The Argentinian illustrator Isol has won the 2013 Astrid Lindgren Award.  The award is the largest award in children’s literature with around $780,000 in prize money.  According to The Guardian, Isol is the author and illustrator of ten books on her own as well as collaborating with the poet Jorge Luján. 

The jury praises her work:

"With a restrained palette and ever-innovative pictorial solutions, she shifts ingrained perspectives and pushes the boundaries of the picture book medium," they wrote in their citation. "Taking children’s clear view of the world as her starting point, she addresses their questions with forceful artistic expression and offers open answers. With liberating humour and levity, she also deals with the darker aspects of existence."

Annabel Pitcher has won the 2013 Waterstone’s Book Prize for new and emerging talent that is considered one of the UK’s most prestigious awards.  Pitcher’s Ketchup Clouds won not only the teen category, but also the overall prize.  Here are the winners as well as the shortlists:

TEEN FICTION AND OVERALL WINNER

Ketchup Clouds by Annabel Pitcher

 

TEEN FICTION SHORTLIST

  

Geekhood: Close Encounters of the Girl Kind by Andy Robb

Insignia by S. J. Kincaid

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

 

Skin Deep by Laura Jarratt

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

 

PICTURE BOOK WINNER

Lunchtime by Rebecca Cobb

 

PICTURE BOOK SHORTLIST

 

Can You See Sassoon? by Sam Usher

The Journey Home by Frann Preston-Gannon

 

Oh No, George! by Christ Haughton

Rabbityness by Jo Empson

The Worst Princess by Anna Kemp

 

5-12 FICTION WINNER

Wonder by R. J. Palacio

 

5-12 FICTION SHORTLIST

  

Atticus Claw Breaks the Law by Jennifer Gray

Chronicles of Egg: Deadweather and Sunrise by Geoff Rodkey

I Am Not a Loser by Barry Loser

 

The Secret Hen House Theatre by Helen Peters

The Wolf Princess by Cathryn Constable

Children’s Book Week has announced their finalists for 2013.  These finalists will be voted on by children and teens in the 2013 Children’s Choice Book Awards.  You can head to the voting page to take part with teachers, librarians and booksellers able to participate as well.

Here are the finalists:

KINDERGARTEN TO SECOND GRADE BOOK OF THE YEAR

  

Big Mean Mike by Michelle Knudsen, illustrated by Scott Magoon

The Duckling Gets a Cookie!? by Mo Willems

I’ll Save You Bobo! by Eileen Rosenthal, illustrated by Marc Rosenthal

 

Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons created and illustrated by James Dean, story by Eric Litwin

Nighttime Ninja by Barbara DaCosta, illustrated by Ed Young

 

THIRD GRADE TO FOURTH GRADE BOOK OF THE YEAR

  

Bad Kitty for President by Nick Bruel

Get the Scoop on Animal Poop by Dawn Cusick

Homer by Shelley Rotner, illustrated by Diane deGroat

 

Just Joking by National Geographic Kids

Pluto Visits Earth! by Steve Metzger, illustrated by Jared Lee

 

FIFTH GRADE TO SIXTH GRADE BOOK OF THE YEAR

  

Dork Diaries 4: Tales from a Not-So-Graceful Ice Princess by Rachel Renee Russell

Liar & Spy by Rebecca Stead

Pickle: The (Formerly) Anonymous Prank Club of Fountain Point Middle School by Kim Baker, illustrated by Tim Probert

 

Rebel McKenzie by Candice Ransom

Stickman Odyssey, Book 2: The Wrath of Zozimos by Christopher Ford

 

TEEN BOOK OF THE YEAR

  

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

 

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Rapture by Lauren Kate

 

AUTHOR OF THE YEAR

  

John Green for The Fault in Our Stars

Jeff Kinney for Diary of a Wimpy Kid 7: The Third Wheel

R. J. Palacio for Wonder

 

Rick Riordan for The Mark of Athena

Veronica Roth for Insurgent

 

ILLUSTRATOR OF THE YEAR

  

James Dean for Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons

Anna Dewdney for Llama Llama Time to Share

Ian Falconer for Olivia and the Fairy Princesses

 

Robin Preiss Glasser for Fancy Nancy and the Mermaid Ballet

Mo Willems for The Duckling Gets a Cookie!?

The Children’s Books Ireland Book of the Year Awards Shortlist for 2013 has been announced.  These are the top children’s book awards in Ireland.  The ten titles on the shortlist will compete for six awards, including the Children’s Choice Award.  Winners will be announced on May 8, 2013.

Here are the shortlisted books:

  

Dark Warning by Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick

Grounded by Sheena Wilkinson

Hóng by Anna Heussaff

   

MISE AGUS AN DRAGÚN by Patricia Forde and Steve Simpson( Illus).

NA LAOCHRA IS LÚ le Laoise Ní Chléirigh agus Steve Simpson

Oh No, George by Chris Haughton

Spellbound: Tales of Enchantment from Ancient Ireland by Siobhán Parkinson, illustrated by Olwyn Whelan

  

The Terrible Thing That Happened to Barnaby Brocket by John Boyne, illustrated by Oliver Jeffers

This Moose Belongs to Me by Oliver Jeffers

The Weight of Water by Sarah Crossan

The longlist for the 2013 Carnegie Medal has been shortened to eight great contenders.  This UK award is given annually to the most outstanding book for children based on literary quality.  Here is the 2013 shortlist:

  

A Boy and a Bear in a Boat by Dave Shelton

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

A Greyhound of a Girl by Roddy Doyle

  

In Darkness by Nick Lake

Maggot Moon by Sally Gardner

Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick

 

The Weight of Water by Sarah Crossnan

Wonder by R. J. Palacio

 

I’ve read over half of the shortlist and all of them were among my favorite reads.  This is an incredibly strong list of books.

You can see the longlist for the Greenaway Medal here to find out what books were under consideration for the prize.  Now the list for this UK prize for the top illustrated children’s book of the year has been shortened to just eight contenders:

  

Again! by Emily Gravett

Black Dog by Levi Pinfold

I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen

  

Just Ducks! by Nicola Davies, illustrated by Salvatore Rubbino

King Jack and the Dragon by Peter Bently, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury

Lunchtime by Rebecca Cobb

 

Oh No, George! by Christ Haughton

Pirates ‘N’ Pistols by Chris Mould

The Ezra Jack Keats Awards “recognize and encourage authors and illustrators starting out in the field of children’s books.”  The New Writer Award started in 1985 with the New Illustrator Award following in 2001.  Here are the 2013 award winners:

 

New Writer Award Winner

Julie Fogliano for And Then It’s Spring

New Illustrator Award Winner

Hyewon Yum for Mom, It’s My First Day of Kindergarten

 

Honorable Mentions

  

New Writer Honor

Mara Rockliff for My Heart Will Not Sit Down

Jennifer Lanthier for The Stamp Collector

Don Tate for It Jes’ Happened

 

New Illustrator Honor

K. G. Campbell for Lester’s Dreadful Sweaters

Sanjay Patel for Ganesha’s Sweet Tooth

(My apologies for not having links to Goodreads, the site is currently down.)

The Horror Writers Association has announced the finalists for the 2012 Bram Stoker Awards, which recognizes the best in horror and dark fiction. 

Here are the nominees for Superior Achievement in a Young Adult Novel:

  

Bray, Libba – The Diviners

Lyga, Barry – I Hunt Killers

Maberry, Jonathan – Flesh & Bone

  

McCarty, Michael – I Kissed A Ghoul

Stiefvater, Maggie – The Raven Boys

Strand, Jeff – A Bad Day for Voodoo