Little Rebels Children’s Book Award
Freedom by Catherine Johnson, a short historical novel about slavery, was announced as the winner of the Little Rebels Children’s Book Award last week. This story would be an ideal introduction for students to the topic of slavery and it contains some historical notes at the end of the story.
UKLA Book Awards
The winners of the UKLA Book Awards were also announced last Friday at the UKLA International Conference which took place in Sheffield.
3 – 6 category
Winner: I Am Bat by Morag Hood
Bat is trying to figure out who is taking his cherries in this hilarious and interactive tale. If you would like to show your students a video of Morag Hood reading I Am Bat, there is one available on the Scottish Book Trust website.
Highly Commended: After the Fall by Dan Santat
After the Fall takes a look at how Humpty handles his fear of heights, once he has recovered from the injuries caused by his fall.
7 to 11 category
Winner: The Explorer by Katherine Rundell
The Explorer is an adventure story, in which four children survive a plane crash in the Amazon rainforest and have to find their way home. Bloomsbury have produced a creative writing resource pack for children in Key Stage 2, which is based on the story. To access it, scroll to the bottom of their webpage and click on the download button.
Highly Commended: Running on Empty by S.E. Durrant
Running on Empty is a story told to us by 11 year old AJ. His parents have learning difficulties and his grandfather (who had always kept the family together) has recently passed away. AJ turns to running to keep his emotions in tact. CLPE have created a teaching sequence for Running on Empty which aimed at Year 5 or 6 and is available through their Power of Reading programme. Please ask us for help if you have trouble accessing it.
12 to 16+ category
Winner: Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
After Will’s brother is shot in a gang crime, he seeks revenge. A haunting, lyrical, powerful verse novel examining teenage gun violence.
Highly Commended: The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
The Poet X tells the story of a teenager girl called Xiomara, who turns to poetry to escape from the pressures she faces from her family, society and the church. This story is also written in verse.
There are teaching resources available for Long Way Down and The Poet X on the Carnegie website.
