Mrs Sirrelle reports: “Today was the last meeting of the ‘BFS Umbras’ – our Carnegie Shadow Jury group – made up of students from Year 7 and Year 8. They have spent the last two months busy reading, reviewing and sharing opinions on the shortlisted titles. This week, they were incredibly excited to livestream the award ceremony taking place in London, to discover the Shadower’s Choice winners, and the overall Carnegie Award winners. No one was surprised by the Shadower’s Choice, which was awarded to Ruta Sepetys, author of I Must Betray You, as this was the book to get the most votes from the BFS Umbras! They were even happy with the overall winner of the Award for Writing, Manon Steffan Ros, author of The Blue Book of Nebo. The original version of this book was written in Welsh (where the story is set) and is the first translated book to win the Carnegie Awards.

Following the success of the BFS Umbras this year, next year’s Carnegie Award Shadow Jury will be opened up to all year groups, and will also include the titles shortlisted for the Illustration Award.

Well done to all the BFS Umbra members for your commitment to this year’s shortlist!

All of the titles shortlisted for the Award for Writing are now available to borrow from the school library. For more information on the Carnegie Award Shortlists 2023, follow this link: The Yoto Carnegies.”