UKLA Book Award winners

Teachers have chosen the winning books in the UKLA Book Awards, which focuses on children's books that 'enhance all aspects of literacy learning'. Books by Sarah Crossan, Brian Conaghan, Elizabeth Laird, Martin Brown and Morag Hood are among the winners.

The teacher judges shared the books with their classes to discover what genuinely works with young readers in each of the three age categories. Nine teachers from around Cardiff and from Gloucestershire formed the final judging panel and had the challenging task of reading all the shortlisted books in all three age categories, which meant nursery teachers reading fiction for teenagers and secondary teachers reading picture books! For the first time there are joint winners in the 7-11 category; the powerful refugee story Welcome to Nowhere by Elizabeth Laird and the information text Lesser Spotted Animals by Martin Brown. Colin & Lee: Carrot and Pea, one of the first four books to be published on the brand new Two Hoots list, has won the 3-6 category for debut author Morag Hood. Carnegie medal winning Sarah Crossan's writing partnership with Costa Award winning Brian Conaghan in the verse novel We Come Apart also received universal acclaim to scoop the 12-16 category. UKLA BOOK AWARD WINNERS: 12 to 16+ category We Come Apart written by Sarah Crossan and Brian Conaghan (Bloomsbury) Jess and Nicu meet when they are both doing community service. Nicu is expecting to return to Romania and an unwanted arranged marriage; Jess lives in an abusive household. Their love brings them together, everything is pulling them apart. Written in the voices of the main characters in very accessible verse, this poignant story is unforgettable. Judges were impressed by the 'free verse which allowed the characters to come alive' and enabled the 'dialogue to read convincingly'. 7-11 category Welcome to Nowhere by Elizabeth Laird, illus Lucy Eldridge (Macmillan) All 12-year-old Omar wants is for his happy life in Bosra to continue. When the bombs start to fall, the family has no choice but to try to reach the safety of Jordan. Elizabeth Laird writes about important events with a passion and immediacy which will communicate to all readers. This is not always a comfortable book, nor should it be. This world is not always a comfortable place. Judges were impressed by the way it showed children how very ordinary lives can be affected by extraordinary circumstances; 'a tale that needs to be told'. Joint winner 7-11 category Lesser Spotted Animals by Martin Brown (David Fickling Books) There are some animals that don't appear in most animal books. Martin Brown has brought together some of the strangest and interesting of these 'lesser spotted animals' here. Written in a witty, engaging way, this book offers a great deal of information and celebrates the range of the natural world. Judges celebrated the 'deep learning by stealth' which this 'superb model of an informational text' encouraged. 3 - 6 category Colin and Lee Carrot and Pea by Morag Hood (Two Hoots) Just because you happen to be a pea, is that any reason why you can't be friends with a carrot? Lee doesn't think so. This clever book explores the idea that diversity enriches our lives in a very simple way which children will understand. Illustration and text work together perfectly to offer a story which can be enjoyed in different ways. Judges commented 'Very simple, very funny yet with pathos, very cleverly written to develop empathy and show the key values of friendship'. Here are the Shortlists in full: 3-6 The Night Gardener written and illustrated by Eric and Terry Fan (Frances Lincoln) Odd Dog Out written and illustrated by Rob Biddulph (HarperCollins Children's Books) Oi Dog written by Kes and Claire Gray and illustrated by Jim Field (Hodder) The Darkest Dark written by Chris Hadfield and Kate Fillon and illustrated by The Fan Brothers (Macmillan) Colin and Lee, Carrot and Pea written and illustrated by Morag Hood (Two Hoots) It Starts with a Seed written by Laura Knowles and illustrated by Jennie Webber (Words & Pictures) 7-11 The White Fox written and illustrated by Jackie Morris (Barrington Stoke) Lesser Spotted Animals written and illustrated by Martin Brown (David Fickling Books) Yours Sincerely, Giraffe Written by Megumi Iwasa, translated by Cathy Hirano and Illustrated by Jun Takabatake (Gecko Press) Welcome to Nowhere written by Elizabeth Laird and illustrated by Lucy Eldridge (Macmillan) Me and Mister P written by Maria Farrer and illustrated by Daniel Rieley (OUP) The Street Beneath My Feet written by Charlotte Gullian and illustrated by Yuval Zommer (Words and Pictures) 12-16 Encounters written by Jason Wallace (Andersen Press) Come Apart written by Sarah Crossan and Brian Conaghan (Bloomsbury) Alpha: Abidjan to Gare du Nord written Bessora, translated by sarah Ardizzone and illustrated by Barroux (The Bucket List) Saint Death written by Marcus Sedgwick (Orion) Frogkisser! written by Garth Nix (Piccadilly Press) Where the World Ends written by Geraldine McCaughrean (Usborne)