“The project encourages children to read novels they would not normally venture into. It stretches the most able readers and the discussions that follow support those children who find reading more of a challenge….. If anyone wants to bring reading to life in their school then SIGN UP FOR BOOKFEST now!” Head Teacher at Castlefields Primary School
Together with the Shrewsbury Bookfest Steering Group, the followinglonglist was read and reviewed by Year 6 pupils from the following primary schools:
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.
Title | Author | Published by |
Rainbow Grey | Laura Ellen Anderson | Farshore Press |
This Wonderful Thing | Adam Baron | HarperCollins |
The Caravan at the Edge of Doom | Jim Beckett | Farshore Press |
A Clock of Stars: The Shadow Moth | Francesca Gibbons | HarperCollins |
The Castle of Tangled Magic | Sophie Anderson | Usborne |
The Life and Time of Lonny Quicke | Kirsty Applebaum | Nosy Crow |
Cally & Jimmy | Zoe Atoniades | Andersen Press |
Something I said | Ben Bailey Smith | Bloomsbury |
October, October | Katya Balen | Bloomsbury |
The Shark Caller | Zillah Bethell | Usborne |
Billy Plonka and the Grot Laboratory | Ian Billings | Ventorros Press |
Georgia and the Edge of the World | Robin Boyden | David Fickling Books |
No Country | oe Brady and Patrice Aggs | David Fickling Books |
Freddy vs School | Neill Cameron | David Fickling Books |
Danny Chung Does Not Do Maths | Maisie Chan | Bonnier/Piccadilly |
The Monster Spotter’s Handbook | Matt Cherry | Firefly Press |
The Violet Veil Mysteries: A Grave Case of Danger | Sophie Cleverly | HarperCollins |
World Burn Down | Steve Cole | Barrington Stoke |
Stick Boy | Paul Coomey | Little Tiger |
The House on the Edge | Alex Cotter | Nosy Crow |
Pretend Cows | Nicola Davies | Graffeg |
The Soup Movement | Ben Davis | OUP |
Butterfly Brain | Laura Dockrill | Bonnier/Piccadilly |
The Dog that Saved the World (Cup) | Phil Earle | Barrington Stoke |
When the Sky Falls | Phil Earle | Andersen Press |
The Boy Who Met a Whale | Nizrana Farook | Nosy Crow |
Two Sisters a Story of Freedom | Kereen Getten | Scholastic |
The Twisted Threads of Polly Freeman | Pippa Goodhart | Catnip Publishing |
The Children of Swallow Fell | Julia Green | OUP |
Crowfall | Vashti Hardy | Scholastic |
Emmy Levels Up | Helen Harvey | OUP |
Into the Spotlight | Carrie Hope Fletcher | Puffin |
Hercules | Benjamin Hulme-Cross | Bloomsbury |
Thor | Benjamin Hulme-Cross | Bloomsbury |
Greencoats | Kate Innes | Mindforest Press |
Twitch | MG Leonard | Walker Books |
Swan Song | Gill Lewis | Barrington Stoke |
Jaz Santos vs The World | Priscilla Mante | Puffin |
The Girl in Wooden Armour | Conrad Mason | David Fickling Books |
The Beast & the Bethany | Jack Meggitt-Phillips | Farshore Press |
The Hatmakers | Tamzin Merchant | Puffin |
The Midnight Guardians | Ross Montgomery | Walker Books |
Felix Unlimited | Andrew Norriss | David Fickling Books |
Amber Undercover | Em Norry | OUP |
Skyborn | Sinead O Hart | Little Tiger |
The Summer I Robbed a Bank | David O’Doherty | Puffin |
Bigfoot Mountain | Roderick O’Grady | Firefly Press |
The Ten Riddles of Eartha Quicksmith | Loris Owen | Firefly Press |
The Valley of Lost Secrets | Lesley Parr | Bloomsbury |
The Incredible Record Smashers | Jenny Pearson | Usborne |
Katie on the Case | Hannah Peck | Bonnier/Piccadilly |
Between Sea & Sky | Nicola Penfold | Little Tiger |
Peril at the Bake Off | Ruth Quayle | Andersen Press |
The Great (Food) Bank Heist | Onjali Q Raúf | Barrington Stoke |
My Name is River | Emma Rea | Firefly Press |
The Secret Detectives | Ella Risbridger | Nosy Crow |
Digger & Me | Ros Roberts | Little Tiger |
SkyWake Invasion | Jamie Russell | Walker Books |
Alien in the Jam Factory | Chrissie Sains | Walker Books |
I lost My Granny in the Supermarket | Jo Simmons | Bloomsbury |
Burning Sunlight | Anthea Simmons | Andersen Press |
The House at the Edge of Magic | Amy Sparkes | Walker Books |
Otherland | Louie Stowell | Nosy Crow |
The Small Things | Lisa Thompson | Barrington Stoke |
Harklights | Tim Tilley | Usborne |
The Lightning Catcher | Clare Weze | Bloomsbury |
The Horse Awakens | Chris White | Ventorros Press |
The Island That Didn’t Exist | Joe Wilson | OUP |
The Creature Keeper | Damaris Young | Scholastic |
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.
Registered Charity Number: 1120177
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