Blue Peter Award 2010 Winners Announced
A thrilling adventure of two cryogenically frozen children from the 1950s, brought back to life in 2009 has been crowned the Blue Peter Book of the Year at this year’s Blue Peter Book Awards.
The author Ali Sparkes, who previously worked as a Bluecoat in Pontins, a sequined assistant to a juggling unicyclist and a comedy columnist for Radio 4’s Home Truths, was announced as the winner of the Blue Peter Book of the Year Award 2010 with her book Frozen in Time.
The book saw off intense competition from celebrated authors including the award-winning Frank Cottrell Boyce.
Frozen in Time won the ultimate accolade on the special episode of Blue Peter broadcast 3 March on BBC One in honour of World Book Day.
Winner Ali Sparkes commented:
‘I really think the Blue Peter Children's Book Award is the children's author's Oscar and I know a lot of my author friends agree. All they've been able to say since they heard I was shortlisted is “Will you get a Blue Peter badge? Will you get a badge?!”
And what makes it extra chunkily lovely is that Frozen in Time is such a British book and shares so much of its British spirit with Blue Peter. I think anyone who reads it, of whatever age, will make that connection. I really wanted it to be about adventure, friendship, tolerance, decency, modern life, history, cookery, handling fear - and a lot of laughs. And if that's not Blue Peter, too, I don't know what is...’
The enormously popular and influential Blue Peter Book Awards have been recognising and celebrating the best authors, the most creative illustrators and the greatest reads for children since 2000.
There are three categories of awards: Most Fun Story with Pictures, Best Book With Facts and Book I Couldn’t Put Down. The favourite of the three is voted Blue Peter Book of the Year.
The winners are:
Most Fun Story with Pictures: Dinkin Dings and the Frightening Things by Guy Bass (Stripes)
Best Book With Facts: Why Eating Bogeys is Good For You by Mitchell Symons (Random House Children’s Books)
Book I Couldn’t Put Down: Frozen in Time by Ali Sparkes (Oxford University Press)
The winning author and illustrator in each category was awarded a special Blue Peter Book Award Trophy. In addition, an extract from each of the nine shortlisted titles was animated for the programme.
The panel of adult judges comprised Tim Levell, Editor of Blue Peter (Chair), children’s librarian Debra Conway and author Matt Haig, who won the Blue Peter Book of the Year in 2009 with his novel Shadow Forest.
The final nine books were judged by a selection of young Blue Peter viewers, who decided the winners in each category and the overall winner from those for the Blue Peter Book of the Year.
Tim Levell, Editor of Blue Peter commented:
‘What is so wonderful about the Blue Peter Book Awards is that the winners are decided by children, which I know means so much to authors. The standard of the books this year has been remarkable and all of the shortlisted books, brought to life through fantastic animation on the programme, are worthy of celebration. I am of course delighted for Ali and I hope she enjoys the rest of 2010 knowing that she has written the Blue Peter Book of the Year!’
These enormously popular and influential awards have been recognising and celebrating the best children’s authors, the most creative illustrators and the greatest reads for children since 2000.
The 2010 Blue Peter Book Awards Shortlist was:
Best Book With Facts:
Usborne Lift-the-flap Picture Atlas – Alex Frith & Kate Leake (Usborne)
Tail-End Charlie – Mick Manning & Brita Granstrom (Francis Lincoln Children’s Books)
Why Eating Bogeys is Good for You – Mitchell Symons (Red Fox)
Book I Couldn’t Put Down:
Cosmic – Frank Cottrell Boyce (Macmillan)
The Boy Who Fell Down Exit 43 – Harriet Goodwin (Stripes)
Frozen in Time – Ali Sparkes (Oxford)
Most Fun Story with Pictures:
Peter the Penguin Pioneer – Daren King (Quercus)
Spells – Emily Gravett (Macmillan)
Dinkin Dings and the Frightening Things – Guy Bass (Stripes)
The panel of adult judges comprised Tim Levell, Editor of Blue Peter (Chair), children’s librarian Debra Conroy and author Matt Haig, who won the ultimate accolade of Blue Peter Book of the Year in 2009 with his novel Shadow Forest.
Tim Levell, Editor of Blue Peter commented:
‘The Blue Peter Book Awards aim to guide children towards high quality literature, encouraging them to read and establish a love of reading for life. This year’s shortlist offers a wide variety of writing and illustrating styles on many different subjects. The adult judges were blown away by the quality of books being published for children today and we can’t wait to find out which books will win once the child judges have got their hands on them.’
The final nine books will now be judged by a selection of young Blue Peter viewers. They will decide both the winners in each category, and the overall winner of Blue Peter Book of the Year 2010. The Book Awards show will be broadcast on Blue Peter in March 2010 to coincide with World Book Day. An extract from each of the nine shortlisted titles will be dramatised for the show.
Click here to read about the 2009 winner
Prize administration
Prize information
Claire Shanahan
t 020 8516 2973
e rosa@booktrust.org.uk
Press information
Katherine Solomon
t 0208 875 4583
e katherine.solomon@booktrust.org.uk
