The annual Award is hosted by Warwickshire Schools Libraries Services (WSLS) with the objective of encouraging more students to enjoy reading for pleasure through school and library settings. 

The Warwickshire Secondary Book Award is a spring term initiative delivered in secondary schools between January to March each year, with an exciting reading list selected by the experienced WSLS team alongside valuable input from several secondary school librarians. The shortlist of books chosen for students to read this year included: 

• Cardboard Cowboys by Brian Conaghan 

• When the World was Ours by Liz Kessler  

• Asking for a Friend by Kate Malinder 

• The Supreme Lie by Geraldine McCaughrean 

• The Monsters of Rookhaven by Padraig Kenny 

• The Humiliations of Welton Blake by Alex Wheatle 

To participate, year 7 and 8 students were encouraged to read all six books from the shortlist and to vote for their favourite book as the winner, using the criteria that the book must be ‘a page-turner that pupils would highly recommend to others’. 

The initiative culminated in a final award ceremony on the 24 March at the Bridgehouse Theatre in Warwick, where students from 14 secondary schools attended to find out which author was pronounced the winner as voted for by their cohort. Three of the authors attended the event to speak with students in-person, with the other three authors in attendance virtually, to provide inspiration and engaging conversations with students about the shortlisted books and what it’s like to be in the publishing industry.  Deputy Mayor of Warwick, Cllr Parminder Singh Birdi was also in attendance. 

Continue reading here.