Revealed: The best children's books in Scotland this year

Published on Tuesday 24 November 2009 21:50

A BOOK about teenage suicide, a fantasy novel by a former SNP press officer and a picture book by a Viz cartoonist have been named as the Scottish children's books of the year.

More than 15,000 Scottish pupils from 450 schools voted in the Royal Mail Awards for Scottish Children's Books.

Hundreds of children attended the award ceremony in the Queen's Hall in Edinburgh yesterday to see the minister for children and early years, Adam Ingram, announce the winners.

Prolific author and Scotsman book reviewer Keith Gray, who won the older readers' (12-16) category for his book Ostrich Boys, said it was his third attempt to tackle teenage suicide.

"I can't believe there are not more books written about teenage suicide as it's such a big issue," said Mr Gray, who has written 15 books for children.

In his novel, three friends steal the ashes of their best friend, Ross, and embark on a journey he always wanted to make to Ross in southern Scotland.

"It starts off as an adventure story – but gradually they realise they didn't do as much as they could," said Mr Gray. "I didn't feel the readers I was aiming for would want to read a miserable book – so it is full of jokes."

Former SNP press officer Lari Don won the younger readers' (8-11) category for her debut book First Aid for Fairies and Other Fabled Beasts – which tells the story of the daughter of a vet who learns to perform first aid for magical creatures.

She said she was pleased to win an award voted for by children. "If you are a children's writer, it is the best prize in the world. You don't write for adults, for teachers or for librarians."

Viz cartoonist John Fardell who writes the Modern Parents strip, won the early years category (up to age seven) for his picture book Manfred the Baddie.

It tells the story of Manfred, who captures scientists, bullies his henchman and is the mastermind of a series of heinous and imaginative crimes.

Mr Fardell told the young audience that fiction was a chance to live their dreams. He said he was inspired by his brother, now a primary teacher, whose childhood ambition was to be "a robber on a motorbike".

Anna Gibbons, children's programme manager for the Scottish Book Trust, said the response to this year's competition had been overwhelming.

"Nearly 30,000 children registered to vote in 450 schools across Scotland. We had more than 15,000 votes – only children who read all three books on the short-list are allowed to vote."

The nine short-listed books are chosen from the 50-60 children's books a year published by authors based in Scotland. Also on this year's early years shortlist were Pink by Lynne Rickards and Margaret Chamberlain, and Stick Man by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler.

The other younger readers books were Dino Egg by Charlie James and Eleventh Orphan by Joan Lingard. Others short-listed for teenagers were Crash by JA Henderson and The Reckoning by James Jauncey.