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Bookbug Picture Prize Winner – Meg McLaren

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Meg McLaren’s The Station Mouse (Andersen Press) has won the 2020 Bookbug Picture Book Prize after more than 13,000 children in Scotland cast their votes.

The Station Mouse by Meg McLaren

Check this previous post which highlighted the three shortlisted titles.

excerpted from a report in The Bookseller”

Scottish Book Trust runs the award with support from Browns Books for Students, celebrating the most popular new picture books by Scottish authors or illustrators. A free copy of three shortlisted books was given to the children as part of their Bookbug bag in November and an online vote then took place.

…

Printmaker and illustrator McLaren, who gets £3,000 for her win, graduated with an MA in Children’s Book Illustration at the Cambridge School of Art. She now lives in Inverness and The Station Mouse is her third picture book.

She said: “It’s truly amazing that Scottish Book Trust give books to so many children and I was really excited to be included in the Bookbug Primary 1 Family Bag year. To win is an utter surprise, and it’s all the more special because I know it was the readers themselves who voted.”

 

History Made: Graphic Novel Wins Newbery Medal

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Graphic Novel Wins Newbery Medal for the First Time

“New Kid,” by Jerry Craft, won the children’s literature prize, while “The Undefeated,” written by Kwame Alexander and illustrated by Kadir Nelson, won the Caldecott Medal.

Full NYT report: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/27/books/newbery-new-kid-jerry-craft-caldecott-undefeated-kwame-alexander.html

Branford Boase Award Longlist

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The 2020 Branford Boase Award longlist in full:

 

The Middler by Kirsty Applebaum, edited by Kirsty Stansfield (Chicken House)

Little Badman and the Invasion of the Killer Aunties by Humza Arshad and Henry White, edited by Holly Harris and Sharan Matharu (Puffin)

The Space We’re In by Katya Balen, edited by Lucy Mackay-Sim (Bloomsbury)

Asha and the Spirit Bird by Jasbinder Bilan, edited by Kesia Lupo (Chicken House)

A Pocketful of Stars by Aisha Bushby, edited by Liz Bankes and Sarah Levison (Electric Monkey)

Charlie Changes into a Chicken by Sam Copeland, edited by Ben Horslen (Puffin)

Potkin and Stubbs by Sophie Green, edited by Emma Matthewson (Bonnier Books)

The Garden of Lost Secrets by A M Howell, edited by Rebecca Hill and Becky Walker (Usborne)

Bearmouth by Liz Hyder, edited by Sarah Odedina (Pushkin Press)

The Girl who Lost her Shadow by Emily Ilett, edited by Eleanor Collins and Jennie Skinner (Floris Books)

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson, edited by Lindsey Heaven (Electric Monkey)

High-Rise Mystery by Sharna Jackson, edited by Robin Stevens (Knights Of)

Frostheart by Jamie Littler, edited by Naomi Colthurst (Puffin)

Lori and Max by Catherine O’Flynn edited by Rebecca Lloyd (Firefly Press)

Nevertell by Katharine Orton, edited by Annalie Grainger (Walker Books)

The Midnight Hour by Benjamin Read and Laura Trinder, edited by Rachel Leyshon (Chicken House)

The Tzar’s Curious Runaways by Robin Scott-Elliot, edited by Mikka Haugaard (Everything with Words)

Bloom by Nicola Skinner, edited by Nick Lake (HarperCollins Children’s Books)

The Million Pieces of Neena Gill by Emma Smith-Barton, edited by Naomi Colthurst (Puffin)

Starfell: Willow Moss and the Lost Day by Dominique Valente, edited by Harriet Wilson (HarperCollins Children’s Books)

The shortlist for the Award will be announced on Thursday 30th April 2020.  The winner will be announced on 1st July at a ceremony in London.

This year the judges are

  • Layla Abby of Round Table Books, Brixton
  • Sue Bastone, vice-chair SLA;
  • Victoria Dilly, creator of the Book Activist blog
  • Muhammad Khan, author of I Am Thunder, winner of the 2019 Branford Boase Award

The panel is chaired as usual by Julia Eccleshare, children’s director of the Hay Festival.

Julia Eccleshare says: “As the Branford Boase Award enters its 21st year, we are delighted to have another exciting and particularly diverse set of books to consider. Here are comedies, murder mysteries, adventures set in imaginary worlds, in faraway countries and in landscapes familiar to us all. The wealth of talent on display continues to inspire us and we are very much looking forward to discussing the longlist with our judges.”

 

The Branford Boase Award is sponsored by Walker Books.

Costa Children’s Book Award Winner

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Asha and the Spirit Bird by Jasbinder Bilan was announced as Children’s Category Winner in the Costa Book Awards last night. The book is now eligible for the overall Book of the Year Award, which will be announced on 28 January.

The author was winner of the Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition. She lives in Bath, but spent her first eighteen months in India, on the family farm close to the Himalayas. She grew up in Nottingham and remembers spending much of her childhood out in the open air, in the deer parl ar Wollaton Hall. 

Entries for the current Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition remain open till 4 May 2020. Click the link for entry rules.

Costa Book Awards Shortlist

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Here are the four titles shortlised in the Children’s Book category of the Costa Book Awards

The category winners will be announced on Monday 6th January 2020:

 

Asha & the Spirit Bird by Jasbinder Bilan (Chicken House)

Crossfire by Malorie Blackman (Penguin Books)

In the Shadow of Heroes by Nicholas Bowling (Chicken House)

Furious Thing by Jenny Downham (David Fickling Books)

Blue Peter Book Awards 2020 – Shortlists

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Blue Peter Book Awards 2020: Best Story

Shortlisted books

  • Owen and the Soldier by Lisa Thompson ill.Mike Lowery
  • Vote for Effie by Laura Wood
  • Wildspark by Vashti Hardy

Blue Peter Book Awards 2020: Best Book with Facts

Shortlisted books

  • Fanatical About Frogs by Owen Davey
  • How To Be An Astronaut and Other Space Jobs by Dr Sheila Kanani & Sol Linero
  • Rise Up: Ordinary Kids with Extraordinary Stories by Amanda Li ill. Amy Blackwell designed by Kim Hankinson and Jack Clucas

 

Judges: 

  • Meryl Fernandes, TV presenter and actress
  • Joseph Coelho, Poet, playwright and children’s author
  • Jean Menzies, Ancient historian, podcaster and video maker

Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award Candidates 2020

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Argentina
Maria Teresa Andruetto, Author Web page
CEDILIJ, Organisation
Jorge Luján, Author
María Wernicke, Author/Illustrator Web page

Australia
Randa Abdel-Fattah, Author Web page
Jeannie Baker, Illustrator Web page
Bronwyn Bancroft, Illustrator Web page
Ursula Dubosarsky, Author Web page
Susanne Gervay, Author Web page
Morris Gleitzman, Author Web page
Indigenous Literary Foundation, Organisation Web page
Robert Ingpen, Illustrator Web page
Margo Lanagan, Author Web page
Magabala Books, Organisation Web page
Melina Marchetta, Author Web page 
The Literature Centre, Organisation Web page

Austria
Renate Welsh-Rabady, Author
Linda Wolfsgruber, Illustrator Web page
Lisbeth Zwerger, Illustrator

Azerbaijan
Solmaz Amanova, Author
Aynur Mammadova, Illustrator
Sevinj Nurugizi, Author Web page

Belarus
Piatro Vasiuchenka, Author

Belgium
Anne Brouillard, Author/Illustrator
Carll Cneut, Illustrator
Ingrid Godon, Illustrator Web page
Anne Herbauts, Author/Illustrator Web page
Thomas Lavachery, Author
Prix Bernard Versele, Organisation
Klaas Verplancke, Author/Illustrator Web page

Bolivia
Biblioteca Thurucapitas, Organisation

Bosnia and Herzegovina
Mirsad Bećirbašić, Author
Šimo Ešić, Author

Brazil
Roger Mello, Author/Illustrator Web page

Bulgaria
Maya Dalgacheva, Author
Julia Spiridonova, Author

Cameroon
Christian Epanya, Author/Illustrator Web page

Canada
Deborah Ellis, Author Web page
Marie-Francine Hébert, Author Web page
Jon Klassen, Author/Illustrator Web page
Uma Krishnaswami, Author Web page

Canada/Iran
Nahid Kazemi, Illustrator Web page

Chile
Fundación Había Una Vez, Organisation Web page

China
Gao Hongbo, Author
Xiong Liang, Author/Illustrator
Zhang Zhilu, Author

Colombia
Ivar Da Coll, Author/Illustrator
Proyecto Gulliver, Organisation Web page

Democratic Republic of Congo/United Kingdom
Dominique Mwankumi, Author/Illustrator Webb page

Croatia
Dubravka Kolanović, Illustrator Web page

Cyprus
Tsangaris Hambis, Illustrator

Czech Republic
Petr Nikl, Author/Illustrator
Květa Pacovská, Illustrator

Denmark
Kim Fupz Aakeson, Author
Biblo.dk, Organisation Web page
Lilian Brøgger, Illustrator Web page
Louis Jensen, Author Web page
Dorte Karrebaek, Illustrator

