Your School Library
Library Support Work
We are available to work in your library to deliver a variety of services including weeding, auditing and refurbishment work. We work in schools in Warwickshire and in surrounding counties, including Birmingham, Sutton Coldfield, Solihull etc.
For schools in Warwickshire, our daily costs are found below:
Please note that if your school is based outside of Warwickshire then we charge a small, additional fee to cover mileage costs.
For any further information, please contact us at: schoolslibraryservice@warwickshire.gov.uk
Encouraging Lifelong Readers and Learners
Library Management Systems - We can help!
At WSLS, we have a range of experience in using different systems and can provide you with help and support. We recommend a computerised library management system (LMS).
Benefits include:
- Improves the effectiveness of your library: helps pupils and staff find books more easily and simplifies recording of loans
- Saves you time as it can help with cataloguing books by downloading book information from a central system
- Enables you to locate and track your stock more easily and minimise the loss of books
- Provides you with useful information about library use and book issuing data
- Helps develop pupils' independent library skills and greater ownership of their library
WSLS can help provide you with information about the different options available and what might best suit the needs of your school and your budget. For more information about different computerised systems please open the following link.
SLS-UK School Library Award
We are delighted to offer schools in Warwickshire the opportunity to accredit their library service via our national award scheme.
The SLS School Library Award was initiated by Warwickshire Schools Library Service in 2012. It is now available nationally, via the Association of Senior Education and Children’s Librarians (ASCEL), administered locally by individual SLSs. We are delighted that the School Library Association (SLA) the School Library Group (SLG) and the Society of Chief Librarians (SCL) have endorsed the new Award.
Any primary or secondary school may apply to work towards achieving the main award or the Gold version for high-achieving services.
The award is a self-assessment process conducted by the designated member of staff in charge of the library and endorsed by the Head teacher. It is an audit of 20 key activities with supporting documentation where necessary. Schools note across three levels (developing, establishing and enhancing) how their library service is operating across a range of activities and services.
An award is given to a school where the library is achieving 10 or more separate activities or services in the ‘establishing’ and/or ‘enhancing’ category. A Gold award is given for 15 or more services in the ‘enhancing’ category.
The awards are a brilliant opportunity for library staff to obtain a certificate that acknowledges the fantastic work that they do each day in the school library.
How do I apply?
There is a very small administrative cost for participation. If you would like to know more, please contact us: schoolslibraryservice@warwickshire.gov.uk
Schools achieving SLS-UK School Library Award and former Warwickshire SLS School Library Award:
Abbotts Farm Junior Adderley Primary (Birmingham)
Alcester Academy (revalidated) Alcester Grammar School
Alsager School (Cheshire) Aylesford
Bilton Bilton Junior
Bridgetown Primary Campion
Cheney Primary (Oxon) Haselor Primary
Internat School Aberdeen James Young High (West Lothian)
Kineton King Edward VI Stratford
King’s Heath Boys (Birmingham) Kings High
Kings Norton Girls School (Birmingham) Kingsley
Lillington Primary Marlborough Junior (Birmingham)
Myton (revalidated) Orchard Academy (Milton Keynes )
Polesworth Princethorpe College
Rugby High Stockingford Primary
Stratford upon Avon Stratford Girls Grammar
Stratford Primary Walsall Academy
Warwick School Wyndcliffe Primary (Birmingham)
Your SLS Fiction loan
During the summer term we'll be busy putting together fiction loans for our subscribing schools. As part of the subscription package, schools receive a loan of fiction books to use in the school library for reading for pleasure. Every year we swap half of this loan, sending out new titles to refresh your school library. It is a really great and easy way to get new books into the school library. The loans vary depending on the size of the school and range from 250 books to 800 books.
Did you know that if you have a fiction loan from us you can tailor it to your needs? We hand pick every loan and send out a request form in advance of your loan been selected and delivered. This means that if you have a specific requirement within your school, you can specify that you require books to help you with this.
We have a great range of stock here at SLS, from old favourites to the latest bestsellers, and what is great about our loans is that you will receive a wide and varied selection of books. We also provide recreational non-fiction titles for those pupils who enjoy facts and hobbies. We have a selection of dual language titles and also a selection of books for reluctant readers so do make sure you let us know if you would like any of these. You are also welcome to visit us here at SLS and pick your own loan!
If you would like to know more and make sure you are making the most of your fiction loan please do get in touch, we are happy to help!
schoolslibraryservice@warwickshire.gov.uk
The Journey of a Project Box
Over the autumn the team at Warwickshire Schools Library Service were busy hand selecting resources for the green project collections for delivery at the start of term. We send out around 700 boxes a term to both primary and secondary schools.
That is as high as Mount Etna if we stacked them back to back!
A huge amount of resources to support reading and learning and we think that they have a great impact on pupils, inspiring a love of reading, learning and a very hands on approach to topic work. The following film shows you the journey of a project box and will give you a really lovely idea as to what a project collection could look like, how we put it together and the impact it can have on the classroom.
