Red House Children's Book Award

The stunning and extraordinarily moving novel A Monster Calls from Patrick Ness, illustrated by Jim Kay has won the Red House Children’s Book Award 2012.

Voted for solely by young readers from a shortlist drawn up by children’s book groups across Britain, the award is recognised by authors, parents and librarians as a key indicator of which books are popular with children.

Patrick Ness is one of 2011’s most acclaimed authors, with A Monster Calls already having won the Galaxy British Book Award for Children’s Book of the Year 2011 and now the Red House Children’s Book Award. The novel won both the category for Older Readers and the overall prize in the award, which is owned and coordinated by the Federation of Children’s Book Groups and sponsored by Red House Children’s Books.

Patrick Ness took the initial idea for the novel from much-loved Carnegie Medal winner Siobhan Dowd, whose premature death from cancer prevented her from writing it herself. A Monster Calls is the unflinching, darkly funny and deeply moving story of a boy, his seriously ill mother and an unexpected monstrous visitor. The haunting tale has proved popular with children, showing that they enjoy reading poignant and emotional stories. Patrick has also written The Chaos Walking trilogy for young adults – the last instalment of which ‘Men of Monsters’ won the 2011 Carnegie Medal

Patrick Ness and Jim Kay’s victory will be announced at an awards ceremony held at Imagine Children’s Festival at London’s Southbank Centre, which will be attended by almost 1000 people, including children from across the country, many of whom were involved in the voting.

On receiving his award Patrick said “Winning the Red House is terrific, especially because it's chosen by young readers themselves. Trust me, as a writer for young people, I know how bracingly honest they can be about their opinions, so to have been selected from a really strong shortlist is a splendid feeling. Properly chuffed “

Illustrator Jim Kay said “Wow! I'm bowled over by this. It's the first award I've ever been involved in, it's great to think that it's all down to young people reading and discussing wonderful new stories. I love Patrick's writing; as an illustrator it's been a pleasure to work on such a brave and moving book, and as one of Patrick's fans - Go Patrick!”

Two other category winners in the 2012 award will also announced: Chris Wormell’s beautifully illustrated Scruffy Bear and the Six White Mice has won the category for Younger Children, while winner of the 2011 Roald Dahl Funny Prize Liz Pichon’s hilarious The Brilliant World of Tom Gates has clinched the Younger Readers’ category.

An incredible 83,728 votes were cast by children and young adults all over the UK both online and through ballots collated by regional coordinators of the Federation of Children’s Book Groups.

Tens of thousands of children from schools, libraries and nurseries spent six months devouring 400 titles to find the shortlisted ten books, four in the category for books for Younger Children, and three each in the Younger Readers’ and Older Readers’ categories.

Julia Miller, National Coordinator for the Red House Children’s Books Award said, “The shortlist for this year's Red House Children's Book Award is incredibly strong and all the books have proved to be highly popular with our young testers. It is testament to the quality of books being published today in children's literature. We are thrilled that Patrick Ness is the Overall Winner for 2012.  A Monster Calls” moves everyone who has read it and, like so many of our winners, we know that this will become a children's classic. We are also delighted to celebrate Liz Pichon as the winner of the Younger Readers category and Chris Wormell as the winner of the Younger Children category. All these authors, together with the rest of those on the shortlist, are definitely the children's choice for 2011

Seni Glaister, CEO of Red House Children’s Books said, “I'm delighted that children have decided that Patrick Ness should be crowned winner of the Red House Children's Book Award for A Monster Calls. This beautifully written book is filled with dark emotions complemented by brooding illustrations, but is ultimately an uplifting read that celebrates the human spirit. Loved by everyone in the Red House office, we're sure that it will continue to be read and enjoyed by many future generations of children.”

Some of the biggest names in children’s fiction are joined by exciting new authors and illustrators on the shortlist for this year’s Red House Children’s Book Award, the only national award for children’s books that is voted for entirely by children themselves. What could be a better indicator of the books that will tempt children away from computer games and DVDs than a list drawn up by young people across the country, which pits literary heavyweights like Morris Gleitzman and Patrick Ness against outstanding debut authors such as Annabel Pitcher? Find out more about the shortlisted authors in our interviews.

