Let Oldham children be the judge!

Charlotte Brown, English Lead Teacher at Northmoor Academy, is pictured with Author and Founder of Children’s Literature Festivals charity Christina Gabbitas and some of the school's pupils

Founder of the Children’s Literature Festivals charity and award-winning children’s author, Christina Gabbitas, visited the Northmoor Academy school in Oldham.

Christina was initially inspired to set up a new children’s book awards after learning about the cancellation of some key children’s book awards, including the Blue Peter Book Award and Costa Children’s Book Awards.

She set up the Children’s Literature Festivals charity in 2019, with its mission to provide children from less privileged and deprived areas with free-to-attend literature festivals.

The book awards are targeted at children in who will cast their vote and provide their thoughts about some of the latest titles, from picture book to older readers, including Michael Rosen’s Sticky McStick Stick, Jonathan Horden’s Bee’s Mission to Mars, Louie Stowell’s Loki, and poems from prolific poet and illustrator Colin West.

All the participating libraries and schools are in some of the most deprived areas in England, which were purposely chosen by Christina, including Oldham, Middlesborough, Liverpool, Middlesbrough, Blackpool, Blackburn with Darwen, Keighley, Hull, Selby, and Brixton.

Christina said: “I wanted to give this opportunity to children in more deprived areas and shine a light on them, to help make them feel valued."

Books have now been very kindly donated to Children’s Literature Festivals by publishers, including Farshore, Maverick, Walker Books and David Fickling, who are amongst a few are reaching the hands of children from Blackpool to Brixton, and the children have until April 15 to cast their votes and provide their thoughts on the 68 titles.

This will be followed by a shortlisting process and the winner will be announced on Children’s Day, May 14, 2023.

Amy Coleman, the Principal at Northmoor Academy, said: “The Children’s Literature Festivals Book Awards has been very warmly welcomed by both our children and our teaching staff.

"The provision of such high-quality texts from a range of inspirational authors and genres is a great privilege and all our children are excited to read and vote.

"We can’t wait to see who they choose as their favourites.”

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