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Children's Book Award 2023

Chosen entirely by children, the Children's Book Award is  back after a year-long hiatus. The books on the shortlist have been drawn from the last two years.

Jump to:
Books for Younger Children
Books for Younger Readers
Books for Older Readers

Winner: Loki: A Bad God's Guide to Being Good

Odin has banished Loki to Earth where he has to live as an eleven year old boy until he learns to behave. Accompanied by Heimdall and Hyrrokkin as his fake parents along with Thor as his annoying older brother, Loki soon realises it won’t be as easy to regain his old life as he thinks. Presented as Loki’s own diary complete with illustrations, this hilarious take on Norse mythology will appeal to even the most reluctant reader.

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Children's Book Award 2023: Children's Book Award 2023: Books for Younger Children

Shortlisted Books

My Rhinoceros

Jon Agee

Hardback

In Stock

£11.69 £12.99

Children's Book Award 2023: Children's Book Award 2023: Books for Younger Readers

Winner: Loki: A Bad God's Guide to Being Good

Odin has banished Loki to Earth where he has to live as an eleven year old boy until he learns to behave. Accompanied by Heimdall and Hyrrokkin as his fake parents along with Thor as his annoying older brother, Loki soon realises it won’t be as easy to regain his old life as he thinks. Presented as Loki’s own diary complete with illustrations, this hilarious take on Norse mythology will appeal to even the most reluctant reader.

View Book Page

Shortlisted Books

Children's Book Award 2023: Children's Book Award 2023: Books for Older Readers

Winner: Dread Wood

Forced to attend detention, Angelo, Hallie, Gustav and Naira think that things can’t get any worse. However, when their teacher is dragged underground, things start to get really scary, and their only hope of survival is to work as a team. A perfect balance of humour, suspense and creepiness, ‘Dread Wood’ is gripping from the first page. Although not a natural friendship grouping, the four children find themselves bound together by circumstances. Friendship and ‘fitting in’ are at the heart of this story

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Shortlisted Books

The Light in Everything

Katya Balen

Paperback

In Stock

£7.19 £7.99

While the Storm Rages

Phil Earle

Paperback

In Stock

£7.19 £7.99

Children from all over the country are invited to the annual Award Ceremony to meet the Top Ten authors and illustrators and present them with their prizes. 

Books for Younger Children

Blobfish – written and illustrated by Olaf Falafel, published by Walker Books

My Rhinoceros – written and illustrated by Jon Agee, published by Scallywag Press

The Blue-Footed Booby – written and illustrated by Rob Biddulph, published by HarperCollins

Where Has all the Cake Gone? – written by Andrew Sanders and illustrated by Aysha Awwad, published by Macmillan

Books for Older Readers

Dread Wood – written by Jennifer Killick, published by Farshore

The Light In Everything – written by Katya Balen, published by Bloomsbury

While The Storm Rages – written by Phil Earle, published by Andersen Press

About Children's Book Award

The Children's Book Award is owned and run by the Federation of Children's Book Groups, a charity set up by Anne Wood, the Founder and Creator of Ragdoll Productions and the originator of The Teletubbies. The Awards were founded by author and librarian Pat Thompson to celebrate the books that children themselves were reading. (They were known as the Red House Children’s Book Award during the 14 years of The Book People’s sponsorship). This years titles were chosen by children from across the country who read and voted for the books at events organised by the FCBG.

The FCBG 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 Children's Book Award has brought acclaim and strong sales to past winners such as J.K. Rowling, Patrick Ness, Andy Stanton, Malorie Blackman, Anthony Horowitz and Michael Morpurgo, who has won a record three times. 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's Book Award Archive

Click on a year below to view past years from this award.