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Students take part in Carnegie Medal presentation ceremony

CBA students took to the national stage as they were invited to take part in the country’s biggest prize-giving for children’s literature.

CBA students took to the national stage as they were invited to take part in the country’s biggest prize-giving for children’s literature.

12 students went along to the Barbican centre in London on Thursday (June 14th) for the glittering awards ceremony at which the winners of this year’s Carnegie Medal and Greenaway Medal  were announced.

As well as front row seats to the event - where they mixed with the biggest names in children’s literature – their opinions of the nominees were shown on the film screen and they also had a private audience with the authors after the winners had been announced.

This year’s winner of the Carnegie Award was Patrick Ness’ A Monster Calls and the book’s illustrator Jim Kaye also won the Greenaway award. This is the first time a book has ever been awarded for both prizes.

CBA librarian Amy McKay, who was this year one of the Carnegie judges, said: “I was so proud of our students. They were so insightful in their comments and to see them projected on the big screen in front of these massive names in Children’s Literature brought a tear to my eye. They also handled themselves well in mixing with these massive names in books.

“It has been an amazing experience to be involved in the judging but this was my highlight. To be able to share the experience with CBA students has been so incredible.”

Students who went along were Ashley Zorilla, Bradley Thompson, Emily Crawford, Emily Carroll, Carolann Phillips, Chloe Burton, Emma Thomson, Georgia Bainbridge, Lauren Pulley, Stacey Stratford, Steph-Gore Devlin and William Walker.

They were selected from the Carnegie Shadowing groups (that have been meeting every week to discuss the Carnegie nominees) as well as the Year 10 reading group.

Teacher Susan McGrath accompanied the students and praised their exemplary behaviour.

Year 7 student Emily Crawford said: “I thought the right book won. It is one of the best I have read and I loved it because it is a mixture of horror and fairytale.

“It felt really weird to be in a room with that many famous authors. But it was fantastic.”

Year 10 student Bradley Thompson, said: “It was something that I will never have the chance to do again.

“It was fantastic to meet the authors and some have said they will come and visit Corby Business Academy, so that will be great.”

Miss McKay will also judge next year’s prize.