Warwickshire Schools Library Service: Great School Libraries Project
Schools in Nuneaton and Bedworth borough to receive dedicated reading support thanks to new ‘Great School Libraries’ project.
A new project will see Warwickshire Schools Library Service (SLS) supporting a number of schools in the Nuneaton and Bedworth area to help their pupils improve their reading and learning. Called ‘Warwickshire Great School Libraries’, and complementing Warwickshire County Council’s Nuneaton Education Strategy, the three-year project will benefit pupils at Nathaniel Newton Infant School in Hartshill, Middlemarch Junior School in Nuneaton and Keresley Newland Primary Academy.
Each school will receive bulk book collection loans and equipment from the Schools Library Service and digital support and visits from a library specialist, who will work in their school libraries on a regular basis in the coming months as this becomes possible. Michael Drayton Junior School in Hartshill will also work with the project, providing a mentoring role and staff to assist the other schools involved.
The ‘Warwickshire Great School Libraries’ project, which will run for three academic years from September 2020 to July 2023, has been funded by a grant of £77,050 from Warwickshire County Council’s Early intervention, Prevention and Community Capacity Fund. By providing staff support to run their school libraries, increasing opportunities for pupils to read for pleasure and more widely, and establishing of a culture of reading in the schools, the aim is to raise reading and learning attainment levels, particularly among those pupils that are not achieving the required levels at Key Stages 1 and 2.
The project will also provide opportunities for pupils to improve their reading fluency and comprehension 
skills, with access to promotional activities run by the Schools Library Service as well as other national reading promotions. It is hoped that, by the end of the project, the schools will feel equipped and confident enough to continue the work in the future, and there will be a full evaluation of the success of the project at the end of the three years.
Stella Thebridge, School Library Service Manager and Project Manager said:
“This is a wonderful opportunity for the SLS to make a real difference in these schools and hopefully to enable them and others further down the line to reap the benefits of support for reading initiatives and the regular influx of high quality and engaging reading material going into primary schools.”
Councillor Kam Kaur, Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio Holder for Customer and Transformation, said:
“Warwickshire County Council is pleased to support these schools to become self-supporting in their reading work with their pupils, and we hope this contributes to the aims and outcomes of the Nuneaton Education Strategy over the longer term.”
Please do get in touch with us if you would like more information about this or any of the other services that we can offer: schoolslibraryservice@warwickshire.gov.uk
Book Awards
Warwickshire Junior Book Award 2025 Shortlist Revealed...
Warwickshire Schools Library Service are delighted to announce the shortlist for this years popular Junior Book Award. These are some of the best children's books published over the last year for pupils across the county to enjoy. The award is aimed at 9-11 year olds and culminates in a final award ceremony on Friday 27th June 2025, where pupils get the opportunity to celebrate all the shortlisted books and meet the authors. We already have over 25 schools taking part in our book award this year. The award is a great opportunity to encourage reading for pleasure and celebrate the power of stories.
If you would like more information on how to get involved, please email schoolslibraryservice@warwickshire.gov.uk
WSBA 2025 Winner Revealed!!!
‘Quiet Storm’ by Kimberly Whittam has won the Warwickshire Secondary Book Award 2025 following a vote by Year seven and eight students from 24 different secondary schools across the county.
The book is about Storm, a Year seven student who struggles with shyness and the transition to secondary school as he navigates new and old friendships. The overriding message of the book is that it is okay to be scared, and not to let fears stop you from chasing your dreams.
The annual Warwickshire Secondary Book Award is hosted by Warwickshire Schools Libraries Services (WSLS) with the objective of encouraging more students to enjoy reading for pleasure through school and library settings.
The award is a spring term initiative delivered in secondary schools between January to March each year, with an exciting reading list chosen by the experienced WSLS team alongside valuable input from several secondary school librarians. The shortlist of books chosen for students to read this year included:
- Bite Risk by S.J. Wills
- Bringing Back Kay-Kay by Dev Kothari
- I am Wolf by Alastair Chisholm
- Kofi and the Rap Battle Summer by Jeffrey Boakye
- Quiet Storm by Kimberley Whittam
- The Wrong Shoes by Tom Percival
To participate, students were encouraged to read all six books from the shortlist and to vote for their favourite book as the winner, using the criteria that the book must be ‘a page-turner that pupils would highly recommend to others’.
The initiative culminated in an award ceremony at King High School in Warwick on Wednesday 2 April, where students from secondary schools across Warwickshire attended to find out which author was pronounced the winner as voted for by their cohort.
Four of the six authors, Tom Percival, Alastair Chisholm, S.J. Wills, and Dev Kothari, were able to attend the event, providing inspiration and engaging conversations about the shortlisted books as well as discussing what it’s like to be in the publishing industry. Pictured in the photo below from left to right.
Ayub Khan, Head of Libraries, Heritage and Culture, and Registration Services at Warwickshire County Council, said:
“It is important to support the ongoing personal development of Warwickshire’s students, and the Warwickshire Secondary Book Award is a great way to encourage them to discover the many benefits of reading. Reading can help with improving communication skills, enhancing creativity through use of the imagination, and increasing students’ confidence in use of the written word.
