The Book Case JUNIOR READERS CLUB

BLUE PETER BOOK AWARD SHORTLIST

Book I couldn't put down:

 The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips - Michael Morpurgo  - highly praised story an abandoned village, a lifelong friendship and one very adventurous cat, against the backdrop of the Second World War. (£5.99)

 Blood Fever - Charlie Higson - Young Bond. (£6.99)

 GRK and the Pelotti Gang - Joshua Doder - exciting chase through South America. (£4.99)

 Best book with facts:

 Connor's Eco Den - Pippa Goodhart. The Hogg family are bursting out of their small house so Mr Hogg challenges his three sons to build an extra bedroom themselves. Barrington Stoke book. (£4.99)

 Poo - Nicola Davies & Neil Layton. A natural history of. (£5.99)

 Spud Goes Green - Giles Thaxton. Spud's New Year resolution is to go green - and this is his diary to prove it! (£4.99) 

 Best illustrated book to read aloud:

 Guess Who's Coming for Dinner? John Kelly & Kathy Tinknell (£5.99)

 Lost & Found - Oliver Jeffers. A magical tale of friendship and loneliness, a boy, and a penguin, selling well at The Book Case. (£5.99)

Nestle Children’s Book Prize 2006 (was Smarties)

The shortlist was announced on 4th October as follows. The winners will be announced in December.

 9-11 age category

 The Diamond of Drury Lane - Julia Golding

 The Tide Knot - Helen Dunmore

 The Pig Who Saved the World - Paul Shipton

 6-8 age category

 Hugo Pepper - Paul Stewart & Chris Riddell

 Mouse Noses on Toast - Daren King, illustrated by David Roberts

 The Adventures of The Dish and The Spoon - Mini Grey

 5 and under age category

 Wibbly Pig's Silly Big Bear - Mick Inkpen

 The Emperor of Absurdia - Chris Riddell

Guardian Children's Book Prize 2006

Jill Murphy: The Worst Witch Saves the Day, £4.99

Frank Cottrell Boyce: Framed, £5.99

Philip Reeve: A Darkling Plain, £12.99 (paperback expected next Feb.) - WINNER

Tim Wynne-Jones: The Survival Game, £5.99

Frances Hardinge: Fly By Night, £5.99

Patrick Cave: Blown Away,  £6.99

David Almond: Clay, £5.99

Siobhan Dowd: A Swift Pure Cry,  £12.99 (paperback expected Feb.)

Nestle Book Prize 2005

5 & Under

Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers, published by HarperCollins - WINNER

Wolves by Emily Gravett, published by Macmillan

The Dancing Tiger by Malachy Doyle, illustrated by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher, published by Simon and Schuster

6-8 years

The Whisperer by Nick Butterworth, published by HarperCollins

Michael Rosen's Sad Book by Michael Rosen, illustrated by Quentin Blake, published by Walker Books

Corby Flood by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell, published by Doubleday

9-11 years

I, Coriander by Sally Gardner, published by Orion - WINNER

The Scarecrow and the Servant by Philip Pullman, published by Doubleday

The Whispering Road by Livi Michael, published by Puffin

Guardian Children's Fiction Longlist, 2005

Candy - Kevin Brooks, £12.99.
A chance meeting at King's Cross changes Joe's life for ever. 13+

Merrybegot - Julie Hearn, £5.99.
Atmospheric historical novel. 10+

Boy in the Burning House - Tim Wynne-Jones, £4.99.
Pacy thriller. When Jim's father dies, he doesn't need advice from Ruth. 10+

Wolf Brother - Michelle Paver, £4.99.
Torak's task is to kill a bear with the help of the World Spirit. 9+

Little Gentlemen - Philippa Pearce, £9.99.
Bet meets a talking mole of strong views and very long life. 9+

Brind & the dogs of War - Christopher Russell, £4.99.
Brind and the pack of mastiffs he lives among are taken to France to fight in the Battle of Crecy

