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Blue Peter Book Awards 2020
Since 2000, 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.
The Blue Peter Book Awards 2020 celebrates children's books published in the last year in two categories: the Best Story and the Best Book with Facts.
Previous Blue Peter Book Award winners include Onjali Rauf, Cressida Cowell, Michael Morpurgo, Katherine Rundell, Oliver Jeffers and Liz Pichon.
- For updates on this year's Awards, check back on this page; or follow @BookTrust on Twitter
- Check out our archive for information on other years
A beautiful tale of a courageous young man who overcomes his fears when he finds an unlikely companion in a park statue. Complex ideas of young carers, social anxiety and remembrance are sensitively weaved into a light and accessible story.
Laura Wood brings us a contemporary book for fierce pre-teens who want to make the world a better place. Effie's aims to make her new school a more inclusive space will encourage everyone to fulfil their potential.
Check out fun features on the books
- Ideas for school projects about invention – using Wildspark and other inventive books
- 'Stories enable us to remember': Lisa Thompson on the power of tales about war
- Here are the young activists that can make the world a better place
Longlisted books in this category:
- Bloom by Nicola Skinner, illustrated by Flavia Sorrentino (HarperCollins Children's Books)
- Can You See Me? by Libby Scott and Rebecca Westcott (Scholastic UK)
- Charlie Changes Into a Chicken by Sam Copeland, illustrated by Sarah Horne (Puffin)
- Lori and Max by Catherine O'Flynn (Firefly Press)
- Malamander by Thomas Taylor (Walker Books)
- Runaway Robot by Frank Cottrell-Boyce, illustrated by Steven Lenton (Macmillan Children's Books)
- Where the River Runs Gold by Sita Brahmachari (Hachette Children's Group)
Blue Peter Book Awards 2020: Best Book with Facts
Shortlisted books
The fifth in Owen Davey’s wonderful non-fiction series about animals adds frogs to the ranks of clear, fascinating reads, accompanied by truly amazing graphic illustration and just the right level of information to inspire all primary school kids.
How To Be An Astronaut and Other Space Jobs
Lots of children think they might like to be an astronaut, but what other jobs could one do and still be involved in space exploration and study? Complete with a press-out model rocket to build and pages of stickers to play with, this is an original and inspiring read.
Rise Up: Ordinary Kids with Extraordinary Stories
This is a fantastic and inspiring book, sharing the stories of normal kids from across the world and their amazing achievements. After the biographical information, there are interesting suggestions for activities based on that child’s message or passion.
Read more about Rise Up: Ordinary Kids with Extraordinary Stories
Check out fun features on the books
- Dr Sheila Kanani: 'My top five space jobs and why they'd be so fun'
- Rise Up by Amanda Li – discover ordinary kids with extraordinary stories
- 8 favourite facts about our froggy friends
Longlisted books in this category:
- Everest: The Remarkable Story of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay by Alexandra Stewart, illustrated by Joe Todd-Stanton (Bloomsbury Children's Books)
- Heroes by Jonny Marx, illustrated by Gerhard van Dyk (Stripes)
- Humanimal: Incredible Ways Animals Are Just Like Us! by Christopher Lloyd, illustrated by Mark Ruffle (What on Earth Books)
- Plastic Sucks! You Can Make A Difference by Dougie Pointer (Macmillan Children's Books)
- The Ladybird Big Book of Dead Things by Ned Hartley, illustrated by Binny Talib (Ladybird)
- The Lost Book of Adventure by Teddy Keen (Frances Lincoln Children's Books)
- When the Stars Come Out by Nicola Edwards, illustrated by Lucy Cartwright (Stripes)
Who judged this year's shortlist?
Meet our judges, who selected a shortlist from the longlist and are now handing the difficult task of picking the two winners to schoolchildren around the country.
Meryl Fernandes
TV presenter and actress
Young entrepreneur Meryl Fernandes is a stage and screen actress, a business woman and most notably an exciting new presenter who narrowly escaped life as a microbiologist. Best known for playing Afia in Eastenders, she has also performed at The National Theatre in critically acclaimed plays, and her other television credits include Doctor Who, Demons and Minder.
Joseph Coelho
Poet, playwright and children’s author
Joseph Coelho is a poet and children’s author. His debut poetry collection Werewolf Club Rules was the winner of the 2015 CLiPPA Poetry Award and his next collection Overheard In A Tower Block was longlisted for the 2018 CILIP Carnegie Medal and shortlisted for the 2018 CLiPPA Poetry Award. His debut non-fiction book How To Write Poems contains a host of tips and tricks to help engage children with poetry. As well as poetry, Joseph also writes picture books. As a playwright, Joseph has written plays for companies including Soho Theatre, Polka Theatre, Theatre Royal York, Oily Cart, The Spark Children's Festival, Islington Community Theatre, and Pied Piper Theatre Company.
Jean Menzies
Ancient historian, podcaster and video maker
While conducting her PhD research at the University of Roehampton, Jean Menzies is also passionate about promoting classical mythology and ancient history to a wider audience. She has a background in publishing and makes a wide variety of online content exploring education, history, and literature.
Past winners
Find out about the winners, shortlisted books and judges from previous Blue Peter Book Awards.
Latest updates
- RT @MrEPrimary: Beyond excited to go to @Booktrust today and sift through and select books for the #BluePeterBookAwards longlists. One ste… 152 days ago
- Did you see that the #BluePeterBookAwards winners were announced this week? We are SO thrilled that The Boy in the… https://t.co/D5RrBkeRNr 316 days ago
Resources to use
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Greta Thunberg inspiring change and Deadly Frogs darting poison… something for everyone as the 2020 Blue Peter Book Awards contenders are revealed
Deadly frogs that dart poison, space adventurers, coping with grief, misfits with a mission and inspirational childre...
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Vote for Effie: Wordsearch
Find all the words below in this wordsearch! From the book Vote for Effie by Laura Wood.
Waterstones Children's Laureate
Find out about Cressida Cowell
Find out everything that's going on with the 11th Waterstones Children's Laureate, Cressida Cowell, as she takes on the job from 2019-21.
Book suggestions that your child will love
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A big thank you to everyone who donated to the BookTrust appeal. With your amazing support, we have sent surprise book gifts to over 12,250 vulnerable children to bring joy and brighten their Christmas.
Help support BookTrust in 2020 and get books to more children