UK Literacy Association Children’s Book Awards Winners 2011

12-16 Award: Out of Shadows by Jason Wallace, published by Andersen Press

A powerful, devastating read for older teens: “It captures the moment perfectly, the characterisation is brilliant”. One judge’s comment summed up many opinions: “Whoever reads it will be transformed in some way. One inevitably knows more about the world and about yourself as a result of reading it.”

3-11 Award: Birdsong by Ellie Sandall, published by Egmont

The panel felt it is a book young readers will return to again and again.  They particularly loved the tongue twisting bird noises and the way the picture book strikes a perfect balance between words and pictures.

The Borrowers: Bath preview of new Japanese animated children's movie

There will be a special children's preview of the new Japanese animation adventure, ARRIETTY at the Little Cinema in Bath on Saturday afternoon, 23 July - the first day of its UK release. 

Little Cinema, Bath

Set in present-day suburban Tokyo, the blurb says: "The scurry of tiny footsteps echoes underneath the floorboards of a sprawling mansion.  Fourteen-year-old Arrietty has lived in the recesses of this grand manor all her life, totally unbeknown to the two old ladies who occupy it.  Arrietty and her diminutive family survive by 'borrowing' everyday items from their inadvertent landlords.  When 12-year-old Sho moves into the mansion while awaiting medical treatment at a clinic in the city, Arrietty starts to see humans in a different light.  Disregarding her parents' advice, she announces herself to Sho and a friendship sparks into life."

Described as "a magical riff on British writer Mary Norton's cherished novel The Borrowers" this could be worth finding a child to take to!

July 2011: Eve Garnett's "The Family from One End Street" and our next book

We had our second meeting yesterday morning: it was lively and interesting - and we also welcomed a new member!  There was much enthusiasm about our June book, The Family from One End Street (1937) by Eve Garnett, and much to discuss and to learn about its social origins, philanthropic intent, plot lines, characters and style versus other books of the time. Some childhood memories were sparked, and we learned more about the author and her work. 

If anyone wants to take a look at the mural in the Children's House at Bow which was painted by Eve Garnett, here are the weblinks:

The Children's House, Bow, London

Mural by Eve Garnett in The Children's House at Bow

Our 11-year old "shadow" reader sent in her own One End Street book review which she has said can be published here.

“Well, I enjoyed it and I liked the pictures in it.  I liked how they put underneath what the pictures were, so on page 147 it says, “crammed full of old tins and bits of paper”, which is a line in the book and it makes you understand which bit of the story the picture refers to.

"My favourite chapter was The Adventure of the Parked Car.  It was nice because the title just says 'The Adventure of the Parked Car' and so you just think 'oh, it's a parked car' but then people get in it and they drive away and as soon as they drive away it makes you feel like something exciting is going to happen.  I also liked it because it had a wide range of characters like the 'stuck up boy' at the birthday party, 'playful Joe' and 'the kind parents'.

"It was a little bit strange reading such an old fashioned book at the beginning but once you kind of got used to it, it felt like that was the normal way to write books, so it didn't feel strange anymore.

"My favourite character was John because he was always getting into some kind of mischief and he loves cars, and in the parked car one it was funny when he got into it.  And I also liked Kate, I liked how she was so different from most girls and that she was very, very adventurous and a complete contrast to her sister, Lily Rose."

Our book for our August meeting is Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz, published in 2000 - the first in his very popular series about the boy spy, Alex Rider.  This was also made into a movie in 2006 - but it's definitely one case where the book is better than the film!

Children's Books for £1 with free delivery from Waterstones

I wouldn't normally use this blog to promote a particular retailer, but Waterstones have a great offer at present that seems too good to ignore.  They are offering the first book for £1 in each of five different children's series with free delivery (online) or in-store.  It's time limited. 

For the younger ones there's Horrid Henry (of course) and Cressida Cowell's Hiccup; for readers aged 9-12 there's Skulduggery Pleasant and Artemis Fowl; and teens can get their teeth into Darren Shan's Demonata series.

Waterstones Children's Books for £1 offer

Local Bath illustrator Grahame Baker-Smith wins the 2011 CILIP Greenaway Medal for "FArTHER"

Great excitement amongst the staff and children at St Stephen's School in Bath this week when one of the dads, Grahame Baker-Smith, came into school to show everyone his 2011 CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal.  He'd been awarded it for his picture book “FArTHER” on 23 June at a ceremony at BAFTA in London.  The Greenaway Medal is regarded as the UK's most prestigious children's illustration award.

"FArTHER" is a story about a father who dreams of flying, but when he goes off to war and doesn't return, his son decides to make his dream come true. 

The Chair of the judging panel said: “FArTHER is a beautifully conceived picture book with a dream-like quality that captures the imagination of readers of all ages. Its wealth of detail conveys both dark emotions: the storms of war and weather, and a powerful sense of loss and bereavement; but also a great sense of hope as vested in future generations”.

Grahame Baker-Smith has been working as an illustrator for the past 30 years. His work includes several books as well as an album cover for Robert Plant.  His book “Leon and the Place Between” was shortlisted for the 2010 CILIP Greenaway Medal.  Grahame’s clever use of photographs, collage and illustration make his style completely original and unique.  "FArTHER" is a picture book to treasure.

Patrick Ness wins the 2011 CILIP Carnegie Medal for "Monsters of Men"

The 2011 CILIP Carnegie Medal 2011 has been awarded to Patrick Ness for his novel, Monsters of Men, the third and final instalment in Ness's "Chaos Walking" trilogy which charts the epic power struggles between the inhabitants of a world where all thoughts are audible; and the relationship which develops between Todd and Viola, his young main characters.

Uniquely, the two other books in his trilogy, The Knife of Never Letting Go and The Ask and the Answer, were each shortlisted for the CILIP Carnegie Medal, in 2009 and 2010 respectively.

Ferelith Hordon, chair of the 2011 judging panel commented: "Monsters of Men is an extraordinary achievement.  Ness creates a complex other world, giving great scope to consider big questions about life, love and how we communicate, as well as the horrors of war, and the good and evil that mankind is capable of. It's an enthralling read that is well nigh impossible to put down."

Patrick Ness is an American who has lived in the UK since 1999.  The Knife of Never Letting Go was his first novel for young people and was written while he was teaching creative writing at Kellogg College, University of Oxford.  It won both the Guardian Award and the Booktrust Teenage Book Prize; The Ask and the Answer won the Costa Book Award.

The CILIP Carnegie Medal is the UK's oldest and most prestigious prize for children's writing. Patrick Ness joins a list of distinguished past winners that includes Neil Gaiman, Philip Pullman, Anne Fine, Terry Pratchett, Noel Streatfeild, CS Lewis and Arthur Ransome.  There is no cash prize.  Librarians across the country nominate titles to be considered for a shortlist of up to eight, from which the winner is then chosen.

The winners were announced at a ceremony at BAFTA, London on Thursday 23 June.

http://www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/2011awards/

World Book Night 2012

World Book Night 2012 will be held on Monday 23 April, believed to be the date of both William Shakespeare's birth and his death.

If you want to sign up to find out more you can register at World Book Night 2012.