Category: RED Book Award

RED Book Award History

Previous winners and shortlists:

RED 19 (2024-2025): This Book Kills by Ravena Guron

Nominated:

  • This Tale is Forbidden, Polly Crosby
  • How Far We’ve Come, Joyce Efia Harmer
  • 100 Tales from the Tokyo Ghost Café, Julian Sedgwick and Chie Kutsuwada

RED 18 (2023-2024): War of the Wind by Victoria Williamson

Nominated:

  • Skin of the Sea, Natasha Bowen
  • Dogs of the Deadlands, Anthony McGowan
  • Stateless, Elizabeth Wein

RED 17 (2022-2023): Last One to Die by Cynthia Murphy

Nominated:

  • Cardboard Cowboys, Brian Conaghan
  • The Younglings: Shadows and Magic, Helen Craggs
  • Needle, Patrice Lawrence

RED 16 (2021-2022): A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll 

Nominated:

  • Evernight, Ross MacKenzie
  • Run, Rebel, Manjeet Mann
  • Hold Back the Tide, Melinda Salisbury

RED 15 (2020-2021 award): Illegal by Eoin Colfer and Andrew Donkin 

Nominated:

  • Summer Bird Blue, Akemi Dawn Bowman
  • A Pocketful of Stars, Aisha Bushby
  • My Name’s Not Friday, Jon Walter

RED 14 (2019-2020 award): The Quiet at the End of the World by Lauren James 

Nominated:

  • Orphan Monster Spy, Matt Killeen
  • The Closest Thing to Flying, Gill Lewis
  • Outwalkers, Fiona Shaw

RED 13 (2018-2019 award): Sunflowers in February by Phyllida Shrimpton

Nominated:

  • Kick, Mitch Johnson
  • I am Traitor, Sif Sigmarsdottir
  • Sky Thieves, Dan Walker

RED 12 (2017-2018 award): Welcome to Nowhere by Elizabeth Laird       

Nominated:

  • Boy X, Dan Smith
  • Hell and High Water, Tanya Landman
  • Rebel of the Sands, Alwyn Hamilton

RED 11 (2016-2017 award): 13 Hours by Narinder Dhami

Nominated:

  • The Apple Tart of Hope, Sarah M Fitzgerald
  • The Year of the Rat, Clare Furniss
  • Devil You Know, Cathy MacPhail

RED 10 (2015-2016 award): Mind Blind by Lari Don

Nominated:

  • Beneath, Gill Arbuthnot
  • Salvage, Keren David
  • Inflicted, Ria Frances

RED 9 (2014-2015 award): Raining Fire by Alan Gibbons

Nominated:

  • Rat Runners, Oisin McGann
  • Mosi’s War, Cathy MacPhail
  • Soul Shadows, Alex Woolf

RED 8 (2013-2014 award): Slated by Teri Terry

Nominated:

  • Mortal Chaos, Matt Dickinson
  • Torn, David Massey
  • Mr Creecher, Chris Priestly

RED 7 (2012-2013 award): An Act of Love by Alan Gibbons

Nominated:

  • My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece, Annabel Pitcher
  • Gladiator, Simon Scarrow
  • Blood Red Road, Moira Young

RED 6 (2011-12 award): Wasted by Nicola Morgan

Nominated:

  • Ausländer, Paul Dowswell
  • Koh Tabu, Ann Kelley
  • Black Out, Sam Mills
  • Timeriders, Alex Scarrow

RED 5 (2010-11 award): Grass by Cathy MacPhail

Nominated:

  • Wolfcry, Julia Golding
  • Colony, J A Henderson
  • Chalkline, Jane Mitchell
  • Deathwatch, Nicola Morgan

RED 4 (2009-10 award): Divided City by Theresa Breslin

Nominated:

  • Don’t Tell, Sandra Glover
  • Beast, Ally Kennan
  • Forged in the Fire, Ann Turnbull

RED 3 (2008-09 award): Worse Than Boys by Cathy MacPhail

Nominated:

  • Message from Mia, Sandra Glover
  • Bunker 10, J A Henderson
  • Fearless, Tim Lott
  • Alone on a Wide, Wide Sea, Michael Morpurgo

RED 2 (2007-08 award): Blood Ties by Sophie McKenzie

Nominated:

  • The Ice Cream Con, Jimmy Docherty
  • Ostrich Boys, Keith Gray
  • Strangled Silence, Oisin McGann
  • Spider, Linda Strachan

RED 1 (2006-07 award): Looking for JJ by Anne Cassidy

Nominated:

  • The Star of Kazan, Eva Ibbotson
  • Airborn, Kenneth Oppel
  • Tamar, Mal Peet
  • Montmorency, Eleanor Updale

The RED Book Award is 15 years old!

The RED Book Award celebrates its 15th anniversary and to mark this achievement, the wonderful shortlist focuses on a BAME theme:

Summer Bird Blue by Akemi Dawn Bowman

A Pocketful of Stars by Aisha Bushby 

Illegal by Eoin Colfer and Andrew Donkin

My Name’s Not Friday by Jon Walters

The authors joined the young people in each Falkirk Council secondary school at the digital Award Ceremony on Wednesday 19th May 2021. Due to the restrictions of Covid the award ceremony could not be face to face however despite this, the Award Ceremony was very enjoyable and featured creative interpretations of each of the shortlisted books by the young people and a very interesting Q & A session with the authors before the winning book was revealed.

The ceremony was attended by all the shortlisted authors and the S2 RED classes from 6 of our secondary schools. The authors gave us interesting and insightful guidance on writing, there was dancing and there were prizes awarded for best alternative ending and front cover designs of the shortlisted books.

Congratulations to all the authors for reaching the RED shortlist.

AND THE WINNER IS…

Illegal by Eoin Colfer and Andrew Donkin.

 

The RED Book Award ceremony goes digital!

The RED Book Award, now in its 14th year, was in danger of not going ahead because of the coronavirus, however it was decided to organise the ceremony on-line. Over 70 teachers and pupils gathered on Microsoft Teams on 27/5/2020 to join the 4 wonderful shortlisted authors:

Lauren James who wrote The Quiet at the End of the World

Matt Killeen who wrote Orphan Monster Spy

Gill Lewis who wrote The Closest Thing to Flying

Fiona Shaw who wrote Outwalkers

The Q & A session was excellent with the authors answering brilliant questions from the pupils. The ceremony was interrupted with some occasional ‘hand dancing’ by the librarians, teachers, guests and authors! The young people had written alternative endings to the shortlisted books and the overall winner, from Larbert HS, had written another ending to The Closest Thing to Flying, the author, Gill Lewis, said she was “blown away” by the writing.

And then it was time to open the red envelope to reveal the winning book:

The Quiet at the End of the World by Lauren James who was delighted and said it was her first regional book award win!

Congratulations Lauren.

The Quiet at the End of the World

RED Book Award 12

 

The RED Book Award is Falkirk Council’s Book Award in which each secondary school in the authority participate. RED stands for Read, Enjoy, Debate and is all about reading for enjoyment and stimulating lively debate about books. https://twitter.com/readenjoydebate?lang=en

RED Book Award students from Kenya Skype RED Book Award students from Grangemouth HS

At the time of writing this post, the award is now in its 12th year and the shortlist is:

 

Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton

Welcome to Nowhere by Elizabeth Laird

Boy X by Dan Smith

Hell and High Water by Tanya Landman

 

 

13 and 14-year-olds from English classes in Bo’ness Academy, Braes High, Denny High, Falkirk High, Graeme High, Grangemouth High, Larbert High and St. Mungo’s High as well as reading groups in Polmont Young Offenders Institute and from a variety of countries take part. This year schools in Kenya, South Africa and The Netherlands are participating.

The young people read the 4 shortlisted titles, vote for their favourite book and produce a creative interpretation of one of the books for the award ceremony. English teachers and school librarians work together to make sure each student gets the most out of being part of the RED Book award.

There is also an art competition, where young people in each school are invited to redesign the front covers of each of the shortlisted books . The schools bring 4 designs to the award ceremony and the authors choose the overall winners.

The Books

The shortlist of books is decided after lengthy debate by school and public librarians, young people feed in their opinions to the debate too. The criteria include books must be available in paperback, the author is available to attend the award ceremony and the books must have the wow factor.

The young people decide the winning book through a secret vote a few weeks before the award ceremony. The winner is revealed by opening the red envelope at the close of the big day!

Key Dates

April – August: A longlist of books is read from which the shortlist is agreed.

September – April: Young people read, enjoy and debate the books.

April: Pupils vote for their favourite book.

May: the 4 shortlisted authors visit the secondary schools and the RED Book Award ceremony is held at the Falkirk Town Hall FTH

The RED Book Award Ceremony

Around 250 young people and invited guests pack into the Falkirk Town Hall to participate in the RED Book Award ceremony. Participants are encouraged to wear a red accessory and there are prizes (sponsored by Bright Red Books, www.brightredpublishing.co.uk) throughout the event for winners of the book review competition (sponsored by Palimpsest, www.palimpsest-bp.co.uk), a book cover design competition and best red accessory. The day is full of energy and fun and packed with a host of activities – from book signings and chatting with the authors to creative interpretations of the books and live entertainment by the young people.

The ceremony culminates in the opening of the red envelope to reveal the winning book.

Follow the RED on twitter.

