The committee thought it would be a difficult task to follow up the wonderful creative entries and reviews from our first year, but they were blown away by the quality of entries submitted this year!
Congratulations to everyone who entered. We look forward to having even more difficult decisions to make in 2024!
Creative Prize
We received over 30 Creative entries in a variety of mediums, everything from interpretive dance and musical arrangements, through poetry, to traditional drawings and sculpture. This made making a decision even more difficult, which means a hearty congratulations must be given to everyone who submitted a creative piece.
After long deliberation by the committee, the Creative Prize was by Roy Wallington of the York Company of Merchant Taylors during our award ceremony on Friday 24th March.
Alexander, from Manor CE Academy, received the winning Creative Award trophy, book token, and winner’s badge for his model of the cottage from Berlie Doherty’s The Haunted Hills. The judges were impressed by his level of attention to detail, the delicacy of his work, and the clear love and effort that had been put into the piece.
Commended entries received a certificate and special commended badge, and were:
Clara, from All Saints RC School, for her wonderful triptych of portraits of the main characters of Rebel Skies by Ann Sei Lin.
Henry, from All Saints RC School, for his life-like paper sculpture of the tortoise from Rebel Skies.
Lilah, from All Saints RC School, for her beautiful clay statue of Dido Belle from The Lizzie and Belle Mysteries: Drama and Danger by JT Williams.
Phoebe, from All Saints RC School, for her beautiful art and collage of Olaudah Equiano, based on Journey Back to Freedom by Catherine Johnson.
Toby, from All Saints RC School, for his wonderful musical arrangement “Barrow Island”, based on Nisha’s War by Dan Smith.
Robert, from St Peter’s 8-13, for his dynamic sculpture of a shikigami and the airship from Rebel Skies.
Review Prize
For her wonderful review of Rebel Skies by Ann Sei Lin, Maisie was awarded the Review Prize by the Lord Mayor of York, Councillor David Carr, during the award ceremony on Friday 24th March.
The judges were impressed by how her review gives a good overview of the plot of the book without giving too much away, the descriptions of how the book has enriched her own understanding and knowledge, and the engaging style in which it is written.
This is a book about a girl, Kurara, and the adventure she goes on. It shows a story of a friendship, a learning journey, a betrayal, a reunion and a mighty battle. The story is full of page-turning events, you’ll never stop reading it! It’s an easy read that can be read quickly yet is packed with beautiful descriptions that leave you with images dancing through your mind as the story unfolds. The book is full of fantasy, paper creatures entangled within real Japanese culture, from kimonos and hakamas to paper shikigami and floating cities! It jumps straight into action from the first flick of a page. Rebel Skies flows easily from the pages and into your mind creating an incredible, well-written scene to make you feel as if you’re really in.
The main characters are Kurara and Himura as well as some of their friends and ‘shipmates’, Sayo, Tomoe and Akane. Their personalities were laid out beautifully, from Tomoe’s bubbly and fun nature to Sayo’s slightly hostile and sour disposition; they were painted incredibly in lots of detail making it like they’re your friends too. The book was engrossing, leaving so much to love and sympathise with, I personally loved the ending as it was full of descriptive language and made me want to jump in the book and join them.
During the duration of the book, the characters faced challenges in their relationships with one another and had conflicts that made you want to read more and more; the characters all change throughout the story, whether it’s through loss and tragedy, revenge and power or going down as a hero. They all experience something and it makes for an amazing storyline! This book was written in the 3rd person and it gave the book so much depth, I loved the way the chapters flipped between Kurara’s and Himura’s perspectives with an occasional interlude giving an insight from the story’s villains and their devious plans. It also includes a beautiful backstory about Kurara’s past entwining two stories into one. I think this made the book so much greater as it gave it unique features and helped to make it easier to read with the changes of place and emotion. The settings were described in such detail it made it simpler to picture everything, from fights to discussions, I really enjoyed it!
