaar and Rudd Van Der Rol Macmillan
The Snow Leopard by Jackie Morris Frances Lincoln
The Twin Giants: A Love Story by Dick King-Smith, illustrated by Mini Grey Walker
Wow! Rainforest Animals by Carolyn Franklin Book House

The Awards, given by the English Association, will be presented to the winners on Wednesday 21 May 2008 at 5.00pm at the British Academy, 10 Carlton House Terrace, London, following the Association’s AGM.

Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Short List 2008

CILIP Carnegie Medal: Congratulations to the following:
* Kevin Crossley-Holland, shortlisted for Gatty's Tale, has won before for Storm in 1985.
* Linzi Glass is shortlisted for Ruby Red, her second novel. She was brought up in South Africa and now lives in California.
* Tanya Landman is shortlisted for Apache. This is the first time she has been shortlisted for the Carnegie. She lives in Devon with her family.
* Elizabeth Laird's Crusade is her fifth book to be shortlisted for the CILIP Carnegie.
* Philip Reeve, shortlisted for Here Lies Arthur, worked in a bookshop before writing his first book, Mortal Engines.
* Meg Rosoff is shortlisted for What I Was, her third novel. She won the Carnegie award last year for Just in Case.
* Finding Violet Park is Jenny Valentine's debut novel which has already won the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize.

The CILIP KATE GREENAWAY Medal Shortlist 2008 Congratulations to
ANTHONY BROWNE Silly Billy
Walker Books - will he win it for an unprecidented third time?
POLLY DUNBAR Penguin
Walker Books - this acclaimed young illustrator has already been chosen as one of Booktrusts' Best Ten Illustrators as has
EMILY GRAVETT Little Mouse's Big Book of Fears
Macmillan
EMILY GRAVETT Monkey and Me
Macmillan
JANE RAY (Text by Carol Ann Duffy) The Lost Happy Endings
Bloomsbury
CHRIS RIDDELL Ottoline and the Yellow Cat
Macmillan
ED VERE Banana!
Puffin

The Carnegie Medal and its sister award, the Kate Greenaway Medal, are awarded annually by CILIP: the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals. The winners will be announced at a ceremony at the British Library in London on Thursday 26 June.

You will find interviews with many of the shortlisted authors and illustrators in back issues of Carousel. And an interview with Polly Dunbar will appear in the Summer copy of the magazine.

Do it Yourself

I'm uncertain how far down the do-it-yourself angle authors should go...see item below. My local library has a do-it-yourself check in and check out for books so librarians need never talk to the customer! Self-service check-outs in supermarkets must, surely, be reducing jobs. And I do wonder if this enterprise means that publishers can just concentrate on their massive promotions...but perhaps otherwise it would not have come about, and it will undoubtedly shift books which helps everyone. So maybe I'm just being grumpy...

Four authors who live in and around Somerset have collaborated to create a promotional poster to mark the National Year of Reading.

Lynne Benton, Rebecca Lisle, Sue Purkiss and Kathryn White feature on a poster which they are distributing to local schools and libraries, promoting their books and websites, and their availability for talks and workshops.

'We need to be more proactive,' says Sue Purkiss. 'We've got to be realistic about what our publishers can do for us, and rather than waiting for things to happen, we decided to take matters into our own hands. It was Kathryn’s idea to produce a poster, then Becky oversaw the design - with input from all of us - and I organised the distribution via the Somerset library service. The libraries are very keen to support local authors, particularly in view of their focus on the National Year of Reading.' The writers' publishers - Walker and Little Tiger Press - supported the idea by providing printouts of the poster for distribution.'It's already helped raise our profile locally,' Sue says. 'We're all getting more invitations to schools and libraries as a result.'

Sue's new novel, Warrior King (Walker Books), is her retelling of the story of King Alfred which is especially relevant for this area. 'Local readers will recognise the landscapes in my book, and I'm looking forward to talking to them about Alfred. He's a fascinating character, with far more influence on the way Britain developed than we give him credit for. Obviously I want children all over the country to read it, but there's nowhere better to start than our own region.'

Anya Hollis, Marketing Director of Walker Books welcomes the move.
"We are very happy to work collaboratively with our authors, and in particular to help spread the word about Sue, her new book The Warrior King and her backlist."

10 Best New Young Illustrators

The UK’s Best New Illustrators were revealed today by Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen at the Children’s Book Fair in Bologna. The final ten represent the best rising talent in the field of illustration today, who demonstrate remarkable creative flair, artistic skill and boundless imagination in their work.


They are:

Alexis Deacon

Polly Dunbar - read an interview with her in the summer edition of Carousel

Lisa Evans

Emily Gravett - you can read an interview in issue 32

Mini Grey - you can read an interview in issue 24

Oliver Jeffers

David Lucas

Catherine Rayner

Joel Stewart

Vicky White


David Roberts and Sam Lloyd were highly commended.


The final ten were chosen from over 250 published illustrators by an illustrious Booktrust panel. To be eligible, illustrators must have been published in the UK since 2000. The Big Picture Judging Committee comprised author and illustrator Anthony Browne; Sunday Times journalist Nicolette Jones; Antonia Byatt, director of literature strategy at Arts Council England; author Malorie Blackman; and John Huddy founder of the Illustration Cupboard.


Michael Rosen comments:
“This is a great time for the picture book. A new generation of artists in command of all the new technologies and with an up-to-the-minute view of the world has arrived. Every one of these makers of picture books deserves a place on a child's bookshelf with the inventiveness, wit and wonder they have given us.”


Shirley Hughes comments:
“The varied talents of these ten new illustrators represent the marvellous vitality of our profession. In an era in which we are bombarded by moving electronic imagery, looking at picture books is not only a vital part of learning to read but offers a lifelong pleasure in itself.”


The Best New Illustrators form part of the Big Picture campaign, which has events running throughout 2008. As well as the Best New Illustrators, Booktrust and Rough Guides have produced The Rough Guide to Picture Books which will be distributed free of charge by branches of Tesco and Waterstone’s. The Big Picture will also join up with the Campaign for Family Learning and The Big Draw to host Big Picture parties at libraries throughout October, to celebrate picture books and encourage family reading through drawing.


The exhibition of works by the ten Best New Illustrators will run at the Illustration Cupboard, Piccadilly, London from 17 April – 3 May.

Location: The Illustration Cupboard, 22 Bury St, St. James’s, London SW1Y 6AL

Dates: 17 April – 3 May

Opening times: Mon – Fri 10-6pm, Sat 12-5

Website: www.illustrationcupboard.com and www.bigpicture.org.uk

The Siobhan Dowd Trust

The Siobhan Dowd Trust is the dying bequest of the celebrated children’s author Siobhan Dowd. Just before her tragic death from cancer in August 2007 she personally and energetically supervised its foundation, to support, in all ways possible, disadvantaged young readers in the UK and Ireland. It was one of the very last things on Siobhan’s mind and clearly for her the most pressing cause in our society today.

The aims of the trust are simple and direct:
To take stories to our children without stories.
To bring the joy of reading to our children deprived of reading.
To bring books to our children deprived of books.
To fund disadvantaged readers where there is no funding, and to support disadvantaged readers where there is no support.
To fund and support any persons or organizations who help disadvantaged young readers.

The Trustees believe that the best and truest way faithfully to observe Siobhan’s last wish is to invite applications from persons or organizations in the UK or Ireland who need funding to directly help disadvantaged young readers. The Trustees will take a few months to consider and evaluate applications and then begin to disburse awards in the way that best seems to follow Siobhan’s wishes. By the terms of Siobhan’s will, all royalty income derived from her published novels and any posthumously published work will go to the Trust. The Trustees believe that Siobhan’s generosity will be the seed of something much larger, and so the Trust also welcomes donations from the public. The aspiration is to help as many disadvantaged young people as possible.

The Trustees are in no doubt of the importance of this bequest and its fundamental urgency for our children and for the future culture of the British Isles and Ireland. We may think we live in a literate society but, as Siobhan was well aware, there are too many places in our own ‘house’ where children are denied the opportunity to read. This is a charity that must begin at home, a home that, like Siobhan’s life, spans both sides of the Irish Sea.

A brief note on Siobhan: Siobhan spent most of her career looking after writers. Working for PEN she fought to help writers silenced by oppressive regimes around the world. Closer to home, she did all she could to get reading material into the hands of disadvantaged young people from all walks of life, for example encouraging people in young offenders’ institutes to read, and youngsters from the Romany culture to record their history. Her support for, and encouragement of, her fellow-writers was inexhaustible.

In some ways perhaps she sacrificed her own brimming talent for the benefit of other authors. And then, just as she discovered she was fatally ill, she put pen to paper and produced four of the most remarkable novels for children you could wish for. She was a writing phenomenon. The overriding thought of all those who knew her work is that her loss to the world of children’s writing is a tragedy. It is utterly characteristic that Siobhan should, at the end, put her mind unerringly to the most deserving group of all: the young reader. Siobhan realized that our literary culture - critics, bookshops, agents, publishing, libraries, schools - depends ultimately on the reader. And, of readers, the young reader is the most vulnerable. And amongst young readers, the disadvantaged young reader is the most deprived of all. Siobhan, at the last, and with all her usual clarity, decided to help them. And you can help them too.

