• All London Literary Competition in 1978 for a short story 'THE PIKE'
• Whitbread Children's Book Award in 1987 for 'A LITTLE LOWER THAN THE ANGELS'
• The Library Association Carnegie Medal and Guardian Prizes in 1989 for 'A PACK OF LIES'
• Whitbread Children's Book Award in 1994 for 'GOLD DUST'
• Smarties Book Prize Bronze Award in 1996 for 'PLUNDERING PARADISE'
• United Kingdom Reading Association Book Award in 1998 for 'FOREVER X'
• Blue Peter Book of the Year Award and 'Book to Keep Forever' Award in 2000 for 'PILGRIM'S PROGRESS'
• Blue Peter 'Best Book to Keep' Award in 2001 for 'KITE RIDER'
• Smarties Book Prize Bronze Award 2001 for 'KITE RIDER'
• CILIP Carnegie Medal 'Highly Commended' in 2001 for 'STOP THE TRAIN'
• Smarties Book Prize Bronze Award 2002 for 'STOP THE TRAIN'
• Smarties Book Prize Bronze Award 2004 for 'SMILE'
• Whitbread Children's Book Award 2004 for 'NOT THE END OF THE WORLD’

• Smarties Book Prize in 1994 for 'GOLD DUST'
• Kurt Maschler Award in 1995 for 'LITTLE ANGEL'
• Whitbread Children's Book Award in 1997 for 'PLUNDERING PARADISE'
• Library Association Carnegie Medal in 1998 for 'FOREVER X'
• Kate Greenaway Prize in 1998 for 'UNICORNS, UNICORNS'
• English 4-11 Award (Picture Books) in 1999 for 'BEAUTY AND THE BEAST'
• CILIP Carnegie Medal in 2001 for KITE RIDER
• The Angus Book Prize in 2002 for 'KITE RIDER'
• Blue Peter 'Best Book of Facts' Award in 2002 for 'BRITANNIA'
• Blue Peter Picture Book Award in 2002 for ‘GRANDMA CHICKENLEGS'
• Stockton Children's Book of the Year Award in 2003 for 'STOP THE TRAIN'
• British Candidate for The Hans Christian Andersen Award 2004
• Portsmouth Children's Book Award in 2005 for 'SMILE!'
• West Sussex Libraries Children's Book Award in 2005 for 'SMILE!'
• North East Book Award in 2005 for 'NOT THE END OF THE WORLD'
• Braunstone (Leicester) Children's Book Award in 2005 for 'SMILE!'
• Whitbread Children's Book Award in 2005 for'THE WHITE DARKNESS'
• Carnegie Medal in 2005 for 'THE WHITE DARKNESS'
• Calderdale Children's Book Award in 2006 for 'THE WHITE DARKNESS'
• British Book Awards, Children’s Book of the Year in 2006. ‘PETER PAN IN SCARLET’
• Norfolk ‘Shorts’ Award in 2008 for ‘MO’
• United Kingdom Literary Association Children’s Book Awards in 2008 for ‘TAMBURLAINE’S ELEPHANTS’

• Parenting Reading Magic Award in 1993 for 'GREEK MYTHS'
• Parenting Reading Magic Award in 1998 for 'THE BRONZE COULDRON'
• American Library Association Notable Book in 1998 for 'THE PIRATE'S SON'
• American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults in 1998 for 'THE PIRATE'S SON'
• Center for Children's Books Blue Ribbon Book in 1998 for 'THE PIRATE'S SON'
• Newsweek Best Picture Book for Children in 1999 for 'GRANDMA CHICKENLEGS'
• Amazon.com Editor's Top Ten Children's Books in 2000 for 'THE STONES ARE HATCHING'
• American Library Association Notable Book in 2003 for 'THE KITE RIDER'
• American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults in 2003 for 'THE KITE RIDER'
• NCSS/CBC (US) Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Children, 2003, for 'THE KITE RIDER'
• School Library Journal Best Books in 2003 for 'STOP THE TRAIN'
• American Library Association Notable Book for Children in 2004 for 'STOP THE TRAIN'
• Nautilus Book Award, Children's Grand Prize, 2004, for GILGAMESH - THE HERO.
• Westchester Libraries Ann Izard Storytellers Choice Award 2004 for 'GILGAMESH - THE HERO'
• Publishers Weekly (US) Best Book, 2004, for 'STOP THE TRAIN'
• School Library Journal (US) Best Book, 2004, for 'STOP THE TRAIN'
• School Library Journal's Best Books 2005 for 'NOT THE END OF THE WORLD'
• USBBY/CBC Outstanding International Book, 2005, for 'NOT THE END OF THE WORLD'
• New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age 2006 for 'NOT THE END OF THE WORLD'
• American Library Association Booklist Editor’s Choice, 2007, for ‘THE WHITE DARKNESS’
• Kirkus Review (US) Editor’s Choice, 2007, for ‘THE WHITE DARKNESS’
• New York Public Library Best Book for the Teenage, 2007, for ‘THE WHITE DARKNESS’
• American Library Association Michael L Printz Award for Excellence in Teen Books 2008 for ‘THE WHITE DARKNESS’

• Los Angeles Times Teen Book Award in 2007 for ‘THE WHITE DARKNESS

• Katholischen Kinderbuchpreis in 1991 for 'GABRIEL und der MAISTERSPIELER'
• Deutscher Jugendliteraturpries 2004 for 'DER DRACHENFLIEGER'

• Katholische Kinder und Jugendbuchpreis in 2005 for 'NICHT DAS ENDE DER WELT'