Throughout the book there was loads of emotion and attitude which -in my opinion- really built up the story and characters, every twist and turn, every tear and heartbreak, every reunion and makeup, it was as if emotion had been soaked into the very pages. I thought it was an amazing story as it was packed with loads of detail and really made you sympathise or envy the characters. I really loved the book and if I were to make any improvements I think I would have Kurara say more to Himura during her angry rage in the palace and I’d make it be something that would really cut deep so Himura felt bad for what he did.
I love how Ann Sei Lin has taken inspiration from her life experiences and put them into the story and it gave the story so much more meaning than just a story in someone’s head, it really makes you want to go and explore these other places in the world. During the story I felt both engaged and as if I could dip in and out of it without losing key details or what was happening at the time. Some chapters were easy reads and basic story setting whereas others could be difficult in a way that made it impossible to put down with incomprehensible twists and turns that make it so captivating you dare not look away!
Although this is a fictional book I have learnt lots about Japanese people, their culture and their ways of life: their clothing, their lifestyles, their customs and their values.
Compared to other books I have read, I would say it is quite different from my usual genre but I have really enjoyed this and will definitely read more of this style and Ann Sei Lin’s work. I would definitely recommend this book to others. I think it’s important to say how amazingly this book has been written, I loved every minute of it!
Commended entries received a certificate and special badge, and were:
Daisy, All Saints RC School, for her review of The Haunted Hills:
The Haunted Hills is a thrilling tale that will surely put anyone on the edge of their seats. I very much enjoyed this book about a young boy and his mind. Are the hills haunted or is madness taking hold of Carl? That is the question that makes the book so hard to put down. I did, however at first, find it hard to understand but when I grasped the concept, I enjoyed it very much. We join a boy who is traumatised from a great loss. He is on holiday but something seems to be a miss. Carl is led to believe that he has seen a ghost or is he turning mad?
At first glance this book is a horror story but in real life it is so much more. It is about experiencing loss and letting guilt take a hold of someone. This book touched my heart, I felt sorry for Carl but intrigued by the prospect of the hills being haunted.
Olivia, All Saints RC School, for her review of Journey Back to Freedom:
This book was heart breaking and eye-opening. It is such an important book for young readers. It was a very quick and easy read and is dyslexia friendly. Although it is very fast-paced and short, it kept me hooked and the fascinating flow allowed me to finish it quickly.
This book tells the story of a young boy who was captured to be a slave to white people. Olaudah is caught in a terrifying, enormous new world and life – nothing like his old one. Things we don’t seem to find unusual, such as paintings and clocks, were seen as terrifying to the young African boy. He was also immensely fascinated and shocked by snow – as he had never seen or felt it before. Olaudah was a determined boy, who was committed to his job and earning 40 pounds to buy his freedom.
The book made me feel worried and scared for Olaudah, eager to find out what happens next in his life. I was glad that he made some new friends, as I did not want him to be alone and clueless in this new world. In the story, some wonderful things happen to Olaudah, however, at the same time, there are moments in which we see the true realities of what life was like for an enslaved person.
This story is a wonderful insight into what Equiano went through, told in a way young readers can understand. I had never heard of Equiano before, however, after reading the book and the author’s notes [which explain more about Equiano’s life], I realised that he is such an important figure in history.Overall, this was a very good book and I recommend it to young readers who would like a fast paced, easy read. This book was too short and fast-paced to my liking, and to what I usually read, so it wasn’t my favourite – however I enjoyed reading it.
Betsy, Manor CE Academy, for her review of The Lizzie and Belle Mysteries:
This story is based around the events at the Theatre Royal on Drury Lane. It starts off setting the scene around this area and pinpointing small details. Then it reveals that one of those figures was themselves – Lizzie Sancho. This book is written in the first person and uses a chatty form of language throughout the whole book.
Lizzie then introduces her family to the consumer. Her father is to play Othello, a character in a play by William Shakespeare – he is the first Black man to do so, making it a momentous performance in history. However, disaster strikes on the opening night when the chandelier crashes down on Lizzie’s father. Only one other person in the whole theatre sees the figure who committed this crime – Belle. Together, they fight to uncover this mystery with many different suspects along the way. None of the events in the book were expected through my eyes – I was sure they had discovered who did the crime when yet another suspect was introduced! At the start of the book, the event happened in a fast-paced way – the chandelier fell almost immediately. Then, each event happened in turn, and you just couldn’t get bored!
