Read On!
There has been lots of discussion and debate in the library over the recent weeks regarding what makes a favourite children’s book . A group of our Year 7 students have been shadowing the Yoto Carnegie Medal for Illustration. Mrs Gray’s classes have also been working with picture books and picture books for older readers, noting the different types of art medium used, identifying morals and issues, and deciding upon the intended age of the target audience. Students and staff have also discussed the results of the BBC Culture’s 100 Greatest Children’s Books poll results. We will also be talking about our guest reviewer’s chosen book. Thank you to Miss Evans for being our guest book reviewer for this month
Yoto Carnegie Shadowing Scheme
A group of our Year 7 students have been taking part in the Yoto Carnegie Shadowing Scheme. The scheme “engages thousands of children and young people in reading the books on the shortlist via reading groups in schools and public libraries with dedicated educational reading resources and promotional materials to support each shortlist.” Our students will be joining young people across the country in voting for the Shadowers’ Choice Award. This mirrors the nation-wide voting by librarians for both the Yoto Carnegie Medals for Writing and Illustration. It is always interesting to compare the voting results, and the winners will be announced later this month.
Our group decided to focus upon the Yoto Carnegie Medal for Illustration shortlist, a selection of six outstanding books in terms of illustration for children and young people. Mrs. Bridgman and the group discussed the elements that make an outstanding book with illustrations, with different artistic mediums considered. Each student and the library staff voted for the book that they thought should win. Voting was very close with a tie for first place! Our votes were then submitted and will count towards the final Shadowers’ Choice Award.
The top three books were:
Saving Sorya: Chang & the Sun Bear by Trang Nguyen
Based upon a true story, this picture book for older readers is written by the scientist and environmental activist Trang Nguyen. The story relates the attempt to rescue a bear by a young conservationist. Chang must undertake a range of training and learn new skills before becoming a rescue volunteer. Will Chang be able to return Sorya the sun bear to the wild? A beautiful combination of text and illustrations make this an interesting read which has a strong environmental message.
Rescuing Titanic: A True Story of Quiet Bravery in the North Atlantic by Flora Delargy
This non-fiction book won my vote as I thought it gave a different angle to the Titanic story as it is told from the point of view of the crew of the ship Carpathia. Carpathia was the ship that received the distress call from the sinking Titanic. The book is jammed-packed with information regarding navigation tools, the roles of the different crew members and Morse code. The illustrations were detailed, and the use of a muted colour palette mirrored both the location and the mood of those involved. This is author/illustrator Delargy’s debut book and what a talent! Delargy has a close personal connection to the Titanic as her grandfather and great grandfather both worked in the Belfast Shipyards, where the Titanic was built.
AR LEVEL: 6.6
The Comet by Joe Todd-Stanton
The use of gold-coloured spot foiling on the front of this picture book for younger children is so eye-catching! At the centre of the story is the experience of moving home for young children and how confusing a time this can be. Nyla feels bewildered when her family have to move from the countryside to the city. When a comet crashes through the city streets, Nyla soon realises that the move will bring in new opportunities and experiences. The story was inspired by the changes families had to make during the pandemic. This is the book that won Mrs Bridgman’s vote, who loved the illustrations. ‘The Comet’ also made the UKLA Book Awards 2023 Longlist.
Please click on the link below for information about all the titles that made the shortlist for this year:
https://yotocarnegies.co.uk/illustration-shortlist-2023/
If you would like more information about the organisation of the awards, who makes up the judging panels, and the Medal for Writing shortlist, please follow the link below:
A huge thank you to Thooba Momeen in 7SMA for her amazing artwork for the book ‘The Comet’. Mrs Bridgman and I love Thooba’s use of bright colours. This picture has been uploaded to the Shadowers website so that all the young people shadowing the award can view it, nation-wide. Well done, Thooba!
BBC Culture’s 100 Greatest Children’s Books
In May of this year BBC Culture polled publishers and editors, authors and illustrators, academics, librarians, and readers from across the globe. Each person polled has to select their ten favourite children’s books and rank them. Editor of BBC Culture, Rebecca Laurence explained: "We are delighted to present BBC Culture's poll of the 100 greatest children’s books of all time. With 177 children's books experts voting from 56 different countries around the world, we hope that this list will inspire debate, encourage people to revisit classics of their youth, and to discover books they may not have come across before." I was really surprised with the winning title as I hadn’t expected it to poll so highly! I have included the top ten books below so that you can compare them with your own favourites.
Where the Wild Things Are (Maurice Sendak, 1963)
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (Lewis Carroll, 1865)
Pippi Longstocking (Astrid Lindgren, 1945)
The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, 1943)
The Hobbit (JRR Tolkien, 1937)
Northern Lights (Philip Pullman, 1995)
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (CS Lewis, 1950)
Winnie-the-Pooh (AA Milne and EH Shepard, 1926)
Charlotte’s Web (EB White and Garth Williams, 1952)
Matilda (Roald Dahl and Quentin Blake, 1988)
Just in case your book didn’t make the top ten, the full list can be found by clicking the link below:
Mrs Thornton BA (Hons) MCLIP
School Librarian