Michael Morpurgo win breaks records

June 13th 2017

Michael Morpurgo has won the overall Children’s Book Award for a record-breaking fourth time. 

The former children’s laureate has won for An Eagle in the Snow (Harper Collins Children’s Books) alongside illustrator Michael Foreman. Morpurgo and Foreman also won the "Books for Younger Readers" category before going on to win the overall prize at the ceremony in London on 10th June.

An Eagle in the Snow is set in 1940 in a train under attack from German fighters, sheltering in a tunnel and was inspired by the true story of a man who might have stopped the Second World War. Sarah Crossan won in the "Books for Older Readers" category for One (Bloomsbury) and Oi Dog! (Hachette imprint Hodder Children’s Books), written by Kes and Claire Gray and illustrated by Jim Field, was named the "Books for Younger Children" category winner.

Now in its 37th year, the prize is the only one nationally which is chosen and voted for entirely by young people. It is owned and coordinated by voluntary group, the Federation of Children’s Book Groups, with past winners including J K Rowling, Patrick Ness, Andy Stanton, Malorie Blackman and Anthony Horowitz. Morpurgo previously won for Shadow in 2010, Private Peaceful published in 2003 (both published by Harper Collins Children's) and Kensuke's Kingdom (Egmont) published in 2000. The Federation is a national voluntary self-funded organisation whose aim is to promote enjoyment in children’s books and reading and to encourage the availability of books for young people.