Ealing Readers' Award 2013

Our School hosted this year's Ealing Readers' Award - students from nine Ealing Schools met to make their presentations and to vote for their choice of the best book published for young readers in 2012 from the shortlisted books.

We had to clear the stacks to make space for everyone and our wonderful caretakers found us 40 extra chairs so that we could give everyone a seat. The Library becomes very spacious once the stacks are shifted - though it does reduce choice. Borrowers could have any book they wanted as long as the author's name began with an 'M'. 


We were extremely fortunate in having Geraldine McCaughrean as our keynote speaker  for this event. She not only inspired us about writing but also was jolly good fun! (One of her books is on our Y6 incoming booklist - it is an excellent story with a superb twist. Look out for The Positively Last Performance.)

The shortlist for ERA was interesting; two Jacqueline Wilson books, Emerald Star and Four Children and It, Cathy Cassidy's Summer Dream, Morris Gleitzman's After, Charlie Higson's The Sacrifice, Jeff Kinney's The Third Wheel, Sophie McKenzie's Missing Me, Robert Muchamore's Guardian Angel, and David Walliams' Ratburger. 

The winner was Missing Me by Sophie McKenzie - a refreshing choice as the other writers have been shortlisted before. The cheer that went up when the winner was announced was a joy to hear. It is a fast-paced story that is about convoluted family ties and child surrogacy.
Close runners up were Charlie Higson's The Sacrifice and David Walliams' Ratburger.

Geraldine's latest book

Ealing Readers' Award (ERA) 2012 Shortlist

Ealing Readers' Award is an attempt to give our students some say in what they think is the best book of the previous year.


It began because the Ealing School Librarians felt that, after many years of Shadowing the Carnegie, students got very little satisfaction for their effort. In over ten years of Shadowing, our school agreed with the official panel once - for Mal Peet and Tamar.
Frequently, the students were baffled as to why they were involved in Shadowing if there was no end result for student choice. So - step forward ERA.


If you are in a participating high school in Ealing you may nominate any eligible book - i.e. one that has been first published in the previous year (in the UK). Any student from Years 7,8 and 9 may nominate.


Our closing date for nominations this year was World Book Day. Since then the nominations have been counted and there are eight books on the shortlist.


A panel of six readers from each school will read all the shortlisted books and then decide their winner at a meeting at Featherstone High School on the 27th June.


Here is the shortlist:

There are eight participating schools this year - Acton High School, Brentside High School, Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School, Drayton Manor High School, Elthorne Park High School, Featherstone High School, Greenford High School and Northolt High School. (Dormers Wells High School is unable to participate this year because of a major building programme.)


Previous winners were:
Darren Shan in 2012 with Hell's Heroes - guest speaker Candy Gourlay
Charlie Higson in 2011 with The Fear - guest speaker Alan Gibbons