Warwickshire Secondary Schools get to vote for their Favourite Book!
Popular children’s author, Rick Riordan, is the winner of the Warwickshire Secondary Schools Book Award of the Year.
Rick, author of the acclaimed “Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief”, was voted top choice by youngsters in the 11 – 14 age range.
The Book Award, organised by Warwickshire County Council’s Schools Library Service, began in July 2006 with a shortlist of seven titles being nominated by schools.
Youngsters have been avidly reading the books and meeting in regions across the county to discuss their thoughts about what should be the outright winning title.
Rick, an American, commented on how pleased he was to receive Warwickshire’s award, noting the county’s rich literary heritage. He said: “It is a great honour to get this award from Warwickshire’s schools because of its wonderful tradition. I am also honoured as the people who voted for me were the students themselves.”
Celia Merriman, Joint Manager of the Schools Library Service, said: “We are very excited that Rick found time to talk to our Warwickshire youngsters. We have a very active support programme which includes schools right across the county and have been delighted with the response we get from pupils.”
One of the pupils at the school, Fahrid Chishty has also been asked to write a 500 word piece for the weekly newspaper aimed especially at children, First News.
Warwickshire Schools Library Service, based at Montague Road, Warwick, operates as a self-contained and self-supporting business unit within Warwickshire County Council’s Libraries & information Service and is part of the Adult, Health and Community Services Directorate.
The Schools Library Service offers advice, training and resources to subscribing schools. In addition the service works to promote literacy and the joy of books through events like their annual inter-school book quizzes and national book shadowing projects.