Resources

The Blue Peter Book Awards were launched in 2000. They are run by BBC Children's Programme 'Blue Peter' and awarded alongside the Reading Relay project which is being run by public libraries throughout the UK.

The shortlists for The Judges' Awards are selected by a celebrity judging panel from paperback titles published in the UK in the previous year. These books are then read by Blue Peter Young Judges, selected as a result of a Blue Peter Book Review Competition, who chose the winners for each category.

The three categories within this section are: The Best Book with Facts; The Book I Couldn't Put Down; and The Best Illustrated Book to Read Aloud. From these three winning titles, a Book of the Year is selected.

Established in 2000. Sponsored by the Blue Peter program of BBC.

Supported by Bookstart and the Unwin Foundation, the Booktrust Early Years Awards celebrate, publicise and reward the exciting range of books being published today for babies, toddlers and pre-school children

Established in 2005. Sponsored by Bookstart and the Unwin Foundation.

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.

Established in 2003. Sponsored by Booktrust.

Booktrust administers the Nestlé Children's Book Prize, formerly Nestlé Smarties Book Prize. The 2005 winners were announced in December 2005.

Originally established in 1985 as the Nestle Smarties Prize. Sponsored by Booktrust.

The Branford Boase Award is awarded annually for the most promising first novel to a first-time writer of a book for young people. At the same time, it marks the important contribution of the editor in identifying and nurturing new talent.

Established in 2000. Sponsored by Jacqueline Wilson, Walker Books, the National Literacy Trust, and Peters Bookselling Services.

The Carnegie Medal is awarded annually to the writer of an outstanding book for children.

It was established by The Library Association in 1936, in memory of the great Scottish-born philanthropist, Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919). Carnegie was a self-made industrialist who made his fortune in steel in the USA. His experience of using a library as a child led him to resolve that "if ever wealth came to me that it should be used to establish free libraries."

Carnegie set up more than 2800 libraries across the English speaking world and, by the time of his death, over half the library authorities in Great Britain had Carnegie libraries. It was first awarded to Arthur Ransome for Pigeon Post. The medal is now awarded by CILIP: the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, which is a new organisation formed by the Unification of the Institute of Information Scientists and The Library Association on 1 April 2002.

Established in 1936. Spoonsored by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals

Go to the booklist of the Carnegie Medal winners that are in print to order any of these titles.

The Kate Greenaway Medal was established by The Library Association in 1955, for distinguished illustration in a book for children. It is named after the popular nineteenth century artist known for her fine children's illustrations and designs.

It was first awarded to Edward Ardizzone for Tim All Alone The medal is now awarded by CILIP: the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, which is a new organisation formed by the Unification of the Institute of Information Scientists and The Library Association on 1 April 2002.

Established in 1955. Sponsored by Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals.

Go to the booklist of the Kate Greenaway Award winners that are in print to order any of these titles.

Three years ago CLPE set up a new award for poetry for children. In establishing this award we wanted to highlight an important branch of children’s literature and ensure that it receives proper recognition. The award is presented annually for a book of poetry published in the preceding year.
The Poetry Book Society said, “ The annual CLPE Prize for Children’s Poetry is a most welcome initiative and deserves the support of all organisations and individuals concerned with the promotion of poetry. Celebrating the best new work produced for young readers and drawing the public and media focus towards the winning book, the Prize will place children’s poetry firmly in the literary limelight, imbuing it with some long overdue prestige and encouraging the growth of a knowledgeable, critical, enthusiastic poetry readership of the future”.

Established in 2003. Sponsored by Center for Literacy in Primary Education.

Founded in 1967, the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize has a tradition of finding new voices in children's fiction before the rest of the world is aware of them. Past winners include Philip Pullman, Jacqueline Wilson and Mark Haddon.

Established in 1967. Sponsored by the Guardian newspaper.

The Kurt Maschler Awards (children's book prizes) were established in 1982 and are given annually to honor "a work of imagination for children, in which text and illustration are integrated so that each enhances and balances the other." Founded by Kurt Maschler, publisher of Erich Kaestner who wrote Emil and the Detectives | Out of Print, the award is now run by Tom Maschler in honor of his father.

Established in 1982. Dormant since 1999. Sponsored by Booktrust.

The Award is made annually to the best work of fiction for children once hundreds of books have been read, digested, shortlisted and voted for by children.

Now in its twenty-seventh year, the Award is building on a position of strength and recognition with more books being entered and more children taking part than ever before.

Established in 1981. Sponsored by Red House.

Formerly the Whitbread Awards.

The Costa Book Awards were originally established in 1971 by Whitbread Plc.

Costa, the UK's fastest-growing coffee shop chain, announced its takeover of the sponsorship of the UK's most prestigious book prize in 2006, the year both Costa and the Book Awards celebrated their 35th anniversary.

Since 1971, the awards have recognised a wide range of books and authors across all genres, and the Costa Book Awards is the only book prize to use a category system that includes First Novel, Novel, Biography, Poetry and Children's Book.

Since the introduction of the Book of the Year award in 1985, it has been won seven times by a novel, three times by a first novel, five times by a biography, five times by a collection of poetry and once by a children's book.

Established in 1971. Sponsored by Costa.