The Siobhan Dowd Trust Books A Swift Pure Cry The London Eye Mystery Bog Child Solace(to be published in 2009)

The Trustees Tony Bradman Rachel Billington Polly Nolan David Fickling

Just click www.siobhandowdtrust.org for more details about the Trust, about how to donate and about how to apply for support

David St John Thomas Charitable Trust Awards

Born to Dance by Katherine Reynolds published by Ideasa4writers has won the Children’s category in one of the David St. John Thomas Charitable Trust Awards. These awards are run in conjunction with Writers News and Writers Magazine. Born to Dance now goes on to try for the overall prize, competing with fiction for adults, non-fiction etc.

The Philippa Pearce Memorial Lecture

Philippa Pearce died at the end of 2006 and widespread respect and affection for her writing is as strong as it ever was. Such is the extraordinary quality of her work that it has not only been honoured by the literary establishment, but has also constantly inspired new young readers and writers. Our aim, therefore, is to encourage young readers and writers, as Philippa Pearce valued so much her engagement with them. '

We' are a small group of her friends, family and colleagues who are planning a series of five lectures, spread over five years, to be delivered by various distinguished speakers with an interest in children's books. Some of the speakers may be authors themselves; all, from their different perspectives, will provoke thought. In this way and in Philippa Pearce's honour, we seek to acknowledge and understand excellence in writing for children, and to emphasize its continuing vital importance.

On 11th September 2008, at Homerton College - an institution with which she was always happy to be involved - the inaugural lecture will take the form of a direct tribute to Philippa Pearce's work. Subsequent lectures will range more widely, over the works of others, but will tend to reflect her own wide-ranging literary interests in, for example, the short story, the ghost story, the picture book and, of course, the novel.

In 2008, her own best loved novel, Tom's Midnight Garden, will have been in print for 50 years. Also in 2008 will come the publication of her very last story, A Finder's Magic, completed just before she died. Both will be widely celebrated by children, parents, grandparents, teachers, librarians and book lovers of every kind: a fitting context for the Memorial Lecture itself. Alongside the inaugural lecture, there will be a small exhibition of books, illustrations and other ephemera relating to Philippa Pearce's work in Homerton College library. We will not be charging admission to the first lecture, but numbers will be limited and from 1st April there will be a booking system in place on the website. You will need to use this to secure a seat. It will be found under the lectures link when you visit the web page www.pearcelecture.com

Waterstone's Children's Book Prize

Début author Sally Nicholls has scooped one of the most valuable and prestigious children’s books awards in the country at the age of just 24.

Sally, a graduate of the Writing For Young People MA at Bath Spa University, was just 23 when she wrote Ways To Live Forever, a powerful, inspiring and courageous story told in the voice of 11-year-old Sam, who is terminally ill with leukaemia.

Ways To Live Forever was announced as the winner of the Waterstone's Children's Book Prize 2008 by Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen in an evening ceremony at Waterstone’s Piccadilly on 13th February. As well as a £5,000 cash prize, Sally receives the promise of ongoing commitment from Waterstone’s 325 nationwide branches.

Beating off stiff competition from a nine-strong shortlist, Ways to Live Forever is set to be the début of the year -- foreign rights have already been sold in seventeen countries and rave reviews have been flooding in.

Publisher Marion Lloyd, of Marion Lloyd Books at Scholastic, said:
"I search for novels that send electrical tingles up my spine. Reading this manuscript was more like being plugged into a 1000-volt socket. This is a story for everyone, whatever their age.”

Joel Rickett, Deputy Editor of The Bookseller Magazine said:
"It’s easy to see why the judges of the Waterstone’s Children’s Book Prize 2008 were hooked by Sally Nicholls’ début. Ways To Live Forever is a deceptively simple yet heart-wrenching story of a young boy dying of leukaemia, handled with grace and rare humour. Nicholls largely avoids mawkishness or sentimental set pieces. Yet readers can’t help but fill in the blanks and despair. Having deftly dodged the pitfalls of carrying such a weighty story, Nicholls is poised to follow in the footsteps of her favourite authors Hilary McKay, Frank Cottrell Boyce and Philip Pullman."

Sally Nicholls said: “I am so excited to have won the Waterstone's Children's Book Prize. The experience has all felt very surreal, not just having my first novel published, but hearing how much my book has affected and moved the judges. There were some amazing novels on the shortlist, so it’s a real honour to have won”.

Sally Nicholls was born in Stockton in 1984. Tragically, she lost her father when she was just two years old. She spent most of her childhood immersed in books, and dreamt of becoming an author from a young age. After graduating in Philosophy and Literature at Warwick, she took and MA in Writing For Young People at Bath Spa University, where she won the prize for the writer who showed the most potential.

Sally is a practicing Quaker and a member of the Society of Friends and loves the theatre and reading - especially the works of Sartre, Kafka and Dostoevsky. She now lives in London and is writing her second novel, based on the pagan myth of the green man. The Midnight Hunter is due for release in January 2009.

Ways To Live Forever is a scrapbook of lists, stories, pictures, questions and facts put together by 11-year-old Sam. He’s a boy who collects facts and loves looking things up on the Internet. He’s curious about ghosts and UFOs - and also death. Sam has terminal leukaemia. He is going to die. And dying is a fact of life. His unsentimental view of living and dying sweeps aside our fears of death, and the pure, clear voice in which Sally Nicholls tells his story also speaks of the discovery of an astonishingly accomplished and powerful young writer.

Children's Writers and Illustrators Conference, Cambridge

The Children's Writers and Illustrators Group of The Society of Authors are holding a conference at Robinson College, Cambridge over the last weekend in August - 29-31 August 2008. Booking for this is now open to non-members. The conference is intended as a forum for the exchange of ideas for published and would-be published authors and illustrators but also for those interested in the whole children's book world.

The conference opens on Friday evening 29 August and closes mid-afternoon on Sunday. Speakers include David Almond, Laurence Anholt, Anthony Browne, Polly Dunbar, Julia Eccleshare, Nicolette Jones, Graham Marks, William Nicholson and the Children's Laureate Michael Rosen. There will also be parallel sessions dealing with (on the whole) more practical matters including how to survive school visits, working in remote areas with indigenous communities in Australia, how to manage time, how to make a living as a children's poet, story-boarding, from picture book to film, historical research and more.

Robinson College is a modern college set near the Backs so walking into the centre of Cambridge is a joy - a ten minute stroll alson a footpath takes one directly to King's College. Robinson opened in 1981, built to a high architectural standard with specially commissioned John Piper windows magnificently displayed in the chapel. The standard of catering is excellent and if the weather is glorious you can take your breakfast or lunch outside. Rarely, for a Cambridge college, you can walk on the grass. Ensuite accommodation with the lecture theatre, dining hall, exhibitions, Heffer's conference bookshop and bedrooms within the same central area. There are quick frequent trains from London to Cambridge and if you choose to drive there is even parking!

Further details and a booking form can be seen on www.societyofauthors.org. Residential rates for the whole weekend for members of The Society of Authors are £255 plus VAT total £299.62 and for non-members £295 plus VAT total £346.62. Non-residential rates for the Saturday and Sunday only are for members £160 plus VAT £188 and non-members £200 plus VAT £235.

"I was invited by an author friend to join her at the Sussex Conference in 2000. It was the beginning of all kinds of good things for me. Apart from enjoying the stimulating and inspiring talks and workshops, I met interesting people and discovered a whole world of support and information I didn't even know existed. I joined the Society of Authors and went to the conferences in Leeds and Oxford. Each conference gave me something special that has enriched my personal and working life - a friendship, an inspiration, an opportunity - so I'm looking forward to Cambridge 2008" Sally Hewitt, non-fiction author

Longlist: Best New Illustrators

The Big Time for The Big Picture: Best New Illustrators longlist revealed

Booktrust has launched their Big Picture campaign with the search to find the UK’s Best New Illustrators.

Children’s books by the 27 longlisted illustrators were all first published in the UK after 2000. Ten winners will be chosen from the list by the Big Picture Committee and announced by Michael Rosen at Bologna Children’s Book Fair on 31 March 2008.

The ten Best New Illustrators will participate in promotional activity intended to raise the significance and importance of illustration. Such activity includes collaboration with Rough Guides to produce The Rough Guide to Picture Books which will be published April 2008.

The illustrators will be appearing in a range of library, festival and bookshop events and promotions throughout 2008 with the Campaign for Learning and for The Big Draw in October.

The longlist is:
Deborah Allwright
Laura Carlin
Alexis Deacon
Polly Dunbar
Lisa Evans
Shelley Fowles
Emily Gravett
Mini Grey
Laura Hambleton
Oliver Jeffers
Simone Lia
Sam Lloyd
David Lucas
Sarah Massini
Mei Matsuoka
Sam McCullen
Alice Melvin
Gwen Milward
Catherine Rayner
David Roberts
Viviane Schwarz
Joel Stewart
Il Sung Na
Kanako Usui
Vicky White
Thomas Doherty
Mungo M’Cosh

The Big Picture Judging Committee comprises author and illustrator Anthony Browne, Sunday Times journalist Nicolette Jones, Antonia Byatt, director of literature strategy at Arts Council England, and author Malorie Blackman.

The Big Picture Campaign was launched in 2007 as a new initiative aimed at promoting picture books and illustrators. Led by Booktrust in partnership with Bookstart, and supported by a range of children’s publishers, the campaign aims to stimulate confidence in the market for picture books.

Booktrust and its associates seek to build an appreciation of picture books on a number of levels: to encourage new audiences to discover picture books, to support new and emerging illustrators and to celebrate the contribution that picture books can make to a child’s development. It will also look at how picture books are valued as collector’s items and pieces of art in their own right.

Caldecott Medal Winner 2008

The 2008 Caldecott Medal winner is The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

From an opening shot of the full moon setting over an awakening Paris in 1931, this tale casts a new light on the picture book form. Hugo is a young orphan secretly living in the walls of a train station where he labors to complete a mysterious invention left by his father. In a work of more than 500 pages, the suspenseful text and wordless double-page spreads narrate the tale in turns. Neither words nor pictures alone tell this story, which is filled with cinematic intrigue. Black & white pencil illustrations evoke the flickering images of the silent films to which the book pays homage.

Read more about Brian Selznick in the spring edition of Carousel - he was interviewed by Chris Stephenson during his brief visit to this country in the late autumn.

Write Away Annual Conference 22 May 2008

WRITE AWAY ANNUAL CONFERENCEMore than Information: Engaging Hearts and Minds through Non-fiction Date: 22nd May 2008 9.00 – 4.00
Venue University of London, Institute of Education, Bedford Way, London
Target audience: leading teachers, advance skills teachers, literacy co-ordinators, literacy consultants, primary class teachers, school librarians, school library services

Description: This inspirations conference aims to reinvigorate the teaching of non-fiction reading and writing in primary schools through implementation of a creative curriculum, harnessing the emotions and asserting the value of aesthetic experience. Delegates will have the opportunity to hear leading voices in the field reflect upon current practices as well as presenting ideas for development and change. A key feature of the conference is a programme of workshops co-presented by writers and educators, which will creatively explore different forms of writing as well as the use of film, photography and drama. Children’s work will be on display during the day. Confirmed speakers include Nicolette Jones, Martin Salisbury, Nicola Davies, Vivian French, Prue Goodwin, Nikki Gamble, Richard Platt, Prodeepta Das and Marilyn Brocklehurst.

Themes addressed include:Finding a voice: children writing non-fictionPhotography – encouraging reflection and questioningNon-fiction filmDrama: creating a need to knowFresh approaches to biographyIllustrating non-fictionWar and picturebooksThe outdoor classroom as a site for non-fiction writingSelecting non-fiction for the library and classroomNon-fiction writing – an affective approach

The conference bookshop will be provided by Marilyn Brocklehurst’s and the amazing Norfolk Children’s Book Centre. Earlybird booking on or before 28th February 2008 £90 After the 28th February £125 10 places reserved for student teachers will be allocated by prize draw.

Further information and to register interest e-mail info@writeaway.org.uk

Launch Year of Reading 2008

At a Downing Street launch for the National Year of Reading on Tuesday 8 January, Prime Minister Gordon Brown declared literacy "one of the best anti-poverty, deprivation and crime policies we can think of". The event saw Brown lay out his ambitions for a year which would "make thousands who can't read able to read, and get thousands of those who can read to read more", leaving a lasting legacy of readers in the country.Co-hosted by Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, the event was attended by librarians, reading champions, authors Tony Parsons, Michael Morpurgo, Anthony Horowitz and Sophie Kinsella, and Richard Madeley and Amanda Ross, presenter and producer of Channel 4's "Richard and Judy".Speaking to The Bookseller, Balls said that publishers should encourage their authors to get involved in events to promote excitement around reading, while bookshops could contribute by creating "fun places to go". He called for all employers, schools, libraries, colleges and local authorities to get involved by signing up to the National Year of Reading website at www.yearofreading.org.uk.

Happy New Year

Apologies for the lack of news - moving house and sorting out the computer and broadband and then Christmas took over, not to mention unpacking books and putting up bookshelves. Normal service should be resumed with a bit of luck! enid

Booktrust Teenage Prize 2007

Marcus Sedgwick is the winner of the Booktrust Teenage Prize 2007 for his gothic novel My Swordhand is Singing, published by Orion.


The prize was established by Booktrust in 2003 to recognise and celebrate contemporary fiction written for teenagers.


My Swordhand is Singing is a sinister tale of a woodcutter and his son who fight the legendary undead in the wintry isolated forests of seventeenth-century Romania. The novel is a thrilling and menacing story which draws heavily on Sedgwick’s extensive research of the vampire legend in Eastern Europe.

Sedgwick, whose novels have been shortlisted for a variety of awards including the Carnegie Medal, the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize and the Blue Peter Book Award, was present at the ceremony held in the Pearson Building to collect his trophy and cheque for £2,500.
Anthony McGowan, judge and winner of Booktrust Teenage Prize 2006:
"The 2007 Booktrust Prize turned up some stunning novels. But one novel stood out for its utterly gripping narrative, its brilliantly created atmosphere of terror and suspense, and the subtle poetry of its language. Marcus Sedgwick’s My Swordhand is Singing hooks the reader from the opening sentence, and, like the Gypsy music at its core, resonates still in the imagination long after the last note is sounded."
Viv Bird, Director of Booktrust: "Choosing this year’s winner from such a superb shortlist was extremely daunting for all our judges. The books were all of extraordinary calibre: compelling, beautifully written and reflecting a wide variety of themes. We are delighted that the Booktrust Teenage Prize is attracting such remarkable authors and congratulate Marcus wholeheartedly on his outstanding book."


The shortlisted books for the Booktrust Teenage Prize 2007 are:
Theresa Breslin The Medici Seal Doubleday
Kate Cann Leaving Poppy Scholastic
Mal Peet The Penalty Walker Books
Philip Reeve Here Lies Arthur Scholastic
Meg Rosoff Just in Case Penguin
Marcus Sedgwick My Swordhand is Singing Orion


The judges for the Booktrust Teenage Prize 2007 are:
Angela Wilkinson, librarian (Chair)
Tom Gatti, Associate Editor, The Times Books
Anthony McGowan, author
Isabelle Ellis-Cockcroft, school student
Sam Audet, young judge short story competition winner
Katharine Flach, young judge short story competition winner
Matthew Sawyer, young judge short story competition winner
Francesca Grapes, young judge short story competition winner
Zita Abila, young judge short story competition winner

Guardian Children's Fiction Prize

The winner of the 40th Guardian Children's Fiction Prize went to Jenny Valentine with her first novel Finding Violet Park published, and now available in paperback, from HarperCollins. She will be on the Richard and Judy Best Kids' Books Ever programme on October 28.

Early Years Award Winners and Big Picture

Booktrust was thrilled to announce both the winners of their coveted Early Years Awards, and the launch of their Big Picture campaign whose aim is to find the best new illustrators.

Speaking at the awards ceremony at BAFTA in Piccadilly Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen revealed Booktrust’s plans to encourage and embrace the new generation of talented illustrators by launching the search for the Best New Illustrators. Booktrust aim to find the best illustrators first published in the UK in or after 2000. The winners will be announced in spring 2008.
Michael Rosen, Children’s Laureate: "The picture book is a wonderful art form that can delight the eye and the ear at the same time. It is really good that we have this campaign to support this medium. Awards like this will enable us to welcome in the next generation, which will gives us the Quentin Blake, Raymond Briggs and Shirley Hughes of the future."

Booktrust were delighted to announce the winners for their 2007 Early Years Awards, which exemplify the remarkable creativity in words, design and illustration necessary to encourage young children into reading.
The winner for the Baby Book Award:
Jess Stockham Tucking In Child’s Play
The winner for the Pre-School Award:
Polly Dunbar Penguin Walker Books
The winner for the Best Emerging Illustrator:
Emily Gravett Monkey and Me Macmillan Children’s

Wendy Cooling presented the winners for each category with a cheque for £2,000 and a customised trophy. The best new illustrator was presented with a specially commissioned piece of original artwork donated by the children’s illustrator Axel Scheffler. The publishers of the three winning titles were presented with trophies naming them as one of the Booktrust Early Years Awards Publishers of the Year.
Viv Bird, Director of Booktrust:
"We were overwhelmed by the number of entries to our awards this year. The three deserving winners hugely impressed the panel with their creativity and beautifully illustrated books to delight and inspire new readers."
The judges for 2007 are:
Wendy Cooling, Children’s Book Consultant (Chair)
Axel Scheffler, Illustrator
Elena Dalrymple, Editor of Mother & Baby Magazine
Clive Barnes, Children’s Librarian
Angela Lewis, Modernisation Lead for Children, Young People and Families at East Riding of Yorkshire Primary Care Trust
The Booktrust Early Years Awards are supported by the national Bookstart Programme and their sponsors and The Unwin Charitable Trust. Booktrust would like to thank Mother & Baby Magazine for being our 2007 media partner.

The Big Picture is a campaign to put picture books in the public eye. In particular it will work to improve the status and profile of illustrators and to engage more adults with picture books. The Big Picture's Best New Illustrators initiative is open to all illustrators first published in the UK in or after 2000. Publishers should consult the submission guidelines on www.bigpicture.org.uk for more details of how to take part. The Best New Illustrators will be announced in spring next year and will form the core of the Big Picture's national promotion through the rest of 2008. The Big Picture is supported by children's publishers and by Bookstart. For more information contact Abigail Campbell (abigailatwork@googlemail.com) or Emma Phillips (emma@booktrust.org.uk)

Korky Paul and the Story Museum

Would you or someone you love like to appear in a future Winnie the Witch story by award-winning children's illustrator, Korky Paul? Visit Korky’s studio (or send a colour photograph), have your likeness drawn and receive a signed copy of the book on publication. This unique gift is being auctioned online to raise money for the Story Museum project in Oxford. The auction runs from 5th to 15th October 2007.
Visit www.toplots.co.uk

Royal Mail Awards for Scottish Children's Books Shortlist

The Royal Mail Awards for Scottish Children's BooksThe best books of the year, as voted for by Scottish ChildrenNOW THE UK'S BIGGEST CHILDREN'S BOOK AWARD

Managed by Scottish Book Trustwww.braw.org.uk/royalmailawards

Formerly the Scottish Arts Council Children's Book of the Year, the awards were relaunched last year as a national readership development campaign to encourage readership of Scottish books in Scottish schools. During the 2006 campaign, nearly 5,000 children from every education authority in Scotland were involved in reading the shortlist and nearly 3,000 votes were cast.The 2007 awards are bigger than ever. With a total prize fund of £15,000 they are now the UK's biggest children's book award. And not only that, their reach across Scotland is bigger than ever before. So far, nearly 8,000 kids have signed up to judge this year's award .... and there are still 3 months to run. For details of this year's shortlist, visit http://www.braw.org.uk/RoyalMailAwards/2007/Shortlist

The Times/Chicken House Children's Fiction Competition

The Times and Chicken House have teamed up to find an undiscovered new voice in children's books. The judges are Barry Cunningham (publisher and MD of Chicken House), Amanda Craig (children's reviewer The Times), Malorie Blackman (award-winning children's author), Wayne Winstone (children's category manager Waterstone's) and Karen Robinson (children's librarian and YLG committee member).

A shortlist of five will be announced in Feb 2008 with the winner announced at Easter. Publication planned for autumn 08. For details of how to submit a manuscript go to www.timesonline.co.uk/childrensauthor

Children's Poetry Bookshelf Competition

The new Children’s Laureate, Michael Rosen, is to chair the judging of a nationwide poetry competition for 7-11 year olds. The Competition is organised by the Children’s Poetry Bookshelf, a poetry book club for young people run by the Poetry Book Society.

To link with National Poetry Day on Thursday 4 October, children will be asked to write a poem no longer than 25 lines on the theme of ‘Dreams’.Now in its second year, the Children’s Poetry Bookshelf Competition is open to both individuals and schools, with prizes being awarded in two age groups, 7- 8 year olds and 9 -11 year olds. Entries will be accepted from Thursday 13 September, up until the closing date of Monday 15 October.

The winners will be announced at an award ceremony in December, where they will be presented with cash prizes and poetry books for their school. Last year’s inaugural competition attracted nearly 5,000 entries from across the UK and overseas.

Michael Rosen was appointed to the prestigious post of Children’s Laureate on 11 June, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to children’s literature. On accepting the two-year post, he said, "I think poetry for children needs to be saved from the cold dissection table of right and wrong answers and put back into rooms and halls full of wonder, compassion, haunting, laughter, music and rhythm. We need to hear its many voices, many cultures, many sounds.”

The National Write-a-Poem Competition will encourage children to play with poetry, by providing an outlet for their creativity with language and encouraging teachers to bring poetry alive in the classroom. A teacher’s guide to accompany the competition will be available to download from the Children’s Poetry Bookshelf website (www.childrenspoetrybookshelf.co.uk) from the beginning of September, along with further information about the competition.

Michael Rosen is joined on the judging committee by children’s poet and Children’s Poetry Bookshelf patron, Valerie Bloom; award-winning poet and educationalist, Mandy Coe; children’s books expert and founder of Bookstart, Wendy Cooling; lecturer in literacy and children's books at the University of Reading, Prue Goodwin; children’s poet, Wes Magee; and Morag Styles, Reader in Children’s Literature and Education at the University of Cambridge.The Children’s Poetry Bookshelf Competition is generously supported by Old Possums Practical Trust.

Outside In - Children's Writers In Translation Bookshow

The Children’s Bookshow is celebrating its fifth year with a dazzling array of children’s writers and performers from across the globe. Boori Monty Pryor from Australia, Francesco D’Adamo from Italy and Kazumi Yumoto from Japan are amongst the authors taking part. The tour also includes three dates with Michael Rosen, the recently appointed UK Children’s Laureate.

The theme ‘Outside In: Children’s Writers in Translation’ has been chosen to introduce children to the richness of the world’s many literatures through fiction and live performance. It follows on from the Bookshow’s first successful literature in translation tour in 2005. During the tour, as well as appearing in performances in theatres, some of the authors will also take part in free writing workshops for local schools to help broaden children’s horizons and provide a fresh outlook on others’ lives and cultures.

The Children’s Bookshow is the only annual UK tour of children’s authors and poets and is supported by Arts Council England. The tour is timed to coincide with Children’s Book Week (1-7 October 2007) organised by Booktrust. Dates within the tour also form part of the Ilkley and Manchester Literature Festivals and the Bexhill Children’s Literature Festival.

The Authors:
Daniel Morden from Wales is one of the leading storytellers in the UK. His Children’s Bookshow Event will be based on his published collection of Welsh Gypsy Tales, translated from the Roma in the 1920s. He has told tales all over the world and his first published anthology Weird Tales from the Storyteller was nominated for the Tir na n-Og Welsh Children’s Book Prize.
Boori Monty Pryor is an indigenous Australian. His father is from the Birri-gubba Nation and his mother’s tribal group is the Kunggandji. Awards include the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for Young Adult Fiction and the National Aboriginal and Islander Observance Day Committee Award for ‘outstanding contribution to the promotion of indigenous culture’.
Lilli Thal is from Germany; her most recent novel Mimus was short-listed for this year’s Marsh Award for Children’s Literature in Translation. Lilli has a Master’s degree in medieval history, art and archaeology and has won multiple awards for her three previous young adult novels.
Kazumi Yumoto was born in Tokyo where she still lives today. She is the author of Letters from the Living, The Spring Tone and The Friends. Her awards include the Mildred L Batchelder Award and the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award. Her book The Friends has been made into a feature film by Japanese director Shinji Somai.
Francesco D’Adamo is a writer and teacher who lives in Milan. His first novel published in the UK, Iqbal was short-listed by the American Library Association for both the John Newberry Medal and the Randolph Caldecott medal. He has also received the New York Christopher Award and the International Reading Association Teachers’ Choices Booklist Prize. Aurora Metro Press will publish his new book, My Brother Johnny, in October to coincide with the tour. Daniel Pennac is one of France’s most celebrated authors. His books for adults and children have been translated into over thirty languages. His translator Sarah Adams won the Marsh Award for Children’s Literature in Translation for his novel The Eye of the Wolf. Most recently, Walker Books have published his The Rights of the Reader with illustrations from Quentin Blake, a book that has sold over a million copies in France.

Kevin Crossley-Holland will interview Lilli Thal during the bookshow. Kevin is a poet, librettist and reteller of myth, legend and folk tale as well as a novelist. He has won numerous awards including the Carnegie Medal, Guardian Children’s Fiction Award, Smarties Prize and the Tir na n-Og Welsh Children’s Book Prize. Orion will publish his latest book Gatty’s Tale in paperback in October 2007.

Eva Ibbotson will interview Lilli Thal during the Bookshow. Eva writes for both children and adults. Her awards include Nestle Gold and Silver Awards, runner up for both the Whitbread Children’s Book of the Year and the Guardian Fiction award. She has also been short-listed for the Carnegie Medal. Pan McMillan will publish her new novel The Morning Gift in October 2007.

Tim Bowler will interview Kazumi Yumoto during the Bookshow. Tim has won numerous awards for his children’s books most notably The Carnegie Medal for his third novel River Boy. He has also won the Angus Book Award, Lancashire Libraries Children’s Book Award, South Lanarkshire Book Award and the Stockton Libraries Award.

Oliver Wilson-Dickson will perform with Daniel Morden during the Bookshow. Oliver works as a performer and composer with bands and theatre companies in the UK and abroad. Recent collaborations include a show at the Royal Opera House and a new project with the poet Ian McMillan and several leading musicians.

Michael Rosen will interview Kazumi Yumoto, Francesco D’Adamo and Daniel Pennac for the Bookshow. Michael is one of the most influential figures in contemporary children’s literature and was this year appointed as the fifth Children’s Laureate. With his own writing, his anthologies and performances he has been instrumental in taking poetry out of the ghetto and into the hearts and minds of children throughout the UK and beyond.

