With the help of a generous grant from a local trust fund, Shrewsbury Bookfest put together a competition to help primary school pupils in Years 3 and 4 to commemorate the First World War and to remember the animals that served and risked their lives.

During the first week of the Autumn Term Shrewsbury Bookfest provided 15 primary schools with copies of Hilary Robinsons’s book Flo of the Somme, comprehension worksheets to support class discussions. Children were invited to write a front-page story for their local newspaper based on the book.

And the winners are …………..

ELIZA HOWE from St. George’s Junior School

MEGAN BALDWIN from Martin Wilson Primary

OLIVER EDWARDS from Longden C of E Primary

EMILY STEVENS from Baschurch C of E Primary

JAKE EDWARDS from The Wilfred Owen School

ESME FARMER from St. Winefride’s Convent School

Many, many congratulations to them all and commiserations to those schools who were not successful this time.   We had over 800 entries and the standard was extremely high so judging was a difficult task.  The Bookfest trustees gave Shirley Tart a Short List of 100 names and she found it equally hard to pick out six winners from so many excellent entries.

Prizes were awarded at an event at Button & Bear Bookshop in Shrewsbury on Saturday 11th November, by ‘Flo of the Somme’ author Hilary Robinson.  The Shropshire Star will be publishing some of the winning entries and all the winners will be invited to visit the Star’s offices in Ketley.