Jacqueline Wilson could become the first author to win the Red House Children’s Book Award, the only major children’s book award judged entirely by children, for the third time. She won in 1999 for The Illustrated Mum and in 2002 for Girls in Tears, and is rarely out of the award’s top 10.

Now Lola Rose, illustrated by Nick Sharratt (see below), is on this year’s shortlist of 10 books chosen by a network of reading groups, mostly based in schools. To find out how your pupils can vote online for the overall winner (to be announced in June) see www.redhousechildrensbookaward.co.uk.

And look out for the shortlisted titles in three categories: books for young children (Some Dogs Do by Jez Alborough, Billy’s Bucket by Kes Gray, Dear Tooth Fairy by Alan Durant, Billy Tibbles Moves Out! by Jan Fearnley); books for younger readers (The Mum Hunt by Gwyneth Rees, The More the Merrier by Anne Fine, Judy Moody Predicts the Future by Megan McDonald); and books for older readers (Lirael by Garth Nix, Lola Rose by Jacqueline Wilson, Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo). The award is organised by the Federation of Children’s Book Groups.