Hunted - Alex Shearer, £4.99.
Tarrin is a child in a society of old people who have traded fertility for longevity. 11+

New Policeman - Kate Thomson, £10.99.
JJ's mother asks him to give her time for her birthday, so he heads for Tir na n'Og. 11+

Carnegie Medal 2005

Looking for JJ - Anne Cassidy, £5.99
Brave and sensitive study of a child murderer. 13+

Al Capone Does My Shirts - Gennifer Choldenko, £5.99
Moose Capone lives next door to Alcatraz - and also has to get used to a new school and cope with his sister's autism. 11+

Millions - Frank Cottrell Boyce, £5.99
Two brothers find themselves unexpectedly in possession of huge amounts of soon-to-be-worthless cash. Pizzas or World Peace - which would you choose? Meanwhile the bungling bank robbers are closing in. The author discussed the book and film with enthralled youngsters at Riverside School, Hebden Bridge as part of the Hebden Bridge Arts Festival.

Heartbeat - Sharon Creech, £5.99
A young girl finding her identity and learning how it fits with the many rhythms of life. In blank verse!

The Star of Kazan - Eva Ibbotson, £5.99
Set in late 19th-century Vienna, the story of foundling Annika who grows up in the servants' quarters of some eccentric Viennese professors and finally discovers who she really is.

The Scarecrow and His Servant - Philip Pullman, £9.99 (hardback, pb due Nov.)
Epic adventures of courteous but pea-brained Scarecrow and his faithful servant Jack.

Guardian Prize 2004

"A tradition of finding new voices in children's fiction before the rest of the world is aware of them has distinguished the prize since it was founded in 1967. Past winners include Ted Hughes, Anne Fine, Philip Pullman and Jacqueline Wilson." This year's judges are: Mark Haddon (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time), Adèle Geras and Marcus Sedgwick. The panel is chaired by Julia Eccleshare. The longlist is as follows, with winner and shortlist highlighted:

Millions, by Frank Cottrell Boyce (£9.99) Age: 9+ - SHORTLIST
When a bag stuffed full of notes is flung from a train, Damien and his older brother Anthony are rich - but it'll only be for a few days, until the new currency comes in.

Murkmere, by Patricia Elliott (£5.99) Age: 10+
Summoned to Murkmere Hall to be the companion to Leah, the Master's ward, Aggie finds herself caught up in a world of intrigue and mystery.

Private Peaceful, by Michael Morpurgo (£9.99) Age: 10+
Morpurgo pulls no punches when writing about the folly and barbarity of war.

No Shame, No Fear, by Anne Turnbull (£5.99) Age: 10+ - SHORTLIST
Relates the struggle of the Quakers in the mid-17th century

Last Train from Kummersdorf, by Leslie Wilson (£9.99) Age: 11+ - SHORTLIST
It is Germany in 1945 and with their contrasting backgrounds, Hanno and Effie are unlikely friends; but circumstances force them together.

Kissing the Rain, by Kevin Brooks (£11.99) Age: 13+
Overweight, a pawn in his parents' dubious way of life, 15-year-old Moo has always been an outsider: he has lived his life on the margins. He witnesses an incident of savage road rage.

How I Live Now, by Meg Rosoff (£11.99) Age: 14+ - WINNER
When Daisy arrives in England to stay with her cousins, she finds a new way of life with a refreshing absence of rules and expectations. Above all, she finds Edmund. But war breaks out. Book Case Recommendation: you won't be able to put it down!

Useful Idiots, by Jan Mark (11.99) Age: 13+
The UK is partly underwater as a result of climate change. Raises questions about how we see history and the role that secrets from the past have in the present.

Blue Peter Award Shortlist 2004:

Section winners highlighted

"The Book I couldn't Put Down"

'Montmorency' by Eleanor Updale (£5.99): a Victorian thief falls through a skylight and is severely injured, but an ambitious doctor restores him to life. A dual existence results. - WINNER

'Fat Boy Swim' by Catherine Forde (£4.99): an overweight teenage boy is bullied, but finds a talent for cooking and teams up with the school's tough coach.