“I would like to thank all of the authors who took part this year, and the Schools Library Service and some of the brilliant school librarians for delivering this initiative. Our team are available to chat with any schools who would like to get involved and encourage more reading to enrich the education of their students.”
Warwickshire Schools Library Service organised and hosted the award and are grateful to receive support from Warwickshire Libraries Reading and Learning team, the shortlisted authors and publishers, Kings High School and Warwick Books. The shortlisted books are all available to borrow from Warwickshire Libraries.
WSLS services are available to support schools and education settings through a wide range of reading and curriculum resources, awards, initiatives, training and more that will engage children and young people and help foster a love or reading. To find out more about the WSLS, visit https://sls.warwickshire.gov.uk
If your school would like to take part in the Secondary Book Award next year, please email WSLS at schoolslibraryservice@warwickshire.gov.uk or phone 01926 413461.
Secondary Book Award 2025 Shortlist Announced!!!
We are thrilled to unveil the eagerly anticipated shortlist for the Secondary Book Award 2025, curated by the Warwickshire Schools Library Service in collaboration with a dedicated team of secondary school librarians from across the county. This year’s selection features six exceptional titles that promise to inspire and engage students during the spring term, where they will delve into these captivating stories through book discussions and exciting competitions. Students and authors are invited to join us in person at the final award ceremony in April 2025, where we will celebrate the power and joy of reading for pleasure. 
For more information about our book awards, please email: schoolslibraryservice@warwickshire.gov.uk
Students have voted for their Teen Book Award Shortlist!
The excitement is building as we announce the shortlist for the Teen Book Award, carefully curated by students during September's dynamic speed shortlisting events at schools across the county! After thoughtful discussions and enthusiastic debates, students have selected four incredible titles that they will dive into reading. Students will cast their votes in early December to determine the ultimate winner or the Teen Book Award 2024. The celebration of literature and creativity doesn't stop there; we'll culminate the event with an engaging online award ceremony celebrating all the nominated books and their talented authors. Stay tuned for more updates as we count down to this thrilling celebration of young readers and their voices!
For more information about our book awards, please email schoolslibraryservice@warwickshire.gov.uk
Teen Book Award Longlist 2024 revealed!
We are delighted to reveal the longlist, chosen with the help of our wonderful secondary school librarians. This award takes place in the autumn term and students will take part in exciting 'Speed shortlisting' events at their school where THEY will decide the final books for the shortlist. The shortlist will be revealed early October and students will have 2 months to read the final 4 books. They will vote for their favourite and the winner will be revealed at our online award ceremony in December.
Congratulations to the longlisted authors...
- Seven Million Sunflowers by Malcolm Duffy
- Northern Soul by Phil Earle
- Runner Hawk by Michael Egan
- If My Words Had Wings by Danielle Jawando
- Thieves’ Gambit by Kayvion Lewis
- Play by Luke Palmer
- We Don’t Swim Here by Vincent Tarado
- Postcards From Valhalla by Danny Weston
- Feast of Ashes by Victoria Williamson
We love running our book awards and helping to engage and inspire young readers. If you would like to know more or take part, please email: schoolslibraryservice@warwickshire.gov.uk
Winner of Warwickshire Secondary Book Award 2024 announced!
We had a wonderful time celebrating all of the shortlisted books at our Final Award Ceremony on Wednesday 20th March 2024. We were delighted to be joined by hundreds of students from across Warwickshire and 3 of the shortlisted authors; Anthony McGowan, SF Said and Nathanael Lessore. It was lovely to hear the inspiration behind their books, their experiences as writers and many amusing tales. Students were also able to hear their questions kindly answered via videos from authors Lily Bailey and Alex Bell. We were also joined by May Vaughan, Warwickshire Young Poet Laureate who performed a selection of her own poems ending with a lovely reminder that we are all good at something and to follow our passions whatever they are.
The winning book, voted for by students, was 'When I See Blue' by Lily Bailey. The book shares a touching and honest fictional story about obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and explores the power of friendship as 12-year-old character Ben learns how to live with OCD and find ways to manage his condition.
Photo: Authors SF Said, Nathanael Lessore and Anthony McGowan with the SLS Team.
Thank you to all the schools that took part and to the all the authors for their support. Thank you to Kings High School for hosting our event and to Warwick Books for selling books to students.
If you would like more information about our book awards or the other ways Warwickshire Schools Library Service support reading for pleasure and learning, please email schoolslibraryservice@warwickshire.gov.uk
'Finn Jones Was Here' by Simon James Green wins the Warwickshire Junior Book Award 2024
Primary school pupils from across the county enjoyed a great reading celebration which saw a book of their choosing crowned winner of the Warwickshire Junior Book Award 2024.
Year 5 and 6 pupils gave their stamp of approval to award-winning author Simon James Green and his book “Finn Jones Was Here” in the annual award hosted by Warwickshire Schools Library Service (WSLS).
