Quick facts for kids The Waterstone Children's Book Prize |
| Presented by |
Waterstones |
| Date |
21 March 2023 |
| Country |
United Kingdom |
| First awarded |
2005; 20 years ago (2005) |
The Waterstones Children's Book Prize is a special award given every year to amazing books written for kids and teens. It celebrates new and exciting authors and illustrators in children's literature. The prize started in 2005 and is given out by Waterstones, a big bookshop in the United Kingdom. Its main goal is to find new and talented writers for young readers.
History of the Prize
The prize was first called the Ottakar's Children's Book Prize. Ottakar's was another bookshop chain. In 2006, all Ottakar's shops became Waterstones. Because of this, the prize also changed its name to the Waterstones Children's Book Prize.
Prize Categories and Awards
Since 2012, the prize has been split into three main groups:
- Picture Books (for younger readers)
- Fiction 5–12 (for middle-grade readers)
- Teen (for older readers)
Each winner in these categories receives £2,000. An overall winner is then chosen from these three category winners. The overall winner gets an extra £3,000, making their total prize money £5,000.
In 2016, the names of the categories changed. Picture Books became Illustrated Books. Fiction 5–12 became Younger Fiction. The Teen category was renamed Older Fiction.
Past Winners
This section lists the overall winners and category winners of the Waterstones Children's Book Prize.
2005 Winners
| Category |
Author |
Title |
Result |
| Best Book |
Hill, StuartStuart Hill |
The Cry of the Icemark |
Winner |
2006 Winners
2007 Winners
| Category |
Author |
Title |
Result |
| Best Book |
Becker, TomTom Becker |
Darkside |
Winner |
2008 Winners
2009 Winners
| Category |
Author |
Title |
Result |
| Best Book |
Harrison, MichelleMichelle Harrison |
13 Treasures |
Winner |
2010 Winners
| Category |
Author |
Title |
Result |
| Best Book |
Davies, KatieKatie Davies |
The Great Hamster Massacre |
Winner |
2011 Winners
| Category |
Author |
Title |
Result |
| Best Book |
Brahmachari, SitaSita Brahmachari |
Artichoke Hearts |
Winner |
2012 Winners
| Category |
Author |
Title |
Result |
| OVERALL |
Duddle, JonnyJonny Duddle |
The Pirates Next Door |
Winner |
| Fiction 5-12 |
Pichon, LizLiz Pichon |
The Brilliant World of Tom Gates |
Category winner |
| Picture Book |
Duddle, JonnyJonny Duddle |
The Pirates Next Door |
Category winner |
| Teen |
Downham, JennyJenny Downham |
You Against Me |
Category winner |
2013 Winners
2014 Winners
| Category |
Author |
Title |
Result |
| OVERALL |
Rundell, KatherineKatherine Rundell |
Rooftoppers |
Winner |
| Fiction 5–12 |
Rundell, KatherineKatherine Rundell |
Rooftoppers |
Category winner |
| Picture Book |
O'Byrne, NicolaNicola O'Byrne |
Open Very Carefully |
Category winner |
| Teen |
Smale, HollyHolly Smale |
Geek Girl |
Category winner |
2015 Winners
| Category |
Author |
Title |
Result |
| OVERALL |
Biddulph, RobRob Biddulph |
Blown Away |
Winner |
| Fiction 5-12 |
Stevens, RobinRobin Stevens |
Murder Most Unladylike |
Category winner |
| Picture Book |
Biddulph, RobRob Biddulph |
Blown Away |
Category winner |
| Teen |
Green, SallySally Green |
Half Bad |
Category winner |
2016 Winners
| Category |
Author |
Title |
Result |
| OVERALL |
Solomon, DavidDavid Solomon |
My Brother Is a Superhero |
Winner |
| Illustrated Book |
Litchfield, DavidDavid Litchfield |
The Bear and the Piano |
Category winner |
| Older Fiction |
Lisa Williamson |
The Art of Being Normal |
Category winner |
| Younger Fiction |
Solomon, DavidDavid Solomon |
My Brother Is a Superhero |
Category winner |
2017 Winners
| Category |
Author |
Title |
Result |
| OVERALL |
Millwood Hargrave, KiranKiran Millwood Hargrave |
The Girl of Ink and Stars |
Winner |
| Illustrated Book |
Stewart, LizzyLizzy Stewart |
There's a Tiger in the Garden |
Category winner |
| Older Fiction |
Lawrence, PatricePatrice Lawrence |
Orangeboy |
Category winner |
