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Young adult author Sophie McKenzie has won the overall prize in the Red House Children's Book Award 2009 for her teen novel, Blood Ties (Simon & Schuster). The award is voted for by young people. Blood Ties won the older readers' category and the overall prize in the award, which is run by the Federation of Children's Book Groups and sponsored by Red House.
The winning novel is a thriller that explores issues of genetic engineering and personal identity. McKenzie received her award during an event at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens on 6th June, attended by 200 people including children who were involved in the voting.
The two other category winners were Allan Ahlberg's picture book, The Pencil (Walker), illustrated by Bruce Ingham, which took the younger children category, and Kes Gray's fun story, Daisy and the Trouble with Zoos (Random House) which clinched the younger readers' category.
Nearly 150,000 votes were cast by children and young adults all over the UK, both online and through ballots collated by regional co-ordinators of the Federation of Children's Book Groups.
The full shortlist was as follows:
Books for younger children
The Pencil by Allan Ahlberg, illus. Bruce Ingman (Walker Books)
Beware of the Frog by William Bee (Walker Books)
A Lark in the Ark by Peter Bently, Illus. Lynne Chapman (Egmont)
The Three Horrid Pigs and the Big Friendly Wolf by Liz Pichon (Little Tiger Press)
Books for younger readers
Cows in Action: Wild West Moo-nsters by Steve Cole (Red Fox)
Daisy and the Trouble with Zoos by Kes Gray (Red Fox)
The Cat Who Liked Rain by Henning Mankell (Andersen Press)
Books for older readers
Young Samurai: The Way of the Warrior by Chris Bradford (Puffin)
Blood Ties by Sophie McKenzie (Simon and Schuster)
Broken Soup by Jenny Valentine (Harper Collins)