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Winners of the Red House Children’s Book Award 2009

Former journalist and editor Sophie McKenzie has scooped the overall prize in the prestigious Red House Children’s Book Award 2009 for her thrilling teen novel, Blood Ties.

The award is regarded as the most important children’s prize for literature because it is the only award voted for solely by young readers. Previous winners of the award include JK Rowling, Michael Morpurgo, Roald Dahl, Jacqueline Wilson and Malorie Blackman.

Blood Ties (Simon and Schuster) won both the older readers’ category and overall prizes in the award, which is owned and coordinated by the Federation of Children’s Book Groups. Other titles shortlisted for the award included Young Samurai: The Way of the Warrior by Chris Bradford and Broken Soup by Jenny Valentine

The winning novel is a gripping thriller that explores issues of genetic engineering and personal identity. Tightly plotted, readers said they empathised with the teenage characters Rachel and Theo who struggle with their sense of identity. The fast-paced novel keeps readers on the edge of their seats as the protagonists race to survive against the odds.

Two other category winners in the 29^th annual award are also announced today: Allan Ahlberg’s beautiful picture book The Pencil, illustrated by Bruce Ingman, has taken the younger children category, while Kes Gray’s fun story, Daisy and the Trouble with Zoos has clinched the younger readers’ category.

An incredible 143,295 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.

Thousands of children from schools, libraries and nurseries spent 18 months devouring 838 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.

Announcing the winners, Sinead Kromer, national coordinator for the RHCBA, said: “The Red House Children’s Book Award is the only award that truly values the opinion of children and empowers them to make the decisions that collectively decide the winners. If you look back over the winners of the past 28 years most of them have become bestsellers and even modern classics. The children know what they like and know what they want to read. And it is children who have chosen the winners. The names of the winners are a closely guarded secret until the envelope is opened, the winners announced, the whistles blown, the poppers explode and the hall bursts into applause. It is an experience the children will remember for a very long time!”

Seni Glaister, CEO of Red House, said: “Congratulations to all the winners of the award, especially overall winner Sophie McKenzie whose exciting thriller Blood Ties has gripped children around the UK.”

For more information, visit www.redhousechildrensbookaward.co.uk

Posted: June 6th, 2009
Author: Floresiensis
Categories: Children's Fantasy Books, JK Rowling, Michael Morpurgo

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