Green, who has penned over twelve books for both children and young adults, said he was delighted to win such a special award:
“It means such a lot to win awards like these that are voted for by the readers themselves and to be here today to meet them has been fantastic.”
The initiative is delivered in primary schools during the summer term to boost reading for pleasure, with students encouraged to read and select their favourite book from four shortlisted titles, chosen by specialist librarians from Warwickshire Schools Library Service.
The shortlisted books chosen for pupils to read this year were: Finn Jones Was Here by Simon James Green, The Swifts by Beth Lincoln, The Storm Swimmer by Clare Weze, and Safiyyah's War by Hiba Noor Khan.
This year’s initiative culminated with the final award ceremony at Kings High School, Warwick, that saw three of the authors attend in person, including New York Times best-selling author Beth Lincoln, Simon James Green, and Clare Weze, as well as Ayub Khan, Head of Communities, Libraries, Heritage and Registration services at Warwickshire County Council.
Cllr Yousef Dahmash, Portfolio Holder for Customer and Transformation, said:
"The Warwickshire Junior Book Award is a great initiative to encourage primary school students across the county to discover the many benefits of reading. Reading for pleasure is known to enhance well-being and empathy and is closely linked with an increase in academic success.
“I would like to thank our Schools Library Service and the authors for their participation in this event. These child-friendly book awards are increasingly popular among Warwickshire schools, and our staff are available to help any schools that would like to get involved and use literature to enhance the educational experience of their students.”
Warwickshire Schools Library Service organised and hosted the Junior Book Award 2024 and are grateful to have received support from Warwickshire Libraries Reading and Learning team, the shortlisted authors and publishers and Warwick Books. Thank you also to Kings High School for enabling us to use your wonderful venue.
If your school would like to take part in the Junior Book Award next year, please email WSLS at schoolslibraryservice@warwickshire.gov.uk
Warwickshire Junior Book Award 2024: Shortlist Revealed!
We are very excited to announce the shortlist for the 2024 Warwickshire Junior Book Award. 
These are some of the best books published over the last year. The annual award takes place during the summer term and is aimed at years 5/6 and is open to all schools across Warwickshire and neighbouring regions. Pupils read the shortlisted books and vote for their favourite at the end of June. We invite all pupils and authors to our final book award ceremony in July 2024. This is a wonderful way to promote a love of reading and inspire and engage young readers. The shortlist this year is:
- Finn Jones Was Here by Simon James Green
- Safiyyah's War by Hiba Noor Khan
- The Swifts by Beth Lincoln
- The Storm Swimmer by Clare Weze
For more information or to take part, please email schoolslibraryservice@warwickshire.gov.uk
Secondary Book Award 2024!
We are delighted to announce the shortlist for our Secondary Book Award 2024. Congratulations to all the shortlisted authors and thanks to all the team and secondary school librarians who helped pick the shortlist. The students are certainly in for a treat!
- The Door Of No Return by Kwame Alexander
- When I See Blue by Lily Bailey
- The Lighthouse by Alex Bell
- Steady For This by Nathanael Lessore
- Dogs Of The Deadlands by Anthony McGowan
- Tyger by SF Said
Students read the six shortlisted books and vote for their favourite in mid-March 2024.The winner is decided purely by student votes, which makes it really special. We will be hosting a final award ceremony on 20th March 2024, where all students taking part and authors are invited to attend. We are looking forward to it already...
For more information, please email schoolslibraryservice@warwickshire.gov.uk
Teen Book Award Shortlist 2023!
We are delighted to announce that the students have voted for their 2023 Teen Book Award shortlist. Congratulations to all the shortlisted authors and thank you to all the fabulous longlisted authors too for their support.
The 2023 shortlist is:
Promise Boys by Nick Brooks
With Fire In Their Blood by Kat Delacorte
Tag, You're Dead by Kathryn Foxfield
HappyHead by Josh Silver
For more information, email: schoolslibraryservice@warwickshire.gov.uk
Warwickshire Teen Book Award (WTBA) 2023 Longlist
We are delighted to announce our nominations for the WTBA 2023. Alongside a group of experienced and impassioned secondary school librarians, we read and reviewed a wide variety of books to create this year's longlist. In September, the pupils read and select their favourite books and we announce the winner in December 2023.
The nominations are:
- Good for Nothing by Mariam Ansar
- Promise Boys by Nick Brooks
- The Girl Who Broke the Sea by A. Connors
- With Fire in Their Blood by Kat Delacorte
- Crossing the Line by Tia Fisher
- Tag, You're Dead by Kathryn Foxfield
- How Far We've Come by Joyce Efia Harmer
- As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh
- Steady for This by Nathanael Lessore
- Happy Head by Josh Silver
If you would like to get involved, please email us at schoolslibraryservice@warwickshire.gov.uk
Warwickshire Junior Book Award (WJBA) 2023 Winner
Warwickshire Schools Library Service are delighted to announce the 2023 Junior Book Award Winner for primary pupils in Years 5 and 6 (#WJBA2023). Our experienced team carefully selected the shortlist which is handed over to pupils who then read four of the most exciting books published during 2022 and then vote for their favourite towards the end of June 2023.
