Carnegie Medal

The winner of the Carnegie Medal and also the Kate Greenaway Medal have been announced.
Here Lies Arthur by Philip Reeve won the Carnegie Medal.
Little Mouse’s Big Book of Fears by Emily Gravett won the Kate Greenaway Medal.
Read more.

Linzi Glass at Our Lady's Abingdon and Carnegie Forum

Over 20 girls from years 7 & 8 will be joining with other local students, who have been shadowing the Carnegie Medal, to enjoy a day sharing their views of the Carnegie Medal shortlisted books. The Abingdon Carnegie Forum is an annual event organised by the Librarians of the six secondary schools in Abingdon, and is an opportunity to share the love of reading and meet old friends, and make new ones. It will be taking place on Wednesday 25 June.

This year we are delighted to welcome one of the shortlisted authors Linzi Glass, author of Ruby Red, who will talk to the shadowers at the start of the Forum. In the afternoon Linzi Glass will come to our Lady's Abingdon to talk to Year 10 girls. The winner of the Carnegie Medal will be announced the following day.

At the Forum the groups of shadowers will discuss the criteria the judges will be using - plot, characters and style. There will be no shortage of opinions: over 300 reviews have already been posted by the students from the schools. Guest judges will circulate, listening to the groups, then retire for the hard task of selecting the best reviews for each book.

After lunch the discussion groups, which are lead by their librarians and English teachers, give a short presentation about why their book should win the Carnegie Medal, and voting slips will be completed. Whilst the results are being counted we will enjoy a musical interlude by a school ensemble. Prizes of book tokens and books will be awarded to the review winners, the 'Best Group Presentation' , and 'Best Contributor' in each group. An Abingdon Carnegie Forum cake will also no doubt feature!

Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction 2008

Rose Tremain has won the 2008 Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction or The Road Home.

Joanna Kavenna won the Award for New Writers 2008 for Inglorious.
The other shortlisted authors were Charlotte Mendelson for When We Were Bad; Sadie Jones for The Outcast; Nancy Huston for Fault Lines; Heather O'Neill for Lullabies for Little Criminals; and Patricia Wood for Lottery.

The Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction is awarded to the woman who, in the opinion of the judges, has written the best, eligible full-length novel in English. As well as winning the prize Rose Tremain was awarded a £30,000 cheque.

Reading Escapes

The National Year of Reading’s monthly theme for June is Reading Escapes. A suggestion of books for the month can be seen at: http://www.sla.org.uk/nyr-booklist-june08.php.

I recommend The Adventures of the Dish and the Spoon by OLA visitor illustrator Mini Grey. Ever wondered what really did happen when the dish of the nursery rhyme ran away with the spoon? They escaped to New York of course and this is their hair-raising story as told by the Spoon, a story packed full of gangsters, high-flying acrobats, bank robbers… and true love. This stylishly illustrated story won the prestigious Kate Greenaway Medal last year and is full of witty detail.
The DFC. An exciting brand new full colour weekly comic for children featuring stories from some of the greatest artists and writers in the world including Philip Pullman, Chris Riddell and Nick Sharatt. Weekly episodes of stories in all genres for boys and girls. http://www.thedfc.co.uk/
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame. One of the most celebrated works of classic literature for children, following Mole, Rat, Toad and Badger from one adventure to the next - in gipsy caravans, stolen sports cars, to prison and back to the Wild Wood. A story of animal cunning and human camaraderie, this remains a timeless tale nearly 100 years after its publication. It hasn't dated and remains a tale children can relate to, whether reading themselves or listening to it told.
Escape from Shangri-la by Michael Morpurgo
Once by Morris Gleitzman
The Garbage King by Elizabeth Laird
Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah
Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
The Star of Kazan by Eva Ibbotson
The Defender by Alan Gibbons

The rest of the year’s themes for National Year of Reading:
July: Rhythm and Rhyme
August: Read the Game
September: You Are What You Read
October: Word of Mouth
November: Screen Reads
December: Write the Future

Red House Children's Book Winners for 2008

The 2008 winners were announced at the award ceremony at the Guardian Hay Festival.

Overall Winner
Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy
Category:Older Readers

Category Winners
Younger Children: Penguin by Polly Dunbar
Younger Readers: Ottoline and the Yellow Cat by Chris Riddell

Click here for full details and other nominated books.