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Warwickshire Junior Book Award 2023

We are delighted to reveal the shortlist for the Junior Book Award 2023. Our team have carefully selected some of the best books published in the last year. The award is aimed at Years 5 and 6 and is a great way to support reading for pleasure and enrich pupils' reading experiences.

The Whisperling by Hayley Hoskins
Grandpa Frank’s Great Big Bucket List by Jenny Pearson
The Unmorrow Curse by Jasmine Richards
Ajay and the Mumbai Sun by Varsha Shah

We will be hosting a final ceremony for schools to attend on Thursday 29th June, 10am-12.30pm at The Benn Hall, Rugby. We have invited all the authors too. We are looking forward to seeing you all.

Please get in touch with us for further information. Email: schoolslibraryservice@warwickshire.gov.uk

Sign-up now! Warwickshire Secondary Book Award 2023

We are delighted to announce the shortlist for our Warwickshire Secondary Book Award 2023 (WSBA23).

Our team, with the help of our secondary school librarians, have selected a list of 6 fantastic books published within the last year. We are sure these will engage and inspire students to read for pleasure. All schools across Warwickshire are invited to take part in our book award, which is aimed at years 7/8. Students read all 6 books over the spring term and vote for their favourite in March 2023. Schools and shortlisted authors are invited to attend our final award ceremony towards the end of March, which is always a lovely celebration.

The shortlist is as follows:

While the Storm Rages by Phil Earle
The Climbers by Keith Gray
Dreadwood by Jennifer Killick
Hide and Seek by Robin Scott-Elliot
The Memory Thieves by Darren Simpson
The Summer We Turned Green by William Sutcliffe

For more information on how to take part in the WSBA 2023, please contact schoolslibraryservice@warwickshire.gov.uk

Warwickshire Teen Book Award (WTBA) 2022 Shortlist

The students took part in speed shortlisting events during September and have voted for their favourite books. We are happy to announce the shortlist and look forward to announcing the winner in December.

Many congratulations to the shortlisted authors. To find out more, click on the links below:

Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

The Upper World by Femi Fadugba

The Outlaws Scarlett & Browne by Jonathan Stroud

Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor

For more information, please contact: schoolslibraryservice@warwickshire.gov.uk

Warwickshire Junior Book Award (WJBA) 2022 Winner

Warwickshire Schools Library Service are delighted to announce the 2022 Junior Book Award Winner for primary pupils in Years 5 and 6 (#WJBA2022). Our experienced team carefully selected the shortlist which is handed over to pupils who get to read four of the most exciting books published during 2021 and then vote for their favourite towards the end of June 2022.

From the shortlist of 'Twitch' by M.G. Leonard, 'The Chime Seekers' by Ross Montgomery, 'The Valley of Lost Secrets' by Lesley Parr and 'Children of the Quicksands' by Efua Traoré, this year's winner is:

The Chime Seekers - Ross Montgomery

Many CONGRATULATIONS go to Ross Montgomery and illustrator David Dean, along with the team at Walker Books.

This award takes place every year and is open to all schools to take part.

The WJBA supports the curriculum (and Ofsted initiatives) in the following areas:
• Promotes reading for pleasure and encourages book chat
• Encourages literacy across the curriculum due to the subject nature of the books
• Provides an opportunity for pupils to have an independent choice of reading material
• Introduces pupils to a new range of authors and texts, supporting their wider reading opportunities

Benefits of taking part:
• Reading and voting on four top reads (pupils really do decide the winner!)
• Open discussions, often pupil led
• Teachers/librarians as co-readers (a wonderful opportunity for modelling!)
• Teacher toolkit to help pupils make the most of taking part
• Exciting competitions to enter
• WJBA shortlist posters and bookmarks for your school/pupils.
• Invitation to our Final Awards Ceremony at The Bridge House Theatre, Warwick.

If you would like more information about how to take part, please email schoolslibraryservice@warwickshire.gov.uk

Warwickshire Secondary Book Award (WSBA) 2022 Winner

We had a wonderful time at our Secondary Book Award ceremony last week celebrating all the shortlisted books. We were very lucky to hear all the authors speak about their books and what inspired them and we also had the opportunity to ask them questions. Alex Wheatle, Geraldine McCaughrean and Kate Mallinder were all able to join us in person. Liz Kessler, Brian Conaghan and Padraig Kenny all joined us live virtually.

Students from across Warwickshire have been reading all the shortlisted books over the last few months and voted for their favourite. The winning book was 'When the World Was Ours' by Liz Kessler. Inspired by a true story, this is a powerful and heart-breaking novel about 3 young friends before and during the Second World War. Their lives take very different paths but their fates are closely intertwined. An extremely thought-provoking story and a timely reminder that we must not forget the atrocities of the second world war and we should do all we can to prevent them from happening again. Here is a lovely message from the winning author:

Thank you so much to everyone who read, enjoyed and voted for my book as the winner of this lovely award. I have to say, getting acknowledgement like this from young people themselves means more than anything. I want my book - the story, the characters and the themes - to reach young people far and wide, so to know that it's been received with the same kind of love that I put into writing it is everything I could want. Thank you again and I'm sending my best wishes and biggest smiles to you all.
Liz Kessler xx

Here are a few photos of the ceremony and the authors.

