The Red House Children’s Book Award
an annual prize presented by
The Federation of Children’s Book Groups
for
the best book of the year
judged by children themselves.
Originally known as The Children’s Book Award, this was started in 1980 by a former Chair of the Federation, Pat Thomson. The Award has now grown into one of the Federation’s most successful projects. Long term sponsorship by Red House, obtained in 2002, resulting in the change of name, has given the Award financial security for the future.
How It Works
Around 1,000 titles are submitted by publishers each year (June to May). These are read and judged by thousands of children in 12 Federation Book Groups, known as Testing Groups, spread throughout the UK.
The books are divided into 3 categories:
Books for Younger Children
Books for Younger Readers
Books for Older Readers
Each year category winners and an overall winner are voted for.
Picture: Kes Gray and Garry Parsons collecting their prize for Billy’s Bucket, 2004 winner of the Books for Younger Children category.
Picture: Plymouth children present the fabulous oak tree trophy for 2004 Overall Winner, Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo, (represented by his two granddaughters) at the special lunch in London. Each winner passes the trophy on after a year, but keeps a silver acorn hidden in the back.
Plymouth Children’s Book Group have been taking part since 1994
We have built up our contacts in schools to involve as many children as we can in the reviewing process, and also have lots of families taking part. They LOVE it! It’s such a great way to get children reading. They love the fact that their opinion really matters. Many teachers and parents have told us how reading for the award has encouraged children to read more books, and to read books they would otherwise not have taken off the shelf. It also makes them really think about what they are reading and they find themselves looking more critically at all the books they read. Lastly it’s a great way of finding out about new books – teachers and families end up rushing off to the bookshop because they’ve discovered a brilliant book their children have loved.
IT’S FANTASTIC!
Every year, just before the deadline for the Top Ten votes, we have a very special afternoon to which we invite all our reviewers. We have the Top Ten and Top 50 on display and spend some time introducing everyone to all the Top Ten books as they may only have read the books in one category. We offer guests the chance to take part in a raffle and win a signed copy of their favourite Top Ten book. We also give everyone time to do some contributions for the wonderful portfolios of letters, comments and pictures presented to all the Top Ten authors and illustrators at the award ceremony in June. Yummy food and drinks are provided too and a good time is had by all. We try to give everyone a taste of what it’s like to be at the national award ceremony in London. At the end of the afternoon when all our local votes have come in, with much tooting and clapping, we call people up to open the special envelopes and announce Plymouth’s winning books.
Picture here
Some Past Winners (*denotes Overall Winner)
1996 SOLO Paul Geraghty
*DOUBLE ACT Jacqueline Wilson
WRECK OF THE ZANZIBAR Michael Morpurgo
1997 MR. BEAR TO THE RESCUE Debi Gliori
*THE HUNDRED-MILE-AN-HOUR DOG Jeremy Strong
WHICH WAY IS HOME Ian Strachan
1998 THE LION WHO WANTED TO LOVE Giles Andreae & David Wojtowycz
NIGHTMARE STAIRS Robert Swindells
*HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER’S STONE J. K. Rowling
1999 WHAT Kate Lum & Adrian Johnson
LITTLE DAD Pat Moon
*HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS J. K. Rowling
*KENSUKE’S KINGDOM Michael Morpurgo
*NOUGHTS AND CROSSES Malorie Blackman
2003 PANTS Giles Andreae & Nick Sharratt
BLITZED Robert Swindells
*SKELETON KEY Anthony Horowitz
2004 BILLY’S BUCKET Kes Gray & Garry Parsons
THE MUM HUNT Gwyneth Rees
*PRIVATE PEACEFUL Michael Morpurgo
Some of Plymouth’s Reviewers’ Favourite Books
As you can see from the following reviews, there are plenty of young people out there still getting hooked on books, and really enjoying the opportunity to try out all the different new titles that come their way during the judging process for this Award. The Top Ten and the Pick of the Year identify the most popular books amongst all the young readers taking part across the UK. But also our local ‘testers’ take great pleasure in finding their own special favourites amongst the stories they’ve read and listened to each year. Here is just a small selection of books they’ve especially enjoyed.
