A week of shortlists

Every blog post I have read this week seems to mention a new book award shortlist:

• The 2012 Carnegie Medal Shortlist - My Name is Mina by David Almond shortlisted again!
• The 2012 Kate Greenaway Medal Shortlist - We love There Are No Cats in This Book by Viviane Schwarz in our house!
• 2012 Waterstones Children’s Book Prize - winner, The Pirates Next Door by Jonny Duddle, looks absolutely brilliant
• English Association Primary Website Book Awards Shortlist - This is a new one for me, a very nice list,  I must get  a copy of I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen

Showcomotion Youth Jury

This afternoon Reading Matters meeting for Reading Mentors and Co-ordinators is kindly being hosted by The Showroom Cinema. 


We will be there because we have some exciting events lined up as part of the Showcomotion, Young People's Film Festival; watch this space!


In the meantime, they are looking for to recruit members of the Showcomotion Youth Jury members to watch some great films, and award the Showcomotion Jury Award for 2012.

I think it would be perfect for our Reading Leaders, but great for any young people aged 11 to 18, so why not get involved...

Book awards, competitions and festivals

I've spotted a few nice book-themed activities recently.

• Blue Peter Book Awards 2012, they are also trying yo find
• The Best Children's Book of the Last 10 Years
• BBC 500 Words story-writing competition with Chris Evans
• Schools Minister Nick Gibb's new reading competition
• Redhouse Children's Book Award, the 2012 winner will be announced at the...
• Imagine Children's Festival - 11 - 26 February - it's on now!

Sheffield Children's Book Award and Off the Shelf Festival 2011

Whilst at the Sheffield Children's Library I picked up a couple of leaflets giving details of the Sheffield Children's Book Award and Off the Shelf Festival 2011. Both look as excellent as ever.


Sheffield Children's Book Award


A nice line-up, although, if I am honest I haven't ready many at all. A few big names; Chris Riddell for Ottoline at Sea, David Walliams for Billionaire Boy, Terry Deary for Put Out the Light and Malorie Blackman for Boys Don't Cry. I'd like to mention a few local authors; Kevin Brooks for iBoy, Caryl Hart for Rhino, What Rhino and Alex T Smith for Egg.


But for me it is hard to look at anything except David Almond for My Name is Mina, a beautiful, beautiful tale, which I wrote about this time last year.


Off the Shelf Festival 2011


Like the book award, the festival has a real mix of interesting stuff;

• Gangs of Sheffield with Andy Messer
• Let’s Celebrate! With Debjani Chatterjee and Brian D’Arcy
• Meet the Author G P Taylor
• Nick Arnold’s Horrible Science Show
• Seeing Stars: Launch of the Sheffield Simon Armitage Soundscape
• Write Away with the WEA
• Crystal Set
• Goat Boy and Other Journeys with Fay Musselwhite, Susannah Gent, Linda Lee Welch, The Only Michael
• How to Create an Animated Show with Curtis Jobling
• Game for Poetry
• Graphic Art Workshop with Nick Hayes (he designed the great festival programme cover)

I also notice a nice project A City Reads, mapping the books that have inspired the people off Sheffield. Pick up a programme and get involved.

Bookstart Book Crawl

This weekend, I was at Sheffield Children's Library. My daughter, Rose, completed her Bookstart Book Crawl. Part of the Summer Reading Challenge. Catching up with Alexis the Librarian it sounds like the Summer Reading Challenge Volunteers are doing a great job.

Alexis and Rose!

Summer Reading Challenge 2011: Circus Stars

I finally got my daughter signed up for the Summer Reading Challenge. It's been running for a few weeks now through the summer holidays. We really do need to get reading!

Like last year I trained some young reading volunteers to work in libraries across Sheffield. And reports are they are really making a difference to the success of this year's Summer Reading Challenge.

This year's theme is Circus Stars. The website has some nice games, opportunities to chat and author videos, including my new friend Andy Stanton.

Get reading and get some fancy stickers!

Photos: Doncaster Book Award and Bradford Reading Mentors Meeting

I was involved in a couple of great events last week, the Doncaster Book Award and Reading Matters termly Volunteer Reading Mentors Meeting.

Doncaster Book Award

Gareth P Jones' novel The Thornthwaite Inheritance won the 2011 prize at a fabulous ceremony that I played a very small part in, I awarded the Creative Writing Prizes.

The day kicked off with a brilliant dance routine, with books! Lead by Lesley Hurworth, Chair of the Doncaster Book Award, and Reading Matters' Reading Leaders co-ordinator at the Armthorpe School.
Hosted by Dave Cryer, we were then treated to three brilliant performances by Phil Sheppard, The Two Steves and Tommy Donbavand:

Tommy's session, involved two lucky/unlucky candidates being turned into mummies like Cleo from the Scream Street Books:
It was a superb, packed day. I met all sorts of dedicated people, who all love to read!

Reading Matters Volunteer Reading Mentors Meeting

Reading Matters termly Volunteer Reading Mentors in Bradford was a little calmer affair, but still thrilling to catch-up with so many people dedicated to developing reading skills.

World Book Night 2011 at Waterstone's in Orchard Square, Sheffield

That's me at Waterstone's in Orchard Square, Sheffield on World Book Night, 5 March 2011. It really was a great evening. The Waterstones' guys really looked after me. Everyone was super friendly. Well, they were when I had explained that my copies of The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-time by Mark Haddon were for Reading Matters Reading Mentors, not just up for grabs!

Loads of familar faces turned up from schools and other settings, aplogies to anyone I didn't speak to very much, it was pretty busy for a while. I did sneak a peek at the other attractions:

• Rachel Genn reading from her forthcoming novel The Cure.
  
• Local band Nat Johnson and the Figureheads (very quiet even for a books hop, but cool)
  
• Local authors from the MA Writing course at Sheffield Hallam University read from a their ‘Matter’ anthology (as I was checking this out, I saw one of our very own Reading Mentor, Fay Musselwhite's poem has been chosen by Simon Armitage for a Sheffield Poetry Prize, brilliant)
  

World Book Night was all round a great evening, I am looking forward to what the Reading Mentors and their partners make of The Curious Incident. I almost ended up with more books than I started with! I have registered my interest for 2012, and I'm hoping some more books for young people are included, I'd suggest Holes by Louis Sachar, but what do I know!

Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes - Guinness World Record attempt

On 1 March 10.30-11.15, across the country people will be coming together to break the record for the largest number of children, parents and carers performing ‘Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes’.

In Sheffield where I live, people are assembling in the Peace Gardens in Sheffield City Centre, part of the ESCAL project.

It is happening nationally as part of this years Chatterbox Challenge.

My daughter, Rose, will be there. Unfortunately I won't be. Instead I'll be meeting Reading Matters new Young Embedded Advisor in partnership with Chantry YMCA in Rotherham. It's a pretty exciting project too, but maybe not quite as much fun as a mass 'Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes'!

Reading, Communicating, Mentoring

This week I was at the northern launch of the National Year of Communication - Hello, it was a different audience than I am used to, lots of Speech and Language Therapists and people from Early Years settings such as Children's Centres. There are some good resources on the Hello website if you want more information.

It reminded me about how reading is just once facet of communication, but also what a difference the reading partnerships we help facilitate can make to all aspects of children's lives, a sample quote;

At 11 years old only a fifth of children with significant speech, language and communication needs reach the expected levels for their age in both English and Maths

Another benefit of successful reading partnerships is the supportive relationships they help build. Reading Matters have been working with the Mentoring and Befriending Foundation to really explore this aspect of the reading partnerships.Their Supporting Life's Journeys Campaign is a great way for anyone to sign up to the the cause.

Jeremy Strong's Campaign for Fun

Author Jeremy Strong is looking for the funniest school in the UK and Ireland with his Campaign for Fun.

By being a bit silly you could win all sorts of cool stuff! Mr Strong also has some nice downloadable resources to check out. He has also introduced the Campaign for Fun in an article on The Guardian website. He list all sorts of great books to cheer us all up:

• Fungus the Bogeyman
• Lauren Child's Clarice Bean
• Allen Ahlberg
• Julia Donaldson
• Elephant Elements
• Andy Stanton
• The Wrong Pong
• Louise Rennison

For something a bit more involved but no less fun how about The Reading Zone's picture book competition.

