Upper 4 met on Friday 10 June for the annual Carnegie Book Award shadowing event. The whole year group gathered in the Blake Studio and started by writing on the “graffiti tables” – giving them the opportunity to express their views on the books they read during the shadowing period. Pupils then broke out into seven discussion groups and debated the character, plot and setting, as well as the pacing of the story and the styles used. This year’s set of shortlisted books encompassed a wide variety of topics, and some were written in verse. 

All pupils had the opportunity to talk about two books and after both discussion sessions everyone voted for their favourite – the book that they felt should win the award. The clear winner this year was Cane Warriors, by Alex Wheatle - a novel based on the true story of an eighteenth-century slave uprising.  

The official winner will be announced on Thursday 16 June. 

All involved agreed that the event was not only fun but also presented the opportunity to read and discuss books on genres and topics they wouldn’t normally choose.