I get my book recommendations from many different sources - Toppsta reviewers, friends of my children, parents, teachers (particularly on Twitter), librarians and more but I'm always intrigued to see which children's books win awards (and who judges them too). All too easy we default to the known authors like David Walliams or Julia Donaldson but there are thousands of award-winning books to try.
Here's a calendar of upcoming awards and a list of the key children's book awards in the UK with links to shortlists and winners.
January:
Shortlists: n/a.
Longlists: The Branford Boase Award (26th Jan).
Winners Announced: Costa Book Awards (4th Jan), BookTrust Storytime Prize (25th Jan).
February:
Shortlists: Edward Stanford Travel Writing Children's Travel Book of the Year (1st Feb), Waterstones Children's Book Prize (10th Feb), The Federation of Children's Book Groups Children's Book Award (28th Feb).
Longlist: Yoto Carnegie Greenaway Awards (16th Feb), The Klaus Flugge Prize (17th Feb).
Winners Announced: Lollies (17th Feb).
March:Shortlists: UKLA Book Awards, Tir Na N-Og Awards, Children's Books Ireland Awards (10th Mar), CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals (16th Mar), The British Book Awards (25th Mar).
Longlist: Jhalak Prize (15th Mar).
Winners Announced: Blue Peter Book Awards (4th Mar), The Royal Society Young People's Book Prize (8th Mar), Waterstones Children's Book Prize (31st Mar).
April:Shortlists: The English Association 4-11 Picture Book Award (11th Apr), Jhalak Prize (19th Apr),The Branford Boase Award (28th Apr).
Winners Announced: Edward Stanford Travel Writing Children's Book of the Year (26th Apr).
May:Shortlists: Books Are My Bag (13th May),The Klaus Flugge Prize (18th May).
Winners Announced: Scottish Teenage Book Prize (4th May), British Book Awards, Tir na n-Og Awards English Category (20th May), The British Book Awards (23rd May), The English Association 4-11 Picture Book Award (18-25th May), Jhalak Prize (26th May).
June:
Shortlists: The Royal Society Young People's Prize.
Winners Announced: Tir na n-Og Welsh Category (2nd June), CCILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals (16th June), Indie Book Awards.
July:
Shortlists: Literature Wales English Language (2nd Jul).
Winners Announced: Branford Boase Award (15th Jul), UKLA Book Awards, Literature Wales English Language (30th Jul).
August:
Shortlists: Young Quills Awards.
Winners Announced: n/a.
September
Shortlists: Scottish Teenage Book Prize (1st Sept), Diverse Book Awards (20th Sept).
Winners Announced: The Little Rebels Children's Book Awards (8th Sept), The Klaus Flugge Prize (15th Sept).
October
Shortlists: n/a.
Winners Announced: FCBC Children's Book Award, Diverse Book Awards (22nd Oct).
November
Shortlists: Blue Peter Book Awards (11th Nov), Costa Book Awards (23rd Nov).
Winners Announced: Books Are My Bag Readers Awards (9th Nov), Blackwell's Book of the Year (11th Nov), Information Book Award School Library Association (25th Nov).
December:
Shortlists: n/a.
Winners Announced: n/a.