The Carnegie Medal is one of the biggest prizes in junior fiction today, and the standard of submissions is usually incredibly high, both in terms of the writers ability and also the requirements it places on the reader to understand complex themes and situations.
St Josephs Comprehensive school in Newport has been following the medal (known as 'shadowing') for 12 years, and each year it's library reading groups pupils read the books, dissect them within the group and pick out their favourites to win. This year the librarian Anne Hayman decided to try something a little different; instead of simply taking about their favourite book the pupils would use some of the newest technology to create a cinema style 'trailer' for the book they think deserved to win.
The St Josephs reading groups have been kind enough to allow us to share these fantastic trailers created by the pupils, as well as their thoughts from the presentation day below.
Kevin Brooks: The bunker diary
Ciaran McConnell year 8
“This book is absolutely terrifying, anybody who is easily scared look away now. This is a wonderful, beautifully written book by Kevin Brookes with well fleshed out characters all living in one terrifying environment. The ending hits you like a punch in the stomach – a brilliant book! This is a video that we have made to give you just a taster and hopefully encourage you to read it for yourselves”.
Rebecca Stead: Liar and spy
by Aimee Pollock year 9
“The cover didn’t attract me to this book, it looked too much like a chilled American school story, then I thought it was a James Bond style spy story, I was wrong on both accounts, it was neither. This isn’t the sort of book that the cover tells all, it turned out to be a story of family secrets, friendship and growing up and, most importantly the ability to see the bigger picture. The style of writing was easy and fast-paced, short chapters kept coming, it was the kind of book you could read in one evening”.
Susan Cooper: Ghost hawk
by Jade Carberry, Ciaran Middleton & Haidar Mathieson Year 8
“Now, firstly I just want to say that this was not my first choice of the Carnegie shortlist, in fact it was the last book I read. The cover gave the impression that it was aimed at a much younger reader so I read the rest of the short list before this one. I was however pleasantly surprised once I looked more closely at it. I read the blurb and the synopsis and I began to get interested, this sounded like quite an unusual story. Ghost Hawk is an adventure, a mystery and a ghost story all rolled into one and it kept me gripped right to the end”.
“I liked this book right from the start and unlike Haidar it was my first choice to read off the short list. This book was full of sudden twists and surprises, more shocking and unexpected than any other book I’ve ever read! It was a fast-paced plot and I read it very quickly, and then regretted it because I finished too soon, I just wanted to keep reading. The characters were well developed and realistic and the unpredicatable plot twists made this one of the best books I’ve ever read. This is our video which I hope will give you a taste of this brilliant book”.
Julie Berry: All the truth that's in me
by Kira Jamieson year 8 & Geri Fowles year 9
“The first time I saw the cover of this book it intrigued me. I thought from the cover that it was about a forest! After reading the blurb it made me think it was going to be a very sad and unusual mystery, and a love story and I was right. It starts with very short chapters that made it easy to keep reading and is told in the first person by Judith, the main character, who addresses everything to “you” this is the man she loves – Lucas. I felt really sorry for Judith because of what she had been through and the way everyone, especially her mother treated her. The story is exciting, sometimes scary and really gripping. The characters are incredibly strong and their behaviour was often unpredictable this made it a very original kind of story for me. It was quite challenging but I’m really glad I read it and I hope it wins”.
Katherine Rundell: Rooftoppers
by Nansi Jones, Zoe Paginton, Molly Burn Johnson year 7
“Out of all the Carnegie nominees, this was the one that grabbed our attention. We all loved the cover and when we read the blurb it sounded intriguing and we wanted to continue reading.
Roof toppers is an original and exciting adventure story, there is a dark side, many of the characters are homeless orphans living in Paris at the beginning of the 20th century, but the author tells the story of their extraordinary lives with a sense of optimism and hope in a lively and thrilling way.
We loved the character of Sophy, she’s feisty and incredibly determined and stubborn, and she is more than a match for Charles her guardian, and Matteo one of the roof toppers who helps her in her quest to find her mother. While being larger than life, quirky and with individual personalities the characters were also convincing and real and we really really wanted a happy ending for them.
This was an amazing book and we think it should definitely win the prize”.
Rebecca Stead: Liar and spy
by Kitty McHugh year 7
“When I looked at the cover of Liar and Spy it didn’t look like the kind of book I would read. It looked a bit cartoony and childish, but the blurb sounded interesting so I began to read on and I’m really glad I did. The story is a mystery, who is the mysterious Mr. X and what is he up to? but it is also much more than that. The characters and their lives are believable, many of us will have experienced the things they are going through – moving house, a parent losing their job, illness and bullying I felt it connected with a lot of people. I immediately developed an empathy with Georges – the main character, he was easily likeable, while the other characters, particularly Safer was harder to get to know, there was an intriguing mystery surrounding him and his family.
The style of the writing was easy-going and suitable for a boy of Georges age, it told a sometimes sad story in a readable, enjoyable way and covered important themes of growing up and family secrets within a really exciting mystery story, with a surprising twist at the end. It is for all these reasons that I picked Liar and Spy as my favourite to win the Carnegie medal”.
Katherine Rundell: Rooftoppers
by Ewelina Gil, Jasmine Celtel & Erin Hawkins year 9
“We have chosen Roof Toppers as our favourite to win the Carnegie Medal for many reasons. We found the cover beautiful and simple much like the storyline. Although we found the synopsis off-putting at first we were pleasantly surprised once we began to read the book. It definitely did not disappoint; clearly written with a bright storyline that keeps the reader engaged without relying on fake intensity or clichéd cliff-hangers. A story like no other, perfect for all ages, with wonderful characters that will sweep readers back to a Paris that once was.
A spotless story filled with themes of loss maturity and never giving up on what you believe, what is most important to you. With an optimistic ending making this a fairy tale for everyone”.
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