Waterstones Children's Book Prize

The Waterstones Children's Book Prize is an annual award given to a work of children's literature published during the previous year. First awarded in 2005, the purpose of the prize is "to uncover hidden talent in children's writing" and is therefore open only to authors who have published no more than two or three books, depending on which category they are in.^[1] The prize is awarded by British book retailer Waterstones.

The Waterstone Children's Book Prize
Awarded for	to uncover hidden talent in children's writing
Date	21 March 2023
Country	United Kingdom
Presented by	Waterstones
Formerly called	Ottakar's Children's Book Prize
First award	2005; 20 years ago (2005)
Website	www.waterstones.com/the-waterstones-childrens-book-prize

It was originally called the Ottakar's Children's Book Prize, after the bookshop chain. When all Ottakar's stores were rebranded as Waterstone's following the HMV Group takeover in 2006, the prize also changed its name to become the Waterstone's Children's Book Prize.

Beginning in 2012, the prize was divided into three categories: Picture Books, Fiction 5–12, and Teen.^[2] 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).^[3]

In 2016 the categories were renamed: Picture Books became Illustrated Books, Fiction 5–12 became Younger Fiction and the Teen category became Older Fiction.

Nominations and winners

2005

Category	Author	Title	Result	Ref.
Best Book	Stuart Hill	The Cry of the Icemark	Winner	[4]
	M. I. McAllister	Urchin of the Riding Stars	Finalist
	Barry Jonsberg	The Whole Business with Kiffo and the Pitbull
	Livi Michael	The Whispering Road
	Val Tyler	The Time Wreccas
	Julie Hearn	The Merrybegot
	Shannon Hale	The Goose Girl
	Ann Halam	Siberia
	Ellen Potter	Olivia Kidney
	Kes Gray	Nelly the Monster Sitter
	Bowering Sivers	Jammy Dodgers on the Run
	Kenneth Oppel	Airborn

2006

Category	Author	Title	Result	Ref.
Best Book	Julia Golding	The Diamond of Drury Lane	Winner
	Michael Carroll	The Quantum Prophecy	Finalist
	Beth Goobie	The Lottery
	John Boyne	The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
	Heather Vogel Frederick	Spymice
	Elise Broach	Shakespeare's Secret
	Adam Frost	Ralph the Magic Rabbit
	Edith Pattou	North Child
	John Dougherty	Jack Slater, Monster Investigator
	Suzanne Collins	Gregor and the Rats of Underland

2007

Category	Author	Title	Result	Ref.
Best Book	Tom Becker	Darkside	Winner
	Tom Kelly	The Thing with Finn	Finalist
	Gareth P. Jones	The Case of the Missing Cats
	F. E. Higgins	The Black Book of Secrets
	Christopher Russell	Smugglers
	Philip Caveney	Sebastian Darke
	L. Brittney	Nathan Fox: Dangerous Times
	Michael Broad	Jake Cake: The Werewolf Teacher
	J. A. Henderson	Bunker 10
	Siobhan Dowd	A Swift Pure Cry

2008

Category	Author	Title	Result	Ref.
Best Book	Sally Nicholls	Ways to Live Forever	Winner
	Emily Bearn	Tumtum and Nutmeg	Finalist
	Sam Enthoven	TIM Defender of the Earth
	David Melling	Stone Goblins
	Matt Haig	Shadow Forest
	Jenny Valentine	Broken Soup
	Gabrielle Halberstam	Blue Sky Freedom
	Marie-Louise Jensen	Between Two Seas
	Oisín McGann	Ancient Appetites

2009

Category	Author	Title	Result	Ref.
Best Book	Michelle Harrison	13 Treasures	Winner
	Elen Caldecott	How Kirsty Jenkins Stole the Elephant	Finalist
	Vanessa Curtis	Zelah Green Queen of Clean
	Steve Feasey	Changeling
	Ceci Jenkinson	Gnomes Are Forever
	Marie-Louise Jensen	The Lady in the Tower
	Rob Stevens	Mapmaker's Monsters
	Rachel Ward	Numbers

2010

Category	Author	Title	Result	Ref.
Best Book	Katie Davies	The Great Hamster Massacre	Winner	[5]
	Jeremy De Quidt	The Toymaker	Finalist	[6]
	Caro King	The Seven Sorcerers
	Victoria Forester	The Girl Who Could Fly
	Pat Walsh	The Crowfield Curse
	A. G. Taylor	Meteorite Strike
	Suzanne Lafleur	Love, Aubrey
	Lucy Christopher	Flyaway
	Laura Summers	Desperate Measures

