Getting Started

Ideas for engaging students in the Berkshire Book Award

Quick, simple things …

For subscribing schools, make the most of the printed materials provided such as stickers and bookmarks. Put stickers on the longlisted and shortlisted books as they are revealed.
Use the launch video (available from 11th October) in Library Lessons.
For non-subscribing schools, print out materials from the downloads link.
Display eligible books in piles on tables as they do in book shops. (Students are more likely to handle the books & read the ‘blurb’).
Chat with students about who has read what, make suggestions and encourage peer recommendations and the search for new titles.
Give parents details of short-listed books so that they can buy them as Christmas presents.
Make sure details on how to vote are obvious – have it mentioned in Assemblies and newsletters, with reminders. If you have google classroom groups, post the link there.
Ask students to write mini reviews (or longer!). Display, and send them to the Berkshire Book Award website.
Tweet about it. Include any relevant authors – you may well get a reply! Ditto Instagram. (Don't forget to tag in the BBA accounts too!)

Bit more time?

Launch the Awards in an Assembly
Display books published in the last year with how to vote and news of the Awards, as it happens.
Start a book group or involve a current one in discussing the short-listed books, or try a fiction speed-dating session! (There is a wealth of information available on how to do these, so you don’t need to re-invent the wheel!)
Select small groups from Library Lessons to have a table discussion about the longlist and shortlist. Give the students bookmarks and encourage ‘First Impression’ voting as well as promoting borrowing the books to make more informed choices.
Draw up and display a league table of the most popular books.
Celebrate all this wonderful new fiction – have a party!

Above all, empower students: these are their Awards and they can nominate and vote for their choices.