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Based on the Hertfordshire Carnegie-Greenaway shortlists each school was eligible to send 6 pupils to the discussion day. Pupils were expected to have read both the novels and picture books and to be willing to discuss the titles within their discussion groups. We provided two copies of each book. To take account of the wide variety of ages of participating schools we held separate discussion sessions for primary and secondary schools.
The guest speaker was Chris d'Lacey who has written both younger fiction books and teenage fiction. His novel Fly, Cherokee, Fly was critically acclaimed and highly commended for the Carnegie Medal. His latest book Fire Star is the 3rd book in his fantasy series about dragons. Chris encouraged the children to become authors by relating events in his own life that he had written into his own books and announced the winners of Hertfordshire's Children's Choice, the morning groups voted for The cry of the Icemark by Stuart Hill and Pigs might fly by Jonathan Emmett & Steve Cox, the afternoon groups voted for Wolves by Emily Gravett and Jacobs ladder by Brian Keaney.
Chris also awarded prizes for the best bookmark to Zoe a pupil at Hitchin Girls Grammar School, Emma from St Michael's High School and Katie from Green Lanes Primary School, the winners were awarded with a £50 voucher to spend on books for their school. All schools attending received a participation certificate. We at SLS would like to thank all of you who wrote reviews of the books and made bookmarks (we received a great many bookmarks which made it almost impossible to select the winners).
The fiction and picture books were discussed in groups and votes were then taken for the favourite.
Chris signed your books

Schools Library Service, New Barnfield, Travellers Lane, Hatfield. AL10 8XG
Tel: 01707 281630 Fax: 01707 281611
E-mail: info@herts-sls.org.uk