The Winners of the UKLA 2023 Awards, proudly sponsored by LoveReading4Kids, have been announced. Find the category winners for for ages 3-6, 7-10 and 11-14 plus the Information Books category - plus all the shortlisted and longlisted books.
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3 - 6
7 - 10
11 - 14
Information Books 3 - 14+
This is a book which works on lots of different levels, with older children able to access the underlying political messages about awareness of the disadvantaged in society, while all ages will appreciate the humour and the need for communities to work together. It will also provide an excellent opportunity to talk about climate change.
The Light in Everything, is a "gut-wrenchingly emotional and relatable" story, the judges said, which gives a really authentic portrayal of a modern blended family and the difficulties faced by the children, as well as dealing very sensitively and appropriately with the difficult issue of domestic violence. Her powerful writing was also acknowledged by the judges and "the sophisticated but not condescending language" used by Balen was particularly commended by the judges.
The judges commended The Crossing as an "important and powerful" verse novel and clever handling of the dual narrator perspective to reveal with "real emotional heart and soul" the topical and relevant tragedies of the refugee crisis. The verse novel format is really engaging and accessible, but also provides a thought-provoking read.
Musical Truth engages readers with Black History. Interesting, informative and powerful, the judges described the book as a "masterpiece".
The only national children’s book awards to be judged by teachers continues to attract record levels of submissions. The summer reading challenge for the initial selection panels (composed of experienced past teacher judges, ex-teachers, librarians and consultants) was to read the combined total of 494 submissions, across the four categories of these awards. Publishers can submit up to three titles in each category and for the first time we have publishers who have had all three of their submitted titles longlisted.
Awards Chair, Christine Lockwood, said “This is always an exciting but difficult job. The longlisting team were challenged to select from a very rich and varied list of submissions this year and they have come up with four sparkling longlists. It was a joy to meet the majority of our committed, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic longlisters in person, rather than via digital platforms. I would like to thank them for their hard work over the summer. The longlists will now pass to our teams of teacher judges and their group leaders in the West Country, and I can't wait to share these books with them over the next year."
"This is another wonderful longlist, a gorgeous selection of books that deserve to be celebrated. The only awards to be judged entirely by teachers, the UKLA Awards are a special thing, ensuring that the teacher judges can share the books with their classes and really find out first-hand what engages, delights, educates and inspires. The awards are equally valuable for parents looking to support the school environment and further encourage reading for pleasure. We are excited to see which books shine through this year, but they are all stars!" Deborah Maclaren Managing Director of Lovereading
LoveReading4Kids is proud to be award sponsors. LoveReading4Kids is the biggest and best recommendation site for children's books: reading, reviewing and recommending so that the children in your life find their next favourite book.
