Natalia Kucirkova’s book wins the UKLA Academic Book Award 2021

Professor Natalia Kucirkova has won the UKLA Academic Book Award 2021 for her book ‘How and Why to Read and Create Children's Digital Books’.

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Bokforside: How and why to read and create children's digital books
How and Why to Read and Create Children's Digital Books. Book cover by UCL Press.

The Award is one of the most prestigious academic awards in the United Kingdom and is presented every year by the United Kingdom Literacy Association.

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Kucirkova’s work on children’s digital books is well-known internationally, she set up and chairs the International Collective of Children’s Digital Books that is hosted by FILIORUM at the University of Stavanger.

Kucirkova’s award-winning book outlines effective ways of using digital books in early years and primary classrooms, and looks at the educational potential of using digital books and apps online and offline. Professor Kucirkova’s book was praised by the judging panel for being “a timely, informative, innovative, practical, well signposted and up-to-date book effectively grounded in the author’s experiences as both practitioner and researcher.” Additionally, “its well-organised format and recommendations for further reading were valued, while the way it explains the technology was considered most helpful.”

Natalia Kucirkova. Photo: Jeanette Larsen.

“The qualities of Kucirkova’s book cover many of the criteria for this award, especially being based on sound, diverse and inclusive research, making a distinctive contribution to literacy education and encouraging teachers to be reflective, innovative and creative. A clearly, deserving winner.”

How and Why to Read and Create Children's Digital Books was published by UCL Press on 3 December 2018 and is available Open-access from this link.

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