Cento Prize facts for kids

The Children's Literature Prize "Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Cento" is a special international award for authors who write children's books. It's for books written in Italian, whether they are brand new stories or translations of books from other languages. This prize celebrates amazing books for kids in elementary school and middle school.

How the Prize Started

The Cento Prize began in 1979. It was created by the Cassa di Risparmio di Cento (which is like a local bank foundation) and the education department of the University of Ferrara. At first, a group of experts chose the winners. This group was led by the famous writer Gianni Rodari. The way winners are chosen now started in 1981.

Today, the prize is supported and organized by the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Cento. Many other groups also help, like the Region of Emilia-Romagna, the Province of Ferrara, the City of Cento, and the universities of Ferrara and Bologna.

How Winners Are Chosen

Choosing the winners happens in two main steps.

Step 1: Picking the Finalists

First, a special group called the Selection Committee looks at all the books entered. This committee is made up of different experts. They include a cartoonist and scriptwriter (Guido Clericetti), journalists (Fulvia Sisti, Tiziana Ferrario, Paolo Valentini), university professors (Giovanni Genovesi, Franco Frabboni), a writer (Mario Schiavato), and a documentary filmmaker (Folco Quilici). This group chooses a few books to be the finalists in two different age groups.

Step 2: The Student Juries Decide

After the finalists are chosen, the real fun begins! Two groups of students become the judges:

• One group is made up of students from the last three grades of elementary school.
• The other group is made up of students from the first three years of secondary school (middle school).

These student juries read the finalist books and decide which ones are the best. Their votes decide the final winners!

The Awards

The top three authors in each of the two student sections receive prize money. The first-place winner gets €5,000, second place gets €2,000, and third place gets €1,000.

Famous Winners

Many well-known writers have won the Cento Prize over the years. Some of them include:

• Roberto Piumini (who won in 1979 and 1995)
• Bianca Pitzorno (1988)
• Daniel Pennac (1993)
• Susanna Tamaro (1995)
• And even J. K. Rowling (who wrote the Harry Potter books, won in 1998)!

Hall of Fame