Waterstones Children's Book Prize winners 2021

Elle McNicoll's A Kind of Spark is the Overall Winner of the Waterstones Children's Book Prize 2021

Overall Winner:  A Kind of Spark

Born out of Elle McNicoll's desire to see a neurodivergent main character in children's fiction, A Kind of Spark - which also wins the Waterstones Children's Book Prize Younger Readers category - introduces the unforgettable Addie. Determined to memorialise the victims of her hometown's historic witch trials, Addie must draw on the power of friendship and her own personal courage to win the hearts and minds of those in her community who would rather she stayed in the background. Compelling and important, A Kind of Spark is a powerful, page-turning modern classic.

"We have fallen in love with Addie, whose courage and determination are a guiding light, often reminding the world that kindness must prevail wherever we go. Elle McNicoll is undoubtedly an outstanding new talent in children's books and will inspire readers young and old for generations to come."  Florentyna Martin, Waterstone's Children's Buyer.

Winner of the Best Illustrated Book:   The Grumpy Fairies by Bethan Stevens

"Sublimely silly yet uncannily accurate about toddler tantrums, Bethan Stevens's exquisitely illustrated picture book focuses on a set of surly sprites and impudent imps - and the ravenously hungry goblin who finds them most delicious."

Winner of the Best Book for Older Readers:  Wranglestone by Darren Charlton

"Deftly merging the tenderness of a gay love story with the white-hot terror of the purest zombie chiller, Charlton's unputdownable debut novel paints a brilliantly detailed picture of a community under siege in a post-apocalyptic America."

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