Ecuador
Edna Iturralde, Author Web page

Egypt
Yacoub El-Sharouni, Author/Oral storyteller/Promoter of reading

Estonia
Ulla Saar, Illustrator Web page
Leelo Tungal, Author
Urmas Viik, Illustrator

Faroe Islands
Rakel Helmsdal, Author/Illustrator/Oral storyteller/Promoter of Reading Webb page

Finland
Linda Bondestam, Illustrator Web page
Marika Maijala, Author/Illustrator Web page
Timo Parvela, Author Web page
Irmelin Sandman Lilius, Author/Illustrator
Maria Turtschaninoff, Author Web page

France
A.C.C.E.S., Organisation Web page
L’Agence Quand les Livres Relient, Organisation Web page
Benjamin Chaud, Author/Illustrator Web page
Olivier Douzou, Author/Illustrator Web page
Timothée de Fombelle, Author Web page
Bernard Friot, Author Web page
Jean-Claude Mourlevat, Author Web page
Marie-Aude Murail, Author
Geneviéve Patte, Promoter of reading Web page
François Place, Author/Illustrator Web page
François Roca, Illustrator

Georgia
Giorgi Chachanidze, Illustrator
Bondo Matsaberidze, Author Web page
Tea Topuria, Author Web page
Mariam Tsiklauri, Author

Germany
Jutta Bauer, Illustrator Web page
Nadia Budde, Author/Illustrator Web page
Nikolaus Heidelbach, Illustrator
Internationale Jugendbibliothek, Organisation Web page
Janosch, Author/Illustrator
Labor Ateliergemeinschaft, Organisation Web page
Stiftung Lesen/German Reading Foundation, Organisation Web page

Greece
ECHO Refugee Library, Organisation Web page
Vagelis Iliopoulos, Author/Promoter of reading
Antonis Papatheodoulou, Author Web page
Loty Petrovits-Andrutsopoulou, Author Web page

Greenland
Naja Rosing-Asvid, Author/Illustrator Web page
Lene Therkildsen, Promoter of reading Web page

Hungary
Istvan Csukas, Author
Tibor Zalán, Author

Iceland
Sigrún Eldjárn, Author/Illustrator

India
A & A Book Trust, Organisation Web page
Pratham Books, Organisation Web page

Iran
Children’s Book Council, Organisation Web page
Farhad Hassanzadeh, Author
Mehdi Hejvani, Promoter of Reading
Jamshid Khanian, Author Web page
Mobile Library of Iran, Organisation
Houshang Moradi Kermani, Author
Read with Me, Organisation Web page
Farshid Shafiei, Illustrator
Mohammad Reza Shams, Author
Aliasghar Seidabadi, Promoter of reading Web page

Ireland
PJ Lynch, Illustrator Web page
Sheena Wilkinson, Author Web page

Israel
Rutu Modan, Author/Illustrator

Italy
Beatrice Alemagna, Author/Illustrator Web page
Chiara Carminati, Author
Lampedusa Library, Organisation
Sarolta Szulyovszky, Illustrator Web page

Japan
Kyoko Matsuoka, Promoter of reading Webpage
Seizo Tashima, Illustrator

Jordan
Taghrid al-Najjar, Author Web page

Republic of Korea
Heena Baek, Illustrator
Korean Children’s Book Association, Organisation
Lee Juyoung, Promoter of reading
Uk-Bae Lee, Illustrator

Latvia
Gundega Muzikante, Illustrator Web page
Gita Treice, Illustrator Web page

Lebanon/Belgium
Fatima Sharafeddine, Author Web page

Lithuania
Kestutis Kasparavicius, Author/Illustrator Web page

Netherlands
De Schrijverscentrale, Organisation Web page
Joke van Leeuwen, Author/Illustrator Web page
Gideon Samson, Author Web page
Toon Tellegen, Author
Thé Tjong-Khing, Illustrator Web page
Marit Törnqvist, Author/Illustrator Web page
Edward van de Vendel, Author
Sylvia Weve, Illustrator Web page

Nicaragua
German Nicaraguan Library and the Bibliobús Bertold Brecht, Organisation Web page

Norway
Lene Ask, Illustrator Web page
Rune Belsvik, Author Web page
Gro Dahle, Author Web page
Harald Rosenløw Eeg, Author Web page
Stian Hole, Author/Illustrator
Marit Kaldhol, Author Web page
Leser Søker Bok, Organisation Web page
Gry Moursund, Author/Illustrator
Svein Nyhus, Author/Illustrator Web page
Maria Parr, Author Web page
Øyvind Torseter, Illustrator Web page

Palestine
Sonia Nimr, Author

Philippines
Virgilio Senadren Almario, Author
Kristiyano-Islam Peace Library, Organisation Web page
Neni Sta. Romana Cruz, Promoter of reading

Poland
All of Poland Reads to Kids, Organisation Web page
Iwona Chmielewska, Illustrator Web page
Paweł Pawlak, Illustrator
Małgorzata Karolina Piekarska, Author Web page
Marcin Szczygielski, Author
Józef Wilkoń, Illustrator Web page

Portugal
Bernardo P. Carvalho, Illustrator Web page
António Jorge Gonçalves, Illustrator Web page
Maria Teresa Maia Gonzales, Author
Catarina Sobral, Illustrator Web page

Romania
Florin Bican, Author/Oral storyteller/Promoter of reading
Andrea Kürti, Illustrator Web page
Vasile Olac, Illustrator

Russian Federation
Anastasia Arkhipova, Illustrator Web page
Ilga Ponornitskaya (Eugeniya Basova), Author
Nina Dashevskaya, Author
Russian State Children´s Library, Organisation
Alexander Traugot, Illustrator
Mikhail Yasnov, Author

Serbia
Jasminka Petrović, Author
Ljubivoje Ršumović, Author

Slovenia
Slavko Pregl, Author
Anja Štefan, Author

South Africa
Biblionef, Organisation Web page
Niki Daly, Author/Illustrator Web page
Gcina Mhlope, Author/Oral storyteller/Promoter of reading Web page

South Africa/South Africa
Beverley Naidoo, Author

Spain
Elena Odriozola, Illustrator Web page
Jordi Sierra i Fabra, Author Web page

Sudan
Salah Elmur, Illustrator Web page

Sweden
Eva Eriksson, Illustrator Web page
Gunna Grähs, Illustrator
Joanna Hellgren, Illustrator Web page
Olof Landström, Illustrator
Pija Lindenbaum, Author/Illustrator Web page
Eva Lindström, Author/Illustrator Web page
Frida Nilsson, Author Web page
Klara Persson, Author/Illustrator Web page
Anna-Clara Tidholm, Illustrator Web page
Cecilia Torudd, Author/Illustrator
Jakob Wegelius, Author/Illustrator Web page
Ilon Wikland, Illustrator
Monica Zak, Author/Oral storyteller/Promoter of reading Web page

Switzerland
Albertine, Illustrator Web page
Franz Hohler, Author Web page

Taiwan
Jimmy Liao, Author/Illustrator Web page

Turkey
Aytül Akal, Author Web page
Ayla Çınaroğlu, Author/Illustrator Web page
Mustafa Delioğlu, Illustrator
Huban Korman, Illustrator Web page

Ukraine
Kateryna Shtanko, Illustrator
Lesia Voronyna, Author

United Kingdom
Allan Ahlberg, Author Web page
David Almond, Author Web page
Quentin Blake, Illustrator Web page
Theresa Breslin, Author Web page
Aidan Chambers, Author Web page
Aidan & Nancy Chambers, Promoters of reading Web page
Michael Foreman, Author/Illustrator Web page
Emily Gravett, Author/Illustrator Web page
Daniel Hahn, Promoter of reading Web page
Frances Hardinge, Author Web page
Shirley Hughes, Author/Illustrator Web page
Elizabeth Laird, Author Web page
Margaret Meek Spencer, Promoter of reading
Patrick Ness, Author Web page
Luke Pearson, Author/Illustrator Web page
Jan Pienkowski, Illustrator Web page
Katherine Rundell, Author Web page
Marcus Sedgwick, Author Web page
John Shelley, Illustrator Web page
David Wood, Author Web page

United States
Laurie Halse Anderson, Author Web page
Eric Carle, Author/Illustrator Web page
Kate DiCamillo, Author Web page
Margarita Engle, Author Web page
Maira Kalman, Author/Illustrator Web page
Stephen Krashen, Promoter of reading Web page
Christopher Myers, Author/Illustrator Web page
Jerry Pinkney, Illustrator Web page
Javaka Steptoe, Illustrator Web page
Tim Tingle, Oral storyteller Web page
Jack Zipes, Author/Promoter of reading

Zambia
Lubuto Library Partners, Organisation Web page

Harvey Awards Winner In Children’s/YA Category

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Best Children’s or Young Adult Book

