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 original stories or translated from other languages. This prize celebrates amazing books for kids in elementary and middle school.

How the Prize Started

The Cento Prize began in 1979. It was created by the Cassa di Risparmio di Cento (a bank foundation) and the Faculty of Education at the University of Ferrara. At first, a group of experts, led by the famous writer Gianni Rodari, chose the winner. The way winners are chosen now started in 1981.

Today, the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Cento organizes and supports the award. They get help from the Region of Emilia-Romagna, the Province of Ferrara, the City of Cento, and the Universities of Ferrara and Bologna.

How Winners Are Chosen

The competition has two main steps to pick the winners.

First Step: The Selection Committee

First, a special group called the Selection Committee looks at all the books entered. They choose a few books to be finalists in two different groups. This committee includes people like Guido Clericetti (a cartoonist), Fulvia Sisti (a journalist), and others from universities and media.

Second Step: The Student Juries

After the finalists are chosen, two groups of students become the judges!

• One jury is made up of students in the last three grades of elementary school.
• The other jury is made up of students in the first three years of middle school.

These student juries read the finalist books and decide the final winners. It's a great way for kids to be part of choosing their favorite books!

The Awards

The top three authors in each of the two sections receive money prizes. The first-place author 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 these include:

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

Hall of Fame