News from CILIP
Wednesday 29 June 2005
For immediate release
Reading - the new 'Cool'?
Carnegie and Greenaway Medal fever hits the nation's schools
Would children really rather watch television than read a book? Not if the
level of interest and activity for the nationwide CILIP Carnegie & Greenaway
Medals shadowing scheme is anything to go by.
The enthusiasm amongst young people for the scheme has no limits. With
support from their librarians and teachers not only do they read and debate
the merits of each title but also work creatively around the themes that
emerge. This year sees the first rap interpretation, along with art classes
and drama sessions recorded on video and dvd, a Bookbuster club, the Claydon
Biscuit Group, a Bookaholics group and in one school the shadowing has been
driven underground by its popularity; the 'Shadowmancers' having to meet in
secret to keep the 'buzz' under control!
"The interest in books is HUGE in my school - this has driven my shadowing
group underground. The demand to join was so high that I've had to make it
invitation only and we even meet in secret. Our 'Shadowmancers' are all aged
around 10 ... all of the members are MAD about books and have some strong
opinions on them. We are shadowing both awards, reading old and current
titles by the nominated authors. As it says in our blurb, only the strong
will survive, the weak books will be cast aside!"
Dawn Finch - Wheatfields Junior School, St Albans
Year on year since its inception in 1994, the scheme has grown in popularity
across the country. 2005 sees a 26% increase in registered groups at 2,400 -
that's around 48,000 young people; CILIP's dedicated shadowing website is
experiencing an average of 50,000 hits a day, with a total of over 2 million
hits recorded across April and May as young people check out what's happening
and add their reviews.
Schools, public libraries and family groups are lapping up the opportunity to
read the best fiction and picture books of 2004 - eligible for the Medals
awarded in 2005. They have just ten weeks between CILIP's announcement of
the shortlists on 29 April, and the winning ceremony on 8 July. This year
there are six books in with a chance of winning the Carnegie Medal, awarded
for an outstanding work of fiction for children, and seven books for its
sister award, the Kate Greenaway Medal for outstanding illustration in a
children's book.
"Research shows that pupils who read for pleasure perform better
academically. I welcome this, and any initiative, that encourages children to
read."
David Wood, Headteacher, Cranbrook Primary School
The CILIP Carnegie Medal will shortly reach its 70th Anniversary and the Kate
Greenaway Medal its 50th. They are Britain's oldest and most prestigious
children's book awards. The process of selection and judging is unique. No
submissions are sought from publishers, no votes cast by the public; rather
the selection process is rooted in the professional expertise of librarians
across the country who nominate titles for the long list. The judging panel
comprises 12 highly experienced children's and school librarians from CILIP's
Youth Libraries Group.
The Carnegie Medal and its sister award, the Kate Greenaway Medal, are
awarded annually by CILIP: the Chartered Institute of Library and Information
Professionals. The winners of the 2004 Medals will be announced at a
ceremony in central London on Friday 8 July 2005.
Find out what's happening today - go to www.ckg.org.uk/shadowing
"It is hard to sum up the importance of the shadowing to our school. It's a
byword for aspiration and achievement in a school that faces challenges but
continues to rise to them. My job is about raising attainment through
enrichment, and shadowing the Medals offers us these on a plate!"
Celia Spears, Gifted & Talented Co-ordinator, Hillingdon Excellence Cluster
Contact: Louisa Myatt, Marketing Manager
Tel: 020 7255 0650 email: mailto:[log in to unmask]
Notes for Editors
The CILIP Carnegie Medal Shortlist 2004 Announced 2005
ANNE CASSIDY Looking for JJ
Scholastic Children's Books Age range: 13+ ISBN: 0-439-97717-7
GENNIFER CHOLDENKO Al Capone Does My Shirts
Bloomsbury Age range: 11+ ISBN: 0-7475-6898-7
FRANK COTTRELL BOYCE Millions
Macmillan Age range: 9+ ISBN: 0-330-43331-8
SHARON CREECH Heartbeat
Bloomsbury Age range: 10+ ISBN: 0-7475-7147-3
EVA IBBOTSON The Star of Kazan
Macmillan Age range: 10+ ISBN: 0-330-41802-5
PHILIP PULLMAN The Scarecrow and His Servant
Doubleday Age range: 8+ ISBN: 0-385-40980-x
The CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal Shortlist 2004 Announced 2005
IAN ANDREW The Boat
Templar
(Text by Helen Ward) Age range: 7+ ISBN: 1-84011-402-9
RUSSELL AYTO One More Sheep
Hodder
(Text by Mij Kelly) Age range: 5+ ISBN: 0-340-80585-4
SIMON BARTRAM Dougal's Deep-Sea Diary
Templar
Age range: 5+ ISBN: 1-84011-508-4
QUENTIN BLAKE Michael Rosen's Sad Book
Walker
(Text by Michael Rosen) Age range: 7+ ISBN: 0-7445-9898-2
NICK BUTTERWORTH The Whisperer
HarperCollins
Age range: 5+ ISBN: 0-00-712017-6
JOHN KELLY Guess Who's Coming For Dinner?
Templar
(Text by Cathy Tincknell) Age range: 7+ ISBN: 1-84011-628-5
CHRIS RIDDELL Jonathan Swift's "Gulliver"
Walker
(Text by Martin Jenkins) Age range: 10+ ISBN: 0-7445-8642-9
CILIP: the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals is
the leading professional body for librarians, information specialists and
knowledge managers. It forms a community of around 35,000 people engaged in
library and information work, of whom around 23,000 are CILIP Members and
around 12,000 are regular customers of CILIP Enterprises. CILIP members work
in all sectors, including business and industry, science and technology,
further and higher education, schools, local and central government, the
health service, the voluntary sector, national and public libraries. For
more information about CILIP, please go to www.cilip.org.uk
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