The main characters were Lizzie and Belle – a mystery solving duo. Lizzie was part of a proud African family, whereas Belle lived with her aunt Betty (Lady Mansfield) and Uncle William (Lord Mansfield). Lizzie lived in a café whereas Belle lives in Kenwood house – a beautiful estate. Throughout the book, Lizzie is motivated to solve the mystery because her father’s life was on the line, but she could never have done it without Belle, a smart girl who was the more anxious of the two.
As Lizzie is the one writing the book, we don’t get much description of her apart from the illustrations. However, when belle is introduced, Lizzie gives a detailed description of her. Belle is described as “a girl about my age, looking straight at me and not altogether unlike me. Her skin was deep brown, almost as dark as mine, and the tight curls of her hair were gathered up in a bun on top of her head. Her delicate face was framed by a fringe of tightly curled ringlets. She wore a gown of cream lace, the sleeves puffed at the shoulders, and a delicate silver chain around her neck.”
As Belle is described, so is Lizzie, for she states that Belle doesn’t look unlike herself. My favourite character out of the two is Belle, for she forgives Lizzie when she wants to do the mystery her way. In the end, the characters get on extremely well together and both characters were needed in the process. At one point in the story, Lizzie and Belle have a fall out: however, they put their own feelings aside and get along better than before. It is very interesting reading their letters to one another as it portrays their friendship in a way that description couldn’t, and I imagine that the author took time to ensure that the wording of the letters was perfect and even the font that she used resembles the characters in a very clear way.
This book was written in the first person, with Lizzie as the narrator. This was important because it showed how she felt about the situation and how she felt about her father and what she assumed was an attempted murder. On the other hand, if Belle was the narrator, it wouldn’t have shown all of the family events that Lizzie goes through.
Overall, I think there was a good balance between description and dialogue. The author, J.T. Williams, was extremely good at knowing when to describe what was happening and when to use dialogue. The description included the feelings of the characters. Lizzie in depth, what she thought of certain individuals and their actions, and comments on her thoughts in general.
I thought it was a very good story because, even though it was set in Georgian times, it features the informal language of the 21st century. The mystery kept me coming back to the book because you could never be sure of which characters you could trust.
My favourite moment in the story was very close to the end, when the mischievous duo tricked their enemy! But to be honest, any of the moments in the story could compete! However, when Lizzie and Belle were delivering their speech at the theatre, I found it quite sad when some people started to walk out. Though, it was never actually left the location or not.
I think that the reason the author wrote this book was to spread the word about Black history, because Lizzie is part of a proud African family, and the slave trade was one of the main themes. This was an extremely important detail during the story because of Lizzie and Belle’s backgrounds.
After completing the book, I felt as if I wanted to know more because the book was left on a cliff-hanger which was, in my opinion, crucial to the story. The book opened my eyes about the slave trade because I had heard of it before but didn’t realise just how serious it really was.
Compared to other books I’ve read, I really enjoyed this book because whilst it was based around history, that didn’t make it boring and the fact that it was written in an informal way helped with this. In addition, there were a decent amount of words that I had to look up in the dictionary. I think that this is important to say that some of the subjects in the book are for older readers and that younger readers would not understand many of the words. To add to that, there were some scenes in the book that more sensitive readers might find unnerving. Overall, I think this book would be best suited to children over 10 years old who aren’t easily upset. I would definitely recommend this book to others as the mystery kept me coming back and the end didn’t disappoint!
Sadie, Manor CE Academy, for her review of Rebel Skies:
This book is about a girl named Kurara who can secretly bend paper to her will and has been a servant on the Midori for as long as she remembers but when something terrible happens to her best friend, Kurara must escape and embark on a magical adventure to save him. The events that took place were far from ordinary, with giant paper spirits roaming around. I was hooked from the first page, as the opening of Rebel Skies threw me straight into the story.
