2008 Costa Book Awards

2008 Costa Children’s Book Award shortlist
Keith Gray for Ostrich Boys
Saci Lloyd for The Carbon Diaries 2015
Michelle Magorian for Just Henry
Jenny Valentine for Broken Soup
The shortlists for the other categories of the award are below.
Costa First Novel Award:
The Behaviour of Moths by Poppy Adams
The Outcast by Sadie Jones
Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith
Inside the Whale by Jennie Rooney
Costa Biography Award:
Somewhere Towards the End by Diana Athill
Bloomsbury Ballerina by Judith Mackrell
If You Don't Know Me By Now: A Memoir of Love, Secrets and Lies in Wolverhampton by Sathnam Sanghera
Chagall by Jackie Wullschlager
Costa Novel Award:
The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry
The Other Hand by Chris Cleave
A Partisan's Daughter by Louis de Bernieres
Trauma by Patrick McGrath
Costa Poetry Award:
For All We Know by Ciaran Carson
The Broken Word by Adam Foulds)
Sunday at the Skin Launderette by Kathryn Simmonds
Salvation Jane by Greta Stoddart
More information

2008 Eleanor Farjeon Award

The winner of the Eleanor Farjeon Award for 2008 is Chris Brown, a former Head Teacher and the Reviews Editor of the School Librarian magazine. The Eleanor Farjeon Award is made for distinguished service to the world of children's books and is given to someone whose commitment and contribution is deemed to be outstanding. The spirit of the award is to recognise the unsung heroes who contribute so much to every aspect of children's books. The shortlist also includded Michael Morpurgo, Elizabeth Hammill and Mary Briggs, joint founders of Seven Stories, the Children's Book History Society and David Wood the dramatist whose adaptations include 'Babe, the Sheep Pig' as well as 'The Tiger who Came to Tea'. Last year's winner of the award was Jane Nissen, the founder of Jane Nissen Books, which has been successful in bringing some of the best-loved children's books of the 20th century back into print. More information

New Famous Five book

Enid Blyton is the UK's best-loved writer, according to a survey conducted earlier this year for the Costa Book Awards. After several decades when Enid Blyton's books went out of fashion, her work is enjoying a comeback. Recently The Case Of The Missing Brooch has been turned into a limited edition book and podcast. This story is by a nine-year-old girl who won a competition to write a Famous Five book.

Success of graphic novels

Earlier this year the graphic novel Henry V from British company Classical Comics was been awarded a Silver Medal at the 2008 Independent Publishers Awards in America. Out of 3175 entries Henry V: Original Text, which was the first title from Classical Comics, won runner-up in the Graphic Novel/Drawn Book category. Since then the company has adapted Frankenstein and Jane Eyre, and a number of Shakespeare plays. The different format can introduce classics of literature to new readers. Look for these books in the Visual Treats section of the Library.

Booktrust Teenage Prize 2008

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness has won the Booktrust Teenage Prize 2008. The author wins Patrick received a cheque for £2,500 and a trophy. Launched in 2003 to recognise and celebrate contemporary fiction written for teenagers, the prize is judged by a mixed panel of adults and teenagers. The chair of the panel comments on violence in teenage fiction. Ness's book beat the following shortlisted titles:
Creature of the Night by Kate Thompson
The Knife That Killed Me by Anthony McGowan
Snakehead by Anthony Horowitz
The Red Necklace by Sally Gardner
Apache by Tanya Landman.
Previous winners are Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Sarah Singleton's Century, Anne Cassidy's Looking for JJ and Anthony McGowan's Henry Tumour.

2008 John Llewellyn Rhys Prize

The winner of the 2008 John Llewellyn Rhys Prize is The Secret Life of Words: How English Became English by Henry Hitchings. The book traces the routes of modern English, and beat Booker prizewinner Aravind Adiga, who was also on the shortlist.
This important prize is awarded in honour of the writer John Llewellyn Rhys, who was killed in action in the Second World War. It was founded 65 years by John Llewellyn Rhys's young wife, also a writer, who began the award to honour and celebrate his life.
Past winners include Margaret Drabble (1966), William Boyd (1982), Jeanette Winterson (1987), Ray Monk (1990), Matthew Kneale (1992) and David Mitchell (1999). Last year’s winner was Sarah Hall for The Carhullan Army. More information
An A-Z of surprising words by Henry Hitchins.