From the shortlist of 'The Whisperling' by Hayley Hoskins, 'Grandpa Frank's Great Big Bucket List' by Jenny Pearson, 'The Unmorrow Curse' by Jasmine Richards and 'Ajay and the Mumbai Sun' by Varsha Shah, this year's winner is:
- The Unmorrow Curse by Jasmine Richards
- Many CONGRATULATIONS go to Jasmine Richards and illustrators Pypah Santos and Jill Tytherleigh, along with the team at UCLan Publishing.
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 Teen Book Award (WTBA) 2022 Winner
The students took part in speed shortlisting events during September and voted for their favourite books. During an award ceremony in December, our winner was announced .....
Many congratulations to
'The Outlaws Scarlett & Browne' by Jonathan Stroud
To find out more about the shortlisted authors, 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 Secondary Book Award (WSBA) 2023 Winner
During an award ceremony in March, our Secondary Book Award winner was announced .....
Many congratulations to:
'Dread Wood' by Jennifer Killick
Congratulations to all of the authors involved and with thanks to all the schools, their staff and pupils, for supporting our Award.
For more information, please contact: schoolslibraryservice@warwickshire.gov.uk
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:
2022 Winner: The Chime Seekers by Ross Montgomery
Twitch by M.G. Leonard
The Valley of Lost Secrets by Lesley Parr
The Children of the Quicksands by Efua Traore
2021 Winner: The Soup Movement By Ben Davis
Voyage of the Sparrowhawk by Natasha Farrant
When Life Gives You Mangoes by Kereen Getten
The Wild Way Home by Sophie Kirtley
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
2023 Winner: Dread Wood by Jennifer Killick
While the Storm Rages by Phil Earle
The Climbers by Phil Earle
Hide and Seek by Robin Scott-Elliot
The Memory Thieves by Darren Simpson
The Summer we Turned Green by William Sutcliffe
2022 Winner: When the World Was Ours by Liz Kessler
Cardboard Cowboys by Brian Conaghan
Asking for a Friend by Kate Mallinder
The Supreme Lie by Geraldine McCaughrean
The Monsters of Rookhaven by Padraig Kenny
The Humiliations of Welton Blake by Alex Wheatle
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
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:
- 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 Teen Book Award
2022 Winner: The Outlaws Scarlett & Browne by Jonathan Stroud
Ace of Spades by Faridah Abike-lyimide
The Upper World by Femi Fadugba
Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor
2021 Winner: The Island by C.L.Taylor
Boy I Am by K.L. Kettle
One in a Hundred Thousand by Linni Ingemundsen
Wrecked by Louisa Reid
2019 Winner: The Truth About Lies by Tracy Darnton
The Twisted Tree by Rachel Burge
Killer T by Robert Muchamore
The Survival Game by Nicky Singer
Subscriptions
Primary School Subscriptions
What does a subscription with us look like?
A subscription with us will give you an overall loan of fiction books for your library and a number of project loans that can be used within classrooms. Our prices range from £450 upwards and to give you an idea, our most popular Primary Subscription is Young Shoots which is ideal for up to 200 pupils. This annual subscription would cost you in the region of £1,610 and give you 21 project collections (7 boxes a term) and an annual reading for pleasure loan of 350 books.
Everything we do is to encourage lifelong readers and learners:
Project Collections:
These are hand picked by our team from the information that you give us about your topic, so they can be as specific as you require. Project collections are delivered to you at the beginning of each term and collected again at the end of the term. We will often try and incorporate an artefact or photo pack into each box, alongside your book resources. We want learning to be as hands on as possible so please encourage your pupils to examine, pick up and use the artefacts that we send to you. Find out more about the journey of a project box here:
Reading For Pleasure Loans: The fiction loan is sent at the beginning of your academic year, again this is hand picked by our team to your specific requirements and we will include a percentage of non-fiction for you too. You are able to swap half of the collection back with us half way through the year, a great way to refresh your books and keep your pupils reading a wide variety of reading materials throughout the year. We also have a new Reading for Pleasure Subscription which primary schools are benefiting from.
In addition to all of that there are also 'Bolt-on' extras that you can use and take advantage of, for example our useful advisory visits, library work, reduced rates for our training programme and exciting reading events.
We have a variety of subscription options, it is always worth getting in touch with us to find out what might be the best match for you and how we can work within your budgets.
Email us at: schoolslibraryservice@warwickshire.gov.uk
Secondary School Subscriptions
What does a subscription with us look like?
A subscription with us will give you an overall loan of fiction books for your library and a number of project loans. We find that our secondary school subscribers tend to use our services slightly differently choosing very bespoke subscriptions and tailoring their choices to suit the specific needs of their school and students.
Everything we do is to encourage lifelong readers and learners:
Project Collections:
These are all hand picked by our team from the information that you give us about your topic, so they can be as specific as you require. A few examples of the project collections that we have been asked to supply recently are; wellbeing sets to support SMSC, World War Two, Slavery and Gender Identity, but the list is endless.
