The British Book Awards Children's Book of the Year is a British
literary award
A literary award or literary prize is an award presented in recognition of a particularly lauded Literature, literary piece or body of work. It is normally presented to an author. Organizations
Most literary awards come with a corresponding award c ...
, given annually to works of
children's literature
Children's literature or juvenile literature includes stories, books, magazines, and poems that are created for children. In addition to conventional literary genres, modern children's literature is classified by the intended age of the reade ...
as part of the
British Book Awards
The British Book Awards or Nibbies are literary awards for the best UK writers and their works, administered by ''The Bookseller''. The awards have had several previous names, owners and sponsors since being launched in 1990, including the Na ...
(known as the Nibbies) . It was established in 1996, replacing the
British Illustrated Children's Book of the Year and
British Children's Author of the Year categories.
It is currently sponsored by
W H Smith
WH Smith plc, trading as WHSmith (also written WH Smith and formerly as W. H. Smith & Son), is a British retailer, with headquarters in Swindon, England, which operates a chain of railway station, airport, port, hospital and motorway service st ...
, although previously it has been sponsored by Red House (who also sponsor the
Red House Children's Book Award
The Children's Book Award is a British literary award for children's books, run by the Federation of Children's Book Groups and previously known as the Red House Children's Book Award. Books published in the U.K. during the preceding calendar yea ...
). Previously called the "British Children's Book Award", it was renamed to Children's Book of the Year in 2010.
Winners
Shortlists
2006
* ''
Ark Angel
''Ark Angel'' is the sixth book in the ''Alex Rider'' series written by British author Anthony Horowitz. The novel is a spy thriller which follows the attempt by the title character, Alex Rider, to stop the space hotel Ark Angel from destroyin ...
'' by
Anthony Horowitz
Anthony John Horowitz (born 5 April 1955) is an English novelist and screenwriter specialising in mystery and suspense. His works for children and young adult readers include the '' Alex Rider'' series featuring a 14-year-old British boy who spi ...
(winner)
* ''
I, Coriander'' by
Sally Gardner
* ''
SilverFin'' by
Charlie Higson
Charles Murray Higson (born 3 July 1958) is an English actor, comedian, author and former singer. He has also written and produced for television and is the author of the young adult post-apocalyptic book series ''The Enemy'', as well as the fi ...
* ''
Eldest
''Eldest'' is the second novel in ''The Inheritance Cycle'' by Christopher Paolini and the sequel to ''Eragon''. It was first published in hardcover on August 23, 2005, and was released in paperback in September 2006. ''Eldest'' has been releas ...
'' by
Christopher Paolini
Christopher James Paolini (born November 17, 1983) is an American and Italian author. He is best known for ''The Inheritance Cycle'', which consists of the books '' Eragon'' (2002), '' Eldest'' (2005), '' Brisingr'' (2008), ''Inheritance'' (2011 ...
* ''
...and that's when it fell off in my hand'' by
Louise Rennison
Louise Rennison (11 October 1951 – 29 February 2016) was an English author and comedian who wrote the '' Confessions of Georgia Nicolson'' series for teenage girls. The series records the exploits of a teenage girl, Georgia Nicolson, and her be ...
* ''
Wizardology: The Book of the Secrets of Merlin'' by
Douglas Steer
2007
* ''
Flanimals of the Deep'' by
Ricky Gervais
Ricky Dene Gervais ( ; born 25 June 1961) is an English comedian, actor, writer, television producer and filmmaker. He co-created, co-wrote, and acted in the British television sitcoms ''The Office (British TV series), The Office'' (2001–2003) ...
(winner)
* ''
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
''The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas'' is a 2006 historical fiction novel by Irish novelist John Boyne. The plot concerns a German boy named Bruno whose father is the commandant of the Auschwitz concentration camp and Bruno's friendship with a Je ...
'' by
John Boyne
John Boyne (born 30 April 1971) is an Irish author, novelist, and writer. He is the author of sixteen novels for adults, six novels for younger readers, two novellas, and one collection of short stories. Boyne's historical novel '' The Boy in ...
* ''
The Incredible Book Eating Boy'' by
Oliver Jeffers
Oliver Brendan Jeffers (born 1977) is an Australian-born Northern Irish people, Northern Irish artist, illustrator and writer. He went to the integrated secondary school Hazelwood College, then graduated from the University of Ulster in 2001 ...
* ''
Peter Pan in Scarlet
''Peter Pan in Scarlet'' is a 2006 novel by British author Geraldine McCaughrean. It is the Continuation novel, official sequel to J. M. Barrie's ''Peter and Wendy'' (1911), as it was authorised by Great Ormond Street Hospital, which was granted ...