'The Garbage King' by Elizabeth Laird (£4.99): two very different boys in Addis Ababa are on the run and learn to live in a street gang.

'Stealing Stacey' by Lynne Reid Banks (£4.99): a coming of age story set in the Australian outback.

'When Mum Threw Out the Telly' by E.F. Smith (£4.99): Jeff's best friend moves away, then his Mum gets rid of the TV. How will he survive?

"The Best Book With Facts In It"

'The Ultimate Book Guide' edited by Daniel Hahn, Leonie Flynn and Susan Reuben (£12.99): WINNER - You've just finished a book that you couldn't put down – where can you find advice on what to read next? 'The Ultimate Book Guide' has over 600 top titles recommended by dozens of your favourite writers.

'Brilliant Brits: Shakespeare' written and illustrated by Richard Brassey (£3.99): fun introduction to Shakespeare.

'Who was Emily Davison?' by Claudia Fitzherbert (£4.99): the girl who gave her life for the cause.

'I Spy: Shapes in Art' by Lucy Micklethwaite (£6.99): look for the shape in each painting.

'Journey into the Arctic' by Bryan and Cherry Alexander (£7.99): pictorial journey to the area north of the Arctic Circle starting in Greenland, travelling through Arctic Canada and onto Siberia.

"Best Illustrated Book To Read Aloud"

'Man on the Moon' written and illustrated by Simon Bartram (£5.99) - WINNER AND OVERALL WINNER: Find out what Bob does on the moon – cleaning, tidying, welcoming visitors and performing tricks for tourists. But does he know everything that happens on the moon?

'Atticus the Storyteller's 100 Greek Myths' by Lucy Coats illustrated by Anthony Lewis (£9.99): all 100 myths that Atticus tells on his year-long journey round Greece, and takes you to all the places where the myths took place.

'Quiet!' written by Paul Bright, illustrated by Guy Parker Rees (£4.99): set in the jungle, very noisy book about being very quiet!

Nestle Smarties Book Prize 2004

SHORTLIST

Age 5 and under category

Biscuit Bear by Mini Grey - GOLD MEDAL: the story of a biscuit’s night-time frolics (£9.99)
Bartholomew and the Bug by Neal Layton
My Big Brother Boris by Liz Pichon

Age 6 – 8 category

Cloud Busting by Malorie Blackman
Fergus Crane by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell - GOLD MEDAL, plus 4Children Special Award - The magical adventures of a boy, a winged mechanical horse and a mysterious flying box , from the Edge Chronicles team (£8.99)
Smile! by Geraldine McCaughrean

Age 9 – 11 category

The Star of Kazan by Eva Ibbotson
Spilled Water by Sally Grindley - GOLD MEDAL - a harrowing tale of child slavery in 20th century China (£9.99)
Keeper by Mal Peet

Blue Peter Award Shortlist 2003:

Section winners highlighted.

"The Book I couldn't Put Down"

Cool! by Michael Morpurgo (£4.99)

The Dark Horse by Marcus Sedgwick (£4.99)

Firesong by William Nicholson (£6.99)

Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve (£5.99) - WINNER + OVERALL WINNER

Secrets by Jacqueline Wilson (£10.99)

"The Best Book With Facts In It"

Microlife by David Burnie (£4.99)

One Small Suitcase by Barry Turner (£4.99)

Pirate Diary by Richard Platt (£3.99) - WINNER

True Polar Adventure Stories by Paul Downswell (£3.99)

Who Was David Livingstone? by Amanda Mitchison (£4.50)

"Best Illustrated Book To Read Aloud"

Kipper's A to Z by Mick Inkpen (£6.99)

Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson (£5.99) - WINNER

That Pesky Rat by Lauren Child (£4.99)

Slow Loris by Alexis Deacon (£5.99)

Words to Whisper, Words to Shout by Michaela Morgan (£4.99)

[Click here for past Blue Peter Prize lists]

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Smarties Award Shortlist 2003:

Winners highlighted

Age 5 and Under

Tadpole's Promise by Jeanne Willis (£9.99)

Two Frogs by Chris Wormell (£10.99)

The Witch's Children and the Queen by Ursula Jones (£10.99)

Age 6-8

The Countess's Calamity by Sally Gardner (£4.99)

The Last Castaways by Harry Horse (£3.99)

Varjak by S F Said (£10.99)

Age 9-11

Montmorency by Elenor Updale ( £12.99)

The Various by Steve Augarde (12.99)

The Fire-Eaters by David Almond (£10.99)

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Carnegie Medal 2003 shortlist

Ruby Holler by Sharon Creech (£5.99) - WINNER

Twins, Dallas and Florida, think they are destined to spend their whole childhood in an orphanage until they meet an elderly couple willing to offer them a loving new home.

Martyn Pig by Kevin Brooks (£5.99)

A dark yet comical murder mystery, in which Martyn Pig gets caught in a web of deceit following his father's murder.

Up On Cloud Nine by Anne Fine (£4.99)

A beautiful story about the strength of friendship, told over the period of one day, while one of the two best friends is in hospital fighting for his life.

The Edge by Alan Gibbons (£4.99)

A dramatic thriller in which a mother and son escape a world of domestic violence only to meet with further prejudice as they try to start a new life.

Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn (£12.99)

Exciting adventure story in which Takeo embarks on a hazardous journey to find his hidden destiny.

The Shell House by Linda Newbery (£10.99)

Set in a stately home, this book tells the story of two families, one living in 1915, the other in the present day. The Dark Horse by Marcus Sedgwick (1858818842, Dolphin Paperbacks, £4.99) - A mythical tale in which Sig discovers a small baby during a wolf hunt. Their tribe adopts the baby but her real identity is not revealed for many years.

Blue Peter Awards 2002

The Book I Couldn't Put Down (£4.99 each)

WINNER: Feather Boy by Nicky Singer: Robert's victimised at school but a mad old lady in a nursing home encourages him to find his inner strength and outface the school bully (10+).

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

Journey To The River Sea by Eva Ibbotson

Mighty Fizz Chilla by Philip Ridley Point Blanc by Anthony Horowitz

Best Book to Read Aloud (£4.99 each except the Ahlberg)

WINNER: Crispin, The Pig Who Had It All by Ted Dewan : Rich little pig Crispin finds less is more one Christmas

Eat Your Peas by Kes Gray and Nick Sharratt

Giraffes Can't Dance by Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees

Grandma Chickenlegs by Geraldine McCaughrean and Moira Kemp

The Man Who Wore All His Clothes by Allan Ahlberg and Katharine McEwen (£6.99)

The Best New Information Books

WINNER: Ada Lovelace by Lucy Lethbridge (£3.99): about the "computer wizard of Victorian England" - the collaboration between Byron's daughter and Charles Babbage.

The Cartoon History Of The Earth by Jacqui Bailey and Matthew Lilly (series, £5.99 each)

True Stories of Heroes by Paul Dowswell (£3.99)

Twenty Stories From British History by Geraldine McCaughrean, illus Richard Brassey (series, £4.99 each)

The Usborne Internet-Linked Library Of Science Human Body by Kirsteen Rogers and Corinne Henderson (£6.99)

Nestlé Smarties Book Prize 2002

Shortlist & winners

This is the only competition where children decide the winners, and over 25,000 schoolchildren are expected to participate. This longest-running children's book prize is now in its 18th year. Julia Eccleshare is chair of the adult judging panel, and you can read more about it at http://www.booktrusted.com/nestle/shlist2002.html

5 years and under

*WINNER: Lucy Cousins Jazzy in the Jungle (hardback, £11.99)

Charlotte Voake Pizza Kittens (hardback, £9.99)

Neal Layton Oscar and Arabella (£4.99)

6 - 8 years

*WINNER: Lauren Child That Pesky Rat (hardback, £9.99)

Richard Platt Pirate Diary - The Journal of Jake Carpenter (illustrated by Chris Riddell) (£6.99)

Michael Morpurgo The Last Wolf (illustrated by Michael Foreman) (hardback, £9.99; £4.99 pb due Jan.)

9 - 11 years

*WINNER: Philip Reeve Mortal Engines (£5.99) : highly praised debut novel about a world where entire cities are on the move, consuming and attacking each other.

Sally Prue Cold Tom (£4.99)

Geraldine McCaughrean Stop the Train (£4.99)

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Guardian Children's Book Prize Winner 2002

This year's winner was Sonya Hartnett's Thursday's Child (Walker, £4.99), first published in Australia. During the long, hungry years of the Great Depression, Harper Flute's family struggles to cope with life on the hot, dusty land. Her younger brother Tin seeks refuge in the contrast of an ancient subterranean world. 10+ says the note.

On the shortlist were:

Keith Grey's Warehouse (£4.99) about social outcasts with their own codes of conduct,

Elizabeth Laird's Jake's Tower (£9.99) about a boy who needs a hideout to survive the daily reality of an unpredictable and violent stepfather,

Linda Newbery's The Shell House (£9.99) has an insecure modern teenage boy meeting a young First World War soldier in a ruined house;

The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett which won the 2002 Carnegie Medal, was highly praised by Philip Pullman for its originality and is about a scruffy tomcat, a stupid-looking kid and educated rats. About to go into paperback at £5.99.

Marcus Sedgwick's The Dark Horse (£7.99) weaves stories of old magic and forgotten powers into a highly charged mystery.

The judges were: Kevin Crossley-Holland, Beverley Naidoo and Bali Rai, chaired by Julia Eccleshare.

Blue Peter Awards 2001:

FICTION: section winners + shortlist

The Book I Couldn't Put Down

These are books that are so gripping that once you've started to read them you just do not want to stop - for dinner, for school or when it's time to put the light out at night.

The Wind Singer by William Nicholson Egmont, £5.99 : SECTION WINNER & BLUE PETER BOOK OF THE YEAR
Behave, pass your exams, don't let others down. We're all familiar with instructions like that, but what if they ruled your life, so that your whole family suffered if you didn't do as the Government told you? That's what this brilliant thriller is all about. What are your options if you simply can't bear to go on being part of a system you despise? Apart from being edge-of-your-seat reading, this novel really makes you think about your own life. Would you be as brave as the Hath family has to be?

Playing on the Edge by Neil Arksey Puffin, £4.99
We've all heard the horror stories about athletes taking drugs to enhance their performance. Not only do they gain unfair advantages, they also endanger their health, sometimes with fatal consequences. In this gripping novel, set in the future, fantastically wealthy football clubs are beyond the law, but Easy Linker decides that enough is enough. Can he survive long enough to blow the whistle on their illegal activities?

Coram Boy by Jamila Gavin Egmont, £5.99
If you like long, involving novels you will love this one. It has everything in it - love and hate, life and death. And although it tells a story set in the middle of the eighteenth century, it has lots of links with the present. Captain Thomas Coram was a philanthropist, somebody who wanted to make peoples' lives better. His particular passion was to improve the lives of children, who at that time were often treated heartlessly and cruelly. But that meant trying to change the way in which people think, and sometimes that's the hardest thing of all.

Monster Mission by Eva Ibbotson Macmillan Children's Books, £4.99
'Kidnapping children is not a good idea. All the same, sometimes it has to be done.' How's that for a brilliant beginning? Eva has written many excellent comedy fantasies - Which Witch? and The Secret of Platform 13 - and this is as excellent as ever. What can three aunts possibly want with the two boys and a girl on their mysterious island?