Project Collections are delivered to you at the beginning of each term and collected again at the end of the term. We will often try to incorporate an artefact or photo pack into each box, alongside your book resources. We want learning to be as hands on as possible so please encourage your students to examine, pick up and use the artefacts that we send to you.
Reading for Pleasure Loan:
The fiction loan is sent at the beginning of your academic year, again this is hand picked by our team to your specific requirements and we will include a percentage of non-fiction for you too. You are able to swap half of the collection back with us half way through the year, a great way to refresh your books and keep your students reading a wide variety of reading material throughout the year. We also have a NEW Reading for Pleasure Subscription that many schools are benefiting from.
In addition to all of that there are also 'bolt-on' extras that you can use and take advantage of, for example our useful advisory visits, library work, reduced rates for our training programmes.
We offer a variety of subscription options, it is always worth getting in touch with us to find out what might be the best match for you and how we can help to work within your budgets.
Email us at: schoolslibraryservice@warwickshire.gov.uk
Encouraging Lifelong Readers and Learners
The Journey of a Project Box
Each term the team at Warwickshire SLS are busy hand selecting resources for the green project collections for delivery at the start of term. We send out around 700 boxes a term to both primary and secondary schools.
That is as high as Mount Etna if we stacked them back to back!
A huge amount of resources to support reading and learning, and we think that they have a great impact on pupils, inspiring a love of reading, learning and a very hands on approach to topic work.
The following film shows you the journey of a project box and will give you a really lovely idea as to what a project collection could look like, how we put it together and the impact it can have on the classroom:
Not sure whether to subscribe? Try one of our TERM TASTERS....
Our TERM TASTERS are specially tailored to meet your schools needs. These are a great way to try our service without committing to an annual subscription. 
You can choose from:
4 project boxes for the term: £240
OR
7 project boxes for the term: £420
What will your project box contain?
- At least 20 books
- An artefact or whiteboard resource (at no extra cost) as available and applicable.
We select each box afresh for every loan ensuring appropriateness to the topic requested and key stage.
To register your interest or sign up for a Term Taster please follow this link
Reading for Pleasure Subscriptions for Primary Schools
We have been offering our secondary school subscribers a great reading for pleasure subscription for some time now and we wanted to extend this to primary schools. This is an annual offer for just £450 and includes a loan of 100 fiction books as part of the subscription. (See leaflet below for everything that is included in the offer)
These books handpicked by our team to your specification so will meet your pupils reading habits and curriculum needs. We know, as you do just how important reading for pleasure is and the huge difference that positive reading experiences can have on pupils, this subscriptions will help in these areas whilst also providing an added breadth to your existing library resources. Get in touch with us if you would like to sign up or find out more. You can email us here: schoolslibraryservice@warwickshire/gov.uk 
Training
Spring Newsletters
Please click on the images below to download our Spring newsletters for primary and secondary schools.
Primary
Secondary
'Help! I'm Running a Library' Training Course: Sign-up now for our January 2025 course
Are you responsible for running the primary or secondary school library at your school?
Join us for our next 'Help, I'm Running the Library' course, which is perfect for any new or existing school librarians, teachers and support staff who have responsibility for running the library and promoting reading for pleasure at their school. You will have the opportunity to enhance your knowledge and skills and share your experiences and network with others working in school libraries.
Date/Time: Thursday 30th January 2025: 9.30am-1pm
Price: WSLS Subscribers: £60
Non WSLS Subscribers: £90
Venue: Warwickshire Schools Library Service Unit 4, WCC Hawkes Point,1 Hawkes Drive, Heathcote Ind. Estate, CV34 6LX
Feedback from previous participants:
'Was just so nice to listen to people so knowledgeable with real solutions as I just don’t have time to do all that research on top of my job.'
'I have been inspired to think about how I can improve my library and what is important in there.'
'It was very useful discussing with other schools what their library looked like and included as it made me reflect on our library and what my next steps should be.'
You can sign-up by filling in the form here
For more information, please email schoolslibraryservice@warwickshire.gov.uk
Autumn Term Newsletters
Please click on the images below for our Autumn 2024 newsletters for schools. They include the dates of our upcoming training and network meetings. You can also find links to other useful resources to support reading for pleasure and learning at your school.
Primary Schools
Secondary Schools
Teaching Inquiry Skills through the School Library: Online training session
Tuesday 22nd October 2024
3.30pm-4.30pm
We will be joined by Elizabeth Hutchinson who is an independent school library specialist with a wealth of knowledge and experience around inquiry-based learning. This session will be online and is tailored for primary and secondary school librarians/teachers seeking to enhance their instructional toolkit. Particularly focusing on how to effectively teach inquiry skills, equipping them with the knowledge and strategies to guide students through the research process.
For more information, click on this LINK or email; schoolslibraryservice@warwickshire.gov.uk
Network Meetings
Secondary and Primary Network Meetings
We are currently putting a programme together for 2024/25 academic year. Please email us if you would like to be involved with our network meetings.
