Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing

Christchurch City Libraries lists literary prize winners and links to catalogue searches, but we may not hold copies of all titles mentioned.

The Carnegie Medal was established in 1937 and is presented annually to an outstanding book published in the United Kingdom. It is presented by the Youth Libraries Group of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP). See the Yoto Carnegies homepage for more information.

In 2022 CILIP agreed on a 3 year sponsorship deal with audio player company, Yoto, at which point the award was re-named the Yoto Carnegie Medal. In 2023 it was re-named to the Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing.

See more kids' literary prize winners.

2024 Shortlist

• The Door of No Return by Kwame Alexander
• The Song Walker by Zillah Bethell
• Away with Words by Sophie Cameron
• The Boy Lost in the Maze by Joseph Coelho, illustrated by Kate Milner  
• Choose Love by Nicola Davies, illustrated by Petr Horáček
• Crossing the Line by Tia Fisher
• Safiyyah’s War by Hiba Noor Khan
• Steady for This by Nathanael Lessore  

2023

• The blue book of Nebo Manon Steffan Ros Winner
• The light in everything Katya Balen
• When shadows fall Sita Brahmachari
• Medusa Jessie Burton
• The eternal return of Clara Hart Louise Finch
• Needle Patrice Lawrence
• I must betray you Ruta Sepetys

2022 

• October, October Katya Balen, illustrated by Angela Harding Winner
• Guard Your Heart Sue Divin
• When the Sky Falls Phil Earle
• Everyone Dies Famous in a Small Town Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock
• The Crossing Manjeet Mann 
• Tsunami Girl Julian Sedgwick, illustrated by Chie Kutsuwada 
• Cane Warriors Alex Wheatle 
• Punching the Air Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam  

2021

• Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds Winner
• Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
• The Girl Who Speaks Bear by Sophie Anderson, illustrated by Kathrin Honesta 
• The Girl Who Became A Tree by Joseph Coelho, illustrated by Kate Milner 
• On Midnight Beach by Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick
• Run, Rebel by Manjeet Mann
• he Fountains Of Silence by Ruta Sepetys
• Echo Mountain by Lauren Wolk  

2020

• Lark by Anthony McGowan Winner
• The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta, illustrated by Anshika Khullar 
• Nowhere on Earth by Nick Lake  
• Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay  
• Lampie written and illustratedby Annet Schaap and translated by Laura Watkinson 
• Voyages in the Underworld of Orpheus Black by Marcus Sedgwick and Julian Sedgwick, illustrated by Alexis Deacon  
• On the Come Up by Angie Thomas  
• Girl. Boy. Sea. by Chris Vick 

2019 

• The Poet X Elizabeth Acevedo Winner
• Rebound Kwame Alexander
• The House with Chicken Legs Sophie Anderson
• Bone Talk Candy Gourlay
• A Skinful of Shadows Frances Hardinge
• Things A Bright Girl Can Do Sally Nicholls
• Long Way Down Jason Reynolds
• The Land of Neverendings Kate Saunders

2018

• Where the World Ends by Geraldine McCaughrean Winner
• Wed Wabbit by Lissa Evans
• After the Fire by Will Hill
• Rook by Anthony McGowan
• Release by Patrick Ness
• Saint Death by Marcus Sedgwick
• The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
• Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk

2017

• Salt to the Sea Ruta Sepetys Winner
• Sputnik's Guide to Life on Earth Frank Cottrell-Boyce
• The Bone Sparrow Zana Fraillon
• The Smell of Other People's Houses Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock
• The Stars at Oktober Bend Glenda Millard
• Beck Mal Peet with Meg Rosoff
• Rail head Philip Reeve
• Wolf Hollow Lauren Wolk

2016

• One Sarah Crossan Winner
• The Lie Tree Frances Hardinge
• There Will Be Lies Nick Lake
• The Rest of Us Just Live Here Patrick Ness
• Five Children on the Western Front Kate Saunders
• The Ghosts of Heaven Marcus Sedgwick
• Lies we tell ourselves Robin Talley
• Fire Colour One Jenny Valentine

2015

• Buffalo soldier Tanya Landman Winner
• When Mr. Dog bites Brian Conaghan
• Apple and Rain Sarah Crossan
• Tinder Sally Gardner
• Cuckoo song Frances Hardinge
• The fastest boy in the world Elizabeth Laird
• The middle of nowhere Geraldine McCaughrean
• More than this Patrick Ness

2014

• The bunker diary Kevin Brooks Winner
• All the truth that's in me Julie Berry
• The child's elephant Rachel Campbell-Johnston
• Ghost hawk Susan Cooper
• Blood family Anne Fine
• Rooftoppers Katherine Rundell
• Liar & spy Rebecca Stead
• The wall William Sutcliffe

2013

• Maggot moon Sally Gardner Winner
• The weight of water Sarah Crossan
• A greyhound of a girl Roddy Doyle
• In darkness Nick Lake
• Wonder R. J. Palacio
• Midwinterblood Marcus Sedgwick
• A boy and a bear in a boat Dave Shelton
• Code name Verity Elizabeth Wein

2012

• A monster calls Patrick Ness

2011

• Monsters of men Patrick Ness

2010

• The graveyard book Neil Gaiman

2009

• Bog child Siobhan Dowd

2008

• Here lies Arthur Philip Reeve

2007

• Just in case Meg Rosoff

2005 (awarded in 2006)

• Tamar Mal Peet

2004

• Millions Frank Cottrell Boyce

2003

• A gathering light Jennifer Donnelly

2002

• Ruby Holler Sharon Creech

2001

• The amazing Maurice and his educated rodents Terry Pratchett

2000

• The other side of truth Beverley Naidoo

1999

• Postcards from no man’s land Aidan Chambers

1998

• Skellig David Almond

1997

• River boy Tim Bowler

1996

• Junk Melvin Burgess

1995

• Northern lights Philip Pullman (also published as The golden compass)

1994

• Whispers in the graveyard Theresa Breslin

1993

• Stone cold Robert Swindells

1992

• Flour babies Anne Fine

1991

• Dear nobody Berlie Doherty

1990

• Wolf Gillian Cross

1989

• Goggle-Eyes Anne Fine

1988

• A pack of lies Geraldine McCaughrean

1987

• The ghost drum Susan Price

1986

• Granny was a buffer girl Berlie Doherty

1985

• Storm Kevin Crossley-Holland

1984

• The changeover Margaret Mahy

1983

• Handles Jan Mark

1982

• The haunting Margaret Mahy

1981

• The scarecrows Robert Westall

1980

• City of gold Peter Dickinson

1979

• Tulku Peter Dickinson

1978

• The Exeter blitz David Rees

1977

• The turbulent term of Tyke Tyler Gene Kemp

1976

• Thunder and lightnings Jan Mark

1975

• The machine-gunners Robert Westall

1974

• The stronghold Mollie Hunter

1973

• The ghost of Thomas Kempe Penelope Lively

1972

• Watership Down Richard Adams

1971

• Josh Ivan Southall

1970

• The God beneath the sea Leon Garfield & Edward Blishen

1969

• The edge of the cloud K. M. Peyton

1968

• The moon in the cloud Rosemary Harris

1967

• The owl service Alan Garner

1966

No award

1965

• The grange at High Force Philip Turner

1964

• Nordy Bank Sheena Porter

1963

• Time of trial Hester Burton

1962

• The twelve and the genii Pauline Clarke

1961

• A stranger at Green Knowe Lucy Boston

1960

• The making of man I. W. Cornwall

1959

• The lantern bearers Rosemary Sutcliff

1958

• Tom’s midnight garden Philippa Pearce

1957

• A grass rope William Mayne

1956

• The last battle C. S. Lewis

1955

• The little bookroom Eleanor Farjeon

1954

• Knight crusader Ronald Welch

1953

• A valley grows up Edward Osmond

1952

• The borrowers Mary Norton

1951

• Nicholas and the wool pack Cynthia Harnett

1950

• The lark on the wing Elfrida Vipont Foulds

1949

• The story of your home Agnes Allen

1948

• Sea change Richard Armstrong

1947

• Collected stories for children Walter de la Mare

1946

• The little white horse Elizabeth Goudge

1945

No award

1944

• The wind on the moon Eric Linklater

1943

No award

1942

• The little grey men BB [Denys Watkins Pitchford]

1941

• We couldn’t leave Dinah Mary Treadgold

1940

• Visitors from London Kitty Barne

1939

• Radium woman Eleanor Doorly

1938

• The circus is coming Noel Streatfeild

1937

• The family from One End Street Eve Garnett

1936

• Pigeon post Arthur Ransome