sentences:  It was a finalist for all of the major British children's literary awards (below), winning the Smarties Prize, ages 9–11, and garnering an unusual commendation as runner-up for the Guardian Award.Anne Fine, British Children's Laureate (2001-3) and one of three former winners on the Guardian panel, wrote that "we all fell on Eva Ibbotson's perfectly judged, brilliantly light to read, civilised "Journey To The River Sea", in which we are shown how, as one of the characters Miss Minton reminds us, 'Children must lead big lives... if it is in them to do so.