Email: schoolslibraryservice@warwickshire.gov.uk
Our Resources
Encouraging Lifelong Readers and Learners
Useful Items to Buy
Items to help you with your general library maintenance:
Two A3 Posters: A colour coded chart listing the main subject areas in each Dewey Decimal Class and a 'How to find a non-fiction book poster
Cost: £10 for both items
Please email us for more information: schoolslibraryservice@warwickshire.gov.uk
Library Spine Labels: Mainly used within primary schools, each colour represents a different Decimal Dewey Class. (We can provide you with all of the colours shown within the Decimal Dewey poster pictured above.)
Cost: 75p for each sheet (ten labels)
Please email us for more information about these: schoolslibraryservice@warwickshire.gov.uk
Reading Support Pack:
Full of ideas for making the most of picture books to encourage the development of reading for pleasure and related skills, such as visual literacy and creativity. This pack can be sent to you electronically or printed versions are also available - please get in touch with us if you would like further information or to see a few samples.
Please get in touch if you would like to know more: schoolslibraryservice@warwickshire.gov.uk
A Selection of Our Resources
We have a vast collection of artefacts, photo packs, whiteboard resources and story-sacks here at WSLS, here is a small selection of our favourites:
Artefacts to Support Curriculum Topics:
White Board Resources:
Story Sack Collections:
Empathy and Wellbeing
Recent studies have shown that reading for pleasure builds empathy and improves wellbeing. Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another and helps us to connect to each other. When we identify with a book character we learn to see things from other points of view.
Here at SLS we have been developing our resources so we can provide you with fantastic books and artefacts to promote mental health and wellbeing with your pupils.
We have lots of non fiction books looking at feelings, self esteem, confidence and mental health. We have new picture books that cover topics such as depression, being different and how we feel. We have recently added conversation cubes and How We Feel prompt cards to our collection, and of course there is our huge range of junior and teen fiction that covers a wide range of different mental health topics. You can find out more about our 'Feel Good Reads' here
For more information about requesting and accessing these resources please contact us on schoolslibraryservice@warwickshire.gov.uk or 01926 413461
Useful Resources for Learning at Home
Our team at Warwickshire Schools Library Service have been putting together some really lovely resources for our schools.
Here is a topic card that we have put together specifically for VE Day:
We have been particularly thinking about useful resources for learning at home and for those that may not always have access to digital content. We wanted to share some of that with you here:
Please click on the thumbnail images to open larger PDFs of these files, for you to print, save, share with each other. Our subscribers will also find Topic Card resources on a specific area of out website.
We have also contributed reading-based activities and resource links to learning projects being compiled by a Birmingham-based Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) @RobinHoodTrust We are really pleased to have worked with them to add reading support to the next lot of #TheLearningProjects that are being made available to any school that wishes to use them.
The full learning projects will be available from: www.robinhoodmat.co.uk/learning-projects
The projects, created by Robin Hood MAT, cover the whole curriculum and will provide parents overseeing their children’s home learning with a range of activities for primary-school-aged children over an eight-week period. The Trust, based in Hall Green, Birmingham, previously created projects for use by parents and other schools for the first 8 weeks after the lockdown began. These went on to be shared widely across social media and used by more than 200 schools and local authorities across the UK. Contributions to the projects have also been made by the York-based STEM Learning organisation.
Our Bespoke Book Selection Service
Use our expert knowledge to find the books that you need for your pupils. We can suggest and select resources to support many areas including:
Accelerated Reader sets
Guided reading
Class reading sets
Books to support well-being and mental health
Reading supports for specific age groups and reading levels
Get in touch to give us an idea of what you are looking for and we will do the work for you!
Votes for Women!
The year 2018 marked 100 years since the Representation of the People Act 1918 which gave women over the age of 30 the right to vote.
We can help you celebrate here at SLS with a fantastic selection of books about Women's Suffrage, Voting and Political Systems and books about famous women past and present.
Grace Darling, Emily Davison and Rosa Parks are just a few of the Great Women who have changed the world and contributed to History.
Email us at schoolslibraryservice@warwickshire.gov.uk to enquire about our subscription choices.
Reading Promotions
New transition reads for Y6/7
We know that transitions can be both exciting and daunting times for your students. We have put a list together of some of our favourite books that will help your students through their secondary school transition. Books that will make them laugh, cry, reflect and look forward to the next chapter in their lives. If you click on the image below you can download a PDF, click on the individual books and this will take you to a link with more information about each book.
Register your interest for the Year 4 Reading Celebration 2025
Please email us if you are interested in finding out more about our Year 4 Reading Celebration 2025 that will take place in the spring term.
This is really popular with schools and a lovely way to celebrate reading and support Government objectives and your own work encouraging reading for pleasure in school. We hope to inspire your pupils to enjoy reading and to use their school and local libraries.
Any questions, please get in touch with us at schoolslibraryservice@warwickshire.gov.uk
Please visit our website to find out more about what we do.