The main character was Kurara as well as her new found friends Tamoe, Sayo and Himura. Tomoe was bubbly and fun right from when Kurara met her though Sayo and Himura take a little time to warm up. They were all described in just the right amount of detail for the story. There was conflict between Himura and Kurara, particularly on the topic of a Skikigami’s (paper spirit’s) free will.
Rebel Skies was written in third person and this meant that the story drifted more smoothly between Kurara’s and Himura’s perspectives. Each scene was described beautifully and I could easily build pictures in my head. It was an amazing story right down my street and entertained me to the last page. I really enjoyed it when their airship was attacked by the eagle Skikigami, as well as the turn the story took afterwards.
Whilst reading Rebel Skies. I didn’t want to put it down and when I finished I felt sad the book was over. I’m desperate for a sequel. The ending left me hanging with so many questions! Compared to other books I’ve read, it’s much more original and truly a great plot and story. I loved it! I would definitely recommend it to others, especially people who enjoy a good magical, mythical adventure.
Kaan, St Peter’s 8-13, for his review of Nisha’s War:
This is the fantastic story of a woman overwhelmed with grief and her 13-year-old daughter Nisha. Their heart-breaking compulsory journey from their homeland Malaya, a country invaded during WWII, and their arrival on Barrow Island in Britain as refugees where Nisha’s grandmother lives made me feel sorry for them. Throughout the story, I witnessed how displacement tears people’s lives apart and makes them miserable because they are unwelcome in society and face racism and isolation in the new country.
The characters make the story exceptionally dramatic since Nisha, the character who gives her name to this book, and her mother make us feel what kind of troubles refugees encounter when they come to a foreign land. As a reader, I especially felt their suffering in those parts of the book where they long for their life in their homeland. The red stone Nisha brought from Malaya, which she always keeps safe in her pocket and sometimes tightly holds in her hand while she is anxious, becomes a symbol of her longing for her life in Malaya. Nisha’s grandmother, Mrs Barrow, is an intimidating old lady who adds to their suffering because she does not like Nisha and her mom. Her mistreatment of these two poor refugees, who have already gone through a traumatic experience, makes Nisha even more distressed. Meanwhile, Mrs Foster, the kind-hearted housekeeper, helped them around the house and comforted them.
As the story unfolds, Nisha meets Twig, a ghost who lives in a mysterious weeping tree on the cliff edge. This ghost can grant Nisha’s wishes if she finds three lost treasures. Nisha also finds peace in her new friend Jamie whom she meets while visiting the nearby village. All these relationships she develops make Nisha adapt to her life on the island.
Nisha’s relationship with her grandmother especially touched me as it started with negative feelings of the grandmother towards her granddaughter but ended with warmth and affection.
I highly recommend this book to any reader; the suffering of people whose countries are torn by war, the emotions they go through as they embark on a new life on a new land, and how they survive teach a lot to those who do not have such horrific experiences in their lives.
Amanda, Vale of York Academy, for her review of The Haunted Hills:
Berlie Doherty’s book, The Haunted Hills, is told from the perspective of Carl, an archetypal young boy coping with the fallout of a major tragedy: the loss of his best friend.
As the book progresses, we follow Carl’s trip to the Peak District as part of his parents’ plan for his recovery, however unforeseen changes occur as an eerie mystery slowly begins to unravel surrounding the old ghost tale of The Lost Lad. While Carl works through his new turbulent emotions he must figure out if the surrounding hills are really haunted or if his grief is clouding his judgement.
The Haunted Hills is beautifully written with a recurring metaphorical motif of the highlights and struggles of adolescence. The way in which this book is structured creates a steady reading pace that allows the reader to be completely immersed into the narrative. It explores the intense emotions that come with loss and grief while reflecting the strength of adolescent friendship. It’s truly a profound and enjoyable read. I give Berlie Doherty my highest adulation for this book and fully believe that it is the perfect read for children of school age to immerse themselves in.
York Book Award 