The Dare Game by Jacqueline Wilson, illustrated by Nick Sharratt Corgi, £4.99
Apparently so many people asked Jacqueline Wilson to write a sequel to The Story of Tracey Beaker that eventually she did just that. We all know that real life doesn't end happily ever after, and for Tracey, even though she is delighted to get out of the Children's Home, life is far from easy. She's at a new school, with a grumpy teacher, and her foster-mum, Cam isn't the perfect Mum of whom Tracey has dreamt. Being Tracey, she doesn't always do the right thing, but her heart is always in the right place.

The Best Book to Read Aloud

We all love listening to other people reading stories, and these books are ideal for that purpose. Mums and Dads can read them to their children, teachers can read them to their classes, and children can read them to their brothers and sisters.

The Bravest Ever Bear by Allan Ahlberg, Illustrated by Paul Howard Walker Books, £4.99 : SECTION WINNER
Although Allan Ahlberg, an extremely experienced author, has written this book, he doesn't seem to be in control of its inhabitants. They seem determined to decide exactly how the story is to work out - and they never agree long enough to make very much sense at all. Although this picture book is ideal for younger readers, older children will love it too. You'll recognise all kinds of favourite fairy tale and nursery rhyme characters who are staging a very determined take-over bid. Finally Allan and Paul manage to draw things to a close.

Eco-Wolf and the Three Pigs by Laurence Anholt Illustrated by Arthur Robins Orchard, £3.99
The fact that this book is part of a series of books called Seriously Silly Stories gives you a large clue about what to expect - serious silliness! But it has hidden depths too. Eco-Wolf is most put out when his peaceful valley is invaded by business-pigs, determined to make lots of money building houses and then selling them. He may be peace-loving, but he's no walk-over.

Wish You Were Here (And I Wasn't) - a book of poems and pictures for globe trotters Written and illustrated by Colin McNaughton Walker Books, £7.99
If you don't enjoy this book, you need to give your sense of humour a good talking to. Colin McNaughton isn't just a poet and an artist, he's a word-inventor and a designer too. He plays around with the way pages look, just as he plays around with our imaginations. Sometimes he teases us - It's a Small World - and sometimes he amazes us - The Squidgeree - but he always entertains us, and you can't help coming back for more.

Monster in the Mirror by Jean Ure Illustrated by Doffy Weir Collins, £3.99
Woffle and Stretch are as happy as can be, living with their People. Then Muffy comes along, and suddenly their peace is shattered - all by a tiny, black ball of fur with extremely sharp claws! This is a splendid book to read aloud, and perfect for new readers ready for chapter books.

Whiff or How the Beautiful Big Fat Smelly Baby Found a Friend by Ian Whybrow Illustrated by Russell Ayto Corgi, £4.99
Most parents love their children, and Whiff is very definitely loved by his parents. It is when he tries to make friends with other youngsters that the trouble starts. This is a very funny book, and, without giving too much away, Whiff does eventually find friends who don't mind his personal hygiene in the least.

The Best Book to Keep Forever

Have you ever read a book that you know you'll want to keep for the rest of your life? A book that you'd never give away to jumble sales, and that you'd only lend to your very best friend? There are all kinds of reasons why books have that effect on us and different books appeal to different people, but the Adult Judging Panel thought that the following books fall into that category. Read them and see if you agree!

The Kite Rider by Geraldine McCaughrean Oxford University Press, £6.99 : SECTION WINNER
Gou Haoyou desperately want to take care of his mother and sister after the terrible death of his father. But the adults around him all have their own reasons for making that impossible and he is forced to leave his family and join the Jade Circus. Life there is thrilling, dangerous and exotic, but he can't forget those he's left behind. This is an amazing book, transporting us to China in the days of the warrior king Kublai Khan. Gou Haoyou is, as the title of this books suggests, a rider of kites, a human kite. For him it's both terrifying and a means of escape.

