Together with the Shrewsbury Bookfest Steering Group, the followinglonglist was read and reviewed by Year 6 pupils from the following primary schools:

• Baschurch C/E Primary School
• Castlefields Primary School Bridgnorth
• Cheswardine Primary School
• Ellesmere Primary School
• Hinstock Primary School
• Longden C/E Primary School
• Longnor C/E Primary School
• Packwood Haugh
• St John’s Catholic Primary School
• St Leonard’s C/E
• St Mary’s Catholic Primary School
• West Felton C/E Primary School

The titles highlighted were highlighted by these schools as Hot Contenders for the shortlist.  By clicking on these, you can find out more about them and the reviews by the pupils.

The shortlist of 6 books was selected from this list, announced in December 2021 and can be viewed here.

The Big Book Award: 

A child-led reading development project delivered into Shropshire primary schools to find the book published in the previous two years that children aged 9 – 11 years old love the most.  

The first Book Award project in 2010 was an immediate and overwhelming success, so we have run the project every two years since then.  We have developed its scope and widened its reach each time.

If your school would like to take part in Book Award 2022, or find out more about how to get involved, please get in touch with the Bookfest team here.

The Picture Book Award:  

This project was delivered in 2018 in response to demand from the education sector in Shropshire, to follow the aims and ideals (i.e. to generate a love of reading for younger children) of the established Big Book Award, this time focusing on Years 1 and 2 (children aged 6 to 7 years old).  The Picture Book Award followed the aim to generate a love of reading for younger children and to provide a platform to inspire and influence younger pupils.  A ‘buddy reading system’ was be implemented where KS2 readers help KS1 readers throughout this project.

From June 2018, Shrewsbury Bookfest distributed hundreds of copies of the four shortlisted titles to 17 primary schools across Shropshire who signed up to the project, The Picture Book Award 2018.  Over 600 children read, commented on and voted for their favourite picture book.  

If your school would like to take part in Book Award 2022, or find out more about how to get involved, please get in touch with the Bookfest team here.