Massive surge in registration to 'Shadow' CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals
News 25/06/04
This year sees record registration for shadowing the judging process for the country's number one children's book awards - the CILIP Carnegie and Greenaway Medals. With a 30% increase in groups taking part, the website is a-buzz with reviews and hot debate as over 35,000 young people read and review the shortlisted titles. (www.ckg.org.uk/shadowing).
The UK's longest running literary awards, the CILIP Carnegie & Greenaway Medals have been awarded annually for almost 70 and 50 years respectively. Both medals are judged by specially selected young people's and children's librarians drawn from the regions. The shortlist for both Medals was announced on 30 April and the winners will be announced by Lizo Mzimba of CBBC's Newsround at the British Library on Friday, 9 July.
A Decade of Shadowing
It's just over 10 years since a few teachers and school librarians, in partnership with public libraries saw the potential in using the two shortlists to introduce pupils to top quality, extra curricula reading. They couldn't have known that their idea would grow into such a popular national scheme.
The reasons for its appeal? It offers an ideal mechanism to engage children and young people with the sheer enjoyment of books and pleasure of reading. It introduces them to books of great quality, to new writers and genres, and encourages breadth and depth of reading. It excites their imagination and helps develop literacy and critical skills. Although not linked to the curriculum it offers an infrastructure that schools and libraries can easily adapt for use in a range of settings.
Support & Partnerships
The shadowing process has encouraged a number of imaginative partnerships as teachers and school and public librarians build external networks to fund projects. In 2004 support has been found from local book stores, Business Educational Partnerships, adult reading groups through the PTA, Gifted and Talented Funds, and in the case of visually impaired pupils, via the National Library for the Blind thanks to a grant of £36,000 from BBC Children in Need.
Shadowing - ICT and Video Conferencing
Young people's interest in the internet and technology has led to the use of the web and video conferencing to connect groups around the country. Linking ICT and a range of other technologies with reading is an invaluable motivational tool, offering a springboard for animated debate and interaction.
The CILIP Carnegie/Greenaway Website
Over the last few years CILIP has developed the Medals shadowing web pages to meet this demand. Summer 2004 sees the addition of a range of new features on the site thanks to a £13,000 grant from Arts Council England. The site now includes flash animation and sound; video and audio clips of the shortlisted authors and illustrators; new pages including 'Have Your Say' where generic book related issues can be discussed and voted on, 'Charts' displays the top five reviewed titles and latest reviews; a 'Greenaway Gallery' where shadowers illustrations can be viewed. Shortlisted authors and illustrators are now able to take email questions from shadowers at ckg@cilip.org.uk. The site is lively and easy to use and in 2004 CILIP expects in excess of 15,000 reviews before 9 July.
"With over 35,000 young people busy shadowing the judging process there is constant activity on the Medals website," says Louisa Myatt, CILIP's Marketing Manager. "We've just experienced the highest 'hit' rate ever - 10,000 in an hour."
Ten Week Count Down
30 April to 9 July gives 'shadowers' just ten weeks to read all the titles and decide what they think. The moment the shortlists are announced the 1,800+ reading groups in schools and libraries across the country swing into action, reading all the books, hotly debating their merits and deciding which they think is the best. Then they wait in anticipation for the judges' decisions.
So for 10 weeks, up and down the country there has been animated discussion, strongly held opinion and disagreement at home, in school and in the library. Throughout there's been an ongoing sense of fun, enjoyment of books and infectious enthusiasm.
"Teachers love it because it encourages oral and written literacy skills; librarians love it because it highlights the centrality of the library and offers opportunities for networking, inside and outside the school; the young people love it because it provides an ideal vehicle for expressing their opinions!" Rosemary Woodman, Bracknell Forest, Berkshire.
Contact: Louisa Myatt, CILIP Marketing Manager
Tel: 020 7255 0650, Email: louisa.myatt@cilip.org.uk
Notes for Editors
- These are the shortlists for the 2003 CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Awards, announced in 2004. Books published between 01/01/03 and 31/12/03 are eligible.
- CILIP: the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals is the leading professional body for Librarians and Information Managers. It was formed in April 2002 by the unification of The Library Association and the Institute of Information Scientists. It has 23,000 members, most of whom are personal members whose working environments include libraries in higher and further education, industrial and commercial organisations, the health sector, professional and learned societies, government departments and agencies, schools, voluntary organisations and national and public libraries.
- The Youth Libraries Group (YLG) is a Special Interest Group of CILIP and provides the judges for the medals. The YLG works in a "pressure group" role, independently and with other professional organisations, to preserve and influence the provision of quality literature and library services for children and young people, both in public libraries and school library services.
Shortlist CILIP Carnegie Medal
- DAVID ALMOND: The Fire Eaters - Hodder Children';s Books; age range: 10+
ISBN: 0340773820
- JENNIFER DONNELLY: A Gathering Light - Bloomsbury; age range: 12+
ISBN: 0747563047
- MARK HADDON: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - David Fickling Books; age range: 13+. ISBN: 0099456761
- ELIZABETH LAIRD: The Garbage King - Macmillan; age range: 10+
ISBN: 0330415026
- MICHAEL MORPURGO: Private Peaceful - Collins; age range: 10+
ISBN: 0007150067
- LINDA NEWBERY: Sisterland - David Fickling Books; age range: 13+
ISBN: 038560470X
- Shortlist CILIP Greenaway Medal
- ANTHONY BROWNE: The Shape Game - Doubleday; age range: 7+
ISBN: 0385601360
- ALEXIS DEACON: Beegu - Hutchinson; age range: 3+
ISBN: 0091768292
- DEBI GLIORI: Always and Forever (Text by Alan Durant)
Doubleday; age range: 3+. ISBN: 038560503X
- MINI GREY: The Pea and the Princess - Red Fox; age range: 6+
ISBN: 0099432331
- SHIRLEY HUGHES: Ella's Big Chance - The Bodley Head; age range: 6+
ISBN: 0370327659
- DAVE McKEAN: The Wolves in the Walls (Text by Neil Gaiman)
Bloomsbury; age range: 9+. ISBN: 0747569533
- BEE WILLEY: Bob Robber and Dancing Jane - (Text by Andrew Matthews) -
Jonathan Cape; age range: 7+ ISBN: 0224064657
- CHRIS WORMELL: Two Frogs - Red Fox; age range: 5+
ISBN: 0099438623