My Brother's Ghost by Allan Ahlberg Puffin, £3.99
Do you believe in ghosts? Frances Fogarty does, because her brother, Tom is a ghost. Killed in a tragic road accident, he is still the older brother who looks out for her and who loves his dog. But as the years go on Frances realises that while she is growing older and more independent, Tom remains the same age and her reliance on him lessens. Not that she loves him any the less. This is one of those easy-to-read stories which haunt you, but in a good way, a bit like Tom does.

Bartlett and the Ice Voyage by Odo Hirsch Bloomsbury, £4.99
A melidrop - the most fabulous tropical fruit in the world. It seems that despite her great wealth and the vast area over which she reigns, there is nothing the Queen can do to find a way of tasting a melidrop, of which she's heard such wonderful descriptions. By the time it has been transported from the hot southern countries in which it is grown, to the Queen, it is inedible. Over to Bartlett, an explorer with imagination.

Castle Diary: The Journal of Tobias Burgess, Page Transcribed by Richard Platt, Illuminated by Chris Riddell Walker Books, £9.99
This is the diary of Tobias, a page in his uncle's castle in 1285. There are no televisions, cars or game-boys, but who needs those when you can hunt wild boar, there is archery to get the hang of or vast banquets to enjoy? Tobias is quite a character, and life doesn't always run smoothly, but life as a boy in a medieval castle is certainly never dull.

I Was A Rat! or The Scarlet Slippers by Philip Pullman, Illustrated by Peter Bailey Corgi, £4.99
Roger is absolutely sure - he has definitely been a rat. But what is he now? The papers say he's a monster, Mr Tapscrew wants to put him on public view and Billy needs him to aid and abet his thieving. Bob and Joan just believe that he's a boy in need of love and affection, and they're prepared to go to some lengths to provide them. But it takes the intervention of somebody with power over the press and public opinion to put Roger's life back on track.

Best Book of Knowledge

The top five books in the 'Book of Knowledge' category were:

Rotten Romans by Terry Deary Scholastic Hippo, £3.99
Julius Caesar the Roman Geezer: history with the smelly bits left in. Looks at rotten recipes, gory games and loads of horrific facts.

2nd. Children's Illustrated Encyclopedia Dorling Kindersley, £29.99
Articles and pictures to browse through or to find out about everything under the sun.

3rd. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank, ed. Otto H. Frank & Mirjam Pressler trans. Susan Massotty Viking, £5.99
True story of Anne's life growing up in hiding from the Nazis, written in her own words.

4th. Blood Bones and Body Bits by Nick Arnold Scholastic Hippo, £3.99
The nasty side of biology, from disgusting digestion to dreadful diseases.

5th. Children Just Like Me by Barnabas and Anabel Ill. Julek Heller Dorling Kindersley, £10.99
This special book records the amazing diversity and yet surprising similarity of children from around the world.

The Smarties Prize 2001

This is judged by children aged 11 and under. We won’t be stocking all the shortlist until they go into paperback, but here they are:

5 and Under Category:

Catherine and Laurence Anholt Chimp and Zee (they go to Jungletown shopping but get bored - and get a fright from a big grey stone!) (£12.99) : GOLD AWARD
Mick Inkpen Kipper's A to Z (everyone loves Kipper, and this is his alphabet) (£12.99, cassette £3.99) : Silver Award
Sarah Dyer Five Little Fiends (they come out every day and they each have a favourite thing), £9.99 : Bronze Award

6 to 8 Years Category:

Emily Smith The Shrimp (new into stock, the story of a shy boy who collects an impressive array of shells in Cornwall)(£3.99): GOLD AWARD
Raymond Briggs Ug (boy genius of the Stone Age and his search for soft trousers)(£9.99) : Silver Award
Lauren Child What Planet Are You From Clarice Bean? (Feisty Clarice tackles the environment!) (£10.99) : Bronze Award

