Maths book wins 2016 educational writers prize

A children’s book that combines maths and design activities has won this year’s Educational Writers Award.

This is Not a Maths Book: A Smart Art Activity Book by Anna Weltman, illustrated by Edward Cheverton and Ivan Hissey (Ivy Kids), beat off competition from books about art and Shakespeare to win the prize, which is awarded annually to the titles that best showcase children’s educational writing.

The judges – author Jonathan Lomas, author Nicola Morgan and school librarian Nicky Ransley – said about the winner: “With superb design, this is maths made genuinely exciting - a brilliant page turner of a book which will quite literally give you a new and more beautiful perspective on life and learning. We particularly loved the fact that it is likely to engage people of any level of mathematical aptitude or reluctance, and yet it does so without jumping up and down and shoving a 'maths is fun' message at the reader. It was genuinely pleasurable and mind-opening and you can't ask more of a book.”

The Educational Writers’ Award was established in 2008 by the Authors’ Licensing & Collecting Society (ALCS) and the Society of Authors (SoA).

This year the organisers shortlisted two other books along with This is Not a Maths Book: the Oxford Illustrated Shakespeare Dictionary by David and Ben Crystal, illustrated by Kate Bellamy (Oxford University Press); and The School of Art by Teal Triggs, illustrated by Daniel Frost (Wide Eyed Editions).

Weltman, Cheverton and Hissey were presented with a cheque for £2,000 at a reception at the House of Commons yesterday (6th December).