Carnegie Book Awards 2024 @ Beaumont School
Fourteen pupils from years 8, 9 & 10 spent a fun morning at Beaumont on 20th June discussing this year’s shortlisted books while waiting for the much anticipated winners to be announced on the livestream. Working in groups, the shadowers as they are called, discussed the books, voted for their favourite and took part in a quiz.
Krista 9T commented: “This is my second year participating in the Carnegie Shadowing team. I really enjoyed this year’s books because it opened me up to new style of writing: verse. Normally, I wouldn’t even think to open a verse book, but this year I really liked one. I’ll definitely do this again next year.”
Referring to the live-streamed event, Abby 10S said: “It was very inspiring to hear the messages from the authors and other students.”
Nemdini 9J added: “I found it really fun and exciting to take part in the Carnegie Book Awards and to interact with the other students.”
While Hanifat 9S remarked: “I had a wonderful experience interacting with other students and reading different genres.”
Photo: some of the Loreto Shadowers pictured in Beaumont’s library.
Loreto’s Shadowing group is one of thousands in the UK and around the world involved in the Awards, with participants ‘shadowing’ the judging process, debating and choosing their own winners.
The panel of expert judges awarded the Medal for Writing to Joseph Coelho for his verse novel The Boy Lost in the Maze which portrays a boy’s journey into manhood, integrating the ancient legacy of the Minotaur with the contemporary journey of a teenager searching for his biological father. The winner of the Shadowers’ Choice Medal for Writing was Tia Fisher for her powerful debut novel told in verse, Crossing the Line, based on a true story about a teenager swept up into county lines. We are very excited that Tia will be vising Year 9 next October during Reading Week to talk about her book!
Medal for Writing
Shadowers’ Choice Medal for Writing
Photo: Loreto and Beaumont Shadowers
To take part, pupils had to read at least six of the eight shorlisted books, attend weekly meetings and write two book reviews (published on the Carnegie website).
All shortlisted books are available to borrow in the library.