9 to 11 Years Category:

Eva Ibbotson Journey to the River Sea (13-year-old orphan Maia flees up the Amazon with a mysterious companion)(£9.99) : GOLD AWARD
Chris Wooding The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray (17-year-old Thaniel is a wych-hunter, and he and Catherine track down the fearful creatures in the Old Quarter of London (£12.99) : Silver Award
Geraldine McCaughrean The Kite Rider (a 13th-century Chinese boy who is strapped to a kite as the army of Kublai Khan approaches; Carnegie winner) (£6.99) : Bronze Award

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The Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize 2001

Winner: Arthur: The Seeing Stone by Kevin Crossley-Holland

Longlist was: My Brother’s Ghost by Allan Ahlberg: a poignant ghost story set in the 1950s. 9+ (£3.99)
Arthur: The Seeing Stone by Kevin Crossley-Holland: a stylish retelling of the early years of King Arthur. 9+ (£5.99)
Troy by Adele Geras: horror and love in the Trojan War as seen by two sisters. 11+ (£5.99)
Girl in Red by Gaye Hicyilaz: Romanian gypsies are camping on the local estate. 11+ (£4.99)
Journey to the River Sea - Eva Ibbotson. 10+. (£9.99)
24 Hours - Margaret Mahy: Ellis in the bizarre Land of Smiles. (£4.99).
Heathrow Nights - Jan Mark. Russell’s hiding out at the airport, angry at his mother’s re-marriage. 12+ (£4.99).
The Other Side of Truth - Beverley Naidoo - see below: won the Carnegie Medal.
Witch Child - Celia Rees: Mary’s grandmother is killed as a witch and she flees to America. 11+ (£5.99) .
Raspberries on the Yangtzee - Karen Wallace. 11+ (£7.99)

Carnegie Medal, 2001

Winner: Beverley Naidoo’s The Other Side of Truth (£4.99) The book is for 11 & up and is a gripping story about the two children of a brave Nigerian political journalist who flee to London after their mother is killed . The author had some tough things to say about racism and British schools.

Highly Commended were Adele Geras’s Troy (£5.99) - and Philip Pullman’s Amber Spyglass (£6.99).

Greenaway Prize, 2001: winner was Lauren Child’s I Will Not Ever Never Eat a Tomato about fussy eater Lola, and Anthony Browne’s Willy’s Pictures was Highly Commended.

Blue Peter Book Awards 2000

This is a new award, for paperback children’s titles. Young reviewers competed for places on the panel to choose the winners from a shortlist selected by adults. 20,000 book reviews were submitted! The awards were announced on 26th November in a glitzy TV programme

The Shadow of the Minotaur by Alan Gibbons
for The Book I Couldn’t Put Down

The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson and Axel Sheffler
for The Best Book to Read Aloud

Pilgrim’s Progress retold by Gerald McCaughrean, illus. Jason Cockcroft
for A Special Book to Keep Forever AND Blue Peter Book of the Year

There were 3 other categories: Roald Dahl’s Matilda was voted The Book That Made Them Laugh Out Loud; J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was The Best Book for Sharing; and The Guinness World of Records was voted The Best Book with Facts.

Smarties Book Prize: The Gold Award Winners 2000

The Wind Singer by William Nicholson in the 9-11 category
Lizzie Zipmouth by Jacqueline Wilson in the 6-8 category
Max by Bob Graham for the 5-and-unders

The runners-up:

Arthur: the Seeing Stone by Kevin Crossley-Holland (9-11)
The Other Side of Truth by Beverley Naidoo (9-11)
Beware of the Storybook Wolves by Lauren Child (6-8)
The Red and White Spotted Handkerchief by Tony Mitton (6-8)
Husherbye by John Burningham (5 and under)
Me and My Cat by Satoshi Kitamura (5 and under).

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