WINNER: Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me 
by Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O’Connell (First Second)

Nominees:

  • Hey Kiddo by Jarrett J. Krosoczka (Scholastic Graphix)
  • Mr. Wolf’s Class #2: Mystery Club by Aron Nels Steinke (Scholastic Graphix)
  • New Kid by Jerry Craft (HarperCollins Children’s Books)
  • On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden (First Second)

For all the other category winners see > https://www.comicsbeat.com/nycc-19-presenting-the-2019-harvey-awards-winners/

2019 Klaus Flugge Prize Winner

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Jessica Love has won the 2019 Klaus Flugge Prize for the most exciting and promising newcomer to children’s picture book illustration.

She won for Julian is a Mermaid published by Walker Books.

The book tells a  joyful, positive story that adroitly questions gender stereotype. Tt has been described as ‘barrier- breaking’ and was also shortlisted for the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal.

Judge and former Children’s Laureate Anthony Browne says: “Julian is a Mermaid is an astonishingly beautiful book. It’s amazing to realise this is Jessica Love’s first attempt. She has quickly realised how picture books work – the understated words fit so brilliantly with the stunning illustrations, never getting in the way, never trying to do the same job. It’s a perfect picture book.”

There had to be a banana in the room 🙂

Fellow judge Farrah Serroukh, of CLPE adds: “The illustrations say things that it would be difficult for words alone to express. The layers of meaning that can be inferred through each spread are rich, sophisticated and plentiful. Quite simply, it is a stunningly beautiful, heart-warming debut.”

Julian is a Mermaid was partly inspired by a trans friend.  “It got me curious about what sort of literature there was out there for families looking to have conversations with their children about identity, and how sometimes a person has to do a little more work to create the proper cover for their own book. I wanted to make something that didn’t feel didactic but that gave children a chance to experience this character’s inner life and identify with it. I wanted to give kids who identify with Julian a chance to see themselves reflected, but I also wanted kids who don’t identify with him a chance to get inside his experience and feel what it might be like.”

The Klaus Flugge Prize was founded to honour publisher Klaus Flugge, a supremely influential figure in picture books. Flugge set up Andersen Press in 1976 and has discovered and nurtured many of today’s most distinguished illustrators including David McKee, Tony Ross, Satoshi Kitamura, Ruth Brown and Susan Varley.

Prior to the presentation Klaus gave a splendid speech outlining his reasons for establishing the prize, mentioning its precursors, the Tom Maschler and Mother Goose awards. You can see clips from this speech on the ACHUKAbooks Instagram,

Chair of the judges, Julia Eccleshare said: “In the fourth year of the award, we had another extremely strong shortlist but the judges were unanimous in their decision to award the prize to Jessica Love. Julian is a Mermaid reminds us that picture books can make us understand the world differently and better; that they are for everyone. It is a ground-breaking book and has the qualities that Klaus Flugge has alwayschampioned in his own publishing.”

Love, who grew up in Southern California and studied printmaking and illustration at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and then went on to study acting, lives in New York and was unable to be in London to  receive the award and £5,000 prize in person. In her absence she had recorded a spirited video message.

In the States the book won the American Library Association 2019 Stonewall Book Award, a prize first presented in 2010 and given annually to English-language children’s books of  exceptional merit relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender experience.

The Klaus Flugge Prize can now be added to this impressive list:

2019—2020 Red Clover Award Nominee
2019 Children’s & Teen Choice Book Awards finalist
2019 Ezra Jack Keats Award Honor, Illustrator
Rainbow List Choice – 2019
2019 Stonewall Book Award Winner
ALSC Notable Children’s Books – 2019
Capitol Choices: Noteworthy Books for Children and Teens – 2019
CCBC Choices 2019 Choice: Picture Books for Young Children
CSMCL Best Books – 2018
Publishers Weekly Best Books – 2018
CPL Best Books, Picture Books – 2018
Kirkus Best Books, Picture Books – 2018
NYPL Best Books for Kids – 2018
NPR’s Book Concierge – 2018
School Library Journal Best Books – 2018
BCCB Blue Ribbons – 2018
Horn Book Fanfare – 2018

Alongside Anthony Browne, the other Klaus Flugge judges this year were:

  • Derek Brazell of the Association of Illustrators
  • BillieJo Carlisle of Seven Stories bookshop
  • Farrah Serroukh of CLPE
  • 2018 Klaus Flugge Prize winner Kate MilnerJulia Eccleshare, director of the Children’s Programme at the Hay Festival, acted as Chair.