The Children’s Booker Prize will be a boon to young readers everywhere

The announcement has sparked great excitement in the realm of children’s literature, with the prize sure to shine a light on some of the best stories available for young and eager readers, writes Deirdre McArdle

Ireland’s Laureate Na nÓg Patricia Forde said the launch of the Children’s Booker Prize is ‘hugely exciting news’.

The Booker Prize is widely regarded as one of the most important literary prizes in the world. It is prestigious, yes, but uniquely, it is also influential in driving book sales.

When the prize announced on October 24 that it was launching a Children’s Booker Prize, the news electrified the world of children’s books, not least because the news was unexpected.