Quentin Blake will perform with Daniel Pennac and Michael Rosen for the Bookshow. Quentin is the UK’s best-known and much loved illustrator of children’s books. Although he is known for his collaboration with Russell Hoban, Michael Rosen, and most famously, Roald Dahl, he has also created much-loved characters of his own, including Mister Magnolia. His books have won numerous awards and in 1999 he was appointed the first ever Children’s Laureate. In 2002 he won the Hans Christian Andersen Award for Illustration and in 2004, the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres.

The Dates:
De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill Thursday 27 September 10.30amDaniel Morden (Wales) and Oliver Wilson-Dickson For Children of Primary School ageBox office 01424 229 111 boxoffice@dlwp.comChildren £2 Teachers freehttp://www.dlwp.com/

Unicorn Theatre, LondonMonday 1 October 1.30pmBoori Monty Pryor (Australia)For Children of Primary School ageBox office 020 7645 0560 boxoffice@unicorntheatre.com Children £5 Teachers freehttp://www.unicorntheatre.com/

King Henry's School, IlkleyTuesday 2 October 1:45pmBoori Monty Pryor (Australia)For Children of Secondary School ageBox office 01943 816714Children £3 Teachers freehttp://www.ilkleyliteraturefestival.org.uk/

Library Theatre, ManchesterFriday 5 October 10:30amBoori Monty Pryor (Australia)For Children of Primary School ageBox office 0161 236 7110Children free Teachers freehttp://www.librarytheatre.com/http://www.manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk/ Library Theatre, ManchesterFriday 5 October 1:30pmLilli Thal (Germany) and Kevin Crossley-Holland For Children of Secondary School ageBox office 0161 236 7110 Children free Teachers free http://www.librarytheatre.com/ http://www.manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk/

Seven Stories, NewcastleMonday 8 October 10:30amLilli Thal (Germany) and Eva IbbotsonFor Children of Secondary School ageBox office 0845 271 0777Children £3.50 Teachers free (2 for every 10 children) Adults £5http://www.sevenstories.org.uk/

Oxford Playhouse, OxfordWednesday 10 October 10:45amKazumi Yumoto (Japan) and Tim BowlerFor Children of Secondary School ageBox office 01865 305305Children £4 Teachers free (1 for every 15 children) Adults £5.50http://www.oxfordplayhouse.com/

Pomegranate Theatre, Chesterfield Thursday 11 October 1:00pmKazumi Yumoto (Japan) and Michael Rosen For Children of Secondary School ageBox office 01246 345 222Children £3 Teachers free http://www.pomegranatetheatre.co.uk/

L'Istituto Italiano di Cultura, LondonFriday 12 October 6:30pmFrancesco D'Adamo (Italy) and Michael Rosen For Children of Secondary School ageBox office 020 7235 1461Children free Teachers free Adults freehttp://www.iiclondra.esteri.it/

L'Institut Français, LondonWednesday 5 December 6:30pmDaniel Pennac (France), Michael Rosen and Quentin BlakeFor Children of Primary School ageBox office 020 7073 1350Children free Teachers free Adults freehttp://www.institut-francais.org.uk/

Children's Book Week 2007

Children's Book Week
1-7 October 2007
Children's Book Week is an annual celebration of reading for pleasure co-ordinated by Booktrust. They provide resources to help schools and libraries focus on children's reading for a special day or week, and to plan activities and events to encourage children's enjoyment of books. The theme of this year's Book Week is the environment.

Free Resource Pack
The Children’s Book Week pack contains a useful Resource Guide including a range of activity sheets, a new poster, a bookmark and the updated Best Book Guide. State primary schools and public libraries in England will receive a free copy of the pack in the week beginning the 18 June.
For more posters or to request additional free packs, email education@booktrust.org.uk
Children's Book Week Resource Guide (Adobe Acrobat pdf 3.5Mb)
Crayola and Children's Book Week Poster Competition
Get thinking about Children's Book Week by designing posters for this exciting competition
Supporters
Children's Book Week is sponsored by Crayola. With thanks to Egmont UK Ltd, this year's lead publisher sponsor. Thanks also to Bloomsbury Children's Books, Walker Books and illustrator Deborah Allwright for their support

Children's Book Week Events
What are your plans for Children's Book Week? Let education@booktrust.org.uk know.

Summer Reading Challenge

This year’s theme for the public libraries Summer Reading Challenge is The Big Wild Read and the aim is to encourage children to read six or more books in the summer holidays. As well as being a personal reading challenge, it’s about helping children really enjoy what they read, discover more about books, know how to find books that are right for them, and share ‘reading time’ with parents, library staff and friends. The website will offer children an exciting fusion of reading and IT, with interactive activities. Through a link with Stories from the Web children can contribute reviews and see what other children are reading. www.bigwildread.co.uk

Opportunity for Graphic Novelists

Aspiring graphic novelists should be aware that Jonathon Cape and the Observer are running a competition judged by, amongst others, member Posy Simmonds. The deadline for entries is 3 September. http://www.randomhouse.co.uk/graphicnovels/competition.htm

Children's Book Prizes Updates

Awards

Siobhan Dowd and editors David Fickling and Bella Pearson have won the 2007 Branford Boase Award for A Swift Pure Cry (Random/David Fickling).

Rick Riordan has won the East Sussex Primary Schools Book Award 2006-7

Sophie McKenzie's debut novel Girl, Missing has won the Bolton Book Award, just a matter of weeks after it won the Red House Children's Book Award for Older Readers category.
Catalyst Book Award (North Lanarkshire) shortlistStartled by His Furry Shorts by Louise RennisonTokyo by Graham MarksHenry Tumour by Anthony McGowanJust in Case by Meg Rosoff

J A C West’s Pip of Pengersick - A Smuggler's Tale has won the children's section of the Cornish award Holyer An Gof.

Regent's Park Open Air Theatre

David Wood will be directing his adaptation of Roald Dahl's Fantastic Mr Fox at the Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park, opening on July 31st and running until August 25th. All the performances are at 2.30, with a few morning ones on Saturdays. Full details on the Open Air Theatre website, www.openairtheatre.org. www.davidwood.org.uk

Winner of the Top Ten Carnegie & Greenaway Medal Books

Philip Pullman has cemented his place as one of the stars of children's literature this evening, triumphing in a poll to choose book lovers' favourite winner from the Carnegie medal's 70-year history.

Pullman's Northern Lights (Carnegie winner 1995) beat off competition from Carnegie winners including Mary Norton's The Borrowers (1937), Philippa Pearce's Tom's Midnight Garden (1957) and David Almond's Skellig (1998).

In an online public poll the former teacher took 40% of the total votes and also received the highest number of votes from overseas - a total of 36% from North America, Europe, Asia and Australia combined, demonstrating the international appeal of his books, which have been translated into 37 languages and sold over 12m copies worldwide.

The "Greenaway of Greenaways" - the accompanying award for children's illustration - was won by Shirley Hughes with Dogger, winner of the Kate Greenaway medal in 1977. She beat Janet and Allan Ahlberg's Each Peach Pear Plum into second place by just 1% of the votes. Lauren Child's I Will Not Ever Never Eat a Tomato took third place.

(extracted from The Guardian)

Greenaway and Carnegie Medals

Both were awarded today at the British Library.



Carousel has championed the winner of the Greenaway since her very start - a terrific talent - and are delighted she has won this major award

MINI GREY: THE ADVENTURES OF THE DISH AND THE SPOONJonathan Cape ISBN: 9780224070379

The Carnegie has been won by Meg Rosoff who stormed onto the Children's Book scene in 2004 with her first novel "How I live Now" which won both the Guardian and Branford Boase Awards. This is her second novel, published in 2006.

MEG ROSOFF: JUST IN CASE Penguin ISBN: 9780141380780

Michael Rosen the new Children's Laureate

Congratulations to Michael Rosen on being the next Children's Laureate 2007-2009. You will be able to read an editorial by him in the next issue of Carousel available at the end of June.

Laureate Announcement

And whilst on the rant (see previous post) why hold the announcement of the new Children's Laureate at 11.00 (for 11.30) on a Monday. It means that anyone who lives a distance from London has either to cough up huge amounts to travel at peak time or travel down on a Sunday and face the usual Sunday rail cancellations and delays.

Mondays and Fridays, dear publishers and arrangers of such things, are the absolute worst days to travel anywhere.

Marketing

Does this phrase make you want to bite the carpet?

From the proof of "What I was" Puffin announce "Meg Rosoff is THE literary brand to watch out for in 2007"

Some of us thought she was an author...

Red House Book Award 2007

Debut author Andy Stanton – a Dahl for the Noughties –
wins 2007 Red House Children’s Book Award

The many children who vote for the Red House Children’s Book Award (RHCBA) have always been the first to spot future stars. The RHCBA was the first major award won by some of the biggest names in children’s books including: Roald Dahl in 1983, Jacqueline Wilson in 1996 and J.K. Rowling in 1998. Jacqueline Wilson, the Children’s Laureate, says of the award "It’s the book award that means the most to me because it’s the one where children do the voting."
This year is no exception; debut author Andy Stanton has been awarded the overall prize for, You’re a Bad Man, Mr Gum! (the winner of the Books for Younger Readers category).

The Books for Older Readers category has also been won by a debut author, Sophie McKenzie for the highly topical baby snatch thriller Girl, Missing and the Books for Younger Readers category is won by Who’s in the Loo? by Jeanne Willis, illustrated by Adrian Reynolds.

You’re a Bad Man, Mr Gum! is an outrageously funny story which features the hideous Mr Gum and the equally stinky William the Third aka Billy the local butcher, in a dastardly plot to do away with the village dog Jake, a plot that can only be foiled by Polly (as-she’s-known-to-her-friends) and the inimitable Friday O’Leary. The story echoes the darkly ridiculous humour of Roald Dahl and Monty Python but has a unique whimsical voice all of its own. Friday O’Leary’s off the wall uttering "The truth is a lemon meringue" rapidly became a catchphrase among our voters and is sure to be exasperating many more parents in the immediate future. Without doubt Andy Stanton is a huge new talent and this award marks the beginning of another illustrious writing career.

Andy Stanton lives in North London. He studied English at Oxford (which shouldn’t have been too hard given he is English) but they kicked him out. He’s had quite a few jobs including film script reader (he got better at reading), stand-up comedian, a cartoonist, an NHS lackey and lots of other things. He has many interests, but best of all he likes cartoons, books and music (even jazz). One day he’d like to live in New York or Berlin or one of those places because he’s got fantasies of bohemia. His favourite expression is ‘Good evening’ and his favourite word is ‘captain’. He doesn’t like words ‘spit’, ‘Robbie Williams’, ‘wagglemuffin’ or ‘broccoli’.

The winner of the 2007 Red House Children’s Book Award is announced at a ceremony held at the Guardian Hay Festival on 1st June 2007. The award ceremony, this year introduced by past winner Anthony Horowitz, is a unique celebration of children’s books where a lucky a selection of children from all over the country who have taken part in voting for the award winners get to mingle with some of their favourite authors including past winners and this year’s short-listed authors.

Now in its 27th year, the award was founded in 1980 by author and librarian Pat Thompson and it is run by the Federation of Children’s Book Groups. It is the only national book award to be voted for 100% by children and this year more children than ever have been involved with a record 165,000 votes cast this year, which is more than 40% up on 2006.

The category winners each receive an engraved silver bowl. The overall winner is awarded the Red House Children’s Book Award Silver Tree which they are the custodian of for a year and an engraved silver acorn which is theirs to keep. Each of the short-listed authors and illustrators also receives an incredible portfolio of writing and drawing created by the children and inspired by their book.

The full winner’s list for the 2007 Red House Children’s Book Award is as follows:
Overall winner
You’re a Bad Man, Mr Gum! by Andy Stanton published by Egmont
Books for Younger Children
Who’s in the Loo? by Jeanne Willis and Adrian Reynolds published by Andersen Press
Books for Younger Readers
You’re a Bad Man, Mr Gum! by Andy Stanton published by Egmont
Books for Older Readers
Girl, Missing by Sophie McKenzie published by Simon & Schuster

The Federation of Children’s Book Groups was set up as a charity almost 40 years ago by Anne Wood, the originator of the Tellytubbies. The Federation’s main role is to act as the umbrella organisation to local Children’s Book Groups all over the UK. The Book Groups organise a variety of activities in their local areas in conjunction with schools and libraries. These include bringing authors and illustrators into schools and organising story-telling sessions. The Federation produces numerous specialist book lists, organises National Share-a-Story Month each May and holds an annual conference each spring. www.fcbg.org.uk

Publising Sales Talk

The latest Walker Books catalogues - attractive in themselves - now call related backlist titles "Backlist Opportunity". Grr...

Booktrust launches short story competition to find teenage judges

Booktrust have launched a UK wide search to find five teenagers to join their Booktrust Teenage Prize panel. The winners will help to decide this year’s best fiction for teenagers, and attend the awards ceremony in London in October. Entrants are asked to write a short story in no more than 500 words on the theme of ‘Time Travel.’
Entrants must be between 11 and 16 years of age. The deadline for entries is Monday 30 July 2007. Entry forms are available to download from www.booktrust.org.uk or www.bookheads.org.uk.

The judges for the Booktrust Teenage Prize 2007 are:
Angela Wilkinson, Librarian (Chair)
Tom Gatti, Associate Editor, The Times Books
Anthony McGowan, Author
Isabelle Ellis-Cockcroft, School student

Booktrust is delighted to maintain their partnership with the Reading Agency. The Reading Agency will be publicising the Teenage Prize in libraries across the UK, primarily through coordination with public and school library services.

The Booktrust Teenage Prize was launched in 2003 to recognise and celebrate contemporary fiction written for teenagers. Booktrust administers the prize with the support of writers, publishers, teachers, parents and libraries. Publishers may enter works of fiction, including novels, collections of short stories and graphic novels.

The specially designated website for the prize, www.bookheads.org.uk, promotes the prize and books for young people as well as carrying comments and reviews from young people and well-known personalities on their favourite books.

The 2006 Prize was won by Anthony McGowan for Henry Tumour.

The winning author will receive a cheque for £2,500 together with a trophy. The winner will be announced at a ceremony in London in October 2007 following the shortlist announcement in September.

Summer Activities at Seven Stories, Newcastle

Saturday 21 & Sunday 22 July
Harry Potter Weekend
Bookaballoo! Have you heard the last Harry Potter book is on its way? Cast off your school uniform, put on your wizard cloaks and hats and fly down to Seven Stories for a magical read. Join our Harry Potter readathon – will you finish the last book first?
Potions and Commotions workshops, Sat & Sun 11am & 2pm for children 6+ With cauldron and test-tube to hand, explore the science facts behind potions and commotions of all sorts, and create your own spell-book to take away with you. Booking essential call 0845 271 0777 ext. 714.

The Ouseburn Festival Family Day Sunday 22 July from 12noon
The Ouseburn Valley will be jam packed with activities for the day including the festival parade, free workshops, music, street entertainment and stalls. Visit www.ouseburnfestival.org

Monday 23 – Sunday 29 July
Brain-Bogglers
From inventions to dreams and concoctions, take a brain-boggling look at some of the facts behind the fiction of Roald Dahl and other children’s authors.
Collecting Stories workshops, Mon-Fri 11am & 2pm for children 8+ Taking inspiration from the Seven Stories collection, this workshop will look at the weird and wonderful ways in which authors get ideas for their stories! Participants will get the chance to explore inspiring material to spark their imaginations for their own stories. Booking essential call 0845 271 0777 ext. 714.

Monday 30 July – Sunday 5 August
Get into Character
Will it be the BFG, the Twits or an imaginary character you meet on your zippfizzing trip to Seven Stories this week? Enjoy meeting characters from the world of children’s books and creating new ones.
Max & Lara’s Amazing Travelling Space Circus, Wed 1 & Sat 4 Aug – drop in fun activities for families to develop reading and writing skills together. In association with BBC RaW.
Character Detectives workshops, Mon-Fri 11am & 2pm for children 8+ Using "character clue bags", participants will get the opportunity to do some detective work in order to discover what types of characters have been lurking around Seven Stories and guess at what kinds of mischief they may have been up to! Using drama and storytelling the group will create their own story using the characters they have found. Booking essential call 0845 271 0777 ext. 714.

Family Storytelling Creatures Great and Small! with Pat Renton. In Association with A Bit Crack, Sun 5 Aug, sessions start at 1.45pm.
Monday 6 – Sunday 12 August
Wild about Books
Hippodumplings and crocadowndillies, we’re just wild about animal and bird books this week. The RSPB will be running crafty activities and discovering wildlife and nature in stories from Mon 6- Fri 10 August, drop-in between 11am-4pm.
Dip into a rock pool adventure with sea creatures from the Blue Reef Aquarium, Mon 6 Aug at 11am, 11.45am and 12.30pm.
Enjoy a sing-a-long with animal characters from picture-books with storyteller, Tony Wilson, Thurs 9 Aug, 1.45 & 3pm for children 3+
Simon Rees returns with his amazing bug station and explores the insect life of Hadrian’s Wall as shown in his popular children’s guide Wild About the Wall, Fri 10 & Sat 11 August, 1-3pm.
Fishy Tales workshops, Mon-Fri 11am & 2pm for children 6+ using our special Seven Stories "story-fishing" rods participants will go fishing for parts of a story which they will then bring to life through drama! Booking essential call 0845 271 0777 ext. 714.

Monday 13 – Sunday 19 August
Funky Designs
Be inspired by the picture books in our exhibition to design and make your own funky images, illustrations and crafty creations.
Tues 14, Wed 15, Thurs 16 August – Funky Monkey and the Juicy Fruits – a funkadelic exploration of healthy eating for families. Performances at 11am and 2.30pm followed by funky fruit and veg workshops. Booking essential. For more information visit www.wildboor.com. Supported by North East Regional Museums Hub.
3D Story Scenes workshops with Rebecca Pelly-Fry to coincide with her exhibition, Secret Spaces in the Book Den - create a 3D scene from paper, inspired by the stories in the exhibition. Mon 13 & Fri 17 Aug, 11am & 2pm for children 8+ Booking essential call 0845 271 0777 ext. 714.

