The winners for the Yoto Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals for 2022 have been announced! Katya Balen scooped a double victory winning both the Carnegie Medal and the Shadowers’ Choice Award for October, October, a lyrical, unforgettable story. The Greenaway Medal went to Danica Novgorodoff for her illustrated exceptional graphic novel adaptation of the ground-breaking novel-in-verse Long Way Down. Read on for more about the winning books, the shortlisted books, the authors and illustrators and these prestigious awards. And we have also included a few of our favourite past winners.
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Yoto Kate Greenaway 2022
Yoto Carnegie Medal 2022
Some of our favourite past winners
Shortlisted for the CILIP Carnegie Medal 2019, Jason Reynolds’s original Long Way Down novel-in-verse (stunningly illustrated by Chris Priestley) has here been adapted into a glorious graphic novel. The story is as gripping and moving as ever, its atmosphere perhaps even more poignant courtesy of Danica Novgorodoff’...
Raw, lingering and stirringly lyrical, October, October had me hooked from opening to end. Conjured in language that crackles and smoulders like an autumn bonfire, this is a book of bones and bark, of frost and flame, captivating in the manner of Skellig
The Yoto Carnegie Medal is awarded to Katya Balen for her second novel October, October (Bloomsbury), illustrated by Angela Harding – her debut novel, The Space We’re In was longlisted in 2019. October, October is a “beautiful” and “captivating” story of a girl, October, who must learn to spread her wings after a childhood spent living wild in the woods changes dramatically the year she turns 11. The story was inspired by Balen’s father-in-law who lives off-grid, and her own love of mudlarking and the outdoors.
Danica Novgorodoff’s illustrated edition of Jason Reynold’s 2019 Carnegie-shortlisted book, Long Way Down (Faber) wins the Yoto Kate Greenaway Medal – the first graphic novel to win since Raymond Briggs’ Father Christmas in 1973. It is her debut children’s book published in the UK and is an “innovative” adaptation of the original verse novel of gun violence and grief written by 2021 Yoto Carnegie Medal winner, Jason Reynolds (Look Both Ways). The book features hundreds of “stunning” watercolours depicting the decision that 15-year-old Will must make when his brother is shot.
The Medals celebrate outstanding achievement in children’s writing and illustration respectively and are unique in being judged by librarians, with the Shadowers’ Choice Award voted for by children and young people. The two medal winners were chosen from a shortlist of 16 – eight for each medal – by an expert team of volunteer judges, featuring 14 librarians from CILIP’s Youth Libraries Group based across the UK.
Jennifer Horan, Chair of Judges for the Yoto Carnegie Greenaway Awards 2022, comments: “I am delighted to share this year’s Yoto Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medal winners, both of which provide outstanding reading experiences for young people. October, October by Katya Balen is a captivating story featuring exquisite descriptions of the natural world and relationships that develop and heal. It is an expertly written, beautiful and lyrical novel alive with wonder and curiosity. Long Way Down, illustrated by Danica Novgorodoff, is a brilliant, innovative adaptation of the novel by Jason Reynolds. It uses stunning watercolour to powerfully portray the tragedy of gun violence and the emotional impact it has on young people’s lives.
“Both books ignite imagination and contain themes which help young readers build empathy, providing them with tools to create a better world. They offer hope, comfort and enjoyment, and demonstrate the key role writing and illustration play in children’s development and wellbeing. Congratulations to our 2022 Medal winners, to publishers Bloomsbury and Faber, and to our Shadowers’ Choice winners. And a huge thank you to the young people who have participated, and to the librarians who continue to champion quality children’s books that inspire and empower young readers.”
Here is the full 2022 Yoto Carnegie Medal shortlist, with the judge's comments;
October, October by Katya Balen, illustrated by Angela Harding (Bloomsbury) “Compelling and sensitively-told story of October’s wild life in the woods, with a strong narrative voice that invested us all in her plight”
Guard Your Heart by Sue Divin (Macmillan Children’s Books) “Outstanding novel presenting Irish culture and the ongoing impact of the troubles in a fresh, way.”
When the Sky Falls by Phil Earle (Andersen Press) “Heartbreaking and refreshing take on a WWII story set in a city zoo, with beautifully depicted relationships and characters, including Adonis the gorilla.”
Everyone Dies Famous in a Small Town by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock (Faber) “Intricate and immersive stories about teenagers across the rural American West, which conveyed a fantastic sense of place that stayed with us long after reading.”
