Blue Peter Book Awards 2009 to be announced on eve of World Book Day

The winners of the 2009 Blue Peter Book Awards will be announced on Blue Peter on BBC One at 4.35pm Wednesday 4 March 2009. These popular and influential awards have been recognising and celebrating the best authors, the most creative illustrators and the greatest reads for children since 2000.

The shortlist of nine books was chosen by a panel of adult judges comprising author Anthony McGowan, school librarian Karen Bhatti and Blue Peter Editor Tim Levell to judge the three categories: ‘Book I Couldn’t Put Down’, ‘Best Book with Facts’ and ‘Most Fun Story with Pictures’.

The final nine books were then judged by a selection of young Blue Peter viewers, who have decided the winners in each category and the overall winner which deserves the ultimate accolade, Blue Peter Book of the Year.

The shortlist is:

Best Book With Facts:
Archaeology Detectives - by Simon Adams (Oxford University Press)
100 Most Dangerous Things on the Planet - by Anna Claybourne (A&C Black)
Horrible Geography Handbooks: Planet in Peril - by Anita Ganeri, illustrated by Mike Phillips (Scholastic)

Book I Couldn't Put Down:
Abela - by Berlie Doherty (Andersen Press)
Shadow Forest - by Matt Haig (Corgi)
Foul Play - by Tom Palmer (Puffin)

Most Fun Story with Pictures:
Mr Gum and the Dancing Bear - by Andy Stanton, illustrated by David Tazzyman (Egmont)
Fleabag - by Helen Stephens (Alison Green Books)
Lost! The Hundred-Mile-An-Hour Dog - by Jeremy Strong, illustrated by Rowan Clifford (Puffin Books)

Tim Levell, Editor of Blue Peter comments:
"I've laughed, cried, and bitten my nails through this year's crop of children's books. The standard was incredibly high, particularly in the Book I Couldn't Put Down category, and finding just nine books for our young judges to read was very tough. But this is a very varied and inspirational shortlist, and the real excitement now is in seeing what our young judges will choose as winners. The adult judges can only ever second-guess what children will like most, and every year, once the children make their decision, their choices always seem absolutely spot-on."

The child judges’ deliberations will be broadcast on Blue Peter. In addition, an extract from each of the nine shortlisted titles will be dramatised on the programme. The winning author and/or illustrator in each category will be awarded a special ‘Blue Peter Book Award’ trophy on screen. The children also chose their overall favourite book – this will be awarded the accolade ‘Blue Peter Book of the Year 2009’.