And the winner is...

Me and Mr. P by Maria Farrer!

Congratulations, Maria (and Mr. P!)

It was wonderful to see everyone who joined us at the ceremony in Dorking Halls - we had a great day, and we hope you did too!

Thank you all for taking part in the Surrey Libraries Children's Book Award 2018, it has been truly fabulous to hear about everyone's experiences, and we hope you'll join us again next year!

Reigate Library Chatterbooks have just read The New Adventures of Mr Toad A Race for Toad Hall by Tom Moorehouse with lovely illustrations by Holly Swain. We then played our own game of A Race for Toad Hall with Mr Toad and The Stig

Reigate Chatterbooks were lucky to have a visit from Maria Farrer and Mister P. They came with Mister P suitcase containing a paw print, a football and a fish of course! We then played Polar Bear Bingo with Maria.

Tom Moorhouse visits Park Mead and Wonersh and Shamley Green!

Here are some photos of the fabulous displays that Park Mead and Wonersh and Shamley Green put together for Tom Moorhouse's visits!

Haslemere Library's Chatterbooks group has now read all five books shortlisted for this year's book award.  We met in the computer room so that everyone could vote online and we all enjoyed making a rather glittery Mister P.

The Montgomery Book Emporium at Riverbridge Primary School

How exciting it was to see that the Year 3 and Year 4 classrooms at Riverbridge Primary School had been transformed into rooms of the amazing Montgomery Book Emporium from The Bookshop Girl by Sylvia Bishop!

Chitra Soundar visits Riverbridge Primary and Spelthorne School

We had a great day with Chitra Soundar, author of A Jar of Pickles and a Pinch of Justice, visiting two of our Champion Schools - Riverbridge Primary in Staines, and Spelthorne School in Ashford.

Chitra spoke to the Year 3 and Year 4 classes at both schools and told them all about her childhood in India as well as giving the children lots of tips on how to be a writer - the most important thing is to read, read, read, read, read anything and everything!

The children asked Chitra so many brilliant questions.  They had also done lots of writing about the books and one class presented Chitra with a lovely book of their pictures and writing about their favourite parts of her stories.

A big thank you to Chitra and all the children and staff at Riverbridge Primary and Spelthorne School

Reigate Chatterbooks have just read The Bookshop Girl by Sylvia Bishop, we then had an author visit by none other than Sylvia Bishop !!!! We had a great questions and answer session and fun was had by all.

Haslemere Library's Chatterbooks group has just read 'The Bookshop Girl' by Sylvia Bishop. We discussed Property's whopping secret and also talked about the book 'I know Someone with Dyslexia' by Sue Barraclough.

Reigate Library new Chatterbooks group have just read The New Adventures of Mr Toad A Race for Toad Hall then we played our own Race for Toad Hall board game

Reigate Chatterbooks new group have just read A Jar of Pickles and a Pinch of Justice by Chitra Soundar as part of the Surrey Children's Book Award. We then made elephants out of milk cartons.......it was quite a sticky hour

Reigate Chatterbooks original group are taking part in the Surrey Children's Book Award. We have just read Me and Mister P by Maria Farrer then we played Polar Bear Bingo and did a WWF true or false quiz about Polar Bears. We liked the idea of having a polar bear to talk to.

Haslemere Library's Chatterbooks group have now read 'The New Adventures of Mr Toad - A Race for Toad Hall' by Tom Moorhouse and 'The No. 1 Car Spotter Fights the Factory' by Atinuke. We discussed past and present differences between 'The Wind in the Willows' and 'The New Adventures of Mr Toad' and, we discussed the 'strange things' that happened in 'The No.1 Car Spotter Fights the Factory'.  Activities included word searches, a quiz and maze about Africa and, making 'Wanted' posters.

The Children's Book Award 2018

Happy new year! Introducing the working group for the 2018 Surrey Libraries Children's Book Award - drum roll please...!

From left to right: Neil Richards, Katherine Hyland, June Hughes, Lorna Dicken, Owen Dixon, Jayne Mairs, and Carol Hales!

Let's find out what they have to say about this year's shortlist:

The New Adventures of Mr Toad by Tom Mooorehouse

This Wind in the Willows re-boot launches Mr Toad and Ratty into the 21st Century, with a crash, a bang and lots of laughs, on an epic adventure to save Toad Hall.
- Neil

Bookshop Girl by Sylvia Bishop

I love the notion of the Montgomery Book Emporium - you can imagine a different room for each sort of book, like the very stark, efficient room that houses the dictionaries and the twinkling, starry room full of space books.
- June

A Jar of Pickles and a Pinch of Justice by Chitra Soundar

These four stories are full of wit and wonder – I loved the glimpse into Indian culture and folklore that they provided. Prince Veera and his best friend, Suku, bring wisdom and humour that runs through each and every tale.
- Lorna

Me and Mister P by Maria Farrer

'Me and Mister P' is a sensitive and funny book with a great feel good factor! Mister P is a polar bear with a big heart, who arrives on Arthur's doorstep and changes their lives forever. I love the way he brings everyone together and finally enables them to achieve their dreams.
- Jayne

 The No. 1 Car Spotter fights the factory by Atinuke

What I love about 'The No. 1 Car Spotter Fights the Factory' is that it deals with issues of development, pollution, and employment in a lively, warm-hearted story for young children, while still highlighting the seriousness of the issues. Oluwalese Babatunde Benson (The No. 1 car spotter in his village) is a brilliant character - resourceful, quick-witted, and fun.
- Carol