Children in Tower Hamlets voted “The Brilliant World of Tom Gates” by Liz Pichon as the best new book for 10-13 year olds at the Tower Hamlets Book Award Finale held in Swanlea School Library on Friday 30th November.
A record eighteen schools, both primary and secondary, attended the finale and saw eight schools perform a presentation about their favourite book – with Globe Primary School (narrowly) taking the prize for their interpretation of “Too Small to Fail” by Morris Gleitzman. This competition was judged by Josh Lacey, Catherine Johnson, both of whom had books on the THBA shortlist, Candy Gourlay, whose book “Tall Story” was shortlisted last year, and Pam Girdwood, until recently school librarian at the Blue Gate Fields schools.
The poetry competition, where children were invited to write a poem about their favourite book, was won by Tahseen Al-Zahra of Cyril Jackson Primary School for her poem The Tree Monster based on “A Monster calls” by Patrick Ness
Shortlist:
- The Brilliant World of Tom Gates by Liz Pichon
- Monacello : The Little Monk by Geraldine McCaughrean
- Brave New Girl by Catherine Johnson
- The Island of Thieves by Josh Lacey
- The Search for Wondla by Tony Diterlitzzi
- A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
- Too Small to Fail by Morris Gleitzman
- Eight Keys by Suzanne LaFleur