2011

Category	Author	Title	Result	Ref.
Best Book	Sita Brahmachari	Artichoke Hearts	Winner	[7]
	Ruth Eastham	The Memory Cage	Finalist	[8]
	Candy Gourlay	Tall Story
	Janice Hardy	The Pain Merchants
	Curtis Jobling	Wereworld: The Rise of the Wolf
	Anna Kemp	Fantastic Frankie and the Brain-Drain Machine
	Irfan Master	A Beautiful Lie
	Jon Mayhew	Mortlock
	Rebecca Stead	When You Reach Me

2012

Category	Author	Title	Result	Ref.
OVERALL	Jonny Duddle	The Pirates Next Door	Winner	[9][10]
Fiction 5-12	Liz Pichon	The Brilliant World of Tom Gates	Category winner	[9]
	Mackenzie Crook	The Windvale Sprites	Finalist	[11]
	Janet Foxley	Muncle Trogg
	Gill Lewis	Sky Hawk
	Alan Silberberg	Milo and the Restart Button
	Alex T. Smith	Claude in the City
Picture Book	Jonny Duddle	The Pirates Next Door	Category winner	[9]
	Marta Altés	No!	Finalist
	Jon Klassen	I Want My Hat Back
	Ann Bonwill and Simon Rickerty	I Don't Want to be a Pea!
	Nadia Shireen	Good Little Wolf
	Chris Haughton	A Bit Lost
Teen	Jenny Downham	You Against Me	Category winner	[9]
	Annabel Pitcher	My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece	Finalist
	Veronica Roth	Divergent
	Ruta Sepetys	Between Shades of Gray
	Phil Earle	Being Billy
	Morgan Matson	Amy and Roger's Epic Detour

2013

Category	Author	Title	Result	Ref.
OVERALL	Annabel Pitcher	Ketchup Clouds	Winner
Fiction 5-12	R. J. Palacio	Wonder	Category winner
	Catherine Constable	The Wolf Princess	Finalist	[12][13]
	Jennifer Gray	Atticus Claw Breaks the Law
	Helen Peters	The Secret Hen House Theatre
	Geoff Rodkey	Chronicles of Egg: Deadweather and Sunrise
	Jim Smith	Barry Loser: I Am Not a Loser
Picture Book	Rebecca Cobb	Lunchtime	Category winner
	Jo Empson	Rabbityness	Finalist
	Chris Haughton	Oh No, George!
	Anna Kemp	The Worst Princess
	Frann Preston-Gannon	The Journey Home
	Sam Usher	Can You See Sassoon?
Teen	Annabel Pitcher	Ketchup Clouds	Category winner
	Rachel Hartman	Seraphina	Finalist
	Laura Jarratt	Skin Deep
	S. J. Kincaid	Insignia
	Sarah J. Maas	Throne of Glass
	Andy Robb	Geekhood: Close Encounters of the Girl Kind

2014 (10th anniversary)

Category	Author	Title	Result	Ref.
OVERALL	Katherine Rundell	Rooftoppers	Winner	[14][15][16]
Fiction 5–12	Katherine Rundell	Rooftoppers	Category winner
	Soman Chainani	The School for Good and Evil	Finalist	[17]
	Piers Torday	The Last Wild
	Sandra Greaves	Skull in the Wood
	Emerald Fennell	Shiverton Hall
	Laura Dockrill	Darcy Durdock
Picture Book	Nicola O'Byrne	Open Very Carefully	Category winner
	Elys Dolan	Weasels	Finalist	[17]
	Yasmeen Ismail	Time for Bed, Fred
	Gemma Merino	The Crocodile Who Didn't Like Water
	Helen Hancocks	Penguin in Peril
	Courtney Dicmas	Harold Finds a Voice
Teen	Holly Smale	Geek Girl	Category winner
	Alexia Casale	The Bone Dragon	Finalist	[17][18]
	Dawn O'Porter	Paper Aeroplanes
	Ruta Sepetys	Out of the Easy
	Emily Murdoch	If You Find Me
	Erin Lange	Butter

