Templar Publishing Events 2010

Join Simon Bartram, creator of Bob, the famous Man on the Moon, at the Oundle Festival of Literature on Wednesday 10th March. 10am – 11am in The Great Hall.

More details and booking information available at the Festival Website

Discover the World of Storytelling with John and Caitlin Matthews, authors of Templar's amazing StoryWorld series, at the Oxford Literary Festival on Sunday 28th March, 10am.
Location: Christ Church.
Tickets: £5.00
Click here for bookings

The "All Aboard, Away we Go!" exhibition at Seven Stories features the work and books of Simon Bartram and Thomas Docherty. 

More details here

Templar Publishing Awards 2007 - 2010

Booktrust Best Book Guide 2010

Big Scary Monster and Tales from Outer Suburbia will both be featured in this year’s Booktrust Best Book Guide, which goes out to 23,000 primary schools and is also available to download on the Booktrust website in June this year.

The Disappearing Moon, by Simon Bartram, has been shortlisted for this year’s Rotherham Children’s Book Award in the category of books for gifted and talented children in Key Stage 1 and 2 years. The winner will be announced in early July.

This cosmic new fiction series stars Bob, the famous Man on the Moon. In this first book, when the Stupendous Alacazamo makes the moon disappear, it looks like Bob might be out of a job!

Jonny Duddle's The Pirate Cruncher has been shortlisted for the ‘Read it Again!” award sponsored by  Cambridgeshire Libraries.

Along with seven other books, The Pirate Cruncher will be read, discussed and voted for by thousands of children in libraries, schools and reading groups throughout the county, with the winner announced in late June 2010.

Day of the Assassins, by Johnny O’Brien, has been longlisted for the Book Trust's Booked Up 2010. This book gifting programme is sponsored by the Dept for Children, Schools and Families. If chosen, over 600,000 12 year olds will receive a copy of this book.

Templar is also delighted to announce that Day of the Assassins has been longlisted for the 2010 Branford Boase Award. The award, now in its 11th year, is made annually for an outstanding first novel by a first-time writer of a book for young people. At the same time, it marks the important contribution of the editor in identifying and nurturing new talent.

You're not so Scary Sid! has won the Sheffield Baby Book Award 2009. Sam Lloyd's lovable monster puppet tale was named the winner at a ceremony on 24th November at Sheffield City Hall.

Three Templar books are now in the longlist for the 2010 CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal: Leon and the Place Between, illustrated by Grahame Baker-Smith, The Princess’ Blankets, illustrated by Catherine Hyde, and Simon Bartram's Bob’s Best Ever Friend. The shortlist for each medal will be announced on 23rd April 2010, and the winning titles are then announced at the prestigious awards ceremony on 24th June 2010.

Giggle Baby!, the amazing baby® activity play book, has been named a Highly Commended Award Winner in the Right Start Best Toy Awards 2009. The book has a fantastic recordable sound chip. Turn the pages to meet some happy, giggling babies, then hear your own amazing baby join in the fun. Record your baby chuckling, cooing or gurgling – then press the button to play the sound every time you turn the page!

The UK Literary Association has chosen four Templar titles for their longlist for their Book Award 2010: The Princess’ Blankets, Charles Darwin and the Beagle Adventures and Leon and the Place Between for the 3-11 age category, and Tales from Outer Suburbia for the 12-16 range.

During the autumn and spring terms, teachers in a number of Hampshire schools will read and discuss the books on the longlist, with the shortlist being announced at the beginning of the summer term.

Tales from Outer Suburbia, by Shaun Tan, has won the Children’s Book Council of Australia's "Best Book for Older Readers 2009." This is one of the most prestigious awards given in Australia for literary merit and outstanding contribution to Australian children’s literature.

Tales from Outer Suburbia reveals the quiet mysteries of everyday life: homemade pets, dangerous weddings, and secret rooms filled with darkness and delight!

Book Trust Early Year Awards

Miaow Said the Cow, by Emma Dodd, has been shortlisted for the Booktrust Early Years Awards 2009, in the pre-school category. The winner for each category will be announced at an awards ceremony to be held at BAFTA in London on 23rd September, with each winner receiving a cheque for £2,000.

Inspiration Book Awards 2009

Ross Collins' The Elephantom and Thomas Docherty's To the Beach are two Templar books shortlisted for the Inspiration Book Awards 2009. The Awards, now in their fourth year, will be launched during Children's Book Week: 5 October 2009.

Templar Publishing is delighted that two of its illustrators, Thomas Docherty and Marc Craste, were shortlisted for the prestigious 2009 CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal.

Little Boat, by Bristol-based illustrator and author Thomas Docherty, is a charming nautical adventure story of a little boat who sails bravely on, whatever dangers he may face. The Greenaway judges said: "Docherty perfectly captures the emotions of a little traveller, with a great sense of movement and perspective, and a limited but highly effective colour palette. You really get the feel of the huge ocean in all its moods."

Varmints is Marc Craste’s debut picture book. The story, written by Helen Ward, tells of a small creature’s search for peace and quiet. The judges' verdict: "A breathtaking and magical piece of work, that is wholly original and allows your imagination space to work. Craste makes outstanding use of light to haunting and often poignant effect."

To watch Thomas and Marc being interviewed about their books, click here.

Spyology has been shortlisted for the Design and Production Award of the Year in the British Book Industry Awards.