'Feel Good' Reading Sets
We have created some fantastic 'Feel Good' Reading Lists for primary and secondary schools and we think these books are just the thing to engage, enthuse and make your pupils laugh and feel good. Developed to support the pure pleasure of getting lost in a good book and ideal for use in a classroom reading corner or whole library space. There are 4 different lists covering Years 3-9.
You can download and print the posters below for free. Just click on the images below:
Years 3/4 Years 5/6 Years 7/8 Year 9
Please get in touch with us if you have any questions or if we can help in any way:
schoolslibraryservice@warwickshire.gov.uk
Recommended Reads KS2
We have a bumper crop of books to recommend for children across the whole of KS2. This has been created to suit all abilities and interests and with a mix of best loved classics and recent titles. Including quick reads, graphic novels and lengthy titles to curl up with, we're sure there will be something for everyone. As ever, many titles are available on BorrowBox from Warwickshire Libraries. Click on the image for the full list. Which are your favourites?
Recommended Reads for Years 7 & 8
There are books to suit all sorts in our brand new recommended reads list for Years 7 and 8 pupils. Sometimes something challenging and more grown up - but not too grown up - is required and sometimes what's needed is to go down a well-trodden path and read something familiar. Or maybe somewhere in between. This list has something for all and we hope it is useful. As ever, check out the pages of BorrowBox from Warwickshire Libraries for titles available to read for free! Click on the image for the full list.
Recommended Reads for Year 9
A fantastic range of top titles grace the pages of our recommendations for those in Year 9. Re-imagined classics, rapid reads, series and graphic novels are just some of the topics included. Selected to suit a range of interests and abilities, we are sure there is something for everyone. Many titles are available for free on BorrowBox from Warwickshire Libraries. Please share with your students. Click on the image for the full list.
Year 6 Transition Reads
Take a look at the list of fantastic titles we've put together for Year 6 pupils to read during their transition from primary to secondary school. A mix of non-fiction and fiction titles; offering glimpses into what is to come, hints and tips and school tales - from overcoming nerves at a new school to challenging yourself to achieve big things. Many titles may already on the bookshelf, with now the perfect time for a re-read. Many are available on BorrowBox with Warwickshire Libraries. There's something for everyone!
First Reading Adventure!
We are really excited to be able to share our First Reading Adventure with you. This is a reading engagement package for Years 1 and 2 to promote:
- sharing of books
- recent and fun picture books
- themes of well-being and empathy
- first steps in reading
Our adventure will take children on a journey to greater understanding of themselves and the world around them as well as increasing their confidence with books and early reading.
The high quality texts, chosen by Warwickshire SLS staff, will engage children of all abilities by their attractive design, quality illustrations and exciting narratives.
What do teachers that have been using it say?
'...a great selection of books that the children have really enjoyed listening to. We have had some lovely discussions sparked by the topics in the books, particularly when it comes to protecting our planet. Some of the children have enjoyed doing their own book reviews after they have chosen to read a book independently.
The book activity cards with a brief overview and activity ideas have also been useful.'
Mrs Helen Everley
Head Teacher
Henley Montessori Primary
How does it work?
Warwickshire SLS arranges for the books to be delivered to your school (30 new books for you to keep), designed to be used over thirty weeks of the year (10 a term) but schools can use the books in any way they choose. The books come jacketed to make them both easy to clean and long-lasting, making bent corners and scuff marks a thing of the past.
A pack will be sent to the named school contact electronically. It will include a quick guide for staff or volunteers, including activities and curriculum links, and ideas for parents. It will also have copiable promotional materials (pdfs) to keep the pupils engaged in a fun way, which will be emailed to you when you buy the pack.
Why is it needed?
- There is increasing concerns among educators and from the government to have books available that both inspire children to read more and more widely.
- This will help them to engage in a wider understanding of the world and to develop a sense of empathy for other people.
- Many parents and early years’ settings are asking for recommendations of appropriate texts to share with very young children around issues that might be quite difficult to discuss – loss, family changes, first experiences – as well as books that are simply a joy to read!
- Staff in settings and schools do not always have the time to research and select these books themselves. Our team of staff at Warwickshire SLS select books for school on a daily basis and have many years of collective experience.
- This pack from Warwickshire SLS provides your school with brand new books for your school to keep. They are there for you when you are ready to add them in to your topics with Year 1 or 2 and we are confident these titles are timeless in their appeal. They may also meet curriculum needs.
- The selection of books will fulfil your need for ready-to-use stock without the headache of having to select and order books yourselves.
Costs:
- The First Reading Adventure pack price for one set of the 30 books with jackets, plus accompanying materials and pdfs is £250
- Further sets of the 30 books may be bought for £200
If you are interested please fill out our online form and we will send you all the books and information that you will need to take part.
If you would like to get in touch with us to find out more information, please email us here: schoolslibraryservice@warwickshire.gov.uk
Previous Recommended Reads
For our previous book recommendations please take a look at our back issues pages. This can be found at the bottom of this page, please select the edition you want and click go!