All of Lower Four, joined by visiting pupils from four local schools, enjoyed an inspiring day of storytelling as three award-winning authors visited to talk about their books, their journeys into writing, and the process of bringing a story to the page. Mitch Johnson kicked things off with a look at his novels Strike and Kick; two books that look like they're simply about football, but that actually dig much deeper, exploring the origins of the clothes we wear and shining a light on exploitative working conditions around the world. Pupils threw themselves into a lively challenge, racing to assemble a pair of football boots (studs and laces included), before learning about the realities faced by workers in sweatshops. It was a thought-provoking way to bring the book's themes to life. Next, Joseph Elliott talked about his career as a television actor and how he became a writer. He shared insights into the writing process, from the multiple redrafts and edits through to the all-important decision of choosing a book cover. He read an exciting extract from The Good Hawk, the first book in his Shadow Skye trilogy, and ran an interactive session that had pupils fully engaged throughout. Rounding off the day, Jennifer Killick spoke about her love of scary stories and how she found her niche blending horror with comedy. Pupils tested their instincts in a game guessing which unusual animal facts were real and which she'd invented, and again there were lots of interactive aspects to her talk, including a home-made life-size giant tapeworm soft toy and a horror-themed twist on rock/paper/scissors. There was a real buzz about books all day, with independent bookseller BookBugs and Dragon Tales on hand so pupils could buy copies and get them signed by the authors. It was a busy, fun and inspiring day for all who took part! 

After shadowing the Carnegie Medal for Writing judging process since Easter as part of their Wollow lessons, the entire Upper Four cohort came together for a morning of discussion and debate about this year's shortlisted titles. There was a real buzz about reading as pupils shared their opinions in small groups, comparing favourite characters, discussing themes and debating which books they felt deserved to win. The conversations reflected a wide range of views, with pupils offering thoughtful perspectives on the quality of the shortlisted books. It was encouraging to see them engaging confidently and supporting their opinions with evidence from their reading. Staff from across the school also joined the discussions, including colleagues from History, Music, Art and Learning Support. Their involvement helped to model reading for pleasure and demonstrated that books can be a shared interest across the whole school community. Following the discussions, pupils cast their votes for their favourite title. Upper Four selected Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody by Patrick Ness as their overall winner. A few days later, the official Carnegie Medal results were announced, with both the judges' winner and the Shadowers' Choice Award going to Wolf Siren by Beth O'Brien. The event provided a valuable opportunity for the whole year group to come together to celebrate reading, exchange ideas and reflect on a shared reading experience.