 

Who will win? It’s up to children everywhere to decide. Voting is now open and the Red House Children’s Book Award would like to encourage every child in Britain to check out the shortlisted titles and vote for their favourite!

 

The Red House Children’s Book Award is highly respected by teachers, parents and librarians and has brought acclaim and strong sales to past winners such as J.K. Rowling, Andy Stanton, Malorie Blackman and Anthony Horowitz. The award has often been the first to recognise the future stars of children’s fiction and has the ability to turn popular authors into bestsellers.

 

Children nationwide are now invited to vote for their favourite of the ten shortlisted books. The category winners and the author of the best children’s book published in the 2011 nomination period will be announced – for the first time ever – at a glittering awards ceremony which takes place in the Queen Elizabeth Hall at the Southbank Centre in London on Saturday 18^th February 2012.

 

A dedicated website www.redhousechildrensbookaward.co.uk showcases all the shortlisted titles and featured authors. Any child can vote here for their favourite book until 20^th January 2012.

 

 

 

Rollo and Ruff and the Little Fluffy Bird by Mick Inkpen, published by Hodder

Don't Worry Douglas! by David Melling, published by Hodder

Peely Wally by Kali Stileman, published by Red Fox

Scruffy Bear and the Six White Mice by Chris Wormell, published by Jonathan Cape

 

 

One Dog and His Boy by Eva Ibbotson, published by Marion Lloyd Books

Sky Hawk by Gill Lewis, published by Oxford University Press

The Brilliant World of Tom Gates by Liz Pichon, published by Scholastic

 

 

Grace by Morris Gleitzman, published by Puffin

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness, published by Walker

My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece by Annabel Pitcher, published by Orion

 

The Red House Children’s Book Award, now in its 32nd year, was founded in 1980 by author and librarian Pat Thompson and is owned and run by the Federation of Children’s Book Groups. The overall 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 shortlisted authors and illustrators also receives a silver bookmark and an incredible portfolio of writing and artwork created by children inspired by their book. The ten titles on the shortlist for the Books for Younger Children, Books for Younger Readers and Books for Older Readers categories, as well as 40 highly recommended titles, were chosen by children who read and voted for the books at lively events organised nationwide by the Federation of Children’s Book Groups.

 

The Federation of Children’s Book Groups was set up as a charity by Anne Wood, the originator of the Teletubbies. It acts as an umbrella organisation for local Children’s Book Groups all over the UK. The groups organise a variety of activities including author events and other activities that promote the enjoyment of children’s books. The Federation also produces numerous specialist book lists, organises National Share-a-Story Month each May, National Non-Fiction Day each November and holds an annual conference each spring. www.fcbg.org.uk

1) How does it feel to be shortlisted for the Red House Children's Book Award, knowing it's entirely voted for by children?

It's almost a cliché to say how encouraging it is for an author to know that a book has found its way on to the Children's Book Award shortlist entirely because children have chosen to put it there. But it's true - and it's just as exciting now as it was when it happened for me twenty years ago!

2) What would you say to any budding writers out there?

If you are a child - then let your imagination wander all over the place - but all the while look for a shape to your story. Look for nice links between your ideas so that your story starts to go on a journey. You'll be surprised how often one idea leads to another - and if you are really lucky to a really good ending! That's usually the hardest bit!

If you are an adult writing for children - then write for the child in yourself, rather than trying to conform to some objective idea of what is appropriate for children or for the market. I think it's possible especially as a fledgling author to lose your spark by trying second guess the agent, the editor, the bookseller, the educationalist, the supermarket etc. You must be the first person to be entertained by your work.

3) What's the best part of being an author?

The licence to play. I get to play around with ideas and then earn a living by sharing them with a wide audience of children and parents.

4) And the worst?

Despite that wide audience it's a solitary profession. There are no chats during coffee breaks. And email has pretty much killed having an extra-curricular giggle on the telephone.   

5) What would you say to encourage people to vote for your book on the shortlist?

Absolutely nothing. Children always know exactly what they like - and what they don't!

1) How does it feel to be shortlisted for the Red House Children's Book Award, knowing it's entirely voted for by children?