Picture 1: Liz Kessler on stage virtually. Picture 2: Kate Mallinder, Geraldine McCaughrean and Alex Wheatle. Picture 3: Alex Wheatle on stage.

We are very grateful to all the students who took part and the librarians that supported them. Thanks also to all the authors, publisher, Warwick Books and the Bridge House Theatre at Warwick School for all their support.

If you would like more information about our book awards or other ways we support schools with reading for pleasure and learning then please get in touch. Email: schoolslibraryservice@warwickshire.gov.uk

WJBA Previous Winners

We are very proud of our three Warwickshire Book Awards, which we run annually. Our trained and experienced library team carefully select the shortlisted books. Pupils/students read these books and vote for their favourite. The winner is decided solely by them, and we think this makes our Awards special! Schools from across Warwickshire take part and are invited to the Final Award Ceremony for two of the Awards (WJBA and WSBA), where we invite the shortlisted authors to attend. This is always a lovely event and a fantastic celebration of reading that we hope inspires young people across Warwickshire.

The Awards are aimed at the following year groups:

Warwickshire Junior Book Award (WJBA): Years 5/6 (Summer Term)
Warwickshire Secondary Book Award (WSBA): Years 7/8 (Spring Term)
Warwickshire Teen Book Award (WTBA): Year 9 (Autumn Term)

If you would like more information about them, please get in touch with us at: schoolslibraryservice@warwickshire.gov.uk

See Below for our previous Award Winners:

Warwickshire Junior Book Award

2021 Winner: The Soup Movement By Ben Davis

Voyage of the Sparrowhawk by Natasha Farra

When Life Gives You Mangoes by Kereen Getten

The Wild Way Home by Sophie Kirtley

2020 Winner: D-Day Dog by Tom Palmer

Swimming Against the Storm by Jess Butterworth

Runaway Robot by Frank Cottrell-Boyce

Wildspark by Vashti Hardy

2019 Winner: The Secret of the Night Train by Sylvia Bishop

Running on Empty by S.E. Durrant

The Skylarks’ War by Hilary McKay

The Last Chance Hotel by Nicki Thornton

WSBA Previous Winners

We are very proud of our three Warwickshire Book Awards, which we run annually. Our trained and experienced library team carefully select the shortlisted books. Pupils/students read these books and vote for their favourite. The winner is decided solely by them, and we think this makes our Awards special! Schools from across Warwickshire take part and are invited to the Final Award Ceremony for two of the Awards (WJBA and WSBA), where we invite the shortlisted authors to attend. This is always a lovely event and a fantastic celebration of reading that we hope inspires young people across Warwickshire.

The Awards are aimed at the following year groups:

Warwickshire Junior Book Award (WJBA): Years 5/6 (Summer Term)
Warwickshire Secondary Book Award (WSBA): Years 7/8 (Spring Term)
Warwickshire Teen Book Award (WTBA): Year 9 (Autumn Term)

If you would like more information about them, please get in touch with us at: schoolslibraryservice@warwickshire.gov.uk

See Below for our previous Award Winners:

Warwickshire Secondary Book Award

2021 Winner: The Last Paper Crane by Kerry Drewery

Nothing Ever Happens Here by Sarah Hagger-Holt

Deeplight by Frances Hardinge

That Time I Got Kidnapped by Tom Mitchell

Gloves Off by Louisa Reid

The Enigma Game by Elizabeth Wein

2020 Winner: Don’t Stop Thinking About Tomorrow by Siobhan Curham

The Girl Who Came out of the Woods by Emily Barr

One Shot by Tanya Landman

The Gift, the Talented and Me by William Sutcliffe

Mud by Emily Thomas

Paper Avalanche by Lisa Williamson

2019 Winner: S.T.A.G.S. BY M.A. Bennett

Wolf Children by Paul Dowswell

Boy 87 by Ele Fountain

I Am Thunder and I Won’t Keep Quiet by Muhammad Khan

The Nearest Far Away Place by Hayley Long

Rook by Anthony McGowan

WTBA Previous Winners

We are very proud of our three Warwickshire Book Awards, which we run annually. Our trained and experienced library team carefully select the shortlisted books. Pupils/students read these books and vote for their favourite. The winner is decided solely by them, and we think this makes our Awards special! Schools from across Warwickshire take part and are invited to the Final Award Ceremony for two of the Awards (WJBA and WSBA), where we invite the shortlisted authors to attend. This is always a lovely event and a fantastic celebration of reading that we hope inspires young people across Warwickshire.

The Awards are aimed at the following year groups: