The Big Book Award: 

A child-led reading development project delivered into Shropshire primary schools to find the book published in the previous year 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, but its key objectives have remained the same:

• To help children develop a love of reading by introducing them to a range of well-written and genuinely engaging new books written for children of their age
• To encourage them to express their views about contemporary fiction through writing, illustration, drama and through discussion – both guided and formal – with their peers and with their teachers.  

One major distinguishing feature of the Shropshire Bookfest Book Award – which makes it so special and so successful – is that the shortlisted books are chosen by children.

Groups of Year 5 and Year 6 pupils in 12 schools across the county between them read more than 70 books published in the last year and nominated for the Award by leading UK publishers.

It is on the basis of their honest feedback and recommendations that six books are shortlisted. These are the ones they feel other children their age will enjoy the most!

Click here to see the fantastic shortlist for Shropshire Bookfest Big Book Award 2026.

Multiple sets of the shortlisted books are delivered to all the classes taking part in the project – a book for every child. And during the Spring Term, pupils have fun reading the books, swapping and discussing them with their friends and teachers, finding out about the authors, and taking part in art, poetry, letter-writing and film-trailer competitions based around the books.

At the end of March, they cast their votes for their favourite book – the more books they read, the more votes they have.

And at the end of April, we gather together pupils, teachers, the shortlisted authors, our sponsors, patrons and supporters for a special Awards Ceremony to celebrate each of the books and authors, all the children’s work and creativity – and reveal which book has won the Shropshire Bookfest Big Book Award!

Shropshire Bookfest Big Book Award 2026 was launched to teachers at a Conference and CPD Training Day in November 2025.

In January 2026, it was launched to over 1,200 children in 33 primary schools across Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin. They are now embarked on an exciting reading adventure!

The Picture Book Award:  

This project for KS1 was first delivered in 2018 in response to demand from the education sector in Shropshire, to follow the aims and ideals of the established Big Book Award, this time focusing on Years 1 and 2 (children aged 5 to 7 years old).  The purpose of Picture Book Award is to help generate a love of books and reading among younger children.  And we also encourage schools to adopt a ‘buddy reading system’  where KS2 pupils who’ve taken part in Big Book Award link up with KS1 pupils to enjoy reading the Picture Book Award shortlist titles together.

Book Award 2026 Calendar: