Simon Puttock, Ross MacKenzie and Danny Weston have won the 2016 Scottish children’s book awards, a contest that is voted for exclusively by children. It is Scotland’s largest book prize for children’s authors and illustrators, with each winner receiving £3,000.
There are three age categories - Bookbug Readers (age three to seven), Younger Readers (age eight to 11) and Older Readers (age 12-16) – and all this year’s winning books have fantastical themes, from a magical mouse to a mysterious shop.
Simon Puttock, who was a previous winner in 2006, won the Bookbug category for his picture book Mouse’s First Night at Moonlight School, illustrated by Ali Pye. The book follows Mouse on her first day at Miss Moon’s Moonlight School where she is too shy to even say hello. Luckily, with help from Miss Moon and her new friends Bat, Cat and Owl, a game of hide-and-seek makes Mouse feel at home.
The Younger Readers award went to Ross MacKenzie for The Nowhere Emporium. It tells of orphan Daniel Holmes’s adventures when he stumbles upon a “shop from nowhere” that appears in Glasgow. Its owner, Mr Silver, draws Daniel into a breathtaking world of magic and enchantment.
Ross MacKenzie previously won the award in 2011 for fantasy adventure Zac and the Dream Pirates. He said, “these awards are extra-special because it’s the readers who make the final decision. Children don’t often get the chance to have a voice on this sort of scale, and I believe it’s important for them to know that they have that voice and that their opinions matter.”
Danny Weston (who has published over 40 other novels under the name Philip Caveney) won the Older Readers category for his book The Piper. It follows Peter and his little sister, Daisy, who are evacuated from London to the countryside and find themselves on an isolated farm in the middle of a treacherous marshland. As Daisy gets drawn deeper into the secrets of their new home, Peter starts to realise that something very sinister is going on.
Danny Weston said, “I am absolutely thrilled to have won this award, especially because it has been voted for, not by critics and industry insiders, but by the people who matter most; the young readers for whom the story was actually written.”
The Scottish children’s book awards are managed by Scottish Book Trusts, funded by Creative Scotland and supported by Waterstones and CALL. Reviews and book trailers are posted on the Scottish Book Trust website by young judges to share their enthusiasm about the shortlisted books.