| Younger Fiction |
Millwood Hargrave, KiranKiran Millwood Hargrave |
The Girl of Ink and Stars |
Category winner |
2018 Winners
| Category |
Author |
Title |
Result |
| OVERALL |
Thomas, AngieAngie Thomas |
The Hate U Give |
Winner |
| Illustrated Book |
Todd-Stanton, JoeJoe Todd-Stanton |
The Secret of Black Rock |
Category winner |
| Older Fiction |
Thomas, AngieAngie Thomas |
The Hate U Give |
Category winner |
| Younger Fiction |
Townsend, JessicaJessica Townsend |
Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow |
Category winner |
2019 Winners
| Category |
Author |
Title |
Result |
| OVERALL |
Raúf, Onjali Q.Onjali Q. Raúf |
The Boy at the Back of the Class |
Winner |
| Illustrated Book |
Ace, LaurenLauren Ace and Jenny Løvlie |
The Girl |
Category winner |
| Older Fiction |
Adeyemi, TomiTomi Adeyemi |
Children of Blood and Bone |
Category winner |
| Younger Fiction |
Raúf, Onjali Q.Onjali Q. Raúf |
The Boy at the Back of the Class |
Category winner |
2020 Winners
| Category |
Author |
Title |
Result |
| OVERALL |
Bryon, NathanNathan Bryon |
Look Up! |
Winner |
| Illustrated Book |
Bryon, NathanNathan Bryon |
Look Up! |
Category winner |
| Older Fiction |
Hyder, LizLiz Hyder |
Bearmouth |
Category winner |
| Younger Fiction |
Jackson, SharnaSharna Jackson |
High-Rise Mystery |
Category winner |
2021 Winners
| Category |
Author |
Title |
Result |
| OVERALL |
McNicoll, ElleElle McNicoll |
A Kind of Spark |
Winner |
| Illustrated Book |
Stevens, BethanBethan Stevens |
The Grumpy Fairies |
Category winner |
| Older Fiction |
Charlton, DarrenDarren Charlton |
Wranglestone |
Category winner |
| Younger Fiction |
McNicoll, ElleElle McNicoll |
A Kind of Spark |
Category winner |
2022 Winners
| Category |
Author |
Title |
Publisher |
Result |
| OVERALL |
Gold, HannahHannah Gold, illustrated by Levi Pinfold (HarperCollins Children's Books) |
The Last Bear |
HarperCollins Children's Books |
Winner |
| Illustrated Book |
Woodgate, HarryHarry Woodgate |
Grandad's Camper |
Andersen Press |
Category winner |
| Older Fiction |
Smyth, CiaraCiara Smyth (Andersen Press) |
Not My Problem |
Andersen Press |
Category winner |
| Younger Fiction |
Gold, HannahHannah Gold, illustrated by Levi Pinfold |
The Last Bear |
HarperCollins Children's Books |
Category winner |
2023 Winners
| Category |
Author |
Title |
Publisher |
Result |
| OVERALL |
Nadia Mikail |
The Cats We Meet Along the Way |
Guppy Publishing |
Winner |
| Illustrated Book |
Kim Hillyard |
Gretel the Wonder Mammoth |
PRH Children's |
Category winner |
| Older Fiction |
Nadia Mikail |
The Cats We Meet Along the Way |
Guppy Publishing |
Category winner |
| Younger Fiction |
M T Khan |
Nura and the Immortal Palace |
Walker Books |
Category winner |
2024 Winners
| Category |
Author |
Title |
Publisher |
Result |
| OVERALL |
Pari Thomson |
Greenwild: The World Behind the Door |
Macmillan |
Winner |
| Illustrated Book |
Chloe Savage |
The Search for the Giant Arctic Jellyfish |
Walker Books |
Category winner |
| Older Fiction |
Kayvion Lewis |
Thieves' Gambit |
S&S |
Category winner |
| Younger Fiction |
Pari Thomson |
Greenwild: The World Behind the Door |
Macmillan |
Category winner |
2025 Nominations
| Category |
Author |
Title |
Result |
| Illustrated Book |
Craig Barr-Green |
Gina Kaminski Saves the Wolf |
Pending |
| Jana Curll |
Mountain and Cloud |
Pending |
| X Fang |
Dim Sum Palace |
Pending |
| Mikey Please |
The Café at the Edge of the Woods |
Pending |
| Older Readers |
Leanne Egan |
Lover Birds |
Pending |
| Nathanael Lessore |
King of Nothing |
Pending |
| Margaret McDonald |
Glasgow Boys |
Pending |
| Emily Varga |
For She is Wrath |
Pending |
| Younger Readers |
Piu DasGupta |
Secrets of the Snakestone |
Pending |
| James Fox |
The Boy in the Suit |
Pending |
| Clare Harlow |
Tidemagic: The Many Faces of Ista Flit |
Pending |
| Carlos Sánchez |
Rune |
Pending |
Related Awards
- Waterstones Book of the Year
- Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize
