The Waterstones Children’s Book Prize is an annual award given to a work of children’s literature published during the previous year. The prize is chosen by knowledgeable and passionate booksellers and awarded by British book retailer Waterstones.
The bookshop’s judges have shortlisted 18 books across three categories – illustrated books, books for younger readers, and books for older readers – with a winner in each.
Below are this year’s shortlist:
Illustrated Books Shortlist
- Incredible Jobs You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Of by Natalie Labarre
- The Secret Elephant by Ellan Rankin
- The Queen Next Door by Marcela Ferreira
- Wolf and Bear by Kate Rolfe
- The Search for the Giant Arctic Jellyfish by Chloe Savage
- Whose Dog is This? by Andrew Sanders
Younger Readers Books Shortlist
- The Beasts Of Knobbly Bottom: Attack of the Vampire Sheep! by Emily-Jane Clark
- Vivi Conway And The Sword of Legend by Lizzie Huxley-Jones
- Crookhaven: The School For Thieves by JJ Arcanjo
- The Swifts by Beth Lincoln
- My Name is Sunshine Simpson by G.M. Linton
- Greenwild: The World Behind The Door by Pari Thomson
Older Readers Books Shortlist
- Girl, Goddess, Queen by Bea Fitzgerald
- Promise Boys by Nick Brooks
- What The World Doesn’t See by Mel Darbon
- You Think You Know Me by Ayaan Mohamud
- Thieves’ Gambit by Kayvion Lewis
- Friendship Never Ends by Alexandra Sheppard
“This year’s selection marks our continuing commitment to championing the finest new talent in children’s writing and illustration today,” read the award’s official website. Each category winner receives £2,000 with an overall winner chosen from the three getting an additional £3,000 (thus the overall winner receives £5,000 in total). The overall winner and three category winners will be announced on 21 March, 2024.
Image Credits: Waterstones Book Awards