Sunday 19 August – hopswitch along to our chocolate themed day to celebrate Seven Stories’ birthday.

Monday 20 – Sunday 26 August
Blabbermouths
Why not bring a friend along to dress up with and invent stories together for telling and acting out? Enjoy making puppets, listening to our storytellers or meeting storybook characters on your visit.
Enjoy tales from around the world with storyteller, Ravinda Cheema, Wed 22 Aug, 12 noon, 1.45 & 3pm for children 4+
Page to Stage workshops, Mon-Fri, 11am & 2pm for children 8+ Using books for inspiration, this workshop will lift the story off the page and into spectacular action; giving participants the chance to learn and develop drama and storytelling skills! Booking essential call 0845 271 0777 ext. 714.

Monday 27 August – Sunday 2 September
Beneath the Covers
Enjoy some Gobblefunk fun with our resident writer and collect writing tips for your own stories or poems. Why not get inside some new books in our cosy book den or try creating your own?
Enjoy a sing-along with animal characters from picture-books with storyteller, Tony Wilson, Bank Holiday Mon 27 Aug, 12 noon, 1.45 & 3pm for children 3+
Beneath the Covers workshops, Tues-Fri, 11am & 2pm for children 8+ Do you dream about becoming a writer or simply want to pick up some writing skills? Open up your imagination and join our resident writer for these creative writing sessions. Booking essential call 0845 271 0777 ext. 714.

Family Storytelling The Swallow Flies South with Malcolm Green. In Association with A Bit Crack, Sun 2 Sept, sessions start at 1.45pm.
Children aged 8+ may attend workshops unaccompanied but parents/carers are asked to remain in the building.

The Wonderful World of Roald Dahl and Quentin Blake

Snozzcumbers and Frobscottle!
Seven Stories, the Centre for Children’s Books are set to launch one whizzpopping exhibition this summer! Snozzcumbers and Frobscottle! The Wonderful World of Roald Dahl and Quentin Blake opens on Saturday 14 July 2007 and promises to be as exciting and dramatic as the characters themselves.
Blake’s classic illustrations will visit the North East for the first time in a unique interpretation, based on a selection of artwork that drew a phenomenal number of visitors to London’s National Theatre last year.
Enter the exhibition through Mr Willy Wonka’s whirling swirling tunnel and be transported into the wondercrump world of Dahl and Blake. Observe original illustrations including Matilda, James and the Giant Peach, The Witches, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Revolting Rhymes and Fantastic Mr Fox. Discover the duo’s creative process behind The Twits including manuscripts and Dahl’s ideas book.
Visitors can gain an insight into the pair’s creative process and be inspired to illustrate themselves, perhaps enthused by the exclusive film of Blake at work in his studio in London.
There are interactives throughout the exhibition including a replica BFG’s cave with Snozzcumbers, Frobscottle and dream catchers, plus audio of Dahl telling his unforgettable tales.
Quentin Blake says: "There is something magical about Roald Dahl's books. I like them because although the characters are very unreal, they're strangely true to life as well. For example, the awful people are much more horrible than real people - yet rather like them too!"

For a truly magical family day out visit Seven Stories, the Centre for Children’s Books, tucked under Byker Bridge in the Ouseburn Valley, Newcastle. Open Monday – Saturday 10am – 5pm Sunday 11am – 5pm. Adult £5, Child/concession £4, Family £15. Annual passes are available. T: 0845 271 0777 W: www.sevenstories.org.uk E: info@sevenstories.org.uk Registered charity no. 1056812.
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Royal Mail Awards for Scottish Children's Books Shortlist

ROYAL MAIL AWARDS NOW THE BIGGEST UK PRIZE FOR CHILDREN’S BOOKS
- 2007 QUEST FOR THE BEST SCOTTISH CHILDREN'S BOOKS BEGINS -
The nine shortlisted titles in this year’s Royal Mail Awards for Scottish Children’s Books and a brand new category of best Gaelic book the year are announced today (Friday, May 18).
Such was the success of the inaugural Royal Mail awards programme in 2006, this year’s winning authors will benefit from a trebling of the prize money handed out last year, making this the biggest prize awarded for children’s writing in the UK.
The awards are split into four categories – Early Years, Younger Readers, Older Readers, Gaelic – and the winning author of each category will receive £3,000, thanks to increased financial support from Royal Mail, the Scottish Arts Council and the Arts & Business Invest programme. Runners-up in each category will receive £500 each, a significant increase on last year’s £200 prizes.

There are three shortlisted books in each of the three age-group categories, with a fourth Gaelic category winner:

Early Years (0 - 7 years)
Augustus And His Smile by Catherine Rayner (Little Tiger Press)
Dan and Diesel by Charlotte Hudson and Lindsey Gardiner (Red Fox)
Katie’s Moose by James Robertson and Matthew Fitt, illustrated by Karen Sutherland (Itchycoo)

Younger readers (8 - 12 years)
Chill by Alex Nye (Floris Books)
The Flight of the Silver Turtle by John Fardell (Faber & Faber)
The Highwayman’s Footsteps by Nicola Morgan (Walker Books)

Older readers (13 - 16 years)
The Medici Seal by Theresa Breslin (Doubleday)
Nemesis: Into the Shadows by Catherine MacPhail (Bloomsbury)
Scarlett by Cathy Cassidy (Puffin)

Gaelic Children’s Book of the Year (Winner)
Uspaig agus S-S by Marie C NicAmhlaigh (Marie Macauley), illustrated by Kathleen NicAonghais (Kathleen MacInnes), published by Leabhraichean Beaga.

The shortlisted books will be read by young people in reading groups at schools, libraries and bookshops across Scotland during the next few months, with children voting for their favourite book thereafter and the winners announced at an awards ceremony on Thursday, November 22.
A book review competition for children will run concurrently, with prizes awarded to the best reviews (in either Gaelic or English) of the shortlisted titles or the Gaelic category winner. Review competition winners will be recognised at the awards ceremony in November and will win book tokens for themselves as well as an author visit for their school or library.

The Royal Mail Awards for Scottish Children’s Books are managed by BRAW (Books Reading And Writing), part of Scottish Book Trust, in partnership with the Scottish Arts Council and are supported by the Times Educational Supplement Scotland. The awards are an evolution of the Scottish Arts Council Children’s Book of the Year.


Gavin Wallace, Head of Literature at the Scottish Arts Council, said: "The Royal Mail Awards are unique prizes which celebrate and promote the outstandingly high calibre of writing for children of all ages in Scotland, and obviously we’re delighted with the expansion and wider inclusiveness introduced this year. And the ownership of the prizes by children across Scotland is a glorious thing - we have wonderful young readers as well as wonderful authors!"

Royal Society Junior Prize for Science Books

TopGear presenter uses ‘the Force’ to scoop kids’ science book of year


Bringing his trademark action-packed approach to physics has won Richard Hammond, presenter of TopGear and Brainiac, this year’s Royal Society Junior Prize for Science Books it was announced today (Tuesday 15 May, 2007).

Can you feel the force? uses physics to answer questions such as, ‘can you lie on a bed of nails?, ‘what’s inside an atom?’ and ‘can you walk on custard?’. It also provides an accessible and entertaining introduction to some of the great scientists, such as Newton and Galileo, and outlines simple experiments to try at home.

The book was chosen as the winner from a shortlist of six by junior judging panels made up of almost 1000 young people from 100 school and youth groups from across the UK.


Richard Hammond said: "I was immediately captivated when the team at Dorling Kindersley(DK) approached me about making a book to try and bring physics to life. Perhaps all children need is the confidence to approach a subject with enthusiasm and an open mind. The DK team gave them just that and winning this award is recognition for a group of very talented people."

Commenting on Can you feel the Force?, Anna aged 13 and one of the Junior Judges(2) said: “It was good because it had unusual facts that you wouldn’t know from science lessons.”

Andrew aged 11 said: “The illustrations were good but my favourite bit was the way of walking on custard.”

Adele aged 11 said: “I didn’t vote for it just because Richard Hammond wrote it, it truly was the best.”

Eleanor Updale, chair of the junior judging panels said: “This instantly appealing book traces the roots of physics to the dawn of civilization, but concentrates on the way physical forces are at work in all our lives today. With clear illustrations, practical experiments, and well-paced text, it makes an interest in science look like fun – and above all, normal.”

Dorling Kindersley has now won the junior award eight times – more than any other publisher. What Makes Me, Me? by Robert Winston, which is part of the same series as Can you feel the force?, won the prize in 2005.

The other books short listed for this year’s Junior prize are:
How nearly everything was invented by the brainwaves devised and illustrated by Ralph and Lisa Lazar, and written by Jilly MacLeod.
It’s true! Space turns you into spaghetti by Heather Catchpole and Vanessa Woods (Allen and Unwin)
KFK Natural Disasters by Andrew Langley (Kingfisher Knowledge)
My Body Book by Mick Manning and Brita Granström (Franklin Watts)
Science Investigations: Electricity by John Farndon (Wayland)

Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert won this year’s Royal Society General Prize for Science Books.

