The annual Tower Hamlets Book Award is just one of the exciting events made possible through subscriptions to the Tower Hamlets Schools Library Services.
The Book Award is for pupils aged 10 to 13 (Year 5 and up). The aim is to encourage children to read, to bring children together to enable debate and discussion about books and to encourage children to share the pleasure of reading.
You can shadow the Book Award in small or not-so-small groups. Have a look at the award timeline below for some ideas of activities.
Well done Burhana Islam!
Pupils voted at the 2022 Tower Hamlets Book Award finale on 30th November. Their choice for the best book was Mayhem Mission by Burhana Islam!
Over 250 pupils joined in the fun at East Wintergarden to hear the announcement of the winning book and to watch performances by some of the groups who’d been shadowing the awards.
The prize for best performance with to Cyril Jackson School. The presentations were judged by four of the shortlisted authors who were present at the event – Sita, Jo, Gemma and Sabine who we’d like to thank for giving their time to join us.
Canary Wharf Group kindly supported the finale by providing the East Wintergarden venue for the afternoon.
The shortlist
The Books!
There were so many great books to choose from this year that we’ve gone for 7 instead of 6!
Canary Wharf Group are kindly supporting the book award again this year and will be providing a free set of these books to all of our subscribing schools.
If you wish to purchase additional sets, we are selling them at the discounted price of £47 (includes protective jacket). *** There’s been extremely high demand and all of our sets have now sold out. There may be a delay of 2 weeks for further orders ***
Jummy at the river school by Sabine Adeyinka
About
Jummy has won a place at the River School, the finest girls’ boarding school in Nigeria.
Nothing can dampen her spirits, not even when she learns that her best friend Caro won’t be joining her.By the Shine-Shine River, school is everything Jummy dreamt of, with friendly new girls, midnight feasts and sporting prizes – but when Caro suddenly arrives at the school to work, not to learn, Jummy must bring all her friends together to help.
City of rust by Gemma Fowler
About
Railey dreams of winning the drone races with her bio-robotic gecko, but when a bounty hunter crashes their race, the pair are forced to flee to the feared Junker clans who mine the rubbish orbiting the Earth. Rescued by a couple of Junker kids, they discover a danger bigger than anything they’d imagined – but can three kids, a gecko and an ancient computer save the world against the huge trash bomb (and its power-crazed creator) threatening to destroy the world?.
When secrets set sail by Sita Brahmachari
About
Usha is devastated when her grandmother Kali Ma passes away. Then straight-talking Imtiaz arrives – her new adoptive sister – and the two girls clash instantly. They both feel lost. That is until Kali Ma’s ghost appears…with a task for them.
Danny Chung does not do maths by Maisie Chan
About
Eleven-year-old Danny Chung loves drawing more than anything – certainly more than maths, which, according to his dad and everyone else, is what he is ‘supposed’ to be good at. He also loves having his own room where he can draw in peace, so his life is turned upside down when a surprise that he’s been promised turns out to be his little, wrinkly, ex-maths-champion grandmother from China. What’s worse, Nai Nai has to share his room!
The Amazing Edie Eckhart by Rosie Jones
About
‘Hello! My name is Edie Eckhart and I’m eleven years old. I’m a little bit different. I have a disability called cerebral palsy, so I talk slowly and fall over a lot. It’s never really bothered me because I’ve never known anything else.’
Edie Eckhart is Excited with a capital E to start secondary school with her best friend Oscar. But when she and Oscar are put into different tutor groups on their first day, Edie is devastated.
No Man’s Land by Joanna Nadin
About
With far-right Albion on the brink of war with Europe, ten-year-old Alan and his little brother Sam are sent away to safety. Dad tells Alan he has to be brave, like the superheroes he loves, but Alan isn’t too sure. He wants to be wherever Dad is – and anyway, can he really be sure who’s a hero and who’s a villain?
Mayhem Mission by Burhana Islam
About
Yusuf’s older sister is getting married. He’s ready for the delicious food, the fun with his cousins and the many presents but he s NOT ready to take her place as the responsible one. His only option: cause some chaos and ruin the wedding.
The 7 books shortlisted for the award were chosen from the 2022 Must Read and Teen Book lists.
Shadowing the book award can be as easy as getting a reading group together and discussing the books – pupils can recommend the different books, or make persuasive arguments as to why they should (or shouldn’t!) win the award!