2010 Book Awards - Sheffield Children's Book Award and YoungMinds

Today (23/11/10), I was at the Sheffield Children's Book Award at the City Hall where the 2010 winners were announced. I am sure there will be an official announcement with all the winners, but here is a hint - Morris the Mankiest Monster by Giles Andeae and Sarah McIntyre did really well.

It was a superb event the City Hall was full of kids shouting and screaming and stamping their feet for books and reading! I have never done so much clapping in one hour.

I was at the Children's Book award with some of the volunteers I had trained as Volunteers for the Summer Reading Challenge. Both project are organised by the Sheffield Library Service, who deserve a lot of credit.

Another award I have been involved in was also announced this week. The 2010 YoungMinds Book Award was won by Siobhan Curham, author of Dear Dylan.

There is a lovely post on Siobhan Curham's own blog about the award. She writes about how she struggled with a lack of confidence, and that 'I love being able to go into schools and tell the least confident of kids, ‘if I can do it then so can you.’ It is quite emotional and the blog post after she won is even more so.

I think our Reading Matters Mentors can also play a big part in boosting the self-esteem of struggling students, the comments on Siobham's blog show what a difference it can make.

Horner Brothers and Reading Matters win Creating Better Future Awards with Yorkshire Forward Result

I'm really please to say Reading Matters won a Creating Better Future Awards with Yorkshire Forward earlier this month. The award is in recognition for our partnership with Horner Brothers Print Group.

Since 2008 Horner Brothers staff have been attending Brinsworth Comprehensive School to carry out reading sessions with pupils. It has been a brilliant success for everyone involved and I have been really pleased to be involved. Long may it continue!

The awards were presented by Michelle Mone OBE, she said:

“The winners have all demonstrated inspirational partnership working, and their awards recognise the dedication and passion of those involved in each project.”

Them and Us by Bali Rai - Barrington Stoke Book 23

As I mentioned in my last post I am taking the books long-listed for the YoungMinds Book Award to Meadowhead school for the Reading Leaders to review. I thought I would sneak a look at Them and Us by Bali Rai for my latest Barrington Stoke review.

I am not surprised Them and Us is up for an award. Bali Rai, has a deep understanding of how to construct a thought-provoking story in the quick read format. Them and Us is just 85 pages, (all the other long-listed books are about 200 pages or more).

Bali Rai has written five books for Barrington Stoke with more on the way, he is an expert in writing short, powerful books. Them and Us is no exception. Unusually it starts in a low-key way. Page one is mostly concerned with house work. By page three we get drink, drugs, domestic violence and, crucially, racism.

David moves to a new flat and a new school to escape his abusive father. He is a white kid in a black neighbourhood. He suffers racist abuse, and when his dad catches up with him he must deal with intolerance on both sides.

The subtle details really make the story for me. David lives with his single mum and is often on his own whilst she works shifts. He is amazed at his Asian friend's home of three generations. Similarly the real trouble starts with a silly argument about Christmas.

Them and Us is a great read that handles the difficult subject matter perfectly. It seems like there will be no end to the cultural clashes. The book doesn't offer a happy-ever-after ending, but David and his mates definitely point the way forward for all of us.

YoungMinds Book Award Meadowhead School Reading Leader Reviewers

I used to work for a great organisation, YoungMinds, the children's mental health charity. I was with them when their Book Award got started. It was something I loved being involved with (especially as we discussed the books in the local pub).

I am really pleased to get back involved with the YoungMinds Book Award. I have just received a full set of books on this years long list. I will be taking these to Meadowhead School to be reviewed by the Reading Leaders there.

