The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins wins the Red House Children’s Book Award
The gripping and imaginative futuristic thriller The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins has won the Red House Children’s Book Award 2010.
Voted for solely by young readers from a shortlist drawn up by children’s book groups across Britain, the award, which is owned and coordinated by the Federation of Children’s Book Groups, celebrates its 30th birthday this year and is recognised by authors, parents and librarians as a key indicator of which books are popular with children. An incredible 140,481 votes were cast this year by children and young adults throughout the UK, both online and through ballots collated by regional coordinators of the Federation of Children’s Book Groups.
Suzanne Collins, says, “I’m thrilled that The Hunger Games has won the Red House Children’s Book Award. The fact that The Hunger Games was chosen as a favourite among more than a thousand titles by young readers means a great deal to me, and it’s an honour to accept this award, especially upon its 30th anniversary. Thank you, and may the odds be ever in your favour.”
The novel is a dark vision of the near future, where a terrifying reality TV show is taking place. Twelve boys and twelve girls are forced to take part in a live event called the Hunger Games. The only rule: kill or be killed. When sixteen-year-old Katniss steps forward to take her sister’s place in the games, she sees it as a death sentence. But Katniss is skilled at the art of survival, and what she has learned by foraging in the woods and hunting for food for her family might just enable her to cheat death…
Stephenie Meyer, author of Twilight, says about the novel: “The story kept me up for several nights in a row, because even after I was finished, I just lay in bed wide awake thinking about it… The Hunger Games is amazing.”
Seni Glaister, CEO of Red House, adds: “Throughout its history, the Red House Children’s Book Award has shown that children have an instinct for picking the next big thing. We’re sure that Suzanne Collins’s trilogy that begins with The Hunger Games will be as popular and long- lasting as previous award winners and I congratulate Suzanne on winning this prestigious award.”