Home
  • Home
  • Latest Issue
  • Past Issues
  • Authors & Artists
  • Articles
  • Reviews
  • News
  • Forums
  • Search

ADA TWIST, SCIENTIST AND WINNER OF THE LITTLE REBELS CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD

  • View
  • Rearrange

Digital version – browse, print or download

Can't see the preview?
Click here!

How to print the digital edition of Books for Keeps: click on the digital edition (above) and look for the icon in the menu bar that resembles a newspaper article; this will open the edition in a PDF file - click on the printer icon in the top right of the screen to print.

BfK Newsletter

Receive the latest news & reviews direct to your inbox!

BfK No. 229 - March 2018
BfK 229 March 2018

This issue’s cover illustration is from Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi. Thanks to Macmillan Children’s Books for their help with this March cover.
Digital Edition
By clicking here you can view, print or download the fully artworked Digital Edition of BfK 219 March 2018 .

  • PDFPDF
  • Printer-friendly versionPrinter-friendly version
  • Send to friendSend to friend

Little Rebels logo 2017The Alliance of Radical Booksellers (ARB) has announced that the winners of this year’s Little Rebels Children’s Book Award are Andrea Beaty and David Roberts for their book, Ada Twist, Scientist (Abrams & Chronicle Books). Now in its fifth year, the Little Rebels Award recognises children’s fiction which promotes social justice or social equality, challenges stereotypes or is informed by anti-discriminatory concerns.

Ada Twist is the story of a young girl with boundless curiosity who can’t stop asking ‘Why?’ Her quest for answers and her many scientific experiments occasionally lead her in to trouble. It’s second time lucky for Beaty and Roberts, who were shortlisted for the award in 2014 with Rosie Revere, Engineer.

Little Rebels judge Catherine Johnson said of the winning book: ‘This is a story where words and pictures work brilliantly together. Its subject matter shouldn't be radical but sadly given the nature of the world (of books and in general) it meets all the criteria for this award.’ Catherine Barter, co-manager of Housmans Bookshop which coordinated the award this year, added: ‘Ada Marie Twist is a true little rebel and, like the pioneering scientists she is named after (Marie Curie and Ada Lovelace), a fantastic feminist role model. We’re delighted that this book has won the award.’

David Roberts Andrea Beaty

The award was presented at the London Radical Bookfair, held at Goldsmiths University, on Saturday 24th June. Susan VanAda Twist, Scientist Metre, editor-in-chief of children’s book imprints at Abrams in New York, collected the award on behalf of Beaty and Roberts. Van Metre read a statement from the authors in which they heralded the power of stories to help children make sense of the ‘confusing and worrying times’ we live in and said: ‘We must help [children] become critical thinkers and doers. Encourage them to read, question, and think about everything so they will be ready to tackle the work ahead of them. We must offer them hope and comfort and understanding.’

The judges were Catherine Johnson, children’s books consultant Wendy Cooling and B.J. Epstein, senior lecturer in literature and public engagement at the University of East Anglia.

Also shortlisted for the award were Kiran Milwood Hargrave, with The Girl of Ink and Stars (Chicken House), G. R. Gemin with Sweet Pizza (Nosy Crow), Emily Gravett with Tidy (Macmillan/Two Hoots), Richard O’Neill, Katharine Quarmby and Hannah Tolson with Ossiri and the Bala Mengro (Child’s Play), and Bethan Woollvin with Little Red (Macmillan/Two Hoots).

  • About us
  • Contact us
  • Help/FAQ
  • My Account