The RED Book Award is Falkirk Council’s book award for 13 and 14 year olds and has been running since 2006. 

In April each year members of the RED Book Award committee read and reduce a long list of books from nominated titles to the 4 shortisted books which have that WOW factor. The books also have to be published in paperback in the previous year and the authors must agree to attend the award ceremony in Falkirk in January. Multiple copies of the shortlisted titles are sent out to each High School librarian in August and the RED Book Award journey of reading enjoying and debating begins.

This year’s shortlist is:

Raining Fire by Alan Gibbons

Rat Runners by Oisin McGann

Mosi’s War by Cathy MacPhail

Soul Shadows by Alex Woolf

The award ceremony  The 300 young people and invited guests take part in this event which is full of energy and passion! The young people present a creative interpretation of the shortlisted books, senior pupils act as reporters on the day working with the Council’s Press Office, a local school radio station SMFM (St Mungo’s High School) produce a radio broadcast of the ceremony. There is entertainment supplied by the talented young people of Falkirk Council and a question and answer session leading up to the opening of the red envelope to reveal the winning book. Last year’s winner was Slated by Teri Terry.

This year we are continuing with an international dimension. The librarian at an international school in Nairobi, Kenya has agreed to shadow the RED book award again with her reading group of children from the surrounding slum areas. The children will read the books, write reviews and will film their creative interpretation of one of the books which will be shown during the award ceremony.

“Thank you so much for everything this week. I had the best time at the RED book awards. I think having the colour red as part of things added such a fun element to the day. I really enjoyed myself, and was amazed at how good the presentations by the schools were.” Teri Terry