At the finale, groups from schools put on performances or presentations based on the books and compete for a prize – why not build your book award group activities around putting on one of these shows? See ‘Presentation competition’ under The Finale, below.
Up to 8 schools can enter the presentation competition. Prizes and prestige to be won!
If you wish to present a book at the finale, tick the appropriate box on the finale booking form.
Performers at the 2021 finale
Prepare a short performance or presentation around one of the shortlisted books
Past performances have included acting and dramatisation, discussions, alternate scenes/ endings, film trailers, animation and more!
As usual, schools will be allocated slots in the competition on a first come-first served basis as they confirm which book they are presenting, and as long as this book has not already been chosen by too many other schools (all 7 books should have at least 1 presentation each).
let the Schools Library Service know which book you’re championing by 24th October (preferably earlier to ensure your choice of book!). If your book is already fully booked (pun intended), you’ll be asked to choose an alternative, so it’s good to have a reserve title in mind.
Presentations will be judged by our guest authors on the group’s ability to deliver their presentation in an entertaining, interesting and exciting way that will appeal to a pupil audience and inspire pupils to read their chosen book.
Performances must last no more than 4 minutes.
Notes for participating schools...
Please let us know whether photos can be taken of your groups
Be prepared to be using a raised stage on the day (approx. area 3m x 8m)
Radio microphones will be provided on the day and are not optional! The venue is very large and pupils won’t be heard without using mics. Pupils may wish to rehearse with prop microphones.
Presentations may include audio, video, still images and PP slides as backgrounds.
The sound/ video desk is upstairs from the stage on a mezzanine – if you have sound and video playback, one person will need to be upstairs during the performance to work with the technician
To ensure we can play back your AV files, you’ll need to provide them (or a sample file in the same format) before November 22nd.
You may bring as many props and costumes as you require to the finale, but please take them with you when you leave! Costumes and other items may be borrowed from the Schools Library Services
Every year we run an art competition based on the shortlist books.
Pupils are challenged to create an artistic response of their choice to any of the 7 Book Award books.
Previous competition entries have included…
Drawings/ paintings of scenes from the books
Poems inspired by the stories
Alternative endings/ scenes
Comic strips based on the books
Character portraits
Book cover designs
Bookmark designs
Models of scenes from the books
Winners will be awarded a prize at the finale where shortlisted work will be on display (guest authors have been known to request competition entries to put on their websites!).
Competition deadline
ALL entries must arrive at the Schools Library Services (PDC, 229 Bethnal Green Road) by the morning of Friday 25th November for judging. Any entries submitted after this date will not be judged!
Jummy has won a place at the River School, the finest girls’ boarding school in Nigeria.
Railey dreams of winning the drone races with her bio-robotic gecko, but when a bounty hunter crashes their race, the pair are forced to flee to the feared Junker clans who mine the rubbish orbiting the Earth. Rescued by a couple of Junker kids, they discover a danger bigger than anything they’d imagined – but can three kids, a gecko and an ancient computer save the world against the huge trash bomb (and its power-crazed creator) threatening to destroy the world?.
Usha is devastated when her grandmother Kali Ma passes away. Then straight-talking Imtiaz arrives – her new adoptive sister – and the two girls clash instantly. They both feel lost. That is until Kali Ma’s ghost appears…with a task for them.
Eleven-year-old Danny Chung loves drawing more than anything – certainly more than maths, which, according to his dad and everyone else, is what he is ‘supposed’ to be good at. He also loves having his own room where he can draw in peace, so his life is turned upside down when a surprise that he’s been promised turns out to be his little, wrinkly, ex-maths-champion grandmother from China. What’s worse, Nai Nai has to share his room!
‘Hello! My name is Edie Eckhart and I’m eleven years old. I’m a little bit different. I have a disability called cerebral palsy, so I talk slowly and fall over a lot. It’s never really bothered me because I’ve never known anything else.’
With far-right Albion on the brink of war with Europe, ten-year-old Alan and his little brother Sam are sent away to safety. Dad tells Alan he has to be brave, like the superheroes he loves, but Alan isn’t too sure. He wants to be wherever Dad is – and anyway, can he really be sure who’s a hero and who’s a villain?
Yusuf’s older sister is getting married. He’s ready for the delicious food, the fun with his cousins and the many presents but he s NOT ready to take her place as the responsible one. His only option: cause some chaos and ruin the wedding.