Any young person can get involved by reviewing a book, more details on the YoungMinds website. The 2010 long list is:

• Dear Dylan, by Siobhan Curham (AuthorHouse)
• Desperate Measures, by Laura Summers (Piccadilly)
• Ember Fury, by Cathy Brett (Headline)
• Ice Lolly, by Jean Ure (Harper Collins Children’s
  Books)
• Inside, by J A Jarman (Andersen press)
• Lottie Biggs is not desperate, by Hayley Long
  (Macmillan Children’s Books)
• No Way To Go, by Bernard Ashley, (Hachette)
• Running on the cracks, by Julia Donaldson (Egmont)
• Them and Us, by Bali Rai (Barrington Stoke)
• The Truth about Leo, by David Yelland (Penguin)
• When I was Joe, by Keren David (Frances Lincoln
  Children’s Books)
• Zellah Green, by Vanessa Curtis (Egmont)

I am personally really pleased to see Them and Us by Bali Rai on the list because it is Barrington Stoke book, just like those I have been reviewing this year.

Barrington Stoke have been doing very well on the awards front recently. The Story of Matthew Buzzington by Andy Stanton has been shortlisted for both the Leeds Book Award and the Leicester Junior Book Award. And Night Hunger by Alan Gibbons was voted best Short Novel in the Hackney School Short Novels Awards.

Heritage Park Community School Reading Leader

I have just got back from a Key Stage 4 Assembly at Heritage Park Community School to present a NOCN Certificate to Fiona, a Reading Leader. Fiona, who is autistic, has been a real star and her reading sessions with a younger pupil have been very impressive; organised, fun and really constructive.

As well as her great set of reading sessions and gaining the NOCN qualification. Fiona was visited by the people from Chilypep. They wrote a great article for their Positive Image Campaign [pdf]. She also very nearly stole the show from Alan Gibbons at our Celebration event in December 2009.

We hope to run another Reading Leaders course for Heritage Park Community School with other Special School in Sheffield later in the year. Fiona will be a hard act to follow.

YoungMinds Book Award 2010

I used to work for a fantastic charity called YoungMinds. Whilst I was there in 2003 we started a Book Award, for novels that raise awareness and create understanding of mental health needs of children and young people. It is a super idea, and, despite me moving on, it is obviously going from strength to strength.

YoungMinds are looking for young people to review the 12 books on the long list for the 2010 award. I am sure this is something our Reading Leaders (or any young person) might be interested in getting involved with. If you are under 25 and would like to get involved, there is more information on the YoungMinds website.

Reading Leader's Celebration | Sheffield, December 16 2009

As promised in my previous post about the great results of our Character Profile activity, here are some photos from our celebration event which took place on 16 December at Sheffield Town Hall.

As well as the fabulous author Alan Gibbons, Councillor Andrew Sangar, people from Barrington Stoke, Reading Matters employees and Sheffield Council personnel, the most important people in attendance where the staff and Reading Leaders from Sheffield schools:

• Handsworth Grange School
• Heritage Park Community School
• King Ecgbert School
• Silverdale School
• Stocksbridge High School

It sounds like Alan Gibbons has had a busy month, that is set to continue. He is writing a new Barrington Stoke book, The Dying Photo, based on a blurb written by James Pybis of Our Lady's and St Philomena's Primary School in Liverpool, as part of The Book Factor project. I first read about this on the Write Away website, so thanks to them.

The Roald Dahl Funny Prize Winners

The first Roald Dahl Funny Prize was announced last week, Mr Gum and the Dancing Bear by Andy Stanton, was deemed the 'Funniest Book for Children Aged Seven to Fourteen'. It does sound good and genuinely funny, which I guess is the point! As they say in the Guardian, it ' follows in the footsteps of the master of madcap humour commemorated by the award'. If it does turn out to be up-your-street, or the street of the 7-14 year-old you are reading with, the good news is that it is the fifth in a series, so there are plenty more to explore.

A bit closer to home, check out the long list for the 2008 Doncaster Book Award, which is in it's fifth year.

Booktrust Teenage Prize 2008

The shortlist for the Booktrust Teenage Prize 2008 has been out for some time, but is definitely worth a look. All the books look intriguing, lots about troubled youth, two of the books have the word knife in the title, one, The Knife of Never Letting Go, won the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize this year.