The winners of the 2002 Nestlé Smarties Book Prize were announced at an awards ceremony yesterday by BBC TV's Newsround presenter Becky Jago. The ceremony was attended by 100 schoolchildren who helped to announce and present the Gold, Silver and Bronze awards to the winning authors.

25,000 schoolchildren took part in this year's competition, voting for their favourite books. Gold Awards were won by debut novelist Philip Reeve for Mortal Engines, Lucy Cousins for Jazzy in the Jungle and Lauren Child for That Pesky Rat.

It was also announced that there will be a new prize for teenage fiction to add to the three existing prizes.

Award details are as follows:

5 and Under

Gold Medal
Jazzy in the Jungle by Lucy Cousins, published by Walker Books

Silver Medal
Pizza Kittens by Charlotte Voake, published by Walker Books

Bronze Medal
Oscar and Arabella by Neal Layton, published by Hodder

6-8 Age Category

Gold Medal
That Pesky Rat by Lauren Child, published by Orchard Books

Silver Medal
Pirate Diary- The Journal of Jake Carpenter by Richard Platt and illustrated by Chris Riddell, published by Walker

Bronze Medal
The Last Wolf by Michael Morpurgo, illustrated by Michael Foreman, published by Doubleday

9-11 Age Category

Gold Medal
Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve, published by Scholastic

Silver Medal
Cold Tom by Sally Prue, published by Oxford University Press

Bronze Medal
Stop the Train by Geraldine McCaughrean, published by Oxford University Press

The shortlist for the 2002 Smarties Prize has been announced. The shortlist was drawn up by an adult judging panel chaired by Julia Eccleshare. Also on the judging panel were Caroline Horn, Becky Jago,Tony Ross and Emily Smith.

Exciting debut novels by Sally Prue and Philip Reeve have are included as well as Pirate Diary by Chris Riddell which won this years Kate Greenaway Medal.

The Nestlé Smarties Book Prize 2002 shortlist

5 years and under

• Charlotte Voake - Pizza Kittens
  
• Neal Layton - Oscar and Arabella
  
• Lucy Cousins - Jazzy in the Jungle
  

6 - 8 years

• Lauren Child - That Pesky Rat
  
• Richard Platt - Pirate Diary - The Journal of Jake Carpenter
  (illustrated by Chris Riddell)
  
• Michael Morpurgo - The Last Wolf
  (illustrated by Michael Foreman)

9 - 11 years

• Philip Reeve - Mortal Engines
  
• Sally Prue - Cold Tom
  
• Geraldine McCaughrean - Stop the Train

The winners of the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize 2002 will be announced on December 3rd at the British Library in London.

Now it is the turn of schoolchildren to make up their minds about the books - this is the only competition where children decide which authors walk away with top honours. Over 25,000 schoolchildren are predicted to join the search for the best children's books in the longest-running children's book prize - now in its 18th year.

The Nestlé Smarties Book Prize is designed to support the English curriculum and is open to all children aged 11 and under through schools and through the Kids' Club Network.