Very soon, classrooms across 28 Shropshire primary schools will be filled with a shortlist of some fabulous, contemporary, exciting and joyful books for children, chosen by children.

Over 1,100 pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 will very soon be getting their hands on these books to mark the start of the Shropshire Bookfest Picture Book Award 2024.

These lucky children will spend the second half of the summer term immersed in reading, sharing and voting for their favourite picture book from this shortlist which includes award winning children’s authors, new authors and tales friendship, loyalty, adventure and the natural world.

Children will also be able to take part in an art competition and also a class response competition. These competitions have been carefully designed to allow the children’s creative minds to run free! Winners will be chosen from every school taking part.

They will VOTE for their favourite book on Friday 28th June 2024…keep an eye out for the announcement of the winner the following week!!!

The shortlist, chosen by groups of super fast and super critical readers from 8 Shropshire primary schools from a longlist of over 70 titles submitted by leading children’s publishers, is:

Dick the Delightful Duck by Kaye Umansky and Ben Mantle, published by Scholastic

The Quickest Bedtime Story Ever! by Louise Fitzgerald and Kate Hindley, published by Nosy Crow

The Dodo Who Dreamed She Could Fly by Catherine Emmett and Claire Powell, published by Simon & Schuster Children’s

Who Ate All the Bugs? by Matty Long, published by Oxford University Press

The Bookfest Book Award is a highly successful project that has been run every two years in primary schools across Shropshire since 2010. It has been proven to have had a significant impact on inspiring children to read. 

I just wanted to share with you what a huge success Bookfest Book Award is at our school. The children have never read so avidly, and there is so much book talk happening – it’s incredible. We have reluctant readers who are engaged, focused and getting such satisfaction from reading the books.”

Deputy Head Teacher – Bicton Primary School during Book Award 2022

  

Primary schools taking part in Picture 2024:

Alveley Primary School

Bicton CE Primary School

Castlefields Primary School

Cheswardine Primary School

Clee Hill Community Academy

Clive CE Primary School

Condover CE Primary School

Gobowen Primary School

Greenacres Primary School

Greenfields Primary School

Hinstock Primary School

Lilleshall Primary School

Longden CE Primary School

Longnor CE Primary School

The Martin Wilson School

Mount Pleasant Primary School

Norton in Hales CE Primary School

Packwood Haugh School

Prestfelde School

Radbrook Primary School

Rushbury CE Primary School

Short Wood Primary School

St Laurence CE Primary School

St Lawrence CE Primary School

Tibberton CE Primary School

St Mary’s Catholic Primary School, Madeley

St Peter’s  CE Primary & Nursery School

Whixall CE Primary School

If you’d like to speak to a member of the Bookfest team to discuss this project further, we’d be delighted to hear from you and to help.  Contact us here!