“The Wild Life of Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Animals” wins Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize

The Wild Life of Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Animals (Mike Barfield, illus by Paula Bossio, Buster Books), has been awarded the £10,000 (A$18,927) Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize.

Chair of the judging panel Tamsin Mather said of the title: “The comic-book style, lively pictures and humour make it fun and engaging, the science is spot on, and the book is very informative. All of us on the shortlisting panel also really appreciated the fact that it covers an incredible span of the history of life on Earth and many fascinating creatures, not just dinosaurs. On top of that, it is great to either dip in and out of, or to read from cover to cover. We felt that the ability to choose your reading approach is especially important to encourage young readers with diverse reading styles to interact with nonfiction.”

Barfield and Bossio share the prize money equally.

The Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize aims to highlight the best science books for under-14s and “underscore the importance of non-fiction books in bringing back the joy of reading to children”, reported the Bookseller. The winner was chosen by judging panels made up of over 11,000 young readers across the UK, from a shortlist of 6 selected by a panel of adult experts.

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