News

We are delighted to share the news that A Kind Of Spark by the wonderful Elle McNicoll has been shortlisted for the Blue Peter Book Awards 2021! 

Discovering what makes a rainbow shine and what a day in the life of a hiccup is like, exploring what it means to be different, standing up for what you believe in, laugh out loud humour, learning astonishing facts about the evolution of Homo sapiens in Africa and the ancient civilisations of the world, and a kaleidoscopic selection of inventors from all over the world: the 2021 Blue Peter Book Awards shortlist has all of this and more. 

Competing against Elle for the chance to be crowned Best Story is Life of Riley: Beginner's Luck by Simon James Green, illustrated by Alexei Bitskoff and Anisha, Accidental Detective: School’s Cancelled by Serena Patel, illustrated by Emma McCann. Meanwhile, fighting it out for the Best Book with Facts title is The Humans by Jonny Marx, illustrated by Charlie Davis, A Day in the Life of a Poo, a Gnu and You by Mike Barfield, illustrated by Jess Bradley and Inventors by Professor Robert Winston, illustrated by Jessamy Hake. 

The immensely popular Blue Peter Book Awards honour amazing authors, imaginative illustrators and the best books for children, published in the last 12 months. The awards are rigorously judged by school children across the country. This year over 200 schools applied to be a part of the judging process. The winning titles, voted for by over 200 children from 12 schools across the UK, will be revealed live on Blue Peter on World Book Day on Thursday 4th March 2021 with the winning authors and illustrators appearing on the special awards episode of the show.

When Addie decides to memorialise the victims of the historic witch trials that took place in her hometown, she hopes to change the way her neighbours see her. Beautifully judged and peppered with wit and compassion, A Kind of Spark is truly inspirational reading.  

A Kid of Spark tells the story of 11-year-old Addie as she campaigns for a memorial in memory of the witch trials that took place in her Scottish hometown. Addie knows there's more to the story of these 'witches', just like there is more to hers.

Can Addie challenge how the people in her town see her, and make her voice heard? A story about friendship, courage and self-belief, perfect for fans of The Goldfish Boy, Addie’s story was born from Elle’s own experiences of neurodiversity and her commitment to seeing greater representation in children’s books.