Students from nine Kerry schools took part in Junior Juries for this year’s KPMG Children’s Books Ireland Awards.
This programme allows young people to shadow adult judges in reading, discussing, and assessing shortlisted books.
The judging panel read a record 158 titles from Irish-born or Ireland-based writers and illustrators this year.
Winners were announced at a ceremony in Dublin.
Schools in Kerry that participated in the Junior Juries programme included:
• Ballyfinane National School, Firies
• Cahir National School, Kenmare
• Cullina National School, Killarney
• Lissivigeen National School, Killarney
• Loughfouder National School, Tralee
• Mounthawk Montessori School & Busy Bees Nursery, Tralee
• Scoil Phobail Sliabh Luachra, Killarney
• Scoil Réalt Na Mara, Killorglin
• Spa National School, Tralee
Award-Winning Titles
• The KPMG Book of the Year Award – ‘Catfish Rolling’ by Clara Kumagai (Zephyr).
• The Honour Award for Fiction – ‘Treacle Town’ by Brian Conaghan (Andersen Press).
• The Honour Award for Illustration – ‘Three Tasks for a Dragon’ illustrated by PJ Lynch (Walker Books).
• The Eilís Dillon Award for best début children’s book– ‘Wider Than the Sea’ by Serena Molloy (Hodder Children’s Books).
• The Judges’ Special Award – ‘The Hare Shaped Hole,’ written by John Dougherty and illustrated by Thomas Docherty (Frances Lincoln Children's Books).
• The KPMG Junior Juries Award – ‘The Hare Shaped Hole,’ written by John Dougherty and illustrated by Thomas Docherty (Frances Lincoln Children's Books).
