James Reckitt Hull Children’s Book Award

The highlight of the children’s literature calendar in Hull.

The James Reckitt Hull Children’s Book Award aims to:

Foster a love of reading by introducing young people to new writers and titles they might not normally pick up
Encourage reading outside of school and increase the number of young people using libraries

Encourage young people to share their opinions about the books they are reading, listen to the opinions of others and engage in positive debate about the titles
Provide an exclusive opportunity for young people to experience a large scale literature event and meet the writers of the books they are reading

Over the course of a year newly published titles, suitable for young people at Key Stage 2 and 3, are read by an army of volunteers. The volunteers review each title they read and score it. This information is then used to draw up a shortlist.

Between January and April of the following year the Hull Library Service donates copies of the shortlisted titles to participating schools for children to read. The writers of the shortlisted titles are also invited to the city to work with the young people.

There then follows two award ceremonies where children are invited along to hear from the writers, share their opinions of the books and vote for their winning title. The votes are collated on the day and a specially commissioned artwork is presented to the winning writer.

Students can also achieve their Arts Award Discover by logging their thoughts and ideas in a special award diary.

View the longlisted entries for the James Reckitt Hull Children’s Book Award 2025

2024 Winners // Picture Book Awards: When Cookie Crumbled - Michelle Robinson & Tom Knight // KS2: Finn Jones Was Here - Simon James Green // KS3: Quiet Storm - Kimberly Whittam
2023 Winners // Picture Book Awards: The Dragon with the Blazing Bottom - Beach // KS2: Little Horror - Daniel Peak // KS3: The Chime Seekers - Ross Montgomery
2022 Winners // (New for '22) Picture Book Awards: The Lipstick - Laura Dockrill // KS2: The Boy who Made Everyone Laugh - Helen Rutter // KS3: The Girl in Wooden Armour - Conrad Mason
2021 Winners // KS2: My Headteacher is an Evil Genius - Jack Noel // KS3: After the War - Tom Palmer
2020 Winners // KS2: D-Day Dog – Tom Palmer // KS3: No voting ceremony due to Covid-19
2019 Winners // KS2: The Creakers - Tom Fletcher // KS3: Night Speakers - Ali Sparkes / Armistice Runner - Tom Palmer
2018 Winners // KS2: The Matilda Effect - Ellie Irving // KS3: All the Things That Could Go Wrong - Stewart Foster
2017 Winners // KS2: The War Next Door - Phil Earle // KS3: The Best Medicine - Christine Hamill