Amazing Book Award from Worthing, Shoreham and Littlehampton schools

‘AMAZING’ books have been celebrated at an awards ceremony.

The first Sussex coast Amazing Book Award (ABA) ceremony was held at Shoreham Academy, in Stoney Lane, Shoreham, on Thursday (July 5).

Organised by a collective of librarians from Durrington High School, Littlehampton Academy, Shoreham Academy, St Andrew’s CofE High School for Boys and Worthing High School, the ceremony was hosted by Andrew Hammond and Susanna Quinn.

Voting

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Around 300 pupils from schools across the county nominated five books for the shortlist – If I Could Fly, by Jill Hucklesby, iBoy, by Kevin Brooks, 0.4, by Mike Lancaster, Young Sherlock Holmes: Death Cloud, by Andrew Lane, and Being Billy, by Phil Earle. Pupils then read and discussed the books and voted for their favourite.

“This is what sets these awards apart from other teen book prizes,” said Sally Baker, of Durrington High School. “We felt strongly the students’ opinions had to be the most important thing when choosing the winner.

“Other book awards are chosen by teachers and librarians as to what they think is most deserving but often their choices don’t connect so well with teens on a wider scale.

“With the ABA, each student who reads the books gets a final vote to select the winners.

“This should be the way that all teen awards are selected.”

Results

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The results were as follows: Gold Award, Mike Lancaster for 0.4, Silver Award, Kevin Brooks for iBoy, Bronze Award, Phil Earle for Being Billy.

“I really wasn’t expecting it,” said Mike. “Thanks so much for your votes.

“Releasing a book to the public is a bit like letting your child out into the world, you don’t know how it will cope, if people will like it and connect with it. Even to get a nomination is a surprise and a huge achievement.”

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