Greenwild: The World Behind the Door by Pari Thomson, illustrated by Elisa Paganelli won the overall 2024 Waterstones Children's Book Prize, as well as the young readers book category. The awards are voted for by booksellers, with category winners receiving £2,000 (about $2,525), and the overall winner getting an additional £3,000 (about $3,790).
Bea Carvalho, Waterstones head of books, commented: "Pari Thomson's debut enchanted our booksellers with its sweeping escapism and standard-setting lyrical worldbuilding. At once a fast-paced adventure story and a heartfelt entreaty to care for the natural world, Greenwild is a timeless fantasy tale of friendship, mystery, and the magic and beauty to be found in nature. We are extremely proud to present this wonderful debut as the 20th winner of the Waterstones Children's Book Prize: we cannot wait to see what Pari Thomson does next."
Other category winners were The Search for the Giant Arctic Jellyfish by Chloe Savage (illustrated book) and Thieves' Gambit by Kayvion Lewis (older readers).