2015

Category	Author	Title	Result	Ref.
OVERALL	Rob Biddulph	Blown Away	Winner	[19][20][21]
Fiction 5-12	Robin Stevens	Murder Most Unladylike	Category winner
	Harriet Whitehorn with Beck Moor (illustrator)	Violet and the Pearl of the Orient	Finalist	[22]
	Anne Booth	Girl with a White Dog
	GR Gemin	Cowgirl
	Polly Ho-Yen	Boy in the Tower
	Lara Williamson	A Boy Called Hope
Picture Book	Rob Biddulph	Blown Away	Category winner
	Sophy Henn	Where Bear?	Finalist	[22]
	Victoria Turnbull	The Sea Tiger
	Steve Antony	The Queen's Hat
	Suzanne Barton	The Dawn Chorus
	Lucy Letherland	Atlas of Adventures
Teen	Sally Green	Half Bad	Category winner
	Leslye Walton	The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender	Finalist	[22]
	Sarah Moore Fitzgerald	The Apple Tart of Hope
	Kim Skater	Smart
	Louise O'Neill	Only Ever Yours
	Erin Lange	Dead Ends

2016

Category	Author	Title	Result	Ref.
OVERALL	David Solomon	My Brother Is a Superhero	Winner	[23]
Illustrated Book	David Litchfield	The Bear and the Piano	Category winner	[23]
	Naomi Howarth	The Crow's Tale	Finalist	[24]
	Matty Long	Super Happy Magic Forest
	Nicholas John Frith	Hector and Hummingbird
	David Barrow	Have You Seen Elephant?
	Lorraine Carey and Migy Blanco	Cinderella's Sister and the Big Bad Wolf
Older Fiction	Lisa Williamson	The Art of Being Normal	Category winner	[23]
	Melinda Salisbury	The Sin Eater's Daughter	Finalist	[25][24][26]
	Moïra Fowley-Doyle	The Accident Season
	Lisa Heathfield	Seed
	Jandy Nelson	I'll Give You the Sun
	Leo Hunt	13 Days of Midnight
Younger Fiction	David Solomon	My Brother Is a Superhero	Category winner	[23]
	Sibéal Pounder	Witch Wars	Finalist	[24]
	Katherine Woodfine	The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow
	Kevin Sands	The Blackthorn Key
	Shane Hegarty	Darkmouth
	Crystal Chan	Bird

2017

Category	Author	Title	Result	Ref.
OVERALL	Kiran Millwood Hargrave	The Girl of Ink and Stars	Winner	[27]
Illustrated Book	Lizzy Stewart	There's a Tiger in the Garden	Category winner
	Fabi Santiago	Tiger in a Tutu	Finalist	[28]
	Francesca Sanna	The Journey
	Duncan Beedie	The Bear Who Stared
	Matt Robertson	Super Stan
	Meg McLaren	Life Is Magic
Older Fiction	Patrice Lawrence	Orangeboy	Category winner
	Nilanjana Roy	The Wildings	Finalist	[28]
	Nicola Yoon	The Sun Is Also a Star
	Lisa Heathfield	Paper Butterflies
	Lindsay Eager	Hour of the Bees
	Gavriel Savit	Anna and the Swallow Man
Younger Fiction	Kiran Millwood Hargrave	The Girl of Ink and Stars	Category winner	[27]
	Lauren Wolk	Wolf Hollow	Finalist	[28]
	Ross Welford	Time Travelling with a Hamster
	Peter Bunzl	Cogheart
	Laura James	Captain Pug
	MG Leonard	Beetle Boy

2018

Category	Author	Title	Result	Ref.
OVERALL	Angie Thomas	The Hate U Give	Winner	[29][30][31]
Illustrated Book	Joe Todd-Stanton	The Secret of Black Rock	Category winner
	Louise Greig	The Night Box	Finalist
	Matt Carr	Superbat
	Sandra Dieckmann	Leaf
	Simon Philip	I Really Want the Cake
	Robert Starling	Fergal Is Fuming!
Older Fiction	Angie Thomas	The Hate U Give	Category winner
	Catherine Barter	Troublemakers	Finalist
	Pam Smy	Thornhill
	Emily Suvada	This Mortal Coil
	Emily Bain Murphy	The Disappearances
	Alice Broadway	Ink
Younger Fiction	Jessica Townsend	Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow	Category winner
	Maz Evans	Who Let the Gods Out?	Finalist
	Kieran Larwood	The Legend of Podkin One-Ear
	Lisa Thompson	The Goldfish Boy
	Greg James and Chris Smith	Kid Normal
	Helena Duggan	A Place Called Perfect