The Crossing by Manjeet Mann (Penguin Children’s Books) “A poignant story of shared humanity, with the stories of two teenagers – one a refugee and the other grief-stricken – cleverly entwined”
Tsunami Girl by Julian Sedgwick, illustrated by Chie Kutsuwada (Guppy Books) “A delicate and characterful story of Yuki’s stay with her grandfather in Japan, powerfully told through prose and manga, whose growing tension drew us in.”
Cane Warriors by Alex Wheatle (Andersen Press) “Superb dialogue conveying the brutality of Moa’s life and the deep loyalty of the main characters in this pacey retelling of Tacky’s War in 18th century Jamaica.”
Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam (HarperCollins Children’s Books) “Evocative and exceptional in its style, this dynamic verse novel, which looks at the reality of the criminal justice system for young people of colour in America, got into the soul of the judges.”
The 2022 Yoto Kate Greenaway Medal shortlist with the judge's comments;
Drawn Across Borders illustrated and written by George Butler (Walker Books) “Distinctive reportage style capturing the transient nature of human migration, the personalities behind the headlines of global conflict and demonstrating the power of illustration to connect us with different perspectives”
The Midnight Fair illustrated by Mariachiara Di Giorgio, written by Gideon Sterer (Walker Books) “A wordless picture book featuring stunning use of colour and contrast and invoking all of the senses as we get to witness the secret life of animals as they prowl the fairground at night.”
Too Much Stuff illustrated and written by Emily Gravett (Two Hoots, Macmillan Children’s Books) “Rhyming tale of two magpies and their warning about the perils of over-consumption imbued with vibrant detail, wonderful expressions and visual jokes that make this a meaningful reading experience you want to repeat”
Long Way Down illustrated by Danica Novgorodoff, written by Jason Reynolds (Faber) “Brilliant, atmospheric and filmic adaptation, which is hugely complementary to the original story of teenage gun violence and grief, and blew us away”
Milo Imagines the World illustrated by Christian Robinson, written by Matt de la Pena (Two Hoots, Macmillan Children’s Books) “As Milo goes on a train journey, you see everything through his eyes, in this layered, complex book, whose impact on us just grew and grew.”
Shu Lin's Grandpa illustrated by Yu Rong, written by Matt Goodfellow (Otter-Barry Books) “Incredibly original and creative tale, cleverly told from the perspective of Shu Lin, a young Chinese girl trying to fit in at her new school, with a stunning pull-out and enveloping dragon illustration.”
I Talk Like a River illustrated by Sydney Smith, written by Jordan Scott (Walker Books) “This moving story of a boy who stutters, and his relationship with his father, is powerfully told through the masterful and expressive pictures, which create a real sense of solitude.”
The Wanderer illustrated and written by Peter Van den Ende (Pushkin Children’s Books) “There’s an ethereal, dream-like quality to this majestic wordless picture book, which takes the readers on a fantastical journey through the marine world.”
The winners for both the Yoto Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals 2022 were revealed at a lunchtime ceremony at The British Library on 19th June, hosted by award-winning poet and novelist Dean Atta, who won the Carnegie Shadowers’ Choice for The Black Flamingo in 2020.
Balen’s October, October has done the double and scooped this year’s Shadowers’ Choice Award for the Yoto Carnegie Medal, after tens of thousands of young people across the UK and internationally read and debated the shortlisted books before voting for their favourites. The winner of the Shadowers’ Choice Award for the Yoto Kate Greenaway Medal is The Midnight Fair (Walker Books) illustrated by Mariachiara Di Giorgio ¬– an illustrator, storyboard artist and concept designer from Rome, Italy – and written by Gideon Sterer. It is a heart-warming, immersive wordless picture book that uncovers the secret life of animals who prowl a fairground at night, featuring sumptuous use of colour and contrast, which invoke all the senses.
One of this year’s shadowers, Luna from Runnymede Librarians, described The Midnight Fair as “one of a kind… a sublime book to read”, while Zion, Chioma and Jayda from St James Hatcham Book Club said, “this book will allow the reader’s imagination to run free”, and another reader, Jemima from St Margaret’s Prep added “the way the light makes everything glow is magical.” One fan of October, October, Eve from Larkmead commented: “It’s so well written, you really see the experience through her eyes”, and Lyla from Teignmouth Community School said: “I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys an adventure, is seeking a book to cry and smile over and anyone who wants a really good read”.
The winners will each receive £500 worth of books to donate to their local library, a specially commissioned golden medal and a £5,000 Colin Mears Award cash prize.
The Awards are sponsored by Yoto, the innovative, screen-free audio platform for children; Peters, the official book supplier; and ALCS, champions of authors’ rights.
With their support, the Yoto Carnegie Greenaway Awards aim to inspire and empower a new generation of readers.
Photo credits to Tanja Geis and Tom Pilston
