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Julia Donaldson, Barry Hutchinson and Catherine MacPhail have been named the winners of Scotland's largest children's book prize, the 2010 Royal Mail Awards for Scottish Children's Books.
More than 16,000 children voted for their favourite children's books of 2010 and each winner won £3,000.
Donaldson won the early years category (0-7) for her picture book What the Ladybird Heard (Macmillan), which is illustrated by Lydia Monks. She said: "I am absolutely thrilled that What the Ladybird Heard has won - especially as it's the fourth time I've been shortlisted, so I have been saved from despair!"
Debut young fiction author Barry Hutchinson [pictured] won the younger readers category (8-11) for his novel Invisible Fiends (HarperCollins). He said: "When I found out that my first book was shortlisted for the award, I was shocked and delighted in about equal measures. I’ve been practicing my ‘gracious runner-up’ face for months now, fully expecting not to win. So to find out that Mr Mumbles has taken the prize was an absolutely brilliant surprise!"
Catherine MacPhail clinched the older readers category (12-16) for Grass (Bloomsbury). Previously a winner at the 2006 Royal Mail awards, she said: "To win this wonderful award once was exciting enough, but to win it twice, I still can't quite believe it's true."
The awards were announced yesterday [22nd February] at a circus-themed ceremony at Glasgow's Tramway theatre.