The Awesome Book Awards

The Awesome Book Awards ran from 2017 to 2023. Organised by Cranleigh Schools, it was an annual prize that showcased the best new fiction authors for young readers aged between 7 and 10. To be eligible for the prize, titled were required to be a UK-based author’s debut novel, suitable for able readers in the listed age group, appealing to both boys and girls, and available in paperback. Thousands of pupils from schools across the South East read the whole shortlist of five books and then voted for their favourite overall.

A survey of participants following the 2023 awards revealed that teachers and librarians were struggling to encourage enough children to read all five books on the shortlist. Cranleigh Schools are currently taking a break from running the awards and considering options for different formats. More information will be posted in due course. Meanwhile, to read about previous Awesome Book Awards, please click here.

Winner Announcement! The Awesome Book Awards 2023

Awesome Book Awards 2023 Shortlist

Danny Chung Does Not Do Maths

Edie and the Box of Flits

Maggie Blue and the Dark World

Skywake Invasion

The Astonishing World of Alex Nobody

Awesome Book Awards 2022 Shortlist

Elsetime

Rumaysa

The Beast and the Bethany

The Boy Who Made Everyone Laugh

The Valley of Lost Secrets

Awesome Book Awards 2021 Shortlist

Malamander

The Garden of Lost Secrets

The Girl Who Stole an Elephant

The Strangeworlds Travel Agency

The Switching Hour

Awesome Book Awards 2020 Shortlist

A Darkness of Dragons

Boy Underwater

The Boy at the Back of the Class

The House with Chicken Legs

The Train to Impossible Places

Awesome Book Awards 2019 Shortlist

Being Miss Nobody

Brightstorm

Running on the Roof of the World

The Ice Garden

The Starman and Me

Awesome Book Awards 2018 Shortlist

Cogheart

Erica’s Elephant

Radio Boy

The Goldfish Boy

The Secret of Nightingale Wood

Awesome Book Awards 2017 Shortlist

Time Travelling with a Hamster

The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow

Beetle Boy

Aubrey and the Terrible Yoot

The Imagination Box