Cressida Cowell wins Blue Peter award

Cressida Cowell’s The Wizards of Once (Hodder Children’s Books) will today (1st March) be revealed as the winner of the best story prize at the Blue Peter Book Awards, whilst Susan Martineau and illustrator Vicky Barker will pick up the best book with facts award for Real-Life Mysteries (B Small Publishing).

The authors will appear on a special World Book Day edition of Blue Peter, where the presenters will also give a gold Blue Peter badge to Judith Kerr for her contribution to children’s literature.

Blue Peter editor Ewan Vinnicombe said: “It’s been another fantastic selection of titles for the Blue Peter Book Awards 2018. It was great to see the enthusiasm the children had for voting in our awards… Judith Kerr’s gold badge is very well deserved with her books as popular now with our audience as ever.”

Managed by BookTrust, the Blue Peter Book Awards honour the best books for children, published in the previous 12 months. The winning titles were voted for by more than 500 children in 12 schools across the UK.

Jo Law, literacy coordinator at Church Vale School, which took part in the judging, said: “It has been a challenge and a task that the children and I have taken very seriously. They have embraced every part of the job as judges and have enjoyed reading the books as part of a team during a weekly book club, they have been buzzing with conversation. Their reading stamina has improved greatly and their commitment and enthusiasm towards reading has been amazing, we are very proud of them all.”

This year’s shortlisted titles:

Best Story

The Island at the End of Everything by Kiran Millwood Hargrave (Chicken House)

Wed Wabbit by Lissa Evans (David Fickling Books)

The Wizards of Once by Cressida Cowell (Hodder Children's Books)

Best book with facts

Corpse Talk: Ground-Breaking Scientists by Adam Murphy & Lisa Murphy (David Fickling Books)

Real-Life Mysteries by Susan Martineau, illustrated by Vicky Barker (B Small Publishing)

Beyond the Sky: You and the Universe by Dara Ó Briain, illustrated by Dan Bramall (Scholastic)