A comprehensive training guide to international espionage, Spyology includes Agent K’s personal notes on his exhilarating final mission as well as challenges and codes for the reader to unravel as they decipher the mystery of Operation Codex.  With a special filtering device to read hidden microdot messages, a code-cracking Cryptotron, secret compartments, alias disguises, spy mirrors and fascinating facts, Spyology takes the reader on a thrilling journey of discovery that will reveal the book’s hidden content and secret messages as well as the real truth behind Agent K’s disappearance.

Kevin Waldron's Mr Peek and the Misunderstanding at the Zoo, published by Templar, has won the Opera Prima category at the prestigious 2009 BolognaRagazzi Awards, which recognise the best books in terms of graphic and editorial design.

"Kevin Waldron’s 'opera prima' has all the charm and refreshing enthusiasm of a first work," said the jury. "Story and illustrations literally dance from page to page with the boundless joy of a truly entertaining author. Allusive irony combines with clever graphic art whose sequences recall the pace of silent movies. Yet Kevin Waldron is not just refreshing, lively and highly intuitive. He is also the knowing heir of the many great artists of the Thirties who were behind the memorable American magazines of their day. Waldon’s book is imbued with a veritable cult for a graphic art and printing adventure that made history. The mix of fresh new talent and well-honed research makes for a truly unique work."
 

Sam Lloyd's You're not so Scary Sid! has been shortlisted for Southampton's Favourite Book to Share Award 2009. The book was selected by a panel of librarians, early years practitioners and parents as a great book to share with children under 5 and as such is on the shortlist for this unique and popular local book award; it received over 4,000 votes from adults and children last year. The winner will be announced in November 2009.

BAFTA nomination for Varmints

The film version of Varmints was nominated for a BAFTA in the Short Animation category. Last year, Varmints won the Grand Prix for Best Film as well as the Audience Award for Best Film at the Bradford Animation Festival 2008. The film is directed by the book's illustrator, Marc Craste, and written by Helen Ward.

Read it Again

Mr Peek and Harold have both been shortlisted for the ‘Read it Again’ Cambridgeshire Children’s Picture Book Award.

Trick of the Tale has been selected as a Top 100 Title for Reading and Sharing by the New York Public Library. This fantastic collection of tales, selected and retold by John and Caitlin Matthews, has stunningly rich and humorous illustrations by Tomislav Tomic.

Thomas Docherty's To the Beach has been shortlisted for the Dundee Picture Book Award. The innovative literary award, which carries a significant cash prize, aims to recognise excellence in storytelling for children as well as encouraging youngsters to read.

To the Beach was also long-listed for the Big Picture Best New Illustrators awards – the best illustrators first published in the UK in or after 2000 – and shortlisted for the ‘Read it Again!’ Cambridgeshire Children’s Picture Book Award.

Giants was named a Parents' Choice 2008 recommended award winner. The Parents' Choice Foundation's panels of educators, scientists, performing artists, librarians, parents and children identify the very best products for children of different ages and backgrounds, and of varied skill and interest levels.

Varmints has been named Judge’s Top Choice for the Fiction and Poetry Ages 5-7 category in the Scholastic Best Books 2008, which will be published in in the November issues of Child Education Plus and Junior Education Plus magazines.

Varmints also won an award at the English Association Book Awards (see below) and has been shortlisted, along with another Templar title, X-men Pop-Up, for the Children's Trade category of the British Book Design and Production Awards 2008.

The film version of Varmints has also scooped awards: it's won not only the Grand Prix for Best film but also the Audience Award for Best Film at the Bradford Animation Festival, the biggest such festival in England. To achieve both awards is a rare event.

Two books published by Templar and illustrated by Helen Ward have triumphed at the prestigious book awards run by the English Association.

In the "English 4-11 Book Awards 2008 for the Best Books of 2007", Varmints won the Key Stage 2 Fiction Award, while Wonderful Life came top in Key Stage 1 Fiction.

Another Templar title, Beowulf, retold by Nicky Raven and illustrated by John Howe, was in the 12-book shortlist.

Templar Publishing has been named Independent Publisher of the Year and Children's Publisher of the Year in the 2008 Independent Publishing Awards.

Templar's Managing Director, Amanda Wood says “We are thrilled. These two awards say so much and mean so much. Publishing books that children love, and that librarians and parents want to share with children takes a special kind of commitment and understanding. We produce good quality picture and novelty books – they are not cheap or throwaway. These are books that children treasure and they tell us, keep under their pillows.”

Ruth Huddleston, Sales and Marketing Director for Templar, adds: "The strong relationships that we have built up over the years with our artists and authors and our retail partners alike, enable us to react quickly to market trends and recognise gaps. The risks we take with new artists and new publishing ideas are rewarded by the support of many loyal customers worldwide, who trust us to get it right for them.”

The IPG judges praised in particular Templar’s 'Ology' series of books and accompanying website, and said the company was "a model independent … polished, considered and professional in everything it does. You can sense the passion, imagination, energy and strong philosophy of Templar."

In winning the children's category the judges noted Templar's efforts to broaden its spectrum and to engage with its audience and said it stood out in this category for its "innovative publishing and committed can-do attitude."

Click here to read The Guardian article about Templar, the Ologies and the awards.

In the US, Beowulf has been selected for The Bank Street College of Education’s "Best Children's Books of the Year 2008" in the 9-12 category.

This is one of the most comprehensive annotated book lists for children, aged infant-14. The Bank Street committee reviews over 4000 titles each year for accuracy and literary quality and considers their emotional impact on children. It chooses the best 600 books, both fiction and nonfiction, which it lists according to age and category.