2019

Category	Author	Title	Result	Ref.
OVERALL	Onjali Q. Raúf	The Boy at the Back of the Class	Winner	[30]
Illustrated Book	Lauren Ace and Jenny Løvlie	The Girl	Category winner
	Emily Haworth-Booth	The King Who Banned the Dark	Finalist	[32]
	John Bond	Mini Rabbit Not Lost
	Vashti Harrison	Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History
	Jessica Love	Julián Is a Mermaid
	Michael Whaite	100 Dogs
Older Fiction	Tomi Adeyemi	Children of Blood and Bone	Category winner
	Tracy Darnton	The Truth About Lies	Finalist	[32]
	Elizabeth Acevedo	The Poet X
	Malcolm Duffy	Me Mam. Me Dad. Me.
	Ele Fountain	Boy 87
	Christelle Dabos	A Winter's Promise
Younger Fiction	Onjali Q. Raúf	The Boy at the Back of the Class	Category winner	[30]
	P.G. Bell	The Train to Impossible Places	Finalist	[32]
	Ewa Jozefkowicz	The Mystery of the Colour Thief
	Sophie Anderson	The House with Chicken Legs
	Andy Shepherd	The Boy Who Grew Dragons
	Vashti Hardy	Brightstorm: A Sky-Ship Adventure

2020

Category	Author	Title	Result	Ref.
OVERALL	Nathan Bryon	Look Up!	Winner	[33][34][35]
Illustrated Book	Nathan Bryon	Look Up!	Category winner	[36]
	Graham Carter	Otto Blotter, Bird Spotter	Finalist
	Kate Read	One Fox
	Beatrice Blue	Once Upon a Unicorn Horn
	Rose Robbins	Me and My Sister
	Ben Rothery	Hidden Planet
Older Fiction	Liz Hyder	Bearmouth	Category winner	[36]
	Emma Smith-Barton	The Million Pieces of Neena Gill	Finalist
	Tamsin Winter	Jemima Small Versus the Universe
	Samira Ahmed	Internment
	gal-dem	I Will Not Be Erased: Our Stories About Growing Up as People of Colour
	Holly Jackson	A Good Girl's Guide to Murder
Younger Fiction	Sharna Jackson	High-Rise Mystery	Category winner
	Kirsty Applebaum	The Middler	Finalist
	Meg Grehan	The Deepest Breath
	Lucy Strange	Our Castle, the Sea
	Sam Copeland	Charlie Changes into a Chicken
	Jasbinder Bilan	Asha and the Spirit Bird

2021

Category	Author	Title	Result	Ref.
OVERALL	Elle McNicoll	A Kind of Spark	Winner	[37][38][39]
Illustrated Book	Bethan Stevens	The Grumpy Fairies	Category winner	[37]
	Eva Eland	Where Happiness Begins	Finalist
	Katie Cottle	The Blue Giant
	Amyra Leon	Freedom, We Sing
	Devon Holzwarth	Found You
	Dawn Coulter-Cruttenden	Bear Shaped
Older Fiction	Darren Charlton	Wranglestone	Category winner	[37]
	Dean Atta	The Black Flamingo	Finalist
	Jordan Ifueko	Raybearer
	Sophie Gonzales	Only Mostly Devastated
	A. M. Dassu	Boy, Everywhere
	Danielle Jawando	And the Stars Were Burning Brightly
Younger Fiction	Elle McNicoll	A Kind of Spark	Category winner	[37][38]
	Kereen Getten	When Life Gives You Mangoes	Finalist
	Jenny Pearson	The Super Miraculous Journey of Freddie Yates
	Alastair Chisholm	Orion Lost
	Annabelle Sami	Llama Out Loud!
	Francesca Gibbons	A Clock of Stars: The Shadow Moth

2022

Category	Author	Title	Publisher	Result	Ref.
OVERALL	Hannah Gold, illustrated by Levi Pinfold (HarperCollins Children's Books)	The Last Bear	HarperCollins Children's Books	Winner	[40]
Illustrated Book	Harry Woodgate	Grandad's Camper	Andersen Press	Category winner	[41]
	Andy Harkness	Wolfboy	Bloomsbury Children's	Finalist	[42][43]
	Lu Fraser, illustrated by Mark McKinley	The Viking Who Liked Icing	Bloomsbury Children's
	Steve Small	The Duck Who Didn't Like Water	Simon & Schuster
	Helen Kellock	Out to Sea	Thames & Hudson
	Barr Falls	Alone!	Farshore
Older Fiction	Ciara Smyth (Andersen Press)	Not My Problem	Andersen Press	Category winner	[41]
	Femi Fadugba	The Upper World	PRH Children's	Finalist	[42][43]
	Namina Forna	The Gilded Ones	Usborne
	Manjeet Mann	The Crossing	PRH Children's
	Michelle Quach	Not Here to Be Liked	Usborne
	Angeline Boulley	Firekeeper's Daughter	OneWorld
Younger Fiction	Hannah Gold, illustrated by Levi Pinfold	The Last Bear	HarperCollins Children's Books	Category winner	[41]
	Benjamin Dean, illustrated by Sandhya Prabhat	Me, My Dad and the End of the Rainbow	Simon & Schuster	Finalist	[42][43]
	Kelly Yang, illustrated by Maike Plenzke	Front Desk	Knights Of
	Efua Traoré	Children of the Quicksands	The Chicken House
	Mark Bradley	Bumble and Snug and the Angry Pirates	Hodder Children's Books
	B. B. Alston, illustrated by Godwin Akpan	Amari and the Night Brothers	Farshore