Previous winners and shortlists:

RED 14 (2019-2020 award): Lauren James The Quiet at the End of the World

Nominated:

  • Orphan Monster Spy, Matt Killeen
  • The Closest Thing to Flying, Gill Lewis
  • Outwalkers, Fiona Shaw

RED 13 (2018-2019 award): Phyllida Shrimpton Sunflowers in February

Nominated:

  • Kick Mitch Johnson
  • I am Traitor Sif Sigmarsdottir
  • Sky Thieves Dan Walker

RED 12 (2017-2018 award): Elizabeth Laird Welcome to Nowhere       

Nominated:

RED 12 (2017-2018 award): Elizabeth Laird Welcome to Nowhere

  • Boy X Dan Smith
  • Hell and High Water Tanya Landman
  • Rebel of the Sands Alwyn Hamilton
  •  

 

RED 11 (2016-2017 award): 13 Hours by Narinder Dhami

Nominated:

  • The Apple Tart of Hope Sarah M Fitzgerald
  • The Year of the Rat Clare Furniss
  • Devil You Know Cathy MacPhail

RED 10 (2015-2016 award): Mind Blind by Lari Don

Nominated:

  • Beneath Gill Arbuthnot
  • Salvage Keren David
  • Inflicted Ria Frances

RED 9 (2014-2015 award): Raining Fire by Alan Gibbons

Nominated:

  • Rat Runners Oisin McGann
  • Mosi’s War Cathy MacPhail
  • Soul Shadows Alex Woolf

RED 8 (2013-2014 award): Slated byTeri Terry

Nominated:

  • Mortal Chaos Matt Dickinson
  • Torn David Massey
  • Mr Creecher Chris Priestly

RED 7 (2012-2013 award): An Act of Love by Alan Gibbons

Nominated:

  • My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece Annabel Pitcher
  • Gladiator Simon Scarrow
  • Blood Red Road Moira Young

RED 6 (2011-12 award): Wasted by Nicola Morgan

Nominated:

  • Ausländer Paul Dowswell
  • Koh Tabu Ann Kelley
  • Black Out Sam Mills
  • Timeriders Alex Scarrow

RED 5 (2010-11 award): Grass by Cathy MacPhail

Nominated:

  • Wolfcry Julia Golding
  • Colony J A Henderson
  • Chalkline Jane Mitchell
  • Deathwatch Nicola Morgan

RED 4 (2009-10 award): Divided City by Theresa Breslin

Nominated:

  • Don’t Tell Sandra Glover
  • Beast Ally Kennan
  • Forged in the Fire Ann Turnbull

RED 3 (2008-09 award): Worse Than Boys by Cathy MacPhail

Nominated:

  • Message from Mia Sandra Glover
  • Bunker 10 J A Henderson Fearless Tim Lott
  • Alone on a Wide, Wide Sea Michael Morpurgo

RED 2 (2007-08 award): Blood Ties by Sophie McKenzie

Nominated:

  • The Ice Cream Con Jimmy Docherty
  • Ostrich Boys Keith Gray
  • Strangled Silence Oisin McGann
  • Spider Linda Strachan

RED 1 (2006-07 award): Looking for JJ by Anne Cassidy

Nominated:

  • The Star of Kazan Eva Ibbotson
  • Airborn Kenneth Oppel
  • Tamar Mal Peet
  • Montmorency Eleanor Updale

RED Book Award. Read Enjoy Debate 10th Anniversary!

 

2The RED Book Award is run by the Learning Resource Service promoting reading for enjoyment for S2 and S3 pupils in Falkirk Council.

This year we celebrated the 10th anniversary of the RED Book Award and to acknowledge this milestone, 10 schools across the world were invited to participate in the Book Award. Copies of the shortlisted books were sent to them and some Falkirk Council pupils were able to skype the young people in other countries to discuss the books. The countries taking part were Australia, China (2 schools), Jamaica, Kenya, Malawi, Malaysia, South Africa, Switzerland and Turkey.

A quilt, featuring all previous RED winners and material from the countries who took part, was made by Anne Ngabia, school librarian at Grangemouth High School, and will act as a fabulous legacy for the RED Book Award.

The shortlist for this year’s RED Book Award was:

Beneath by Gill Arbuthnot

Salvage by Keren David

Mind Blind by Lari Don

Inflicted by Ria Frances

All great books which had that important wow factor.

The RED award ceremony took place on 29/1/17 at the Falkirk Town Hall. 250 young people attended from every secondary school in Falkirk Council. Each school provides a creative interpretation of one of the shortlisted books. The authors enjoy watching their readers deliver their opinion of the books through powerpoint and drama. There was an opportunity for the young people to meet and talk to the authors at the signing table and during the question & answer session. During the ceremony groups of pupils acted as journalists, photographers and a media group interviewed authors and participants for their school radio broadcast and filmed the event. Everyone is encouraged to wear a red accessory which contributes to the fun and energy of the day. It was a wonderful event – a celebration of books and reading culminating in the opening of the red envelope to reveal he winner of the RED Book Award.

The winner was Mind Blind by Lari Don.