Wellington writer Mandy Hager's book Singing Home the Whale has won this year's Margaret Mahy Book of the Year Award at the prestigious New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults.
Singing Home the Whale tells the story of Will, a teenager, and Min, a young orca that gets separated from his pod. The book was praised by judging panel convenor Bob Docherty as relevant, timeless and extraordinarily powerful.
"We think this novel would have won in any year it was entered, and the decision was unanimous for the panel," says Docherty.
"Mandy Hager is writing out of her skin at present and her understanding of the human condition and human attitudes towards each other and other inhabitants of planet Earth are beautifully presented," he adds.
The judging panel consisted of children's book reviewer and literary consultant Bob Docherty, author and children's bookshop owner Annemarie Florian, and teacher-librarian Fiona Mackie.
Te Reo Māori language adviser and freelance Māori writer and editor Stephanie Pohe-Tibble assisted.
The New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young adults are held each year to promote and recognise the best written and illustrated books for children and young adults.
This is Hager's first Book of the Year win at the Awards. She also won the award Best Young Adult Fiction, which she also took home in 2010 with her novel The Crossing. Each award is worth $7500.
Best Non-fiction went to Debbie McCauley's Motiti Blue and the Oil Spill, a picture book about a penguin rescued from the Rena oil spill.
Best Junior Fiction was won by author and illustrator Donovan Bixley's Monkey Boy, which tells the story of a young boy on a fleet in the battle of Trafalgar.
Nga Ki, translated by Kawata Teepa, won the Maori language prize, while best first book went to Julie Noanoa for Maori Art for Kids.
The full list of winners is:
Margaret Mahy Book of the Year and Best Young Adult Fiction: Prizes: $7500Singing Home the Whale, by Mandy Hager (Penguin Random House NZ)
Best Picture Book: Prize $7500Jim's Letters, by Glyn Harper, illustrated by Jenny Cooper (Penguin Random House NZ (Puffin))
Best Non-Fiction: Prize $7500Mōtītī Blue and the Oil Spill, by Debbie McCauley and Tamati Waaka (translation) (Mauāo Press)
Best Junior Fiction: Prize $7500Monkey Boy, by Donovan Bixley (Scholastic NZ)
Maori Language Award: Prize $1000Ngā Kī, translation by Kawata Teepa (Ngai Tuhoe, Te Arawa) of Keys by Sacha Cotter, illustrated by Josh Morgan (Huia Publishers)
Best First Book: Prize $2000Maori Art for Kids, by Julie Noanoa (Potton & Burton)
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