I had a fabulous time at the Stockport Children’s Book Awards this week – especially since Max Counts to a Million won Best Book for Juniors!

The award is organised by Stockport Libraries, in partnership with schools around the city. Award winners are chosen by children, who vote for their favourite books of the year. It’s great to know that Max connected with so many young readers in Stockport, and a big thank you for voting for my book.

As part of the programme, readers enter an artwork competition based on the shortlisted books. The ballroom of the town hall had an art gallery down one whole side, and it was extraordinary to see dozens of imaginative and colourful interpretations of Max and his numerical challenge. I got the winning entry framed as a prize. It’s now on my desk and I’m looking at it right now.

Yes, even now while I’m still writing, because one of the things about being an author is that you have typed so much that you can look at other things and still type and never make any mistatkes.