Oxfordshire youngsters get chance to vote on their winning children's author (From Witney Gazette)

Oxfordshire youngsters get chance to vote on their winning children's author

12:40pm Saturday 29th January 2011 in Headlines By Liam Sloan

youngsters across Oxfordshire caught the reading bug as they prepared to decide who should win a prestigious literary prize.

A shortlist has been announced for the Oxfordshire Book Award, one of the only children’s fiction prizes in which youngsters decide who should win.

Hundreds of children at 16 primary schools and 18 secondary schools across the county judge the award, nominating their favourite books published this year before voting on which one is the best.

Pupils can vote at school and in public libraries until Thursday, March 31, before the winning authors are announced on Wednesday, April 6.

Anusha Abbas, 12, said she begged teachers at Oxford Academy to get involved for the first time, after going to last year’s awards ceremony at Abingdon School.

She said: “After we came back, we decided to start a book club so we could join in.

“We decided what books we wanted to read and got them from the library.

“We discover new books and share what we like with other people, and we get to decide who wins.”

Mason Thomas-Downes, 11, also at Oxford Academy, nominated one of the shortlisted books, Malorie Blackman’s Boys Don’t Cry.

It tells a story of a teenager who, while waiting for his A-level results, is handed a new-born baby by his ex-girlfriend and has to look after it.

Mason said: “I’m hoping it’s going to win. Malorie Blackman is really good, and inspired me to be a writer.

“I’ve already written three books and I’m working on a play about teenagers in Oxford.”

The prize was set up by Burford School librarian Lynne Cooper as the West Oxfordshire Book Award in 2007, but now includes schools and public libraries across Oxfordshire.

She said: “It has grown hugely, and now the publishers all know who we are and all about the award.

“So many of the national awards have a panel of adult judges, but never ask the children what they like to read.”

THE SHORTLIST

THE books nominated for the primary school picture book prize are Quentin Blake’s Angelica Sprocket’s Pockets, Julia Donaldson’s Zog and Anthony Browne’s Me and You.

On the junior shortlist are Jacqueline Wilson’s The Longest Whale Song, Ingrid Lee’s Dustbin Cat and Michael Morpurgo’s Shadow.

Shadow also appears on the secondary shortlist, along with Rick Riordan’s The Red Pyramid, Malorie Blackman’s Boys Don’t Cry, Jacqueline Wilson’s Little Darlings and Cathy Cassidy’s Cherry Crush.

Didcot, Bicester and Banbury libraries are holding public Oxfordshire Book Awards events during the February half term.