His Dark Materials has been voted best children's book in 70 years: agree or disagree?

Ha! Yes!!! Thankyou Rosa!

It is weird that it's the same writer..

We went to our local wildlife trust open day a few months back and some elderly lady dressed up in a motheaten rabbit suit and read an Alison Uttley story to assembled LOs. I think she was a bit taken aback by the LO's complete lack of interest. DS#2 stood up and walked out half way through Didn't help she was too quiet but really.... dull and soooo dated. I think I fiound them too old-fashioned 40 years ago.

Orm, I can't work out either of the ones you mention, but I love time-travel books (I wrote my own when I was 10!) so am intrigued.

There is a Richard III book called 'The Daughter of Time' by Josephine Tey but it doesn't feature time travel IIRC.

There is 'A Traveller in Time' by Alison Uttley which has a girl going back to Tudor times.

And there is 'The Children of Green Knowe' by Lucy Boston where a boy meets ghosts in an old house. But I can't remember any ice cream.

OrmIrian, Alison Utterley's Traveller In Time?

Are you thinking of A Traveller in Time by Alison Uttley - a great book on account of which I have almost forgiven her for the Little Grey Sodding Rabbit.

Rosa, I love that book too, as does my mum (a grammar school girl like Kate, though from a much smaller family!) - in fact I think I am sort of named after it.

Am guessing you're right about it relating to the emergence of teen fiction. I was wondering if it was also to do with the current idea that fiction for children should be tough and gritty, not escapist, and that tends to describe teen fiction more than 8-12 stuff.
Have only just noticed there is no JKRowling on the Carnegie Medal list

I didn't think that much of the Pullman books... The third one was really interesting theologically, but think it's a bit much for a child to take on. Dss (14) didn't get further than half-way through the second one. There are other books that stand out more in my mind, such as Narnia, The Earthsea Trilogy or The Dark is Rising series.

Does anyone remember a book about a boy living in an old house who goes back in time to Tudor times and meets a little girl. Don't remember much about it apart from once he gave her icecream, and that I loved the book. And what was the name of the book about Richard III - again about a child that goes back in time (Child of Time or something like that?

Any ideas?

Sorry Kathy, I mistyped - should have been 1937! Family from One End Street which she loves.
I wonder if it actually relates to the emergence of teenage literature as a seperate genre. When I was a teenager I read mostly adult fiction and I wasn't aware of a huge amount of books aimed specifically at my age group. Now there are loads of 'crossover books' aimed at teenagers and also read by adults.

1934? Prize started in 1936.

Interesting point though, Rosa. I wonder if it relates to changing views on what the purpose of children's literature is.

Interesting that the one my DD voted for won in 1934. Looking at the list there does seem a trend for books for older children to win in more recent years. DD is 9 and most of those that she has read date from the earlier years - like the Noel Streatfeild, Tom's Midnight Garden, Family from One End Street. She would not be interested in a lot of the more recent winners such as the Pullman - I think the 8-12s need a prize of their own.

Tom's Midnight Garden gets my vote.

I'd forgotten all about Noel Streatfield. I can't remember the Circus is Coming (though I did read it) but Ballet Shoes was great. Pauline, Petrova and Posy have all come back to me...

A Wrinkle in Time has my vote.

interestingly it seems to be like the Booker Prize in that quite a lot go to an author who should have won it with a previous one, eg Ransome (though it wasn't around when Swallows & Amazons came out), Peyton, Boston....

Hmm, this reminds me of the Channel 4 poll which voted The Simpsons the best children's tv programme of all time. Because adults like it and it was adults who did most of the voting....

And it's the fact that it's recent - these votes just have no sense of historical perspective

Looking at the list of past winners I can think of about 10 who seem to me to deserve it more.

Just to start off with:
Family from One End Street
Borrowers
Machine Gunners....

Agree, agree, agree!

I've only read Northern Lights and found it incredibly dull for about the first 3 quarters.

Then it livened up a bit towards the end and I do wonder what has happened but can't quite be arsed to go and get the next book (what is it btw, I'm off to the library soon?)

Yes but it hasn't actually been voted as the best children's book in 70 years - just as the best of the Carnegie prize-winners in the 70 years the prize has been offered.
DD1 and I were looking at the whole list and it is interesting that quite a few are on our 'alltime classic' list, some are a little more obscure but still around and some have sunk without a trace. I would love to collect the lot and see what made the difference.

hmmm, need to think about this

definately think that thwe trilogy nis fantastic

gripping reading and verty atmospheric

the best in 70 years???
not sure...

Message withdrawn

Agree VSS - it was the kingliness in particular that irritated me. I wanted to punch him at the end of TLTWATW when they are riding through the forest and come to the lamp post.

agree

That's 'cos Kiki the parrot is very very funny! One of Ms Blyton's better moments; how many times have they said "How queer it is..."?