Waterstones Children's Book Prize

The Waterstones Children's Book Prize is an annual award given to a work of children's literature published during the previous year. First awarded in 2005, the purpose of the prize is "to uncover hidden talent in children's writing" and is therefore open only to authors who have published no more than three books.

For the first two years, the award was known as the Ottakar's Children's Book Prize, but when all Ottakar's stores were rebranded as Waterstones following the HMV Group takeover of the Ottakar's chain, the prize also changed its name.

Beginning in 2012, the prize was divided into three categories: Picture Books, Fiction 5–12, and Teen.^[1] Each category winner receives £2,000 with an overall winner chosen from the three getting an additional £3,000 (thus the overall winner receives £5,000 in total).^[2]

Winners and shortlists

2005 – The Cry of the Icemark by Stuart Hill

• Nelly the Monster Sitter by Kes Gray
• Siberia by Ann Halam
• The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
• The Merrybegot by Julie Hearn
• The Whole Business with Kiffo and the Pitbull by Barry Jonsberg
• Urchin of the Riding Stars by M. I. McAllister
• The Whispering Road by Livi Michael
• Airborn by Kenneth Oppel
• Olivia Kidney by Ellen Potter
• Jammy Dodgers on the Run by Bowering Sivers
• The Time Wreccas by Val Tyler

2006 – The Diamond of Drury Lane by Julia Golding

• The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne
• Shakespeare's Secret by Elise Broach
• The Quantum Prophecy by Michael Carroll
• Gregor and the Rats of Underland by Suzanne Collins
• Jack Slater, Monster Investigator by John Dougherty
• Ralph the Magic Rabbit by Adam Frost
• The Lottery by Beth Goobie
• North Child by Edith Pattou
• Spymice by Heather Vogel Frederick

2007 – Darkside by Tom Becker

• Nathan Fox: Dangerous Times by L. Brittney
• Jake Cake: The Werewolf Teacher by Michael Broad
• Sebastian Darke by Philip Caveney
• A Swift Pure Cry by Siobhan Dowd
• Bunker 10 by J. A. Henderson
• The Black Book of Secrets by F. E. Higgins
• The Case of the Missing Cats by Gareth P. Jones
• The Thing with Finn by Tom Kelly
• Smugglers by Christopher Russell

2008 – Ways to Live Forever by Sally Nicholls

• Tumtum and Nutmeg by Emily Bearn
• TIM Defender of the Earth by Sam Enthoven
• Shadow Forest by Matt Haig
• Blue Sky Freedom by Gabrielle Halberstam
• Between Two Seas by Marie-Louise Jensen
• Ancient Appetites by Oisín McGann
• Stone Goblins by David Melling
• Broken Soup by Jenny Valentine

2009 – 13 Treasures by Michelle Harrison

• How Kirsty Jenkins Stole the Elephant by Elen Caldecott
• Zelah Green Queen of Clean by Vanessa Curtis
• Changeling by Steve Feasey
• Gnomes are Forever by Ceci Jenkinson
• The Lady in the Tower by Marie-Louise Jensen
• Mapmaker's Monsters by Rob Stevens
• Numbers by Rachel Ward

2010 – The Great Hamster Massacre by Katie Davies

• Flyaway by Lucy Christopher
• The Crowfield Curse by Pat Walsh
• The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester
• Love, Aubrey by Suzanne Lafleur
• The Seven Sorcerers by Caro King
• The Toymaker by Jeremy De Quidt
• Meteorite Strike by A. G. Taylor
• Desperate Measures by Laura Summers

2011 – Artichoke Hearts by Sita Brahmachari

• The Memory Cage by Ruth Eastham
• Tall Story by Candy Gourlay
• The Pain Merchants by Janice Hardy
• Wereworld: The Rise of the Wolf by Curtis Jobling
• Fantastic Frankie and the Brain-Drain by Anna Kemp
• A Beautiful Lie by Irfan Master
• Mortlock by Jon Mayhew
• When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

For 2011 publications the Prize was divided into three categories with separate shortlists, announced in February 2012.^[1]

2012 – The Pirates Next Door by Jonny Duddle (Overall and Picture Book)^[2]

Teen

• You Against Me, Jenny Downham
• Being Billy, Phil Earle
• Amy and Roger's Epic Detour, Morgan Matson
• My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece, Annabel Pitcher
• Divergent, Veronica Roth
• Between Shades of Gray, Ruta Sepetys

Fiction 5-12

• The Brilliant World of Tom Gates, Liz Pichon
• The Windvale Sprites, Mackenzie Crook
• Muncle Trogg, Janet Foxley
• Sky Hawk, Gill Lewis
• Milo and the Restart Button, Alan Silberberg
• Claude in the City, Alex T. Smith

Picture Book

• The Pirates Next Door, Jonny Duddle
• No!, Marta Altés
• I Don't Want to be a Pea!, Ann Bonwill and Simon Rickerty
• A Bit Lost, Chris Haughton
• I Want My Hat Back, Jon Klassen
• Good Little Wolf, Nadia Shireen

2013 – Ketchup Clouds by Annabel Pitcher (Overall and Teen)

Teen

• Ketchup Clouds by Annabel Pitcher
• Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
• Skin Deep by Laura Jarratt
• Insignia by S. J. Kincaid
• Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
• Geekhood: Close Encounters of the Girl Kind by Andy Robb

Fiction 5-12

• Wonder by R. J. Palacio
• The Wolf Princess by Catherine Constable
• Atticus Claw Breaks the Law by Jennifer Gray
• The Secret Hen House Theatre by Helen Peters
• Chronicles of Egg: Deadweather and Sunrise by Geoff Rodkey
• I Am Not A Loser by Jim Smith

Picture Book

• Lunchtime by Rebecca Cobb
• Rabbityness by Jo Empson
• Oh No, George! by Chris Haughton
• The Worst Princess by Anna Kemp
• The Journey Home by Frann Preston-Gannon
• Can You See Sassoon? by Sam Usher

2014 — Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell (Overall and Fiction 5-12)^[3]

Teen – Geek Girl by Holly Smale

• The Bone Dragon by Alexia Casale
• Butter by Erin Lange
• If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch
• Paper Aeroplanes by Dawn O'Porter
• Our of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys

Fiction 5-12 – Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell

• The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani
• Darcy Durdock by Laura Dockrill
• Shiverton Hall by Emerald Fennell
• Skull in the Wood by Sandra Greaves
• The Last Wild by Piers Torday

Picture Book – Open Very Carefully by Nicola O'Byrne

• Harold Finds a Voice by Courtney Dicmas
• Weasels by Elys Dolan
• Penguin in Peril by Helen Hancocks
• Time For Bed, Fred! by Yasmeen Ismail
• The Crocodile Who Didn't Like Water by Gemma Merino

References

External links

• Official webpage – dedicated to the latest winners