Bisto Book Awards

CBI/Bisto Awards are the only annual Childrens' Book Awards in Ireland. Now in their 21st year, the awards have been sponsored since their inception by Bisto (RHM Foods). The Awards are made annually by Children's Books Ireland for books by an author or illustrator born or resident in Ireland. The Shortlist is announced in March and the Awards are announced in May for books published in the previous year.

The 2010/2011 Bisto book of the year was awarded to 'A Bit Lost' by Chris Haughton.

"The book tells the story of an accidentally orphaned owl, who, after falling from his nest while sleeping, sets out with the help of new friends to find his way home to his mummy.  The judges, , said that the work’s brilliantly simple verbal text, complemented by a quirkily psychedelic and surreal visual text, captures both the anxiety and thrill of being lost."

(extract from CBI website).

Other awards made

• Judges Special Award: Oliver Jeffers for The Heart and The Bottle
• Bisto Honour Award for Fiction - Taking Flight by Sheena Wilkinson
• Bisto Honour Award for Illustration - Andrew Whitson for Mac Rí Eireann
• Eilís Dillon Award - A Bit Lost by Chris Haughton
• Children's Choice Award - Taking Flight by Sheena Wilkinson

The 2011 shortlist:

• A Bit Lost by Chris Haughton
• Dancing in the Dark by Peter Prendergast
• Mac Rí Éireann le Caitríona Hasting agus Andrew Whiton
• Prim Improper by Deirdre Sullivan
• Taking Flight by Sheena Wilkinson
• The Heart and the Bottle by Oliver Jeffers
• The Lunatics Curse by F.E. Higgins
• The Owl and the Pussycat illustrated by Kevin Waldron
• Tiny Little Fly illustrated by Kevin Waldron
• Up and Down by Oliver Jeffers

All of the Bisto books are available in Dublin City Libraries.  Check the catalogue...

The CILIP Carnegie & Kate Greenaway Children's Book Awards 

This award was established by The Library Association in 1955, for distinguished illustration in a book for children.

Winner of the CILIP Carnegie Medal 2011 Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness

"By any stretch of the imagination – and this is a book which profoundly stretches exactly that – Monsters of Menis an extraordinary achievement. Within its pages, Patrick Ness creates a complex other world, giving himself and the reader great scope to consider big questions about life, love and how we communicate, as well as the horrors of war, and the good and evil that mankind is capable of. It's also an enthralling read that is well nigh impossible to put down. Reviews on the CILIP Carnegie Medal shadowing site bear out our conviction that despite being part of a remarkable trilogy, this is a novel that both stands alone, and stands out". 

(summary from award website).

Winner of the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal 2011 FArTHER by Grahame Baker-Smith

"FArTHER is a beautifully conceived picture book with a dream-like quality that captures the imagination of readers of all ages. Its wealth of detail conveys both dark emotions: the storms of war and weather, and a powerful sense of loss and bereavement; but also a great sense of hope, particularly as vested in future generations".

(summary from award website).

http://www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/

The CILIP Carnegie Medal Shortlist for 2011

• Prisoner of the Inquisition by Theresa Breslin
• The Death Defying Pepper Roux by Geraldine McCaughrean
• Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness
• The Bride's Farewell by Meg Roscoff
• White Crow by Marcus Sedgwick
• Out of Shadows by Jason Wallace

The CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal Shortlist for 2011:

• FArTHER by Grahame Baker-Smith
• Me and You by Anthony Browne
• April Underhill Tooth Fairy by Bob Graham
• Jim by Mini Grey (text by Hilaire Belloc)
• The Heart and the Bottle by Oliver Jeffers
• Big Bear, Little Brother by Kristen Oftedal (text by Carl Norac)
• Ernest by Catherine Rayner
• Cloud Tea Monkeys by Juan Wijngaard (text by Mal Peet and Elspeth Graham)

Irish Books Awards

The Irish Book Awards, which grew out of the Hughes & Hughes Irish Novel of the Year Prize, were established in 2006 to "acknowledge the wealth of talent in Irish literature".

• 2011 Specsavers Irish Children’s Book of the Year Junior Category -  The Lonely Beast by Chris Judge
• 2011 Specsavers Irish Children's Book of the Year Senior Category -  The Real Rebecca by Anna Carey 

Costa Childrens' Book of the Year

2010 Costa Children's Book Award Winner  Jason Wallace - Out of Shadows

Judges: "For us, this extraordinary debut novel was a unanimous winner. This compelling portrayal of a nation in crisis gripped us from start to finish and has stayed with us since." 

2010 Shortlist:

• Flyaway by Lucy Christopher
• Annexed by Sharon Dogar
• Bartimaeus: The Ring of Solomon by Jonathan Stroud
• Out of Shadows by Jason Wallace

Costa Award website

Guardian Children's Fiction Prize

2011 winner: Return to Ribblestrop by Andy Mulligan

2011 Shortlist:

• My Name is Mina by David Almond
• Return to Ribblestrop by Andy Mulligan
• Moon Pie  by Simon Mason
• Twilight Robbery by Frances Hardinge

Guardian Award website