2023

Category	Author	Title	Publisher	Result	Ref.
OVERALL	Nadia Mikail	The Cats We Meet Along the Way	Guppy Publishing	Winner	[44]
Illustrated Book	Kim Hillyard	Gretel the Wonder Mammoth	PRH Children's	Category winner	[44]
	Georgia Buckthorn, illustrated by Isabella Mazzanti	The Fairy Garden	Ivy Kids	Finalist	[45][46][47]
	Emma Carlisle	What Do You See When You Look at a Tree?	Big Picture Press
	Rachael Davis, illustrated by Beatrix Hatcher	I Am NOT a Prince	Hachette Children's Group
	Stephen Hogtun	The Station Cat	DK
	Jordan Stephens, illustrated by Beth Suzanna	The Missing Piece	Bloomsbury Children's Books
Older Fiction	Nadia Mikail	The Cats We Meet Along the Way	Guppy Publishing	Category winner	[44]
	Erik J Brown	All That's Left in the World	Hachette Children's Group	Finalist	[45][46][47]
	Lewis Hancox	Welcome to St Hell	Scholastic
	Christine Pillainayagam	Ellie Pillai Is Brown	Faber and Faber
	Cynthia So	If You Still Recognise Me	Stripes Publishing
	Angharad Walker	Once Upon a Fever	The Chicken House
Younger Fiction	M T Khan	Nura and the Immortal Palace	Walker Books	Category winner	[44]
	David Farr	The Book of Stolen Dreams	Usborne Publishing	Finalist	[45][46][47]
	Hannah Moffatt	Small!	Everything with Words
	Lee Newbery	The Last Firefox	PRH Children's
	Varsha Shah	Ajay and the Mumbai Sun	The Chicken House
	J T Williams, illustrated by Simone Douglas	The Lizzie and Belle Mysteries: Drama and Danger	Farshore

2024 (20th anniversary)

Category	Author	Title	Publisher	Result	Ref.
OVERALL	Pari Thomson	Greenwild: The World Behind the Door	Macmillan	Winner	[48]
Illustrated Book	Chloe Savage	The Search for the Giant Arctic Jellyfish	Walker Books	Category winner	[48]
	Marcela Ferreira, illustrated by Sally Agar	The Queen Next Door	Orchard Books	Finalist	[49][50][51]
	Natalie Labarre	Incredible Jobs You've (Probably) Never Heard Of	Nosy Crow
	Ellan Rankin	The Secret Elephant	Wren & Rook
	Kate Rolfe	Wolf and Bear	Two Hoots
	Andrew Sanders, illustrated by Aysha Awwad	Whose Dog Is This?	Macmillan
Older Fiction	Kayvion Lewis	Thieves' Gambit	S&S	Category winner	[48]
	Nick Brooks	Promise Boys	Macmillan	Finalist	[49][50][51]
	Mel Darbon	What the World Doesn't See	Usborne
	Bea Fitzgerald	Girl, Goddess, Queen	Penguin
	Ayaan Mohamud	You Think You Know Me	Usborne
	Alexandra Sheppard	Friendship Never Ends	Knights Of
Younger Fiction	Pari Thomson	Greenwild: The World Behind the Door	Macmillan	Category winner	[48]
	J J Arcanjo	Crookhaven: The School for Thieves	Hodder	Finalist	[49][50][51]
	Emily-Jane Clark	The Beasts of Knobbly Bottom: Attack of the Vampire Sheep!	Scholastic
	Lizzie Huxley-Jones	Vivi Conway and the Sword of Legend	Knights Of
	Beth Lincoln	The Swifts	Puffin
	G M Linton	My Name Is Sunshine Simpson	Usborne

2025

Category	Author	Title	Result	Ref.
Illustrated Book	Craig Barr-Green	Gina Kaminski Saves the Wolf	Pending	[52]
	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

See also

• Waterstones Book of the Year
• Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize