A RYEDALE author is thrilled after his latest book was shortlisted for the 2015 Blue Peter Book Award.

Andy Seed's success with a children's book, The Silly Book of Side-Splitting Stuff , was announced on the iconic TV programme by War Horse author Michael Morpurgo.

It is one of just three shortlisted books in the Best Book with Facts category, with the winner to be announced on the programme on March 5, which is World Book Day.

The awards, which are managed by the charity Booktrust and are now in their 15th years, are intended to celebrate the best authors, most creative illustrators and the greatest reads for children.

They are unusual in that they ask 200 children from 10 schools across the UK to read the shortlisted books and then vote for their favourites in the Best Book with Facts category and also the Best Story category.

Andy's book, which is illustrated by Scott Garret, is competing for the former award against Adam Murphy’s Corpse Talk, which uses comic strips to tell the stories of scientists, writers and sovereigns, and Animalium, written by Jenny Broom and illustrated by Katie Scott.

The four judges – Liz Pichon, Michael de Souza, Anna James and Ewan Vinnicombe - highlighted the quality of illustrations used in many of this year’s shortlisted books, as well as the brilliant stories and imaginations of the authors.

Liz Pichon, author of the Tom Gates series, and winner of the Blue Peter Book Awards Best Story 2013, said: "We keep hearing that kids don't read anymore, but if you get the right books in front of them they really will - I've seen it!"

Andy, a former teacher from Amotherby, near Malton, is best known for his All Teachers Great And Small series, based on his life at the chalkface when he taught in the Yorkshire Dales in the 1980s.

He said of his shortlisting: "This is one of the major awards in children’s publishing and I’m very thrilled about it."