Yancey wins Red House award

US author Rick Yancey has won the overall 2014 Red House Children’s Book Award for The 5th Wave, his YA science fiction thriller about a teenage girl on the run from alien killers.

Yancey’s title was also the winner in the books for older readers category, while Atticus Claw Breaks The Law by Jennifer Gray was announced as the best book for younger readers. In the books for younger children category, Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s Superworm won the award.

The winners were announced at an awards ceremony at London’s Southbank Centre on 22nd February, marking the end of the Imagine festival.

The Red House awards are coordinated by the Federation of Children’s Book Groups (FCBG) and are the only national book award voted for solely by children.

The winner is awarded the Red House Children’s Book Award Silver Tree, of which they are the custodian for a year, and an engraved silver acorn which is theirs to keep. Each of the category winners receive a silver bookmark and each shortlisted author and illustrator will also receive an incredible portfolio of writing and artwork created by children inspired by their book.