Winning the award by just a single vote, Rebel Skies was voted best book in the 2023 Tower Hamlets Book Award
About the Book Award
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 (Years 5 to 8). 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 and the ‘Taking Part’ section below for some ideas of activities – we’ll be updating these through September and October! Why not share what your group’s doing? Use the tag #thba. We’re on ‘X’ (@thsls) and Instagram (@towerhamletssls)
Every pupil shadowing the award gets their own vote for the best book on the shortlist.
Bring your votes to the finale to be counted, OR
Email a tally of votes to jacob.turner@towerhamlets.gov.uk by 4pm, Weds 29th November
The winning book will be announced by 2:45pm on 30th November!
The shortlist
The Books!
Sets of the shortlist can be bought from us (with book jackets) for a discounted price of £48
Rebel Skies by Ann Sei Lin : Kurara has always been a lowly servant but when her party trick of making paper come to life turns out to be a treasured power, she becomes a Crafter.
Rebel Skies is a pacy adventure, set in a world of flying ships, sky cities and powerful paper spirits. It is Inspired by Japanese origami and explores themes of empire, slavery and freedom.
The Battle of Cable Street by Tanya Landman : Stepney, London, 1930s
When fascist thugs come marching down your street … Do you run away? Hide? Or do you stand up and fight? Life has always been hard for Elsie and her brother Mikey. But with Oswald Mosley and the British Union of Fascists on the rise, things are about to get even harder. As lifelong friendships are torn apart, Elsie and Mikey find they have some tough choices to make.
The Haunting of Tyrese Walker by J.P.Rose : After a shocking event leaves Tyrese struggling with grief, he’s taken to visit family in Jamaica. From the first night, strange things start happening: impossible visions, blackouts, swarms of insects, and the discovery of a grave hidden deep in the forest… Tyrese can’t explain what’s going on and he’s scared that he’s losing his grip on reality.
Nura and the Immortal Palace by M.T. Khan : Nura has worked all her life in the mica mines, earning just enough to keep her family afloat – and enjoy the odd delicious gulab jamun from the market. Some day she’s going to find the Demon’s Tongue, a legendary treasure buried deep in the mines, and her family will never have to worry about money again.
Like A Charm by Elle McNicoll : Edinburgh is a city filled with magical creatures. No one can see them… until Ramya Knox. As she is pulled into her family’s world of secrets and spells, Ramya sets out to discover the truth behind the Hidden Folk with only three words of warning from her grandfather: Beware the Sirens.
The Beatryce Prophecy by Kate DiCamillo : In a time of war, a mysterious child appears at the monastery. As a monk nurses Beatryce to health, he uncovers her dangerous secret, one that imperils them all – for the king of the land seeks just such a girl, and Brother Edik, who penned the prophecy himself, knows why.
Follow us on Twitter (@thsls) and Insta/ Threads (@towerhamletssls). #thba
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.
Activities
Activity ideas for Rebel Skies
Art and design activity : Design your own airship!
Things to think about
How does it stay up in the air? (Engines, by gas, is it being lifted by an animal or monster, is it by magic?)
How is it powered?
How big is it and how many people live on it and crew it?
What is it built for? Is it for fighting monsters, travelling in style or delivering things?
Paper craft and origami
Did you know that Shikigami are a real part of Japanese folklore? Usually shikigami are conjured to exercise risky orders for their masters, such as spying, stealing and enemy tracking. Shikigami are said to be invisible most of the time, but they can be made visible by binding them into small, folded and artfully cut paper manikins.
Have a go at creating your own paper animals, people or monsters!
You can also borrow some paper craft books from the Schools Library Services
Activity ideas for The Beatryce Prophecy
Making stained glass bookmarks – use colour paper or coloured film/ acetate with black paper frames. Why not illustrate a character from the book in this way?
Medieval books and illustration.
The British Library has some examples of Medieval books and illumination
Can you illustrate a page from The Beatryce Prophecy in the style that a medieval monk may have used?
Book group discussions : What is a monk? How did they live, work and pray, and how is this important to the story?
Activity ideas for The Haunting of Tyrese Walker
Share folk tales: What folk tales are known to the children in your group? Where about in the world do they come from? Would you believe in them if someone told you about them?
Creative activity: Write your own folk tale or supernatural story. What would make it frightening?
Book group discussions :do you think the monster really is a monster?
Activity ideas for Nura and the Immortal Palace
Creative activities:
Design a Djinn’s palace!
What’s your recipe for a Djinn’s favourite meal? Where do the ingredients come from?
Book group discussions
is Nura a good friend?
What other hidden realms might there be, and what are they like? How might you get there and what might you find?
Activity ideas for Like a Charm
Creative activity : Make a field guide for the strange creatures that live in your city! Match them up to the places you know and walk past every day.
Activity ideas for The Battle of Cable Street
Where did the march take place? Can you chart where the march happened using maps (or make your own map?)
Research other protestors: Greta Thunberg, Rosa Parks, etc. What are the similarities and differences to the Cable Street protests?
Make your own protest banners or posters : How would you have gotten your message across in the 1930s?
We’re looking forward to another great finale event, with more performances, quizzes and competitions!
Venue: Morpeth School, Portman Pl, Bethnal Green, London E2 0PX
Date and time: Thursday 30th November. 12:30 to 14:30/ 15:00
Bookshop on the day
Brick Lane Books will be holding a book stall on the day selling books by the shortlisted authors (10% discount on cover price). If you’d like to pre-order books, please contact Brick Lane books directly Home – Brick Lane Bookshop.
With guest authors
Ann Sei Lin
Tanya Landman
JP Rose
Booking form
Booking for the finale has now closed! Email Jacob.turner@towerhamlets.gov.uk if you wish to be put on a waiting list should another school cancel.
Presentation Competition
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 there will be an option to register 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 6 books should have at least 1 presentation each).
let the Schools Library Service know which book you’re championing (preferably as soon as possible 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
A/V and stage facilities will be announced once a venue is confirmed
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 6 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 24th November for judging. Any entries submitted after this date will not be judged!
Staff feedback form
Opening Times
Opening times
Please note that the PDC building is currently closed for access. The library will not be open during this time but staff can be reached via email or the web form.
We will update the website once the library re-opens which we expect to be from Monday 4th December.
About the Book Award