'' by
Geraldine McCaughrean
Geraldine McCaughrean ( ; born 6 June 1951) is a British children's literature, children's novelist. She has written more than 170 books, including ''Peter Pan in Scarlet'' (2004), the official sequel to ''Peter and Wendy, Peter Pan'' commissi ...
* ''
Wintersmith
''Wintersmith'' is a comic fantasy novel by British writer Terry Pratchett, set in the Discworld and written with younger readers in mind. It is labelled a "Story of Discworld" to indicate its status as children's or young adult fiction, unlik ...
'' by
Terry Pratchett
Sir Terence David John Pratchett (28 April 1948 – 12 March 2015) was an English author, humorist, and Satire, satirist, best known for the ''Discworld'' series of 41 comic fantasy novels published between 1983 and 2015, and for the Apocalyp ...
* ''
Horrid Henry and the Football Fiend'' by
Francesca Simon
Francesca Isabella Simon (born 23 February 1955) is an American-born British author. She is most famous for writing the ''Horrid Henry'' and ''Evil Evie'' series of children's books.
She is the daughter of screenwriter and playwright Mayo Simo ...
(author) and
Tony Ross
Anthony Lee Ross (born 10 August 1938) is a British author and illustrator of children's picture books. In Britain, he is best known for writing and illustrating his Little Princess books and for illustrating the Horrid Henry series by Franc ...
(illustrator)
2008
* ''
Horrid Henry and the Abominable Snowman'' by
Francesca Simon
Francesca Isabella Simon (born 23 February 1955) is an American-born British author. She is most famous for writing the ''Horrid Henry'' and ''Evil Evie'' series of children's books.
She is the daughter of screenwriter and playwright Mayo Simo ...
(author) and
Tony Ross
Anthony Lee Ross (born 10 August 1938) is a British author and illustrator of children's picture books. In Britain, he is best known for writing and illustrating his Little Princess books and for illustrating the Horrid Henry series by Franc ...
(illustrator) (winner)
* ''That's Not My Penguin'' by
Fiona Watte
* ''
Katie Price's Perfect Ponies'' by
Katie Price
Katrina Amy Alexandra Alexis Price (''née'' Infield; born 22 May 1978) is an English media personality and model. She gained recognition in the late 1990s for her glamour modelling work, including on Page 3 of the tabloid newspaper ''The Su ...
* ''Born to Run'' by
Michael Morpurgo
Sir Michael Andrew Bridge Morpurgo ('' né'' Bridge; 5 October 1943) is an English book author, poet, playwright, and librettist who is known best for children's novels such as '' War Horse'' (1982). His work is noted for its "magical storytelli ...
* ''
Kiss
A kiss is the touching or pressing of one's lips against another person, animal or object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely; depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sex ...
'' by
Jacqueline Wilson
Dame Jacqueline Wilson (' Aitken; born 17 December 1945) is an English novelist known for her popular children's literature. Her novels have been notable for tackling realistic topics such as adoption and divorce. Since her debut novel in 1969, ...
British Children's Author of the Year
The British Children's Author of the Year Award was given annually to authors of
children's literature
Children's literature or juvenile literature includes stories, books, magazines, and poems that are created for children. In addition to conventional literary genres, modern children's literature is classified by the intended age of the reade ...
as part of the
British Book Awards
The British Book Awards or Nibbies are literary awards for the best UK writers and their works, administered by ''The Bookseller''. The awards have had several previous names, owners and sponsors since being launched in 1990, including the Na ...
. It was established in 1990 and awarded for the last time in 1995. During the 1996 British Book Awards both it and the Illustrated Children's Book of the Year award were replaced by the Children's Book of the Year category.
Winners
British Illustrated Children's Book of the Year
The British Illustrated Children's Book of the Year Award was given annually to
illustrated
An illustration is a decoration, interpretation, or visual explanation of a text, concept, or process, designed for integration in print and digitally published media, such as posters, flyers, magazines, books, teaching materials, animations, vi ...
works of
children's literature
Children's literature or juvenile literature includes stories, books, magazines, and poems that are created for children. In addition to conventional literary genres, modern children's literature is classified by the intended age of the reade ...
as part of the
British Book Awards
The British Book Awards or Nibbies are literary awards for the best UK writers and their works, administered by ''The Bookseller''. The awards have had several previous names, owners and sponsors since being launched in 1990, including the Na ...
. It was established in 1991 and awarded for the last time in 1995. For the 1996 British Book Awards both it and the Children's Author of the Year award were replaced by the Children's Book of the Year category.
Winners
{{Portal , Children's literature
Children's Book Award Children's Book Award is a generic term that has been applied to:
* Caldecott Medal, Caldecott Medal, annual "most distinguished American picture book for children"
* Children's Book Award (UK), from the Federation of Children's Book Groups
* Dorot ...
British children's literary awards
Awards established in 1996
1996 establishments in the United Kingdom
Annual events in the United Kingdom