Angus Award Winner

Author Kevin Brooks has won the 2007 Angus Book Award for his novel Candy, published by Chicken House Publishing – a sharp, sensitive and exciting novel that takes a walk on the darker side of teenage life.

Following an intensive few months of reading and debate in all eight Angus secondary schools, the five shortlisted authors arrived from all over the UK to speak to the pupils and take part in the award ceremony in Arbroath High School.

The ceremony, which is run by the S3 pupils themselves, was hosted this year by pupils Jason McNulty and Christy Scott, from Arbroath High School and pupils from the other secondary schools spoke about the shortlisted books and asked the authors questions.
But finally the waiting was over and Rachel McCullogh, Chair of the Angus Youth Congress, presented the winning author with his trophy, a miniature replica of the Aberlemno Serpent Stone, and £500 prize.
After recovering from the rush for signed copies of his book, a delighted Kevin said, “A very wonderful day! Truly unforgettable. Excitement, intrigue, artwork, rapping, cheering, laughing, thinking, believing, invigorating…..everything including a sun-filled day! What more could anyone want!”

CLPE Poetry Award Shortlist 2007

Chrissie Gittins: I Don't Want an Avocado for an Uncle, illustrated by Kev Adamson (Rabbit Hole Publications) ;
Julie Johnstone (editor): The Thing That Mattered Most. Scottish Poems for Children illustrated by Iain McIntosh (Scottish PoetryLibrary/Black & White Publishing);
Tony Mitton: My Hat and All That, illustrated by Sue Heap (Corgi Yearling);
Gaby Morgan (editor): Fairy Poems, illustrated by Matilda Harrison (Macmillan);
Jackie Morris (compiler and illustrator): The Barefoot Book of Classic Poems (Barefoot Books);
John Siddique: Don't Wear It On Your Head, Don't Stick It Down Your Pants (Peepal Tree Press) .

This will be the fourth year of the CLPE Award - the only prize in this country for a book of children's poetry. The judges are Ian McMillan, Fiona Waters and Margaret Meek Spencer; the winner will be announced at the award ceremony Wed 13th June 4-6pm at CLPE, Webber Street, London SE1 8QW. More details on the CLPE website - http://www.clpe.co.uk/

The Public Vote on the Greenaway Medal

Greenaway Favourites:

1. Each Peach Pear Plum - Janet Ahlberg
2. Dogger - Shirley Hughes
3. Father Christmas - Raymond Briggs
4. I Will Not Ever Never Eat a Tomato - Lauren Child
5. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - Helen Oxenbury
6. Mr Magnolia - Quentin Blake
7. The Jolly Christmas Postman - Janet Ahlberg
8. Mr Gumpy's Outing - John Burningham
9. Can't You Sleep Little Bear? - Barbara Firth
10.Wolves - Emily Gravett
11.The Haunted House - Jan Pienkowski
12.The Highwayman - Charles Keeping
13.Zoo - Anthony Browne
14.Gorilla - Anthony Browne
15.Pumpkin Soup - Helen Cooper
16.Tim All Alone - Edward Ardizzone
17.Ella's Big Chance - Shirley Hughes
18.Snow White in New York - Fiona French
19.A.B.C. - Brian Wildsmith
20.Chameleon - Adrienne Kennaway

The Public Vote on the Carnegie Medal

Carnegie Favourites:

1. His Dark Materials: Book 1 Northern Lights - Philip Pullman

2. Tom's Midnight Garden - Philippa Pearce
3. The Owl Service - Alan Garner
4. The Borrowers - Mary Norton
5. A Gathering Light - Jennifer Donnelly
6. The Little White Horse - Elizabeth Goudge
7. Skellig - David Almond
8. The Last Battle - C S Lewis
9. Tamar - Mal Peet
10.Granny was a Buffer Girl - Berlie Doherty
11.Pigeon Post - Arthur Ransome
12.The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents - Terry Pratchett
13.The Machine Gunners - Robert Westall
14.Watership Down - Richard Adams
15.Junk - Melvin Burgess
16.The Family from One End Street - Eve Garnett
17.Millions - Frank Cottrell Boyce
18.The Changeover - Margaret Mahy
19.Dear Nobody - Berlie Doherty
20.Stone Cold - Robert Swindells

Young Minds Book Award

YOUNGMINDS ANNOUNCES JUDGES FOR ANNUAL BOOK AWARD
YoungMinds, the national children's mental health charity, today announcesthe line-up of judges for the 2007 YoungMinds Book Award sponsored by PhilipPullman.The four confirmed judges are Stef Penney; award winning author of TheTenderness of Wolves, Shelley Jofre; investigative journalist for Panorama,Will Self; author and broadcaster and Anjula Mutanda; clinical psychologicaltherapist, agony aunt and broadcaster.

The YoungMinds Book Award, now in its fifth year, is a unique award designed
to recognise a work, either fiction or non-fiction, that gives a fresh
insight into the lives and worlds of children or young people.Last years winner Beasts of No Nation by Uzodinma Iweala has gone on to win further awards both in the UK and the US.

The shortlist of six books will be announced in mid-July and the winner will be presented with the £3,000 prize at a ceremony in central London on 15th November.

Kate Greenaway 2007 Shortlist

Emily Gravett, Orange Pear Apple Bear, Macmillan
Mini Grey, The Adventures of the Dish and the Spoon, Red Fox
John Kelly & Cathy Tincknell, Scoop! An Exclusive by Monty Molkeski, Templar
Catherine Rayner, Augustus and his Smile, Little Tiger
Chris Riddell, The Emperor of Absurdia, Macmillan

Winner will be announced on 21 June.

Subscribers to Carousel will have read articles featuring all but one of the shortlisted illustrators - presicient or what?

CARNEGIE 2007 SHORTLIST

Kevin Brooks, The Road of the Dead, Chicken House
Siobhan Dowd, A Swift Pure Cry, David Fickling Books
Anne Fine, The Road of Bones, Doubleday
Ally Kennen, Beast, Marion Lloyd Books
Meg Rosoff, Just in Case, Penguin
Marcus Sedgwick, My Swordhand is Singing, Orion

Winner will be announced on 21 June at the British Library

Top Ten Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medal Winners

Vote for your favourite Cilip Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Winners from the ones listed below:
Carnegie
1937 - The Family from One End Street - Eve Garnett - Puffin
1952 - The Borrowers - Mary Norton - Puffin
1958 - Tom's Midnight Garden - Philippa Pearce - OUP
1967 - The Owl Service - Alan Garner - HarperCollins
1975 - The Machine-Gunners - Robert Westall - Macmillan
1985 - Storm - Kevin Crossley-Holland - Egmont
1995 - Northern Lights - Philip Pullman - Scholastic
1996 - Junk - Melvin Burgess - Puffin
1998 - Skellig - David Almond - Hodder
2003 - A Gathering Light - Jennifer Donnelly - Bloomsbury
Kate Greenaway
1956 - Tim All Alone - Edward Ardizzone - Frances Lincoln
1963 - Borka - John Burningham - Jonathan Cape
1973 - Father Christmas - Puffin
1977 - Dogger - Shirley Hughes - Red Fox
1978 - Each Peach Pear Plum - Janet Ahlberg - Puffin
1980 - Mister Magnolia - Quentin Blake - Red Fox
1981 - The Highwayman - Charles Keeping - OUP
1983 - Gorilla - Anthony Browne - Walker
1999 - Alice in Wonderland - Helen Oxenbury - Walker
2000 - I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato - Lauren Child - Orchard

The online poll was launched by CILIP at Seven Stories in Newcastle by two schoolchildren. One voted for Dogger for the best Kate Greenaway and the other for The Machine-Gunners (no surprise there as we were in Newcastle) for the Carnegie.

Simply register your vote by going to the online poll at www.ckg.org.uk before 12 noon on Thursday 14 June. The overall winner will be announced on 21 June.

National Portrait Gallery, London

YOUNG PEOPLE'S PROGRAMME - FREE WORKSHOPS FOR 14-21 YEAR OLDS

Festival of Youth ArtsSunday 27 May – Friday 1 June 2007www.festivalofyoutharts.org.uk Breaking Free is a week-long festival to celebrate and promote the creativity and vitality of Youth arts.
To mark the occasion, the Gallery will be hosting a series of events including a drop-in photo-shoot at the launch in Trafalgar Square on Sunday, and an exclusive performance by young people from the KOKI Cultural Arts Club, inspired by the bi-centenary of the abolition of the slave trade in 2007.

Edinburgh Tours

Based on his book Horrible Histories:Edinburgh (Scholastic) Terry Deary has done the commentary for an open-toped bus which tours the city. In special livery, you can listen as Terry tells of the city's often lurid past - Burke and Hare the Body Snatchers, the site of the public gallows, murder and mayhem galore! Sure to be enjoyed by the over 8s! Catch the bus at the Waverly Bridge every 20 minutes ( most of the Lothian Region tour buses carry the commentary although there is only one specially decorated bus) Family tickets available - you can jump on and off the bus all day. Visitwww.horribleedinburgh.com for more

Please note the commentary is on Edinburgh Bus Tours - City Sightseeing Tour - the Edinburgh Tour, MacTour and Majestic Tour are live guided or on a different route.