World's Richest Sportsbook Prize

Former England batsman, Marcus Trescothick's autobiography, 'Coming Back To Me', has won the world's most valuable sportswriting prize, the William Hill Sports Book of the Year, winning Marcus Trescothick, and his co-writer, Peter Hayter £20,000. More information and a review of the prize since it started 20 years ago.

Old treasures become new books

Thanks in part to Oxford's Bodleain Library and to old books in publishers' archives lost treasures are being made available by new printing technology and print on demand. Read more in a fascinating feature article in The Bookseller.

The end of misery memoirs?

An article in The Times considers Misery memoirs: the final chapter?

George Orwell archive

To inspire interest in Orwell and political writing in general, entries from George Orwell's domestic and political diaries can be read online, 70 years since they were written. The domestic diaries cover his diverse interests, including nature, woodwork and cookery, while the political diaries carry his thoughts on the Spanish Civil War, his time in Morocco, British politics and the descent of Europe into world war. They start on 9th August 1938 and run until 1942. More information

Google developments: historic photo archive available

Google have signed a deal with Life Magazine to put the magazine's entire archive online. The Life archive contains photos and films dating back to 1880s. The archive includes approximately 10 million images, 97% of which have never been seen before. Initially 20% of the archive was available as the images are being scanned and made available on Google Image Search. More information
Google is also launching SearchWiki, a tool for users to annotate search results and share with others. More information

Taste: The Story of Britain Through Its Cooking

Our Lady's Abingdon enjoyed a visit by author Kate Colquhoun whose book Taste: the story of Britain through its cooking came out last year. Two hugely entertaining and knowledgeable illustrated talks brought history to life by examining food and cooking.
Year 9's talk focussed on changes after World War 1 for the rich, poor and middle income families: food availability, its preparation and cooking, and the development of technology surrounding food.
Year 8 were fascinated by the topic of food in Tudor times. We found out why Henry VIII changed British fish eating habits and Elizabeth I's favourite food. After the talk questions flowed, fuelled by the fact that Year 8 will be designing their own Tudor dessert in a Cook's Apprentice competition to be judged by our own Alan Sugar.
Kate encouraged us to think of history not just in a text book but through the lives of people. We can find out about their life in their letters and diaries but it is also recorded in paintings, and seen in historical houses, gardens and kitchens. It has certainly left many of us with taste to revisit the largest kitchens of Tudor England at Hampton Court. Our thanks to Kate Colquhoun for coming.

Roald Dahl Funny Prize

The winners of the first Roald Dahl Funny Prize have been announced.
For children aged 7-14:
Mr Gum and the Dancing Bear by Andy Stanton
For children aged six and under:
The Witch's Children Go to School by Ursula Jones.
The judging panel were author Sophie Dahl, comedian Dara O'Briain, author Kaye Umansky and illustrator Chris Riddell. The panel was chaired by the Children's Laureate Michael Rosen.
The winners receive a cheque for £2,500.

Blue Peter Book Awards Shortlists

Best Book With Facts:
Archaeology Detectives by Simon Adams
100 Most Dangerous Things on the Planet by Anna Claybourne
Horrible Geography Handbooks: Planet in Peril by Anita Ganeri, illustrated by Mike Phillips.
Book I Couldn't Put Down:
Abela by Berlie Doherty
Shadow Forest by Matt Haig
Foul Play by Tom Palmer.
Most Fun Story with Pictures:
Mr Gum and the Dancing Bear by Andy Stanton, illustrated by David Tazzyman
Fleabag by Helen Stephens
Lost! The Hundred-Mile-An-Hour Dog by Jeremy Strong.
The winner of the Blue Peter Book Awards will be announced in the spring of 2009.

Kids' Lit Quiz Oxfordshire and Berkshire Heat

Our two school teams have been selected, and are ready to take part in the sixth Oxfordshire and Berkshire Regional Heat of the international Kids' Lit Quiz on Tuesday 11 November. The heat will be taking place at Our Lady's Abingdon, 4.30 - 7.30 pm. Spectators are welcome! Because of numbers please be prepared to park the nearby public car park.

