Waterstones Childrens Book Prize 2017...and the winner is....

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A huge congratulations is going out to Kiran Millwood Hargrave (and publisher Chicken House) on winning the overall Waterstone's Childrens Book Prize 2017 with the truly magnificent The Girl of Ink and Stars. The award was announced just a few hours ago at Waterstones' flagship shop in London Piccadilly.
The Girl of Ink and Stars is the story of Isabella, daughter of a cartographer, who lives on the small island of Joya under the watchful eye of a strict and dictatorial governor. When a school friend, Lupa, disappears into a deep and strange forest under mysterious circumstances, Isabella volunteers to lead a rescue party, using old maps and the islands' dark, eerie legends to locate her. Having to conceal herself as her brother, she treks out on a dangerous journey into the unknown. They've called it mesmerising...and they are not wrong! A stunning debut novel and a well-deserved winner.
The Waterstones' prize for illustrated books went to the sumptuous and entertaining picture book, There's A Tiger in The Garden by Lizzie Stewart. Bright, beautiful and contemporary, the illustrations jump off the page in a story that is both exciting and reassuring, without losing an ounce of fun. In the older fiction category, Orangeboy by Patrice Lawrence stood out as being bold, honest and filled with rounded, believable teen characters.
The quality and strength of all the winners stands as testimony to the type of contemporary childrens' literature being produced. Absolutely exceptional work! Well done and congratulations to you all!


https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/mar/30/waterstones-childrens-book-prize-kiran-millwood-hargraves-the-girl-of-ink-and-stars

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