Brilliant, but I’m trying not to let my head swell too much. Most awards are given by small groups of people who are just expressing their very personal preferences. The awards I really like getting are the ones voted for by large numbers of actual readers, like the Red House Children’s Book Award. I love being shortlisted for those. OK, I admit it, I have recently had to put elastic in a number of my hats.

2) What would you say to any budding writers out there?

Read lots of stories. Ask yourself questions while you read. Why are the characters feeling what they're feeling? What could you change in the story to make them feel different? How would that affect the ending of the story? In your imagination, find a character who will let you write about their feelings. Ask the character questions. Find out what they want most in the world. A pet. A Dad. An illness to get better. A trip to see someone. Love. A friend. Find out what is stopping them getting it. Write about how they feel about that, and what they do to try and get the thing they want.

3) What's the best part of being an author?

1. You get to spend all day in your imagination.

2. You get to go to work in your pyjamas. I'm wearing mine as I write this.

3. It's heaps of fun seeing your name on books in bookshops and libraries.

4. You get to travel to different parts of the world and meet readers from different countries.

5. You earn money from doing something you'd do even if you didn't get paid. Pretty lucky.

4) And the worst?

1. Writing on your own sometimes gets lonely.

2. After doing it for 25 years you get a bad back.

3. But you don’t care. Why not? See above. But be careful of your back when you swivel your eyes up.

5) What would you say to encourage people to vote for your book on the shortlist?

I don’t want to try to tell people how to vote, I’ll leave that to the politicians. But I would like to encourage people to read Grace. And I can promise that you won’t ever have read a book like it. Not exactly like it. Not with funny bits and lions and a girl who’s not allowed to touch anyone. At least I hope you won’t have. Oh dear, now I’m feeling nervous.

1)            How does it feel to be shortlisted for the Red House Children's Book Award, knowing it's entirely voted for by children?

Flattered! Incredibly flattered! When My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece first came out, so many adults reviewed my book first, but I was desperate to get another opinion – that of children.

Did young readers like Jamie? Did he talk in a way they felt was realistic? Was his story interesting to children? 

As a proud writer of young adult fiction, it was important to me that my book rang true and was entertaining for children. When I started to visit schools and hear positive responses to my book, I felt very proud indeed. Being nominated for the Red House Award is a huge honour, and I am grateful to all the young readers who voted for me. 

2)            What would you say to any budding writers out there?

Being a writer is the best job in the world. Sure, it can be tough to be on my own all day, and I don’t have any workmates to share the pressure or workload, but it is still an absolute privilege to spend my time inventing stories and characters and playing with words. If you’re interested in being a writer, my advice would be to go for it. Don’t let anyone tell you that it’s too difficult. You can do it! And just remember, you don’t have to get anything published to be a writer. You can make up stories or write poems every single day for the rest of your life if you so desire. All you need is a pen and a paper and a little bit of imagination.

So what should you do to improve your writing skills? I think it is really important to read as much as you can. Read books you like and books you hate. Read like a writer, and by that I mean try to look at stories and work out what the author is trying to do. How are they presenting the characters? How are they trying to create tension? How are they trying to make you laugh or cry? If you can work out a writer’s techniques, you can copy these in your own work.

I’d also recommend that you start having fun with language. Never forget that writing stories is supposed to be pleasurable. Learn to love words. Invent new ones. Pick random ones out of the dictionary and try to create a story with them. Be bold and take risks. Want to write a story from the point of view of a bright blue pig? Do it! Experiment! If it doesn’t work, try something else. The braver you are, and the more you try new things, the more unique and interesting your work will be.

3)            What's the best part of being an author?

Oooh, this is difficult, because there is so much about writing that I enjoy! I love that moment when I am sitting in my study with a cup of tea and the book is going well. My imagination is on fire and my fingers are whizzing across the keyboard and the story feels so alive it’s almost happening all around me, images swirling round my desk as I type. However, I think the very best part of being an author is meeting young readers. I have just spent a week in Wales where I visited ten schools and colleges, getting the chance to talk about my book and give advice about creative writing. I love that. As an ex-teacher, I really miss being in the classroom, and it is wonderful to have the opportunity to go back and chat to students about my experience of being an author. When I was at school, I never met any writers, and as a result I believed that it was impossible to make a living through books. Hopefully, by talking to youngsters about my experiences, they will start to see that normal people can become authors, and there is no reason why they shouldn’t give it a go in the future.  

4)            And the worst?

That’s easy. Being on my own all day. Some writers, I know, love the isolation. I hate it. Being chatty, I like to be around people. I loved teaching because I came into contact with 120 young people every single day, not to mention tens of teachers and other staff. As a writer, I come into contact with a grand total of one person – and that’s me if I stare in the mirror in the bathroom and talk to myself like some sort of mad woman. When I am writing, the isolation is necessary, and I don’t notice the four or five hours that whizz by when I am involved with my characters. The rest of the time, however, I can get lonely. Thankfully, my mum and sister live close by, so I visit them a lot, and I have just started volunteering at Oxfam and I love being in the shop, chatting to customers when I am not working on my novel. 

5) What would you say to encourage people to vote for your book on the shortlist?

               Well, I’ll give each voter a million pounds if they pick my book...

               If only I could!

In all seriousness, people should vote for whichever novel they liked the most. My book was an absolute joy to write, and if young people enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it, then their votes would be very welcome. My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece is my very first novel, and I have never won a prize before. Winning The Red House Children’s Book Award, because it is voted by young readers, would mean the world to me. 

1) How does it feel to be shortlisted for the Red House Children's Book Award, knowing it's entirely voted for by children?

Absolutely thrilled as it's the children’s opinion that really matters.

2) What would you say to any budding writers out there?

I don't know if I'm the right person to ask this one as I really am so new to it all but I think if someone has a great idea, just keep it fresh and fun and go for it and keep the reader in mind when you do.

3) What's the best part of being an author?

It’s a bit like doing a jigsaw puzzle, jumbling up lots of ideas and images until they work ... the thrill of putting the last piece to a story so that it all fits together is wonderful.

4) And the worst?

Sorry, can’t think of any it’s the best job ever!

5) What would you say to encourage people to vote for your book on the shortlist?

I loved creating Peely Wally and the response from readers has been absolutely wonderful and I have to admit, totally unexpected. I have been contacted buy mum's, schools and libraries from here to America sending me photos of children proudly holding artwork with tissue paper Peely's with pipe cleaner legs and asking permission to make Peely t-shirts and Easter surprises. The response to this little painty scribble with legs has been truly overwhelming! 

I am delighted that she has been received so well by her readers and thrilled that she's been nominated for such a lovely award.

1) How does it feel to be shortlisted for the Red House Children's Book Award, knowing it's entirely voted for by children?

                It feels brilliant! And especially as my book was voted for by children. It's lovely when adults appreciate you books, but of course it's better - much better - when your books are appreciated by children!

2) What would you say to any budding writers out there?

                Always write stories that YOU want to read. Which sounds obvious, doesn't it? But I bet your always being told what to write about, aren't you? People are always saying to me - you should write a story about this, or you should write a story about that. But readers are never going to be excited when reading your story unless you are excited when writing it.

3) What's the best part of being an author?

                Suddenly getting a brilliant, amazing, fantastic idea and - after thinking about it for a few days, turning it over in your mind and examining it from different angles - writing it down and scribbling out a few thumbnail sketches and realising that, even though it may not be quite as brilliant and amazing and fantastic as you first thought, the idea might still, just - after lots of hard work and endless rewrites and tearing up of drawings and starting the whole thing again from scratch - be turned into a story.

4) And the worst?

                Suddenly getting a brilliant, amazing, fantastic idea and - after thinking about it for a few days, turning it over in your mind and examining it from different angles - writing it down and scribbling out a few thumbnail sketches and realising that, even though it was a brilliant and amazing and fantastic idea, it will never - even after lots of hard work and endless rewrites and tearing up of drawings and starting the whole thing again from scratch - work as a story...

5) What would you say to encourage people to vote for your book on the shortlist?

                I would only say that if they enjoyed my story, and I hope they did, they should vote for it.