Over 30 teams from 20 schools will be taking part in the in the ten-round quiz, which is sponsored by Serco and the Department for Children, Schools and Families. Oxford University Press is sponsoring the local heat book prizes. Subject questions on books and reading could include animals, Harry Potter, fantasy, nursery rhymes and authors but the topics will not be revealed until the quiz itself.

The winning team will receive the Kids' Lit Quiz Regional Cup, book tokens, books, and win a place in the Kids' Lit Quiz National Final alongside the 15 other regional winners. They will also receive an invitation to participate in next March's Oxford Literary Festival.

The spectators at Our Lady's will include several well-known local children's authors: Dennis Hamley, Linda Newbery, Meg Harper, Mark Robson, MG Harris, Susie Day and Rachael Wing. Rachael had her second book published in July, and is still at school! Abingdon Mayor Pat Lonergan, Deputy Mayor Patricia Hobby and representatives from Oxford University Press and Scholastic publishers will also attend. Music played by students from Our Lady's will welcome the visitors.

The top three teams will be given book tokens and in between rounds Quizmaster Wayne Mills will ask adult audience members a question for the chance to win a book token themselves. Children watching will also have the opportunity to win £1 coins, by answering further questions.

Bookstore (Abingdon) Ltd will be selling books written by the invited authors and other favourite titles. Refreshments will be available during the interval, which will include Fairtrade items.
http://www.kidslitquiz.com/

Screen Reads

The National Year of Reading’s monthly theme for November is Screen Reads. Use the opportunity to explore the diversity of reading and writing; scripts, television and films. Why not read the book before the film is released! Here are a selection of screen reads available from the school Library.
Beowulf by Michael Morpurgo
Beowulf's terrifying quest to destroy Grendel, the foul fiend, a hideous sea-hag and a monstrous fire-dragon is the oldest surviving epic in British literature. This edition is artfully retold and magnificently illustrated by Michael Foreman, making this epic tale instantly accessible to children.
The Borrowers by Mary Norton
The Borrowers are a tiny race of people who live hidden away in houses or other safe, convenient places, and own nothing except what they borrow from 'human beans'. The last family to live in the old house, Pod, Homily and Arriety have made a comfortable home beneath the kitchen floor. But their lives become threatened when Pod is seen while on a borrowing expedition...
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
If you love a good story, then look no further... When a cyclone hits Kansas, Dorothy and her little dog, Toto, are whisked away to the magical land of Oz. All alone in this strange world, they wonder how they'll ever get home...
Northern Lights (film: The Golden Compass)by Philip Pullman
When Lyra is given the strange and secret alethiometer, she begins an extraordinary journey that will take her to the frozen lands of the Arctic, where witch-clans reign and ice-bears fight.
Prince Caspian by C S Lewis
Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy are mysteriously transported back to Narnia where they discover that it has been hundreds of years since their reign as Kings and Queens of the land ended. Along with their old friend Prince Caspian they race to overthrow the King, calling on the help of Aslan and his trusty follower, Reepicheep the mouse.
Read the book before the film is released:
Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
Meggie loves books. So does her father, Mo, a bookbinder, although he has never read aloud to her since her mother mysteriously disappeared. They live quietly until the night a stranger knocks at their door...
The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
The tale of three unlikely heroes - a misfit mouse who prefers reading books to eating them, an unhappy rat who schemes to leave the darkness of the dungeon, and a bumbling servant girl with cauliflower ears - whose fates are intertwined with that of the castle's princess.
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Shortly after moving into an old house with strange tenants above and below, Coraline discovers a big, carved, brown wooden door at the far corner of the drawing room. And it is locked...
Marley & Me by John Grogan
A family learns important life lessons from their adorable, but naughty and neurotic dog.
For older readers:
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
An extraordinary, compelling and frightening novel examining the relationship between a father and son wandering a post-apocalyptic world in search of sanctuary.
Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser
Eric Schlosser's disturbing and timely exploration of one of the world's most controversial industries.