The Sefton Super Reads 2012 Awards
Photographs by Patrick Trollope.

THE books are nominated by school staff and then 6 are shortlisted by the organiser, School Librarians, within the local schools and Sefton Council's Library Service. The awards are backed by local book shop Formby Books, who after the shortlist has been chosen, help to supply the nominated books to the secondary school pupils.  The pupils then read and review all of them all. The reviews the students submit contain a marking system and the winning title is then announced at an award ceremony, held in the Crosby Civic Hall. This year the event was held on 5 July 2012.  Shortlisted for the award where 6 very strong books! Tarzan by Andy Briggs; Memory Cage by Ruth Eastham; Sky Hawk by Gill Lewis; Justin Thyme by Panama Oxridge; The Truth about Celia Frost by Paula Rawsthorne; A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness and Siobhan Dowd.   Sadly to coin a phrase from Highlander:- "Their can only be one!" and this year it went to a brand new author.  As the name was read out it suppressed local writer Paula Rawsthorne. Her book called:- The Truth about Celia Frost is all about a girl called:- Celia Frost, who in this story is regarded as a freak. Her life is ruled by a rare disorder that means she could bleed to death from the slightest cut.  This infliction confines her to a gloomy bubble of 'safety'. No friends. No fun. No life. The story develops when a knife attack on Celia has unexpected consequences. This is a very thought provoking book and as many of Sefton's pupils satiated:- "A gripping thriller that is a fantastic story. It makes you think!" After being awarded the prize her family, who was in the audience congratulated the shell shock Paula along with the other 2 writers who attended, Andy Briggs and Ruth Eastham.   To find out more about the awards and to get a copy of this book and the other fantastic books selected for this award, why not visit the following websites:- FormbyBooks.co.uk; Facebook; Sefton MBC?

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