imaginative writing, as if it required less intellectual acumen. This is often how such
awards are perceived today, even with the establishment of awards like the Emil Award
(from 1982, administered by the British Book Trust) and the Mother Goose Award (from
1972, administered by Books for Children), designed specifically to honour illustrations.
One problem is that many members of a selection panel feel at a loss at assessing
illustration, particularly as it is such a personal reaction to the style of its creator.
But is this not the same with fiction? However much one tries to make book-selection
objective, it is still very much personal reaction which is the major factor in deciding to
recommend a title. Librarians are as guilty of this as any other group, although they do
try to temper it with an overview of the requirements of their customers. But they can
often be appalled by these very requirements. It should be remembered that one of the
contributory factors in the setting up of both the Newbery and Carnegie Medals which
were each established at a time when many children’s books, both physically and in
content, promised considerably more than they delivered, was dismay at the lack of
quality children’s publishing.
However, one controversy which has raged throughout the history of both awards is
that the books selected by the adult members of the awards panels are not enjoyed by
children:
what has become quite obvious is that the chosen book need appeal only to more
intelligent children and adults. The consideration that it might encourage or
discourage young readers of average intelligence is, of course, not one of the criteria
of choice, alas.
Murison 1973:144This thinking is one of the reasons why in recent years there has been a great increase
in the type of award known as ‘children’s choice’. Here the majority of the decisions are
taken by child readers, although in many cases under adult supervision. There are a
significant number of these awards in the USA, many of which appear to have been won
mainly by Judy Blume whose name has not figured prominently in awards chosen by
adults. She has been the recipient of the Texas Children’s Choice Award every year since
1978 while three of her books have won the North Dakota Children’s Choice Award.
However, this prize has also been given to Return of The Jedi: The Storybook and the
book of the film ET. It is also interesting to note that Judy Blume’s most popular (and
most controversial) book, Forever, has never won a children’s choice award.
The most well-established such award in Britain is the Children’s Book Award,
administered by the Federation of Children’s Book Groups, an organisation intended
mainly for parents. Pat Thomson, one of the originators of the award, has discussed the
differences between expected and actual attitudes of the child selectors:
When it comes to the actual winners, however, it is surprising how unified the
results can be and we adults have learnt to respect the children’s judgement. They
can be very strict. A book which is ‘yeah, great, smashing’ for a good read does not
necessarily make it to the short list. The children demand a bit more from the
actual winner. As one child said ‘a really good book stays in your mind’.THE CONTEXT OF CHILDREN’S LITERATURE 503