Portsmouth pupils enjoy huge celebration of books, libraries and reading

The winner of the Year 5 Portsmouth Book Award 2024 was announced at a lively ceremony at the Kings Theatre today (Thursday 27 June).

After more than 1,500 votes were cast by Year 5 pupils across 25 Portsmouth schools, author Simon James Green was announced as the winner from a shortlist of four, for his book Finn Jones Was Here.

The ceremony also saw Portsmouth's two Year 5 Reading Champions named as Ralphie from Ark Dickens Primary Academy and Agnes from Copnor Primary School. Both were also recognised by the Lord Mayor, Councillor Jason Fazackarley, and Lady Mayoress Helen Mitchell. Every year all primary schools nominate a Reading Champion, a pupil who avidly reads and encourages the love of reading and books amongst others.

Children were also given the chance to nominate an Inspiring Adult, someone in their school who has helped and supported pupils to develop a love of reading. This year Lisa Felstead, from Highbury Primary School, received the prize, given in memory of the late Mrs Jean Fray, who was Librarian at Arundel Court Primary School.

Portsmouth City Council's School Library Service runs an annual Book Award and Reading Champion competition across three age groups to promote a love of reading: Year 1, Year 5 and Year 8/9. In separate events this month, the winner in the Year 1 Picture Book Award was revealed as Do Lions Hate Haircuts by Bethany Walker and Stephanie Laberis. This year, Scare Me by Teri Terry won the prize for the Year 8/9 Book Award, an honour she has received for the third time from the city's secondary school pupils.

The Lord Mayor, Cllr Fazackarley, said:

"It's fantastic that so many schoolchildren got inspired and took part in our library competitions. We had so many pupil nominations for our Reading Champions, which made it extremely difficult to choose two overall winners, but both are very worthy.

"Simon James Green was a clear winner of the Book Award this year from a fantastic shortlist. Portsmouth pupils had to choose their favourite book from four very different types of story but they really responded to this funny, and also very moving book."

At the ceremony two schools also gave fantastic performances inspired by the winning book. Pupils from Highbury Primary School (pictured) performed a drama and pupils from Ark Ayrton Primary Academy wrote and performed a poem.

The library service also run a school art competition linked to the award, and a selection of children's drawings and paintings were shown at the celebration, with five of the best artists awarded prizes.

The Portsmouth Book Awards are among a number of School Library Service activities to inspire pupils to read for pleasure and create opportunities for them to meet published authors and celebrate books.

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