From 2003/4 titles:
Category 1
Frog Belly Rat Bone by Timothy Basil Ering
‘I like the song and the pictures.’ Alexandra, aged 6
‘It’s got brilliant really good pictures.’ Ryan, aged 6
And the Year 2 class had a fascinating discussion on the nature of treasure after reading it.
The Shape Game by Anthony Browne
‘I like this book because they play the shape game.’ Matthew, aged 6
‘I gave this book an ‘A’ because of the jokes.’ Bethany, aged 6
‘This book has started a fad for playing the shape game at any given time in my classroom. It’s a winner.’ Year 4 teacher
The Skipping Rope Snake by Carol Ann Duffy
‘I like the bit where the little girl skipped with the snake.’ Emily, aged 6
‘This one was brilliant.’ Lucy, aged 6
Halibut Jackson by David Lucas
‘We liked all Halibut’s different suits and thought it was nice that he wasn’t lonely anymore.’ Year 2 class.
Bad News I’m in Charge by Bruce Ingman
‘I think children will like this because they are in charge. I would make grown ups do what children say. I would give children their own credit card, their own bank and £1000 each birthday! It will be the law that everyone gets their own rollercoaster in the back garden.’ Jack, aged 6
Blue John by Berlie Doherty
‘I think that Blue John had a lovely poem at the beginning. It was a lovely book and is one of those books you want to read over and over again.’ Jenny, aged 8
Category 2
Witch in Training by Maeve Friel
‘It’s really good in the middle with the spider. It’s the best book out of all the books I have read.’ Paige, aged 8
Just Disgusting by Andy Griffiths
‘I really liked this book because it was very funny and interesting. It kept me hooked.’ Michael, aged 10
The Penguin Expedition by Jed Mercurio
‘It was a brilliant book and it just makes you want to read more and more.’ Sarah, aged 10
Category 3
Mary Bloody Mary by Carolyn Meyer
‘Wonderful.’ Helena, aged 11
Get Off My Case by John Farman
‘I found I couldn’t put this book down and I even stayed up all night reading it.’ Toby, aged 12
‘I think this book is excellent as it displayed the main character to be just like me!!’ Kane, aged 12
Carried Away by Michael Harrison
‘Excellent! Not like any other book.’ Ben, aged 12
Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
‘A beautifully written tale which is impossible to believe it’s made up!’ Declan, aged 12
The Blood Stone by Jamila Gavin
‘Very bloodthirsty, but a very good read.’ Hayley, aged 13
Star by John Singleton
‘This book greatly captured my imagination and I thought it showed a great story of a young boy in a dreadful orphanage. It was well written. A great book.’ Elize, aged 13
A Crack in the Line by Michael Lawrence
‘A really gripping read, though don’t read it late at night, it gave me weird dreams. Really excellent, well written and I can’t wait to find out what happens next!’ Sinead, aged 14
‘I particularly enjoyed this book. I thoroughly enjoyed how the story curled and grew into a story larger than what is written. It is a story which locks you into reading, it pulls you on, encouraging you to read more. It is one of the best books I have read.’ Karla, aged 14
Ice Fire by Chris d’Lacey
‘Extremely gripping and I couldn’t put it down.’ Melanie, aged 15
The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud
‘An incredibly well written book, filled with obstacles and cunning. This is something I would recommend to anyone!’ Karlo, aged 14
The Various by Steve Augarde
‘Proves the theory – never judge a book by its cover. Showed an imaginative and creative style of writing without a boring moment. Every event is unexpected and so keeps you reading for hours. I couldn’t put it down.’ Alley, aged 14
From 2002/3 titles:
Category 1
Beware of the Big Bad Book by Lauren Child
‘They loved it and asked for it every day’ Year 2 class
The Smartest Giant in Town by Julia Donaldson, illus. Axel Scheffler
‘This is the book they remember as the best book they’ve read this year’ Year 2 class
New Shoes by Jeanne Willis, illus. Margaret Chamberlain
‘The whole class spontaneously clapped when we finished reading it’ Year 1 class
How to Speak Moo! by Deborah Fajerman,
‘Can you order us a copy – it’s brilliant for music – all the different moos are perfect as examples of different styles and pitches – we had great fun with it’ Early Years class
Beware of Girls by Tony Blundell
‘They all really liked the wolf getting his words muddled and how clever the girl was at tricking the wolf again and again!!’ Year 2 class
Category 2
The Comic Adventures of Boots by Satoshi Kitamura
‘Very funny! Good illustrations! Well written! Good jokes! 10/10’ Jon, aged 9
Midnight for Charlie Bone by Jenny Nimmo
‘I think this book is ‘Brilliant! A winner’ because it got me stuck into it at the beginning. I couldn’t put it down and it’s bursting with character and action!’ Ruth, aged 11
Ghost Writer by Julia Jarman
‘I thought it was great because it really was scary and made you feel it.’ Hannah, aged 10
Dog by Daniel Pennac
‘It was so brilliant.’ Sarah, aged 9
Molly Moon’s Incredible Book of Hypnotism by Georgia Byng
‘It was a really good book and I know it was long but it was brilliant.’ Nieve, aged 10
Toad Heaven by Morris Gleitzman
‘This book filled me with sympathy and fear, and it kept me riveted to the edge of my seat.’ Vicky, aged 9
Vernon Bright and the End of the World by Steve Barlow and Steve Skidmore
‘I thought this book was great. I liked it when Vernon made a sort of tornado. It was like the world was about to END!!!’ James, aged 9
Category 3
Dark Waters by Catherine Macphail
This book got you deeply involved in it. As you read it emotions raced through you. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this superbly ‘real’ book. All the characters grabbed your attention. I couldn’t stop reading.’ Timothy, aged 11
Feather Boy by Nicky Singer
An amazing book. Very clever and a beautiful story of love, devotion, fear and hate. I’m bowled over. Declan, aged 11
Dead Gorgeous by Malorie Blackman
‘I like this book because it’s not boring. And it’s about a girl around my age. Also it’s not all girly, it’s for boys and girls which is good too! Finally I liked the idea of Nova meeting a boy who only she could see!’ Katie, aged 13
Girls in Tears by Jacqueline Wilson
‘One of the best books I’ve ever read. It catches the life of a normal teenage girl and ways to help them recover from problems.’ Rachel, aged 13
The Named by Marianne Curley
‘An amazing book. A fantasy, yet chillingly realistic and always exciting. A real page-turner! I couldn’t wait to find out what happened next and I wasn’t disappointed. Fast-paced and wonderful.’ Kathy, aged 13
Breakers by Julia Clarke
‘I am very slow at reading and this book really grabbed me. It had lots of twists and a fabulous love story. You really can’t put it down. I give it full marks for emotion and feelings.’ Joanna, aged 13
Star Seeker by Tim Bowler
‘An interesting read and a gripping tale. It never lost my interest and is definitely something I would read again and again.’ Helen, aged 14
Sabriel by Garth Nix
‘This book has one of the best storylines I’ve ever read. It’s really imaginative and the ideas are clever and different. I can’t wait for his next book. Georgina, aged 13
And from a letter we received from a Year 5 class:
We are writing to tell you that we really enjoyed taking part in the book award. We found the books very interesting and inspiring! Everybody read lots of books. Filling in the voting slips was great. We are so proud that we are part of this brilliant scheme and our opinions count. This has introduced us to many different authors that we have never heard of! We hope we have done a good job for you. Everybody says a massive thank you for giving us the wonderful books!!! Hope to see you soon.